Cauliflower pizza is the name for any pizza pie that has a cauliflower crust! No matter what the toppings are, as long as the crust is made with cauliflower florets, the pie is considered cauliflower pizza! This type of pizza is preferred by many over regular pizza because of its natural gluten free properties. Tasty and light, the cauliflower pie is among the most popular alternative pizza recipes out there! Because of this, today we'd like to dive deeper into this delicious pizza type. We'll go over its history, ways of preparation, flavors, and more, so stick around! At the end, we'll even throw in a few cauliflower pizza restaurant recommendations. Here we go!

Who Invented Cauliflower Pizza?

Contrary to popular belief, the cauliflower pie isn't that old. When traced back through history, this recipe dates back to only 2009. However, unlike many other pizza types, the cauliflower pizza has gained a lot of popularity in its short life span! Although we can't say for absolutely certain who invented the dish, there are a few people we know helped popularize it. One notable name is Gail Becker. A business owner and mom, Gail had two sons with celiac disease. Wanting only the best for them, she worked hard to find food options that will enrich their daily menu. That's when she landed on the cauliflower crust idea! She searched the web and found lots of fresh cauliflower crust ideas and got to work. She perfected the recipe and after a while, even made her own business out of it! Although using cauliflower rice for pizza crust predates Gail's idea, we still believe she deserves the credit. After all, cauliflower pizza is all about creativity and imagination and Gail used just that with this amazing comfort food.

What is Cauliflower Pizza Made of?

To make a cauliflower pizza, you need cauliflower transformed into cauliflower rice. If you're unfamiliar, cauliflower rice is just another name for tiny cauliflower florets! The process begins by grating cauliflower and getting rid of the excess moisture. There are several ways to do this. Some chefs prefer air drying it in the oven on parchment paper, others like frying it lightly in a pan. Either way, the goal is the same - getting rid of the moisture within the cauliflower. Once the moisture is gone, the veggie is combined with shredded cheese and salt and pepper. Then, it's formed into a crust, usually directly onto a baking sheet or pizza stone. When this is done, the pizza is topped and baked. The toppings are usually the same as those used on regular pizza. Mozzarella cheese, olive oil, pepperoni, mushrooms - they all work with a cauliflower crust! One thing to keep in mind, however, is that baking this crust can take longer than regular pizza crust, or about 20 minutes.

Is Cauliflower Pizza Actually Healthy?

Given that it has virtually no fat, no sugar, and very little calories - yes, cauliflower pizza is healthier! However, it's important to remember that the toppings do make a difference. Even though a cauliflower crust shaves off a bunch of calories, a pizza is still a pizza, so you can expect a hefty number! However, that number will still be significantly lower because of the lack of flour. For comparison, a slice of regular cheese pizza has around 300 calories. A slice of cauliflower cheese pizza has around 100. That is a big difference! Add to this the lack of sugars, fats, and gluten, and you get a very healthy pizza alternative! As for the taste, many agree that although you can detect it, the cauliflower isn't overpowering. This fact makes cauliflower crust an excellent choice for everyone!

Cauliflower Pizza Restaurants Near Me

Now that you know more about cauliflower pizza, it's time for us to give you some restaurant recommendations. We've divided our short list into three cities. However, if you search our website, you can find a variety of other locations, too! In New York City, we'd like to highlight Brooklyn Pizza Masters. In Denver, we're recommending Anthony's Pizza & Pasta. Finally, in Chicago, Jet's Pizza is a definitive must-try! We hope you enjoy your fresh cauliflower pizza!