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Vegan Cauliflower Pizza with Basil Pesto

This easy Vegan Cauliflower Pizza with a delicious low-carb cauliflower crust is the perfect healthy alternative to a traditional pizza! Now you can indulge whenever you like.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients 

For the cauliflower pizza base:

For the basil pesto:

  • 2 cups fresh basil leaves
  • 3 tablespoon pine nuts
  • 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 3 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • sea salt and black pepper to taste, (I used 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 a teaspoon of black pepper)

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 375 F (190°C).
  • To make cauliflower rice from scratch, cut a large head of cauliflower into smaller florets. Grate these florets using a box grater with medium-sized holes or use a grater attachment on your food processor. Alternatively, you can buy pre-riced cauliflower.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the riced cauliflower. Mix and cook for 5 minutes until the rice is soft.
  • Drain the cauliflower rice with a fine mesh strainer or a kitchen towel. Once most of the water has drained, set the rice aside to cool for 5 minutes.
  • While the cauliflower rice is cooling, mix the flaxseed meal and water and form it into a ball. Set aside.
  • Wrap the cooled cauliflower rice in the dish towel and ring out as much water as you can. You want to remove as much moisture as possible.
  • Add the cauliflower rice, prepared flaxseed ball, almond flour, oregano, onion powder, sea salt, and chopped basil leaves to a large mixing bowl.
  • Use your hands to combine the ingredients thoroughly.
  • Spread the dough on a baking sheet dusted with gluten-free flour and shape into a circle. It should be roughly 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) thick with slightly thicker edges.
  • Bake the crust for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven.
  • Add a thin layer of tomato sauce and your chosen toppings. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the base is cooked through.
  • While the pizza is in the oven, add all of the ingredients for the basil pesto into a food processor and process until they come together. If it isn’t mixing smoothly, add some water.
  • Remove the pizza from the oven, spread some of the freshly prepared basil pesto onto the pizza, and serve hot.

Notes

This recipe is for 4 servings of pizza.
The key to a crispy cauliflower crust is to remove as much excess moisture as possible. Thoroughly wring out the riced cauliflower after cooking, use a thin layer of tomato sauce, and sauté any veggie toppings before adding.
To change the flavor of the crust, try adding herbs or spices to the dough.
Baked cauliflower crusts can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer. When you're ready to prepare a pizza, just add the toppings and cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The toppings might make the crust a bit soggy, but it will still taste delicious.

Nutrition Info Per Serving

Nutrition Facts
Vegan Cauliflower Pizza with Basil Pesto
Amount per Serving
Calories
245
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
20.9
g
32
%
Saturated Fat
 
2.3
g
12
%
Trans Fat
 
0
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
4.2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
8.9
g
Cholesterol
 
0
mg
0
%
Sodium
 
624.9
mg
26
%
Potassium
 
452.7
mg
13
%
Carbohydrates
 
12.2
g
4
%
Fiber
 
5.5
g
22
%
Sugar
 
2.8
g
3
%
Protein
 
7.7
g
15
%
Vitamin A
 
635
IU
13
%
Vitamin C
 
75.6
mg
92
%
Calcium
 
80
mg
8
%
Iron
 
2.2
mg
12
%
Net carbs
 
6.7
g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.