Raw Cauliflower Crust Pizza
Cauliflower is an interesting vegetable. It certainly isn’t a glamour girl and often, I forget it even exists. But I shouldn’t. And it really is a star. Just a quiet one.
As a cruciferous vegetable, cauliflower is positively associated with cancer prevention. It is an excellent source of vitamin C and magnesium and is full of antioxidants and phytonutrients. It is anti-inflammatory, and also provides cardiovascular and digestive support!
Cauliflower also has a mild taste and adapts to many different uses. Mashed cauliflower (cooked) can easily replace mashed potatoes. It is delicious raw, and we have made it into “rice“, soup and a wonderful cauliflower mash that replaces mashed potatoes. We have even made cauliflower steaks! Cauliflower loves all kinds of different flavors and is extremely versatile.
Today, I am bringing you a raw cauliflower pizza! I am sure you have seen all of the cauliflower pizza crust recipes out there…but they are traditionally filled with cheese and eggs. This one is raw, vegan and delicious. We have even included baking instructions for the crust if you don’t have a dehydrator.
The ingredients are pretty simple. Cauliflower, pine nuts, ground golden flax, hemp seeds, garlic, basil, oregano and sun-dried tomatoes all come together to make a delicious, healthy, nutritionally packed crust. A little bit of lemon juice and optional nutritional yeast round out the flavor. You could eat this without any topping!
The cauliflower waiting for the rest of the ingredients.
The “dough” ready to be shaped.
Ready to go into the dehydrator.
The crust ready for toppings.
I have to say, I am thrilled with how this turned out. The taste is lovely and the toppings, tomato sauce and pine nut “cheese” spread go well with the basil, tomatoes and onions. The recipe for all, follows. Don’t be intimidated by this one. It comes together quickly with a food processor and blender.
Sources: WHFoods.org
Cauliflower Crust Pizza with Basil Tomato Sauce and Pine Nut "Cheese" Sauce
serves 4
Crust:
- 1 medium head cauliflower, broken into florets
- 1/2 cup pine nuts
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 4 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped or 1 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 cup ground golden flax
- 1/3 cup hemp seeds
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, softened
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional)
- Place half the cauliflower in the food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Remove to bowl and set aside.
- Process the remaining cauliflower in the food processor. Add the previously chopped cauliflower to the chopped cauliflower in the food processor.
- Add pine nuts, garlic and basil. Pulse to combine.
- Add flax and hemp seeds. Pulse to combine.
- Add remaining ingredients, pulse to combine. You may have to stop and scrape down the sides.
- On a non-stick dehydrator sheet, shape 1/2 cup mixture into 5 to 6-inch circles that are 1/4-inch thick.
- Dehydrate at 145 for 30 minutes, then at 115 for 5 hours.
Tomato Sauce
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, softened
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- pinch Himalayan salt
- pinch fresh ground pepper
- Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
Pine Nut “Cheese” Spread
- 1 cup pine nuts
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon light miso
- 1/2 lemon, juice from
- pinch himalayan salt and pepper
- Place all ingredients in food processor and blend. Be careful not to over blend or you will get a nut-butter consistency.
Assembly
- 1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
- nama shoyu or braggs liquid aminos
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
- fresh basil leaves
- Toss sliced onions with nama shoyu, braggs aminos or soy sauce alternative of choice.
- Place onions on dehydrator screen with tomato slices. Dehydrate for 2 hours. I do this while the crust is dehydrating. You want these wilted but not super dry.
- Spread a layer of pine nut “cheese” spread, then a layer of tomato sauce onto the crusts. Top with basil leaves, tomatoes and onions.
Elena wrote on September 23, 2018
Hi Susan
This raw vegan pizza crust sounds delightful. Just can’t see the baking instructions?
Susan wrote on September 26, 2018
Hi, Elena,
The crust is dehydrated. You can see the dehydrating instructions in step 6 and 7.
Noelle Brady wrote on April 13, 2018
Can you freeze the crust?
Susan wrote on April 13, 2018
I wouldn’t suggest freezing it after it has been dehydrated. They tend to pick up too much water. You might be able to if you put it in the dehydrator after unthawing it. I wouldn’t leave it in the freezer for more than 3 months. Cheers!
Toni Vandyke wrote on October 16, 2018
I freeze mine and they are fine.
I just take them out of the freezer, put on the topping and then into the dehydrator to warm everything up
I’ve had some frozen for 5 months.
Noelle Brady wrote on April 13, 2018
and how long will it last in the freezer. 🙂
Toni Vandyke wrote on February 24, 2018
This is THE BEST raw pizza base ever.
I have made quite a few different raw bases
and none of them match up to this one.
This is the one we use all the time – I do three
cauli’s at a time and freeze. . .
I am not a fan of pine nuts so I substitute cashews
and I don’t use nutritional yeast.
Kelly wrote on June 16, 2017
Am I looking at the same recipe as the questions in these comments? I don’t see oat flour, and I certainly don’t see water.
Susan wrote on June 19, 2017
There isn’t any oat flour. That comment was off… 🙂
Tammy wrote on January 29, 2017
Is that 1/4 cup ground flax measured before it’s ground, or after?
thanks!
Annick wrote on March 5, 2017
can i use coconut flour instead of oat flour?
Susan wrote on March 6, 2017
You will have to add more liquid. Coconut flour is very dry and absorbs liquid. Cheers!
Melissa wrote on February 26, 2017
How’s the consistency suppose to feel after dehydrating?
Is it supposed to be dry and hard or more of softer feeling?
Kat wrote on August 27, 2017
I feel the same way. My crusts came out soft. I followed the recipe foot by foot. What tips do you have?
Susan wrote on August 27, 2017
Dehydration times can vary dramatically. It sounds like you need more time in the dehydrator. Cheers!
Susan wrote on January 29, 2017
Hi, Tammy, It is already ground. If it was written 1/4 cup flax seeds, ground, then you would start with whole seeds and grind them. 1/4 cup ground flax seeds means you measure the flax seeds already ground. Cheers and thanks for asking!
Kelly wrote on December 6, 2016
Hi! Can I substitute chia seeds for the flax seeds? I happen to have a high food sensitivity to flax seeds!
Thank you!!
Susan wrote on December 7, 2016
That could work. I would experiment with the amount of water you use. Cheers!
Maya wrote on October 16, 2016
What are the baking instructions if you don’t have a dehydrator? You mentioned they were on this recipe but I couldn’t find it? Thanks
Rebecca wrote on September 27, 2017
Maya did you ever try cooking it in the oven? I really want to make this recipe but I don’t have a dehydrator and don’t want to use a low oven setting and wait that long for it to be ready. Just wondering if you experimented with the temperature and timing in an oven.
Taylor wrote on September 13, 2016
The crust tastes like raw mashed potatoes! Sooo good!! I subbed cashews for pine nuts and doubled flax with no hemp. I creamed it up in the vitamix and was taken back into memories of buttered mash. Yummy! It’s in the dehydrator now. Can’t wait to taste it all out together.
Sam wrote on July 3, 2017
Awesome feedback. I have just made a raw pizza base with wheat sprouts and was disappointed. These responses have given me hope ! xx
Cathy wrote on June 18, 2016
Hi, what may I substitute the hemp seeds with as they are illegal to consume in Australia? Thanks.
Susan wrote on June 21, 2016
Seriously? Wow! You can use flax. Cheers!
Cathy wrote on March 15, 2018
Hemp seeds are now legal in Australia to consume!