This post is sponsored by the Emeril Lagasse Power Air Fryer 360. I’ve been using it to make all sorts of delicious recipes, including this cauliflower crust pizza. This versatile countertop appliance air fries, bakes, roasts, broils, and even dehydrates—making weeknight meals and entertaining easier.
Cauliflower is endlessly useful, from crudités to vegan fried “chick’n.” One of my favorite ways to enjoy it is as a pizza crust. I used to make this cauliflower crust regularly when I worked as a vegan chef, and it was always a hit. You can top it just like a traditional pizza, but swapping wheat flour for cauliflower boosts the nutritional value and keeps the pizza light and satisfying.
One of my top kitchen appliances is the countertop oven—also called a toaster oven or, in my case, the Emeril Lagasse Power AirFryer 360. It replaces several bulky devices because it air fries, bakes, roasts, dehydrates, rotisseries, broils, reheats, and makes pizza. I love that I can make a fresh pizza without heating the full-size oven. The Power AirFryer 360 saves space and does the job of multiple appliances.
For this pizza I chose local farmer’s market kale and wild mushrooms as toppings, but you can use whatever you like. Keep it classic with tomato sauce and vegan cheese, go sweet-and-savory with pineapple and BBQ, or layer cruciferous on cruciferous—kale on cauliflower—for an extra-nutritious pie.
The crust itself is straightforward. I pulse cauliflower in a food processor until it’s finely minced, cook it briefly to remove excess moisture, then combine it with brown rice flour, nutritional yeast, dried herbs, spices, and a flaxseed “egg” to bind everything. The result is a fresh, tasty crust that’s as good as (or better than) many store-bought options. You can make a few crusts and freeze them for quick meals later.
Vegan Cauliflower Crust Pizza
Jenné Claiborne
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons ground flaxseed + ½ cup water
- 1 cauliflower, about 4–5 cups
- ½ cup brown rice flour
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp salt
Toppings:
- ½ cup meltable vegan cheese
- 1 tomato, sliced
- 6 cups kale, chopped (massaged gently with 1/2 tsp olive oil)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the ground flaxseed and ½ cup water in a small bowl and let it sit to thicken.
- Pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until it’s finely minced, with a texture similar to wet sand or quinoa.
- Warm 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the cauliflower and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes to remove some moisture.
- Remove the cauliflower from heat and let it cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked cauliflower with the brown rice flour, nutritional yeast, dried herbs, spices, salt, and the flax “egg.” Stir until well combined.
- Use a spatula to transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet. Spread it evenly over the parchment to a thickness no greater than 1/3″. If you have excess, reserve it for another small crust.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then remove and carefully flip the crust.
- Bake for another 10 minutes until the crust is firm and lightly golden.
- While the crust bakes, massage the chopped kale with 1 teaspoon olive oil to soften it.
- Top the baked crust with vegan cheese, sliced tomatoes, and the massaged kale.
- Bake another 10 minutes, or until the kale is crispy and the cheese has melted.
- Let the pizza rest about 10 minutes out of the oven before slicing and serving.