The Easier Way To Use Cauliflower As A Gluten-Free Pizza Base

Looking for the perfect gluten-free base for your next pizza night? You may have heard of cauliflower pizza crust, but try using cauliflower steaks instead. A thick-cut slice of this nutrient-packed vegetable imparts a meaty mouthfeel when roasted, making for a satisfying and supportive pizza crust. And with the right preparation, you might even like it better than a traditional crust.

Whipping up a cauliflower steak pizza is easy and quick: Slice the cauliflower head into thick pieces and brush each side with olive oil, grated parmesan, and a blend of Italian seasonings. Cook them until firm but tender, and then start building your pizza by adding sauce, cheese, and your favorite toppings. Pop the tray of cauliflower back into the oven and cook until the cheese evenly melts, and voilà, your entrees are ready.

This makes for a quick and easy meal that can be made in the air fryer, oven, or even the grill on hot summer nights. The firm base of the cauliflower steak can stand up to as many toppings as you desire. And if you think this vegetable will lead to a bland bite, think again — cauliflower's mild taste allows it to absorb the strong flavors of the seasonings you use, making it as savory as a well-seasoned flour crust.

There are a few tricks to making the best cauliflower steak pizza. First, select the largest cauliflower head you can find at the market and aim for evenly-cut, one-inch-wide slices. The stem, which runs into the core, is denser than the surrounding florets and won't cook as quickly as the rest of the slices. This is easily solved with a handy cauliflower knife hack — simply make several shallow cuts in a cross-hatch pattern on the stem before seasoning and roasting the steak.

If you hate cauliflower steaks, it's probably because you've eaten a grainy, wet version. Avoid boiling, steaming, or sautéing the steaks, especially for a pizza, as this leads to a mushy bite due to the vegetable's high water content. When roasting cauliflower, you induce the Maillard reaction, which caramelizes the natural sugars in the veggie and produces a dark, flavorful skin that emulates pizza crust.

Now let's talk toppings, where the sky is truly the limit. Up the protein by adding pepperoni, sausage, or ham to the pie, or load up on more veggies like mushrooms, spinach, red peppers, and olives. A Margherita pizza is easily assembled with fresh mozzarella and basil leaves for a fresher option. And don't forget to experiment with different sauces, like Alfredo or BBQ sauce, for a fun twist. And if you want a vegan pie, swap store-bought vegan pizza cheese for homemade cashew-based cheese sauce.