Kirbie's Cravings

Mini Cauliflower Deep Dish Pizzas

These low carb mini cauliflower pizzas have a thin cauliflower crust and are filled with cheese, tomato sauce, more cheese, and pepperoni.

mini pizzas on a baking rack.

We love pizza and these mini pizzas with a cauliflower crust are a great way to get all the pizza flavors without all the carbs. I love using cauliflower to make low carb versions of some of my favorite dishes.

These mini pizzas are made in a muffin tin so they are like deep-dish pizza. They’re perfect for dinner or as an appetizer or snack for parties.

Ingredients

  • Finely chopped cauliflower
  • Egg
  • Italian seasoning
  • Shredded Parmesan cheese
  • Tomato sauce
  • Shredded mozzarella cheese
  • Mini pepperoni
  • Finely chopped parsley

finely chopped cauliflower in a bowl.

For the cauliflower, I recommend chopping it in a food processor so it’s chopped very fine. You don’t want uneven pieces otherwise the crusts won’t hold together well.

Cauliflower has moisture, so you will need to dry it out before you use it to make the crusts. There are two ways to do this (I’ve included links in the recipe card) and I think the easiest way is to warm it in the microwave, which will cook the moisture out.

To make the “dough”, mix the cauliflower with the egg, seasoning, and Parmesan cheese. Until it’s evenly combined.

cauliflower dough pressed into the muffin molds.

Place 3 tablespoons of the cauliflower mixture in each muffin mold and press it into an even layer, covering the bottom and up the sides. Bake the crusts for 20 minutes at 400°F or until they turn golden brown and start to pull away from the sides.

Lower the oven temperature to 375°F. Place some mozzarella cheese on the bottom of each crust, followed by some sauce. Top it with more cheese and the pepperoni.

Bake the mini pizzas for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

For Crispier Pizzas

The crusts will be a little soft, so if you prefer a crispier crust you can remove them from the muffin pan and do one of the following to crisp them  up:

  • Place them on a pizza stone or on a cast-iron skillet and bake them for a few more minutes.
  • You can also place them in a cast-iron skillet and crisp the bottoms by heating it on the stove.

We loved these mini cauliflower pizzas! I think they’re perfect for entertaining, I can’t wait to make them for a party.

If you want even more recipes be sure to browse my entire Cauliflower Recipes collection. There are so many ways to use it!

Mini Cauliflower Deep Dish Pizzas in a muffin tin

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overhead photo of mini pizzas

Mini Cauliflower Deep Dish Pizzas

Servings: 9
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Dishes
Cuisine: American
Mini cauliflower deep dish pizzas have a thin layer of cauliflower crust, which is filled with cheese, sauce and more cheese.

Ingredients

  • 4 packed cups of finely chopped raw cauliflower I recommend running the cauliflower through a food processor
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp tomato sauce
  • 1 cup + 2 tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 54  mini pepperoni
  • 1/2 tsp finely chopped parsley

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease the interior of a muffin pan with oil spray.
  • In a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, add cauliflower. This step will cover how to dry the cauliflower using the microwave method. If you prefer wringing the cauliflower dry, look at this post. Cover with a paper towel and microwave for 2 minutes. Stir cauliflower, so that the cauliflower on top is now at the bottom and the bottom is on top. Cover and microwave again for 2 minutes. At this point, all the cauliflower should be cooked. Stir cauliflower again, cover and microwave 5 minutes. Stir again and microwave for another 3-5 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on the microwave and you don't want to burn your cauliflower. You want to cook the cauliflower until it starts to darken in color, is no longer super moist and will start to clump up. Allow the cauliflower to cool for a few minutes.
  • Add the parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and egg. Stir until everything is evenly combined.
  • Add 3 tbsp of batter to each muffin tin. Press and spread out the cauliflower until it forms a mini pie crust inside each muffin mold. Make sure the outer edges are not too thin, otherwise they will burn slightly when baking. Place into oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until they turn a dark golden brown and start to pull away from the sides of the muffin molds.
  • Lower oven to 375°F. Add 1 tbsp of mozzarella cheese to the bottom of each crust. Then add 1 tbsp of tomato sauce to each. Then add another 1 tbsp of mozzarella cheese on top of the sauce. Then place on 6 mini pepperonis on each mini pizza. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
  • Using a large spoon to help remove cauliflower pizzas from muffin molds. If desired, sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving. If you wish for the crust to be a little crisper, you can place the mini pizzas on a pizza stone or cast iron skillet and bake them for a few more minutes without the muffin pan to allow the bottoms to crisp up slightly. You can also crisp up the bottoms in a cast iron skillet on the stove.

Nutrition

Serving: 1mini pizza, Calories: 123kcal, Carbohydrates: 14.9g, Protein: 9.4g, Fat: 4.4g, Saturated Fat: 2.3g, Sodium: 210.5mg, Fiber: 5.5g, Sugar: 5.8g, NET CARBS: 9

The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.

Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Mention @KirbieCravings and tag #kirbiecravings!

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4 comments on “Mini Cauliflower Deep Dish Pizzas”

  1. Do you think you could make them freeze. Then reheat?

  2. Any suggestions if I’m using riced cauliflower (frozen)?