Next Post
Crispy Feta with Lemon Pepper Chicken and Rice.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
Cauliflower “Pepperoni” Cheese Pizza. Homemade pizza dough topped with sauce, cheese, and crispy homemade vegetarian cauliflower “pepperoni”. If you love a cheesy pepperoni pizza, this is a considerably healthier, yet still a super yummy, option. And in my book, the cauliflower “pepperoni” is even better than the original. Serve this cheesy pizza warm for a truly simple dinner that everyone will love. There never seem to be enough slices to go around!
Hands down, this has to be one of my favorite pizzas to date. Just like most of us out there, I LOVE a pepperoni cheese pizza. Probably more than a fancy pizza with fun toppings. It’s just hard to beat a pep pizza!
As a kid, we’d rarely order pizza out or go even out for pizza. So when we did it was such a treat. We had three types of pizzas we’d order. Classic cheese with pepperoncini (we’d always get extra pepperoncini on the side, so delicious), pepperoni, and then another favorite was buffalo chicken. Nothing fancy at all – but pizza really shouldn’t be!
While I love pepperoni and dishes with pepperoni, it’s one of the most processed meats you can enjoy. So it’s obviously not the best for us. But of course, we all still love it!
So I started to think about how I could recreate pepperoni in a healthier way. And then it occurred to me that I could just create my own mix of the spices used to make pepperoni…but toss them together with cauliflower.
I knew it wouldn’t be exactly the same, but I knew it would be good!
Here are the details
You want to begin with the cauliflower. You’ll need to pre-roast it since it needs a little time to cook before adding it to our pizza.
The spices are essential here as they are what’s adding our “pepperoni” flavor! Smoked paprika, chili flakes, fennel, mustard seed, garlic, and onion. Toss this mix with the cauliflower, plus I like to add a couple of shallots. Roast everything up until the cauliflower is just beginning to get crisp, but not actually crispy.
The cauliflower can finish cooking atop the pizza.
While the cauliflower roasts, I like to push out my dough. I used the pizza dough recipe that I have in the HBH Every Day cookbook. But of course, you can also use store-bought! Just make sure your dough is at room temperature. This will make shaping your pizzas much easier.
Push the dough out, then spread on your favorite pizza sauce. I love to use Rao’s calabrian chili marinara. Then, add lots of cheese…a mix of mozzarella, provolone, and parmesan is our favorite mix.
Grab the cauliflower from the oven, then top your pizza with your “pepperoni”! Throw the pizza back in the oven and cook until the cheese is bubbling up and those “pepperoni” are crisp on the edges.
And that’s it. Top with lots of fresh basil, extra parmesan, slice, eat, and enjoy!! Pepperoncini on top are a great addition too!
One of our very favorite pizzas! Even my brothers, who LOVE real pepperoni, enjoyed this pizza. I’ve made it a few times recently and it’s always a hit!
Looking for other pizza recipes? Here are some favorites:
Pull Apart Roasted Garlic Pizza Dip Sliders
Pesto Pizza with Feta Stuffed Crust
Sheet Pan Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Easy Sheet Pan Tomato Herb Pizza
Pesto Potato Burrata Pizza with Spicy Arugula
Lastly, if you make this Cauliflower “Pepperoni” Cheese Pizza, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Cauliflower “Pepperoni” Cheese Pizza
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 316 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1-2 teaspoons chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- kosher salt
- 2 shallots, sliced
- 1/2 pound pizza dough, at room temperature
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3/4 cup shredded provolone cheese
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425° F. On a baking sheet, toss together the olive oil, cauliflower, paprika, chili flakes, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. Add the shallots. Toss well to evenly coat. Transfer to the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until tender.2. Rub a large baking sheet with olive oil. Increase the oven temp to 450° F.3. On a lightly floured surface, push the dough out until it's pretty thin (about a 10-12 inch circle). Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Spread on the marinara sauce, add the cheeses, then arrange the shallots and cauliflower "pepperoni" over the cheese.4. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the crust is golden and the cauliflower is crisp. Remove from the oven and top with fresh basil. Slice and enjoy!
this was really tasty. my husband was very skeptical as he’s not the biggest cauliflower fan but he enjoyed it!
Thank you so so much for trying out the recipe! Have an awesome weekend! xT
What am I missing… it goes from roasting cauliflower to rolling out dough. I feel like steps are missing
Hi Amanda,
You can follow the recipe as written, no steps are missing:) Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
Love the vegetarian recipe! Always to happy to see those!
Thanks so much Marta!!
So good. The seasonings are spot-on for pepperoni. This is a great alternative for my vegetarian family members. My only deviation from the recipe was that I used a ricotta base for the pizza instead of marinara (I didn’t have any marinara on hand and didn’t want to make any from scratch).
Hey Djienne,
Fantastic!! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
My husband and I are pescatarian and this has become our new go-to at home pizza. So yummy! The second time I made it, I experimented with making it with riced cauliflower as opposed to bigger pieces and found it a bit more manageable to eat. Love the flavors and creativity of this one!
Hey Rebecca,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! Have the best weekend:) xxT