Cauliflower Mini Pizzas: a Light, Colorful and Tasty Recipe
How much fun I have turning vegetables into dishes we would never have imagined eating? Cauliflowers become steaks, broccoli takes the shape of a pizza, zucchini and pumpkin turn into tortillas! Today it’s the turn of these mock mini pizzas made with Sicilian purple cauliflower! If, like me, you love transforming vegetables into surprising dishes or are looking for an original way to bring cauliflower to the table, this idea is the perfect solution. A healthy recipe, rich in antioxidants and so pretty to look at that the whole family will love it, children included!
Why choose Purple Cauliflower?
Purple cauliflower is not only dramatic-looking: its color is 100% natural due to the presence of anthocyanins. These antioxidant compounds (also found in blueberries and grapes) are very valuable for our health. Its flavor is slightly more pronounced and aromatic, perfect as a base for these mock mini pizzas, but if you can’t find it, don’t worry — regular white cauliflower will work fine.
Ingredients and Variations
Making the base is very simple. You’ll need a good food processor to chop the vegetable; if you don’t have one, you can use a wider-blade knife (santoku-style) to finely mince it. Once you have the “crumb” of cauliflower, a few binders are enough to create delicious single-portion bases to bake in the oven.
For the topping, I chose a timeless classic: tomato sauce and oregano, cottage cheese (for a light, protein-rich touch), black olives and fresh basil.
A smart idea for your buffets
These cauliflower mini pizzas are also perfect as finger food for an aperitif or buffet. You can customize the toppings in a thousand ways: grilled vegetables, anchovies, aged cheeses or spreadable light pesto.
If, like me, you love playing with vegetables and making them more inviting and appetizing, don’t miss these other suggestions:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 8-9 mini pizzas
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
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- 600 g cauliflower (already cleaned)
- 50 g type 1 flour
- 2 eggs (small or 1 large)
- 40 g grated Parmigiano
- q.b. salt
- q.b. pepper
- 280 g tomato passata (I used cherry tomato passata)
- 150 g cottage cheese
- A few black olives
- q.b. dried oregano
- A few leaf basil
- q.b. extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- 1 Food processor
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Ladle
- 1 Baking sheet
- 1 Parchment paper
Steps
Making these cauliflower mini pizzas is really easy. After trimming the cauliflower, break it into florets and transfer them into the bowl of a good food processor.
Chop in short pulses or, alternatively, you can grate it with a medium-holed grater or finely chop it with a wide-blade knife.
Transfer the chopped mixture to a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.
Mix with a spatula, then add the grated Parmigiano.
Combine and finally add the flour, then mix until you obtain a workable mixture.
For each mini pizza, drop two tablespoons of the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, trying to shape thin discs with a diameter of about 4 3/4–5 1/2 in. Flatten them with the back of a spoon or, if you prefer, with your fingers.
Once all the mixture is used, bake in a conventional oven at 356°F for 20 minutes, then remove and add the tomato passata as you would for regular mini pizzas.
Season with oregano to taste and return to the oven for another 10–13 minutes*.
Turn off the oven, remove and let cool slightly. I then added cottage cheese, a drizzle of raw olive oil, some pitted olives and a few basil leaves.
And voilà… the cauliflower mini pizzas are ready to be enjoyed!
Enjoy your meal from La Cucina di FeFè!
More shots…
Storage
👉 You can store the cauliflower mini pizzas without toppings in the fridge inside a suitable refrigeration container for 2–3 days and reheat them for a few seconds in the microwave or a few minutes in the oven before serving.
Tips, notes, variations and suggestions
🟣 * If you want to add mozzarella instead of cottage cheese, I recommend pizza-style mozzarella to avoid releasing too much water. Add it diced 5 minutes before the end of baking.
🟣 Topping suggestions: besides my vegetarian version, these mini pizzas are very versatile and you can top them with cured meats, pickled mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and other cheeses as you like.
🟣 If you follow a vegan diet or are lactose intolerant, you don’t have to give up this treat. To make sure the mini pizzas hold together without eggs, you have two effective options:
Flax egg: mix 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water. Let rest 5 minutes until it becomes gelatinous. It’s a perfect binder!
Chickpea flour: add 2–3 tablespoons of chickpea flour to the riced cauliflower. In addition to binding, it gives a delicious toasted flavor. Then replace the cottage cheese with nutritious plant-based alternatives.
🟣 To replace cottage cheese try these options:
Crumpled tofu: Season with a drizzle of oil, salt and nutritional yeast (very similar to ricotta).
Homemade cashew ricotta: For a spreadable cheese effect.
Chickpea hummus: Add at the end of baking for a protein-rich, velvety contrast.
FAQ (Questions & Answers)
1. Can I prepare the base in advance?
Yes! You can chop the cauliflower and prepare the mini pizza mixture the day before, storing it in the refrigerator covered with cling film. Alternatively, you can bake only the bases and add the toppings at the last moment before returning them to the oven to brown.
