We’ve all heard of cauliflower pizza CRUST, right? Well, these low carb cauliflower pizza bites are much more fun. Why? One, they hold together better, making them perfect for kids’ lunch boxes (or yours, no judgement! 😉). Two, come on, who wouldn’t love mini cauliflower pizza MUFFINS?!
Do you have a pizza night at your house? We love to make paleo pizza bites, and all of us pick our own meat and veggies. It’s almost like having a party just cooking dinner! Plus, they happen to be healthy pizza bites.
How To Make Cauliflower Pizza Bites
This cauliflower pizza bites recipe is super versatile and practically effortless. When I am in a hurry, I still want to feed my family healthy food… and fast. These cauliflower cups fit the bill!
- Grab a large bowl and toss in grated cauliflower, oil, eggs, and seasonings.
- Toss in all of your favorite pizza toppings.
TIP #1: Don’t go overboard when adding toppings, which can make the cauliflower pizza bites fall apart. I recommend around 4 ounces of meat and 1 cup of veggies.
- Grease 8 cups of a non-stick muffin tin very well, then fill with cauliflower mixture. Press the mix into the cup, because that will help hold it together better.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 400 degrees F, until the tops are golden brown.
TIP #2: Don’t over-bake the gluten-free cauliflower pizza bites, so that they don’t dry out.
TIP #3: Let the bites cool in the tin for a few minutes before twisting to remove. (They will be easier to remove after cooling from hot to warm!)
Dunk in your fave sugar-free marinara sauce to serve – pure heaven!
Paleo Pizza Bites Toppings
Paleo means no cheese, but that doesn’t mean you need to miss out! There are so many delicious meats and veggies you can add to these paleo pizza bites:
- Pepperoni or sausage – The most classic toppings for homemade cauliflower pizza!
- Mushrooms – The earthy flavors of mushrooms pair perfectly with healthy pizza bites.
- Basil – Add a little bit of fresh basil when you add in the seasonings.
- Bell peppers – It’s best to precook them first.
- Olives – Can anyone even eat mini cauliflower pizza without olives? Yum!
You could even do buffalo shredded chicken as sort of a mini version of my Buffalo Chicken Casserole (YASS!)… and don’t forget the healthy ranch dressing. Basically just take your favorite pizza toppings and throw them in. Easy as that.
Are Cauliflower Muffins Healthy?
Yes, cauliflower muffins are very healthy. Here are some of the nutrients you get with these mini cauliflower pizza bites:
- Cauliflower – vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K, fiber, potassium
- Eggs – vitamin D, protein, selenium, riboflavin
Depending on which other veggies and meats you add, you could increase the nutrients even more.
Can You Make Mini Cauliflower Pizza Ahead?
Yes, you can make mini cauliflower pizza muffins ahead. They are perfect for meal prep! Let the paleo pizza bites cool completely, then store in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
Can You Freeze Paleo Pizza Bites?
Yes, you can freeze paleo pizza bites. Always all them to cool, then there are a couple of options for freezing.
- You can flash freeze the cauliflower cups by placing them on a cookie sheet and allow to sit in the freezer for 1-2 hours. Make sure they are completely frozen, then you can move them to a freezer bag or another airtight container.
- Wrap each cauliflower pizza bite with plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer safe container. Then you can just grab a couple when you need them.
Healthy cauliflower pizza muffins will last up to 6 months in the freezer.
To thaw, place them in the fridge the night before. Then, warm them up in the microwave or oven until they are the temperature you like.
PRO TIP: If you microwave the cauliflower pizza bites, cover them with a damp paper towel to avoid drying out. They will heat up relatively fast, so do 30 seconds to 1 minute at a time.
More Super Easy Paleo Recipes
One thing I love about paleo pizza bites is that you can eat them for lunch, dinner, or even a snack! Take a look at these paleo recipes for some more inspiration:
RECIPE CARD
Paleo Mini Cauliflower Pizza Bites Recipe
A low carb mini cauliflower pizza bites recipe for both kids and adults! With 7 ingredients + toppings, these cauliflower muffins are customizable & EASY!
Ingredients
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- 4 cups Cauliflower rice
- 3 Eggs
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Red pepper flakes (optional)
FILLINGS
- Meat (about 4 oz: pepperoni, beef, sausage, bacon, ham, etc...)
- Veggies: bell peppers (onion, olives, artichokes, spinach, etc...)
Instructions
More TIPS about this paleo recipe in the post above!
- Preheat oven to 400° F.
- Combine grated cauliflower, eggs, oil, and seasonings in a large bowl.
- Add in your desired fillings. Be sure to not use too many or they won’t hold together. I use 4 ounces of meat, and about a cup of veggies.
- Fill the muffin tin by packing the filling into them. Be sure to press down to help them form.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
- Serve with your favorite marinara sauce.
Recipe Notes
Serving Size: 2 Muffins
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56 Comments
Dan
If meats (e.g. bacon or ground beef) are part of the filling, should they be cooked first?
Kasey jaegers
Turned out great other than sticking to the muffin cups I used w olive oil spray. I added bacon, red bell pepper, white onions I halved the recipe but used 2 whole eggs. I added some shredded cheese to the tops 1/2 way through cooking. I Think I would add green onion next time.
Holly
IF I make this ahead of time, how should I reheat? Or are they tasty cold?
Brittany
Can you place the mixture into paper cups and then into the pan? To avoid them possibly sticking and easy clean up…
Lauren
Hi Brittany, Yes you can use liners. I recommend putting the liners into the pan first and then filling them.
Danielle
I sprayed tins with oil and they all still stuck – no muffins, just half muffins with mush on bottom. What can one do?
Jacki
Not enough information. Fresh grated cauliflower rice? Which I used. CN you use frozen? Need to spray muffin tin heavily- mine stuck and I sprayed. Recipe did not say to to spray with Pam etc. I only got 11 full muffins not 12. Recipe does not say how many it should make. I did use cheese- see in my comment. I thought it should be in the meat/cheese filling area. Rave reviews with my tweaks. Needs 4 eggs not 3. Need salt and pepper not included in the recipe.
Chris
Is there nutritional info available for this recipe?
Carolyn
Just made these today for the Superbowl. While they are super tasty I had multiple issues (listed below) I doubled the recipe but it still only made 12 muffins.
To get more moisture out of the cauliflower I heated it over low heat until there was no moisture showing in the pan. Added it all to a bowl and mixed all the ingredients in. While getting my muffin tray ready there was liquid just pooling up in the bowl. I’m sure some came from the cauliflower but I also thought this is the eggs. I stirred it back up and it was fine so I spooned it into the muffin tray but when pressing the mixture in the liquid was coming out onto the top of the tray! I put it all back in the bowl, waited for the liquid to separate and ditched that part. Except I’m pretty sure I got rid of a lot of the egg which obviously binds it all together. I left the muffins in for 40 minutes as they weren’t done after 30. They looked great on top but they stuck to the pan and the bottoms/insides were not cooked through. So I was left with a crumbly, mushy, uncooked 3/4 of a muffin. I had added shredded cheese on the tops and that part seemed to be holding together well so I put the muffins on a cookie sheet, bottoms up, topped with more shredded cheese and baked for another 20 minutes. Now they’re somewhat cooked enough and holding together just enough.
What I spooned up into a pile is delicious but I spent like 3 hours making 12 muffins that aren’t even right..
Lauren
Hi Carolyn, the issues you experienced happened because of removing the moisture. There’s no need to remove the water from the cauliflower and when you drained off more moisture you discarded the egg. Then when baking there was nothing to form the muffins together so you were basically just steaming cauliflower. If you follow the recipe as written I’m sure you’ll have luck with these.
Kristine
Could I use a chia egg? My daughter is allergic to eggs
Lauren
No, the egg is a major part of this recipe and that just won’t work. Sorry!
Jen
These are FANTASTIC! I was not expecting them to be so good! I used Trader Joe’s frozen cauliflower rice (partially defrosted) and that worked great. I did artichoke, mushroom, olives, diced tomatoes, and fresh basil. I also added a tablespoon or two of nutritional yeast to give it a cheesy flavor and sprinkled some pine nuts on top after they cooked.
Laurie
This did not turn out well for me, I used a mini muffin tin sprayed with spray oil, 1/4th of each muffin stuck to the muffin tins, So it didn’t look very good when I presented it to lady friends. Was disapointed.
Jewel Parker
Hi Maya!
I made these today for my guys and we all loved them! I used uncured salami, olives, diced tomatoes, onions and mushrooms. They had great flavor and texture. I used a food processor to grate the cauliflower and then I squeezed all the liquid from the cauliflower with a fine cloth. I also removed as much moisture as possible from the remaining wetter ingredients as well. I was really worried that they would fall apart with all the moisture . The only thing I would do different is to use a silicone muffin pan, because even with olive oil spray they stuck a bit. Thank you for sharing such a unique recipe all Paleo!
Kari
Do you cook the cauliflower first?
Lauren
Hi Kari, no you don’t. Just raw shredded cauliflower.
Kari
Thank you
Tami
Hi Lauren,
I just made these and they did not turn out well! It made enough for 12, not 8, muffins and they didn’t puff up like yours did, nor did they pop out well. I’m trying to figure out where I went wrong. Did you use a metal pan or a silicone one? Is “grated” cauliflower the same as “riced?” I did use fresh garlic instead of powder, but otherwise, I stuck to your proportions for meat and veggies.
Lauren
Hi Tami, I’m so sorry to hear that as most people love this recipe. Let’s see if I can help. First off regarding them puffing up is that you’ll need to form them into 8 muffins. It’s not so much as them “puffing” up as to you creating that dome shape before cooking…make sense? I used a metal pan but if yours isn’t seasoned well you can definitely use a silicone one to make them easier to remove. Grated cauliflower is a bit finer than riced but it also depends on if you’re ricing it yourself or buying a store bought product. Trader Joe’s is usually what I would call grated by the riced cauliflower from Green Giant is more like small cubes. I hope this helps and that you’ll give them another shot!
Lucia
I have made these a few times, once with a natural salami and the other time with a good chicken sausage. They are so delicious. They are great for breakfast or lunch. Easy and portable.
Erin
This recipe looks great – do you know what the yield would be if using a mini-muffin pan?
Lauren
Hi Erin, I haven’t tried these in a mini pan so I’m not sure.
Robin
No cheese?
Lauren
Hi Robin, since these are paleo there’s no cheese. You can definitely add some in if you want! I would use a dryer cheese…not ricotta, or say a fresh mozzarella, to keep the moisture content under control.
Claire
Do you think those new frozen riced cauliflowers would work?
Lauren
Hi Claire, I haven’t tried this recipe with frozen. From my experience frozen has a higher water content so I would cook it to release the moisture (just a few minutes in a pan over high heat) then use a dish towel to squeeze out the water. Hope this helps!
Sheri
I plan on making these for the super bowl this Sunday. Any recommendations on re-heating? Debating just putting them in the crockpot on “warm” setting, or possibly popping them in the microwave when I get there. What do you think?
Thanks!
Lauren
Hi Sheri, I would use the slow cooker before the microwave. If you have access to an oven that would be the best way to reheat but the slow cooker should do the trick!
Sheri
I ended up popping them in the oven and they turned out great!! No one believed it was cauliflower! Thanks
Loretta Marquard
These look delicious. Do you need to grease the muffin tin? Thanks!
Lauren
It depends, my stoneware is pretty seasoned but if you’re using a regular one I’d grease it with a little coconut or olive oil
Simone
Have you ever tried freezing them? I wanted to make a batch for the kids’ lunches and though that freezing some may be a good idea, but not sure how they will turn out…
Lauren
I have! The texture changes a bit but not in a terribly bad way. Just reheat them in the oven and they’ll be great!
Terry
Will mushrooms work or do them have to much water to work?
Lauren
I’ve made them with mushrooms and it works out just fine!
Jennifer
These look amazing! I can’t wait to try. How many would you think would be in a serving?
Lauren
Hi Jennifer, that really depends on how hungry you are and your dietary needs/preferences. I refrain from giving serving sizes most of the time since it’s so individualistic. It would also vary between adults and children of course and again with what you’re serving them with. You can plug the ingredients into a calculator like this to find out the nutritional info which may help you figure out how many to eat. Hope this helps!
Kathy
Hi, these looked amazing to me as I love cauliflower. I made them today and they are great. Are they suppose to stay a but mushy inside or did I undercook them? Thank you!
Lauren
Hi Kathy! I’m so glad you like them! The inside should be firm not mushy. You may need to cook them a bit longer.
Wendy Barry
Going to try making these today 🙂 We always have dinner at the dining table, no phones allowed, just conversation. To fill your evenings you could find some games you like playing maybe…we love Boggle, which is good for 2 as well as more…Do a project of some sort together. The more time you spend away from the tv the more things you will find to do together. May be a bit late now it’s March, maybe you’v finished your no tv month lol. Good luck 🙂
Lauren
Thanks so much Wendy! Let me know how they turn out! I’m not a huge board game person but my husband is! I’m slowly coming around to scrabble and monopoly 😉 We did finish our no TV month and LOVED it! Now that it’s warmer outside it’s not an issue at all…we’re constantly hiking, cycling, and playing outside. I need to move somewhere where it’s warm all year 😉
Marchand
These look amazing, Ive made the full cauli base pizza to varying degrees of success (I struggle with getting the liquid out) but this doesnt have that step so i cant wait to try!!! Just going to add chees to the top as im a total cheese fiend!!
Eileen
Hmmmm.. i looked at the recipe and thought.. why not press the cauliflower/egg/cheese mixture into the cupcake molds first, then pile some stuff in – cheese, grated carrot/zucchini, tomatoes, herbs, shredded chicken. so that the cauliflower mix makes a crusty crust..??? What do you think??
Sherri L Caraway
JJ17176259
I thought the same thing but thought maybe I was missing something! I’m replying so I can follow the comment, to see what the response is.
Suzette Taylor
No cheese? I’m thinking of making these today for healthier Super Bowl snacks (probably mini-muffins). Do they hold together well with just the eggs as binder? Thanks!
Lauren
Nope, no cheese as these are Paleo. You can totally add in some cheese if you want though! As long as you pack the mix into the muffin cups tightly they will hold together perfectly.
Leslie
These sound good! Do you soften the cauliflower in the microwave for awhile before you mix everything together? Or raw?
Lauren
Hi Leslie! Totally raw!
Michelle
Those bites are amazing. I could eat the whole batch myself.
Kim Beaulieu
These are amazing. I love a good bite in the morning. These fit the bill.
I could never give up TV. I’m a serious TV addict. Sad but true.
Susan
These are delicious. And easy enough for a quick supper dish after a long work day.
Kimberly
Loooooove these!! Can’t wait to try these with my kids! 🙂
Kristina
I could totally give up television for a bit – my husband is always amazed how I can tune it out while doing other things… I do love to have it on for background noise 😉
I love the idea of these – saving to try an egg free version soon!
Sara
OMG totally making these, I think my kids would love them too! I love that you used cauliflower, makes pizza a whole lot healthier!
Natasha
These are so yummy!! Good for you for decluttering. I feel so much lighter when I do that!! I’d be interested in a minimalist series. I actually have one on my own blog in the “outside the kitchen” section. I’m kind of obsessed 🙂