By Paleo Life Coach Editorial Team · Last updated October 9, 2026 · Nutrition calculated from USDA FoodData Central
Pizza night is the meal people most often say they miss after going grain-free. The fix is a paleo pizza crust, but “paleo crust” covers four very different things: an almond-flour dough, a cassava dough that behaves most like wheat, a cauliflower base, and a crust made from ground chicken. They differ by more than 20 grams of protein and 30 grams of carbs per slice. This guide gives you a recipe for each, compares them side by side using USDA data, and shows what we found when we checked the ingredient lists of seven store-bought cauliflower crusts.
The quick version: A paleo pizza crust is made without grains or dairy, usually from almond flour, cassava flour, riced cauliflower or ground chicken bound with egg. Cauliflower is lowest in calories, chicken is highest in protein, and cassava tastes most like regular pizza. Most store “cauliflower” crusts aren’t paleo; they contain rice or corn flour.
Can you eat pizza on a paleo diet?
Yes, if you change three parts of it. Regular pizza fails paleo rules on the crust (wheat flour), the cheese (dairy) and often the toppings and sauce (added sugar). The paleo diet allows meat, vegetables, eggs, nuts and seeds, so a paleo pizza replaces the crust with one of those, skips or swaps the cheese, and uses a sauce without added sugar.
Cheese is the part people argue about. Strict paleo excludes it; primal eaters often keep it. Our guide to whether cheese is paleo covers both views. The recipes here are dairy-free, with topping ideas that don’t depend on mozzarella.
How do the four paleo pizza crusts compare?
They don’t swap for each other evenly. Here’s each crust as written below, then the same crust cut into quarters, with a regular wheat crust for reference:
| Crust (one 10-12 inch crust) | Calories per quarter | Protein per quarter (g) | Fat per quarter (g) | Carbs per quarter (g) | Fiber per quarter (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almond flour (168 g flour + 1 egg + 1 tbsp oil) | 309 | 12.6 | 25.6 | 6.9 | 3.9 |
| Cassava flour (140 g flour + 2 tbsp oil) | 185 | 0.3 | 6.9 | 30.6 | 1.7 |
| Cauliflower (1 medium head + 1 egg + 28 g almond flour) | 98 | 6.2 | 5.1 | 8.5 | 3.6 |
| Ground chicken (1 lb + 1 egg) | 180 | 21.3 | 10.4 | 0.1 | 0 |
| Wheat flour reference (188 g flour + 1 tbsp oil), not paleo | 201 | 4.9 | 3.8 | 35.9 | 1.3 |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central: Foundation almond flour 2261420 and cassava flour 2512377; SR Legacy cauliflower 169986 (588 g medium head, USDA weight), ground chicken 171116, egg 171287, olive oil 171413, all-purpose wheat flour 168894. Raw ingredient weights; excludes salt, seasonings and toppings. Cooking mainly removes water, so treat the totals as close estimates for the finished crust.
What the numbers mean for you:
- Almond flour is the calorie surprise. A quarter of the almond-flour crust has about 50% more calories than a quarter of the wheat crust, almost all from fat. It is the low-carb choice, not the light one. Almond flour has 622 calories per 100 g in USDA data.
- Cassava is the high-carb choice. Its carbs per quarter come close to wheat, with almost no protein. Pick it for texture, not to cut carbs. If you count carbs, see our guide to carbs per day on paleo.
- Cauliflower is the lightest base by a wide margin, under 100 calories per quarter, with nearly as much fiber as the almond crust.
- Chicken crust is a protein meal on its own. One quarter has 21 g of protein and essentially no carbs, more than 15 times the protein in the entire cassava crust (1.3 g).
Almond flour pizza crust
This is the easiest dough to handle and the most forgiving if it’s your first paleo pizza. It browns quickly, so watch the edges.
Makes one 10-inch crust. Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour (168 g)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon each salt, garlic powder and dried oregano
Method:
- Heat the oven to 425°F.
- Mix everything into a stiff dough. If it’s crumbly, add a teaspoon of water.
- Roll it between two sheets of parchment to about 1/4 inch thick, then peel off the top sheet.
- Slide the bottom sheet onto a baking sheet and bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges turn golden.
- Add sauce and toppings and bake 8 to 10 minutes more.
The cup measure assumes 28 g per quarter cup, the serving weight Bob’s Red Mill lists for its super-fine almond flour in USDA’s database. Brands vary, so weigh it if you can. Our paleo flour guide explains why almond flour can’t be traded 1:1 for coconut flour.
Cassava flour pizza crust (no almond flour)
If you’re allergic to tree nuts, or you want something that chews like a regular crust, cassava is the answer. Cassava flour is the whole dried root, ground, which is why it behaves more like wheat than other paleo flours do.
Makes one 10- to 12-inch crust. Ingredients:
- 1 cup cassava flour (140 g)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- About 1/2 cup warm water, added gradually
- 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
Method:
- Heat the oven to 425°F.
- Stir the flour, salt and herbs, then add the oil and enough water to make a soft dough that doesn’t stick to your hands.
- Press it out on parchment to 1/4 inch thick, pinching any cracks closed.
- Par-bake 12 to 15 minutes until the surface looks dry, then top and bake another 8 to 10 minutes.
The cup weight comes from Bob’s Red Mill’s label in USDA’s database, which lists a quarter cup of cassava flour as 35 g. Skip baking powder unless the label says it’s corn-free. The baking powder listed inside two of the store crusts in the table further down contains corn starch, which isn’t paleo. Baking soda plus cream of tartar does the same job.
Cauliflower pizza crust
This one takes the most work, and the step most people skip is the one that matters: getting the water out. A wet cauliflower crust can’t crisp.
Makes one 10-inch crust. Ingredients:
- 1 medium head of cauliflower (about 1.3 pounds)
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup almond flour (28 g)
- 1/2 teaspoon each salt, garlic powder and dried oregano
Method:
- Heat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Pulse the florets in a food processor until they look like rice.
- Microwave or steam the riced cauliflower 5 to 6 minutes until soft, then let it cool enough to handle.
- Pile it in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze hard, several times, until almost no more liquid comes out.
- Mix with the egg, almond flour and seasonings, then press into a thin round on the parchment.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes until dry and golden, add toppings, and bake 8 to 10 minutes more.
For a nut-free version, replace the almond flour with 2 tablespoons of cassava flour.
Ground chicken pizza crust
This crust is really a thin, seasoned chicken patty, and it holds up to heavy toppings. Because it’s raw poultry, it must be fully cooked before you top it.
Makes one 10- to 12-inch crust. Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon each salt, garlic powder and dried Italian herbs
Method:
- Heat the oven to 400°F and line a sheet pan with parchment.
- Mix everything and spread it thin and even, about 1/4 inch, with wet hands or a spatula.
- Bake about 20 minutes, until the center reaches 165°F, the safe minimum for ground poultry (FDA).
- Blot any pooled fat with a paper towel, add toppings, and bake 5 to 8 minutes more.
Are store-bought cauliflower crusts paleo?
Usually not. We checked the seven cauliflower crusts that came up in a search of USDA’s Branded Foods database, which lists the ingredient statements manufacturers submit, against paleo rules:
| Product (as listed in USDA FoodData Central) | Non-paleo ingredients on the label | Serving | Carbs per serving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urban Farmer Cauliflower Pizza Crust | Corn starch, brown and white rice flour, potato flour, sugar, sunflower oil | 1/4 crust (48 g) | 25 g |
| PICS Cauliflower Pizza Crust | Corn flour, rice flour, potato starch, sunflower oil | 63 g | 26 g |
| Pizzeria Fasce Cauliflower Pizza Crust | Wheat flour (first ingredient; cauliflower is 35%), dextrose | 1 slice (50 g) | 26 g |
| The Edgy Veggie Cauliflower Pizza Crusts | Rice flour, corn starch, mozzarella, nonfat milk, sugar, soybean oil | 51 g | 22 g |
| Heinen’s Cauliflower Pizza Crusts | Corn starch, rice flour, potato starch, dextrose, fructose, brown cane sugar | 1/2 crust (125 g) | 74 g |
| Milton’s Craft Bakers Cauliflower Pizza Crusts | Mozzarella, rice flour, modified rice starch, sugar | 1/2 crust (66 g) | 28 g |
| Caulipower (crust portion of a frozen pizza) | Brown and white rice flour, corn starch, vegetable oil, sugar | n/a | n/a |
| For comparison: Simple Mills Pizza Dough Mix | None. Almond flour, arrowroot, flax meal, cauliflower, baking soda, oregano, cream of tartar, garlic | 1/8 crust (35 g mix) | 18 g |
Source: USDA FoodData Central Branded Foods entries 1985746, 2424592, 2664054, 2465705, 2309839, 2396358, 2668794 and 2670145, with label dates from 2018 to 2023. Formulas change, so read the box you’re holding. Potatoes and seed oils are gray areas in paleo; we list them because strict followers avoid them.
All seven cauliflower crusts listed rice, corn or wheat flour or starch. Two also contained cheese or milk. The only product on the list that passed was an almond-flour mix that isn’t sold as a cauliflower crust at all, even though cauliflower is one of its ingredients.
Compare the carbs, too. A quarter of the homemade cauliflower crust above has about 8.5 g of carbohydrate. A quarter of the Urban Farmer crust has 25 g. If you chose cauliflower to cut carbs, the store version mostly undoes that.
What sauce and toppings keep pizza paleo?
The crust gets the attention, but sauce and toppings are where hidden sugar and dairy slip in.
Sauce. Plain canned crushed tomatoes with garlic, oregano and a spoon of olive oil make a quick paleo pizza sauce. It’s also lower in sodium than jarred pizza sauce:
| Per 1/4 cup | Calories | Sugars (g) | Sodium (mg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pizza sauce, canned, ready-to-serve | 34 | 2.4 | 219 |
| Crushed tomatoes, canned | 20 | 2.8 | 117 |
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy entries 172880 and 170501, about 63 g per quarter cup.
The sugar is similar because most of it comes from the tomatoes themselves; the difference is sodium. Jarred sauces vary widely, so check the ingredient line for sugar, corn syrup or cheese.
Toppings that are paleo by default: mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, olives, spinach, arugula, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, garlic, fresh basil, cooked chicken, prosciutto, and Italian sausage with a clean label.
Toppings to check: pepperoni and sausage often contain sugar or dextrose. The pepperoni on one frozen cauliflower pizza in USDA’s database lists “cane sugar and/or dextrose” (USDA FoodData Central, entry 2668794). Pesto usually contains parmesan; make it with extra nuts and no cheese.
Instead of mozzarella: a dairy-free pesto, a cashew “ricotta” made from soaked, blended cashews with lemon and salt, sliced avocado added after baking, or simply more toppings. Our paleo salad dressing recipes include sauces that work as a drizzle.
Common paleo pizza crust mistakes
- Not squeezing the cauliflower. This is the number one reason cauliflower crusts turn soggy. Squeeze until your hands hurt, then squeeze again.
- Topping a raw crust. Every crust here needs a first bake on its own. Toppings release moisture, and an unbaked paleo crust can’t handle it.
- Rolling the almond dough too thin. Under about 1/4 inch it burns at the edges before the middle sets.
- Assuming “cauliflower” or “gluten-free” means paleo. Gluten-free crusts often swap wheat for rice and corn, which paleo also excludes. Check unfamiliar ingredients with the Is It Paleo? food checker.
- Treating almond-crust pizza as a light meal. A quarter of the almond crust has more calories than a quarter of a wheat crust before any toppings go on.
- Leaving pizza out overnight. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking (FDA).
Frequently asked questions about paleo pizza crust
What is the best paleo pizza crust?
It depends on your goal. Cassava flour tastes and chews most like regular pizza crust but is high in carbs. Cauliflower has the fewest calories, about 98 per quarter of the crust here. Ground chicken has the most protein, about 21 g per quarter. Almond flour is the easiest dough to make but the highest in calories.
Is there a paleo pizza crust without almond flour?
Yes. Cassava flour crust uses only cassava flour, oil, water and salt, so it’s nut-free. Ground chicken crust uses chicken and egg. You can also make the cauliflower crust nut-free by swapping its quarter cup of almond flour for two tablespoons of cassava flour. All three suit people with tree-nut allergies.
Is cauliflower pizza crust paleo?
Homemade cauliflower crust bound with egg and almond or cassava flour is paleo. Most store-bought ones aren’t. All seven cauliflower crusts we checked in USDA’s Branded Foods database listed rice, corn or wheat flour or starch, and two also contained cheese or milk. Read the ingredient list, not the front of the box.
Can you make paleo pizza crust without eggs?
Yes. The cassava flour crust in this guide has no egg; it relies on oil and water to bind. Almond flour and cauliflower crusts can be tried with a flax “egg” (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water), though they’ll be more fragile. The chicken crust needs the egg to hold together.
Can you freeze paleo pizza crust?
Yes. Par-bake the crust, cool it completely, wrap it tightly, and freeze it flat. Bake from frozen with toppings, adding a few minutes to the time. Cooked chicken crusts should be treated like other cooked poultry dishes and reheated to 165°F. Freezing works best for almond and cassava crusts, which hold their shape.
Why is my paleo pizza crust soggy?
Too much moisture. For cauliflower crust, squeeze the cooked cauliflower much harder in a towel. For any crust, par-bake it before adding toppings, keep the sauce layer thin, and cook watery vegetables like mushrooms and spinach first. Baking on a preheated pizza stone or sheet pan also helps the bottom crisp.
Your next step: pick a crust for this week’s pizza night
Choose by what matters most: cassava if you want it to taste like pizza, cauliflower if you want it light, chicken if you need protein, almond flour if you want the easiest dough. Make the crust, use crushed tomatoes for sauce, and pile on vegetables. For more grain-free baking, see our paleo bread recipes, and browse the paleo recipes hub for the rest of the week.