Trader Joe’s cauliflower pizza crust is a gluten-free pre-made crust that is vegetarian-friendly and a great option if you’re looking for a calorie and carb-friendly thin crust that will go well with any topping.
However, if you simply follow the baking and broiling instructions on the box, you will not get the best quality this crust can offer.
Thankfully, with just a few minor tweaks, you can make Trader Joe’s cauliflower crust reach its full pizza-crust potential.
After buying a half dozen of these frozen cauliflower pizza crusts and baking them with a bunch of different toppings to test out a few recipes, we’ve put together our review to give you the bottom line, pros and cons, and let you know what we think about its taste, texture, ease of preparation, along with a few additional details.
So, let’s get to the bottom line and talk about the cauliflower pizza crust from Trader Joe’s and our thoughts after stuffing our faces with multiple recipes.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
Trader Joe’s cauliflower pizza crust is definitely worth trying.
Even with just a few toppings like the Trader Joe’s Organic Shredded 3 Cheese Blend and Volpi Gourmet Uncured Pepperoni slices we picked up when shopping to prepare for this review, this crust will satisfy your pizza cravings without the carbs and calories you’ll get from the other pizza crusts on the market.
To make a crispy and delicious pizza out of this 10-inch crust, you’ll need to spend about 30 minutes to get it right. But, if you’re looking for a gluten-free and healthy homemade pizza you can make in your own kitchen, the 30-minute effort to turn this frozen cauliflower crust into a delicious meal is worth it.
Remember, following the cooking instructions on the box will not get you the best result; it took us a few attempts to turn this frozen cauliflower pizza crust into a crispy, tasty pizza. However, it doesn’t have to be an investigative journey for you.
If you follow our baking tips and instructions discovered after our trial and error, you should be able to get the hang of it in no time.
All in all, if you’re looking for a good cauliflower pizza crust you can eat because you’re gluten intolerant or just want to keep those calories and carbs balanced, Trader Joe’s cauliflower crust is absolutely worth the shot.
Pros
- Gluten-free & low-calorie
- Carb balanced
- Small list of ingridents
- Mostly veggie-based (cauliflower)
- Good lunch for 2 or dinner for 1
Cons
- Not the crispiest crust ever
- Longer than average prep time
- Can’t load it with too many toppings (crust breaks)
- Only 10-inches (could serve 2 max)
Unboxing and First Impressions
The crust is sealed in a plastic overwrap with no cardboard underneath. Fresh out of the box, the crust has a yellowish color and somewhat icy surfaces.
The crust looks like frozen shredded cauliflower rice that’s been made into a perfect pizza circle. The texture does not change appearance after baking but will become crispy.
TJ’s Cauliflower Pizza Crust: Our In-Depth Taste Test Review
Taste
When the crust is fully baked and broiled with toppings, it fully absorbs the flavors of your chosen toppings. You will not taste cauliflower or any of the other ingredients.
However, you may sense a mild cauliflower after-taste when you’re done eating. It won’t be strong and it usually disappears shortly.
Texture
The texture is where Trader Joe’s cauliflower crust gets its bad rep. Many have said that the crust does not get crispy and firm, and it’s fluffy.
Well, we kind of agree.
We made 6 attempts to make the crust as crispiest and firm as possible.
We adjusted the baking and broiling times based on initial attempts, and finally, in our last round, the pizza became “crusty”; crispy on the outer end and not too fluffy on the inner end.
Check out our recipe and baking tips for instructions on how to adequately bake and broil this crust.
Smell
You may sense a mild scent of cauliflower immediately after unwrapping the crust.
But, after fully baked, the crust will absorb its toppings and have no distinct smell on its own.
Size
The crust is 10 inches in size and thin. It does not change size or volume after fully baked.
Ease of Preparation
Trader Joe’s cauliflower pizza crust does not get a passing grade on ease-of-preparation.
For only a 10-inch sized pizza, it takes about 30-35 minutes to thoroughly bake it.
This crust is made to be a healthy, gluten-free, low-calorie, carb-balanced pizza crust. It won’t make for a quick lunch or dinner.
Price
The crust is priced at $3.99 at Trader Joe’s.
The crust can also be purchased in bulk (Six-packs of 6 crusts) from online retailers like Amazon and Grocery.com.
Realistic-Tasting Score (Scale of 1 to 10)
Trader Joe’s cauliflower pizza crust can turn out crispy and delicious when adequately baked and broiled but doesn’t score high on taste and texture closeness to regular gluten-free pizza crusts.
On a scale of 1 to 10, we give TJ’s cauliflower crust a 4 on taste and texture proximity to regular gluten-free crusts.
Similar Cauliflower Pizza Crust You Should Consider Trying
Final Point
If you’re out shopping for a healthy alternative to traditional pizza crust, you have to try Trader Joe’s cauliflower pizza crust. With just 7 ingredients, this is one of the most veggie-based crusts you’ll ever find in the premade frozen options.
If baked and broiled properly, you will have a pizza with some light toppings that will satisfy your cravings without sabotaging many diet restrictions.
At just about the price of one junk-food meal, you may discover one of the healthiest comfort foods with the help of Trader Joe’s cauliflower pizza crust.