The Truth About Trader Joe's Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Pizza crust might traditionally be made of a wheat flour-based dough, but that doesn't mean outsider pizza crusts can't be a hit with the masses. Case in point? Trader Joe's cauliflower pizza crust. Launched in 2017, the pizza crust was instantly the talk of food blogs and trade publications (via The Kitchn). Trader Joe's promised a "ready-to-roll, fresh pizza dough" that would satisfy shoppers' "modern nutrition" needs — i.e. the low-carb option — while staying true to pizza crust flavor (via Trader Joe's).
The company even said that they sent their product innovator all the way over to Italy to unlock the secrets of making a tasty cauliflower crust.
So how does this veggie-based pizza crust stack up against the real thing?
What's in the crust besides cauliflower?
Given that "cauliflower" is in the name of the pizza crust, that's obviously the main component. One can't make a pizza crust on cauliflower alone, however, and this crust has other ingredients that hold it together. According to Trader Joe's, the pizza crust is also made with corn flour and held together with "cornstarch, potato starch, olive oil, and sea salt" in place of the wheat flour you'll usually find in pizza crust.
These ingredients are what make the Trader Joe's crust so appealing to people who want a gluten-free pizza crust that also promises nutrition and delicious taste. Speaking of the crust's taste, is it any good?
The reviews are mixed for this cauliflower pizza crust
Whether it's a debate over thin vs. thick crust or using a knife and fork compared to picking it up with your hands, people tend to have strong opinions when it comes to pizza. The Trader Joe's cauliflower pizza crust is no different.
Would you be surprised to learn that some reviews raved about it while others basically said it was a crime against pizza? Because that's exactly the case here. Pop Sugar said it was "the best thing to happen to dinner," and Allrecipes had similar feelings for it. On the other end of the spectrum are Women's Health who called it "trash" and Real Simple who said that "no amount of cheese can save it." Buuurrrn.
On the plus side, it does have fewer calories than other grocery store pizza crusts. A full Trader Joe's cauliflower crust only has 480 calories and 1,320 milligrams of sodium while a 12-inch store brand Boboli crust has 850 calories and 1,700 milligrams of sodium.
There are a number of cauliflower pizza crusts out on the market, so if you're not feeling Trader Joe's (or don't have one nearby), you can always try a different one.