This keto pepperoni pizza cauliflower casserole is one of those recipes that sounds questionable on paper – but completely wins people over once they try it.
It’s cheesy, filling, and surprisingly comforting, even for people who swear they don’t like cauliflower. Seriously – just read the comments below and see for yourself. It’s also easy and economical, making it the perfect low carb dinner or side dish.
If you’ve ever made my “better than potatoes” cheesy cauliflower mash and thought, YES, then you already understand the appeal here. This recipe starts with a creamy cauliflower base and leans into that comfort-food territory, then adds pepperoni and mozzarella for a very pizza-adjacent situation.
The pepperoni is what makes it work. It adds a salty, slightly tangy bite that cuts through the richness and keeps the whole thing from tasting flat. Once everything is blended, spread into a casserole dish, and baked with more mozzarella and pepperoni on top, it stops feeling like a “cauliflower recipe” and starts feeling like something you actually want to eat.
This is also one of those dishes that tends to win over cauliflower skeptics — including kids (and my husband) who normally won’t touch the stuff. It’s creamy, cheesy, and familiar enough that the vegetable part fades into the background. If you want to push it further into pizza territory, you can add a thin layer of pizza sauce under the cheese, but it’s optional. It holds up just fine without it, and I prefer it that way to be honest.
This recipe reheats well, makes great leftovers, and works as either a main dish or a side, depending on how you use it.
If you’re looking for a keto cauliflower casserole that doesn’t feel like compromise and dieting sadness – this is the one. Pinky promise.
Cauliflower Casserole Tips & FAQ
Can I use frozen cauliflower?
Yes. Frozen cauliflower works just fine here — just make sure it’s fully cooked and very well drained before blending. Excess water will make the casserole looser than intended.
Does this really taste like pizza?
It’s not pretending to be a slice of New York pizza — but the pepperoni and mozzarella give it a familiar, pizza-adjacent flavor that most people find very satisfying. If you want to lean harder into that flavor, you can add a thin layer of low carb pizza sauce under the cheese.
What if I don’t like pepperoni?
You can reduce the amount or swap it for cooked sausage, bacon, or even chopped ham. That said, the pepperoni adds a salty, slightly tangy note that balances the richness, so the flavor will change if you remove it completely.
How do I keep the casserole from being watery?
The key is moisture control. Drain the cauliflower thoroughly after cooking, and don’t skip blending it while it’s still warm — that helps excess steam escape before baking.
Is this a main dish or a side?
It can be either. Served on its own, it works as a simple keto meal. Paired with protein (like chicken or meatballs), it makes a great low carb side dish.
Does it reheat well?
Yes — this casserole reheats very well and often tastes even better the next day. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat gently.
More Keto Cauliflower Casserole Recipes
Cheesy Green Chicken Enchilada Cauliflower Casserole
Jalapeno Popper Cauliflower Casserole
Keto Chicken Pesto Cauliflower Casserole
75 Best Keto Cauliflower Casseroles
Keto Pepperoni Pizza Cauliflower Casserole
- Total Time: 46 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Diabetic
Description
This keto pepperoni pizza cauliflower casserole is creamy, cheesy, and surprisingly satisfying — even for people who claim they don’t like cauliflower. A smooth cauliflower base is blended with cheese and pepperoni, then baked with mozzarella and more pepperoni on top for an easy low carb dish that works as a main or a side. It reheats well and is great for meal prep. Low carb, gluten free, nut free, egg free.
Ingredients
For the Puree
- 4 cups cauliflower florets
- 2 tablespoons Heavy Cream
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 8 slices pepperoni
- 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Casserole
- 12 slices pepperoni
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
For the Puree
- Clean and trim the cauliflower, breaking it into medium sized pieces.
- Place in a microwave safe bowl with cream and butter.
- Microwave, uncovered, on high for 10 minutes.
- Stir to coat cauliflower with cream/butter mixture.
- Microwave for another six minutes on high (or until tender.)
- Remove from the microwave and put into a high speed blender or food processor along with the 8 slices of pepperoni and 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese.
- Puree until smooth.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- You can adjust the cream and butter to your preference for consistency.
For the Casserole
- Spread the cauliflower puree into an 8 x 8 oven proof casserole dish.
- Cover with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, and layer with pepperoni.
- Bake at 375 degrees (F) for about 20 minutes.
- Alternatively you could microwave this for 5 minutes.
- Serve hot.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 36 minutes
- Category: keto main dish
- Method: microwave
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3/4 cup
- Calories: 207
- Fat: 15g
- Carbohydrates: 5g net
- Protein: 10g
amy says
I am going to make this in ramekins for easy portion control!!! So excited!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog!!!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Great idea Amy, and thanks so much! Hope you like this one, it’s still one of my faves!!!
Laurie says
I lightened this up by using fat free half and half, light mozerella cheese and turkey peperoni. Delicious!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Sounds great Laurie, glad you liked it!
Carrie says
Okay, followed the directions but only got about a cup of puree? Put it in my casserole dish and there is no where near enough to spread. Did I do something wrong? Feel like there should be much more.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Sorry Carrie, you must have used an abnormally small cauliflower because you should end up with at least 2 cups of puree at the end. Either that or you over-trimmed your florets and left out too much of the stem pieces. I can’t think of any other reason why you would end up with so little puree out of an entire cauliflower. Hope it tasted good anyway! :)
Alli B says
I just made this for dinner and added a layer of tomato sauce to it. It’s amazing! I know what I’m making whenever I crave pizza!
Mellissa Sevigny says
I still haven’t tried it with the tomato sauce yet Alli, but I’m going to make it soon! Love this dish, so glad you liked it too!
Pat says
This has to be one of the most popular recipes you have created. I make this dish weekly and now use a frozen bag of cauliflower vs. fresh (often less expensive) and so much easier. And therein lies the beauty of this dish: totally easy, very flavorful, and can be a side or main event meal. When I crave pizza – I make this. Also, I haven’t changed a thing (yet) – I like it exactly the way it is, but I’m thinking of using this basic method to make a mock mushroom risotto using Parmesan Reggiano, butter, fresh sauteed mushrooms, little white wine, little cream..
whatcha think?
Thanks so much for a great blog. I get so excited when I see Blah Blah in my email Inbox.
Mellissa Sevigny says
It’s definitely up there Pat, which cracks me up because it was totally unintentional! I love it though and make it all the time! I made a batch last night and ate the leftovers this morning for breakfast! Love it!
SkellyShelly says
Delicious and easy! I love it!! Nice mild flavor and creative use of cauliflower. This is my new Friday night pizza! Yum!!
Ana says
This looks wonderful, but I’m trying to think of a way to make it a vegetarian version without pepperoni. Any suggestions?
Thank you!
Ana says
..and without fake “meats.” :) Maybe some spices I can put in it? No pepperoni on top is easy to sub with mushrooms or bell peppers…it’s the stuff you put in puree I’m wondering about.
Mellissa Sevigny says
The puree is really similar to my cheesy cauliflower puree – just with pepperoni in it and a different cheese. If you add mushrooms or bell peppers instead, you could use traditional pizza spices in the puree, and/or just omit the pepperoni and add some sauce and your veggies on top. Let us know how it comes out!
Elisa says
Does it have a cauliflower taste? I want to try this but I hate the taste of cauliflower… or is there another veggie that I could use instead? Thanks :)
Mellissa Sevigny says
The cauliflower taste isn’t prominent at all – even my son who hates cauliflower liked this. That being said it’s hard for me to say if you’ll like it or not – I guess it depends on how much you hate cauliflower! As far as alternate veggies, I can’t really think of any off the top of my head that would have the right texture for this particular recipe. Even real potatoes would be weird I think. If you try it I’d love to know what you thought of it!
lauren wood says
this sounded so delicious so I tried it, but i totally messed something up. i followed the recipe but didn’t come out like a casserole, instead it came out like mashed potatoes, could you tell me what i did wrong?
Mellissa Sevigny says
The bottom layer is kind of a mashed potato consistency – depending on how much you blend it, then you have the cheese and pepperoni on top. You could chop the cauli instead of pureeing it and mix it with the other ingredients, if you wanted it more chunky next time.
Jennifer says
Is there a way to cook the cauliflower without using the microwave? This looks SO yummy, but I am no longer using the microwave. Thanks!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
You can roast or steam it Jennifer, the key is to make sure it’s sufficiently drained of all extra water so that your mixture is thick like potatoes and not runny/watery. Hope you like it!
Jennifer says
Thank you SO much for the quick reply!! Looking forward to giving this a try this week!