Keto Pizza

3 reasons this crust beats every other version

1. The fat is the flavor. This crust is roughly 70% fat per serving, and when you’re eating keto, that’s your fuel. I don’t apologize for a crust made almost entirely of cheese. The mozzarella caramelizes on the edges and creates this golden, slightly crispy bite that you can’t get from cauliflower or chicken crust alternatives.
2. The texture actually works. I’ve eaten a lot of keto pizza over the years, and most crusts either crumble apart or turn into a soggy mess under toppings. This one gives you a chewy, bread-like center with a crispy underside. You pick it up with your hands, fold it, and it holds. That’s the xanthan gum doing its job.
3. It comes together fast. From melting the cheese to pulling the pizza out of the oven, I’m done in about 30 minutes. My family has a Friday night tradition where each of the boys tops their own mini pizza and we watch movies. It’s become one of those things they look forward to all week, and the short prep time is the only reason it stuck.

Other ways I use this dough

I don’t just make pizza with this dough. I’ve rolled it into breadsticks brushed with garlic butter, shaped it into hamburger buns, wrapped it around hot dogs for deep dish pizza nights, and even used it as a base for biscuits and cinnamon rolls. One reader told me she presses the dough in a tortilla press to make mini pizza rounds, freezes them, and air fries them at 400 degrees for individual pizzas. I haven’t tried the tortilla press method yet, but grilled pizza with this dough is something I do all summer.

The pizza sauce matters

A good low carb sauce makes or breaks the final product. I’ve learned this the hard way.

• Most store-bought marinara sauces sneak in sugar. I always flip the jar and check the nutrition label before buying. Some brands pack 8-10g of carbs per serving, which wipes out the whole point of a keto crust.
• My go-to brands are Yo Mama and Rao’s. Both are low in sugar and taste like real marinara. If you want to save money, homemade pizza sauce is just crushed tomatoes, olive oil, and seasonings.

Keto pizza toppings that work

Almost any topping works on this crust. The only one I skip is pineapple (too much sugar). Here’s what I rotate through.

Meats

Pepperoni is the classic, but I also load up with sausage, salami, ground beef, bacon, or Canadian bacon. For something different, try BBQ pulled pork or chicken pesto. My pizza chicken recipe flips the whole concept if you want to ditch the crust entirely.

Vegetables

Bell peppers, mushrooms, olives, onions, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, spinach, and fresh basil all work great. I tend to go heavy on mushrooms and olives.

Extras

A drizzle of olive oil, fresh herbs, freshly grated parmesan, or red pepper flakes on top. I finish almost every pizza with a sprinkle of flaky salt right out of the oven.

Tips I've learned from making this hundreds of times

• Use a food processor. I’ve made this dough by hand, with a stand mixer, and in a food processor. The food processor wins every time. It combines the melted cheese and dry ingredients in seconds, and you get a uniform dough ball without burning your hands on hot mozzarella. A stand mixer with a dough hook works too, but you may need an extra tablespoon of almond flour since the hook warms the dough and makes it tackier.
• Roll between parchment paper. The dough sticks to everything when it’s warm. I place it between two sheets of parchment, and if the bottom sheet slides around, I put a damp paper towel underneath to anchor it. This gives me even thickness and a clean transfer to the baking sheet.
• Work fast. The dough gets stickier as it cools down and then warms back up from your hands. I try to go from food processor to rolled-out crust in under 2 minutes.
• Melting the mozzarella. Microwave in a glass bowl at 60-second intervals, stirring between each one. You can also melt it on the stovetop over low-medium heat in a non-stick skillet if you prefer. I use the microwave because it’s faster.

Storage, freezing, and reheating

Freezing the dough

I double or triple this recipe almost every time and freeze the extras. For dough balls, I wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and drop them in a freezer bag. For rolled-out crusts, I keep them sandwiched between the parchment paper sheets and slide the whole thing into a freezer bag. Both keep for up to 2 months.

To thaw, I move the dough to the fridge for a few hours or leave it at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Making your own frozen pizza

Roll out the crust, add sauce and toppings, then cut a piece of cardboard as a base (just like store-bought frozen pizza). Wrap in plastic and freeze. When you’re ready, bake straight from frozen at 400 degrees for 18-22 minutes.

Reheating leftovers

The air fryer is the best way to reheat leftover slices. 375 degrees for 3-4 minutes gets the bottom crispier than the oven ever does. If you don’t have an air fryer, a skillet on medium heat for a couple of minutes works well too. I avoid the microwave because it makes the crust rubbery.