Keto Pizza

Name: Keto Pizza
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3½ cups (10 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese; 1½ cups almond flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon xanthan gum; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, optional; ½ teaspoon garlic powder, optional; 1 egg

by KetoFocus.com

The Original Fathead Crust Pizza

4.9 Stars (87 Reviews) 85 Comments

Jump to the Recipe

Fat Head crust is the top recipe for keto pizza. This cheesy, low-carb, fat filled crust offers a chewy, bread-like texture, but a crispy underbelly crust. This pizza allows you to follow the ketogenic diet with ZERO compromise!

a freshly baked pepperoni pizza with cheddar cheese on top

30 Mins

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size:
1 slice

Servings

241

Calories

19.8g

Fat

12.8g

Protein

3.5g

Net Carb

5.8g

Total Carbs

Unless you are new to the ketogenic, low carb lifestyle, you have probably heard of Fathead Pizza. It’s been a staple alternative to traditional high carbohydrate pizza for years. With this pizza crust recipe, you get that thick, hand-tossed crispy crust with a soft, chewy interior or roll it out flatter for a thinner crust.

What is fathead dough?

Fathead dough, when used as the base for pizza, creates a crust that looks like real pizza crust and has a similar texture and flavor as well. It’s low in carbs and high in fat which makes it the perfect solution to pizza cravings on a keto diet. Top with a low carb marinara and your favorite toppings and you can easily enjoy keto pizza any night.

One of the reasons fathead pizza crust tastes so good is because it’s mostly made up of cheese! The mozzarella along with the almond flour yield a dense, crispy pizza crust packed full of flavor. Some crust recipes add cream cheese, but it’s not a necessary ingredient in this pizza dough. That’s why this pizza crust recipe doesn’t use it. The cream cheese in classic fathead dough recipes doesn’t add any purpose except adding calories and carbs! Yes, cream cheese as carbs so why add it in if it’s just not necessary?

Time to ditch the cauliflower crust.

Before fathead pizza, most low carb folks were making pizza crust out of cauliflower. Cauliflower pizza crust is a pain to make. You have get most of the moisture out of the cauliflower in order to create the ideal texture. On top of that, cauliflower pizza crust doesn’t taste that great. Most keto recipes can still have that off-putting cauliflower flavor.

A TRIED & TRUE RECIPE

“Hey, just to say that I’m still making this dough on regular basis! It’s by far the best keto dough ever! thank you”

➥ from YouTube subscriber @compitieux

“Wow! This is so perfect, I just made pizza for lunch. Very easy, I used a cookie tray drizzle some olive oil and press the dough until I get the thickness I want. I give this recipe A+++. Thank you!”

➥ from YouTube subscriber @kss865

“I have perfected your fat head dough for mini pizzas. I cut the dough in 8 circles and press in tortilla press to make circles. I freeze them immediately and take one out at a time. I cook it in the air fryer at 400 for 5 minutes on each side. I then add sauce, toppings and cheese of choice. Perfect individual pizza for one. Thank you for the recipe!”

➥ from YouTube subscriber @janismcgovern5067

Table of Contents [ click to toggle ]

How to make keto pizza
Recipe Details
Similar recipes others love
3 reasons why this keto pizza is amazing
Other uses for fathead dough
Keto pizza sauce
Pizza toppings
Tips for making keto pizza crust
Storage and meal prep information
FAQs
Nutrition information: facts & macronutrients

How to make keto pizza

Make fathead dough. Combine melted mozzarella cheese with almond flour, egg, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt using a food processor, electric mixer or your hands.
Roll out pizza dough into a giant circle. For a crispy crust, pre-bake your fathead crust for a few minutes.
Top your dough with pizza sauce, cheese and your favorite pizza toppings.
Bake at 400 degrees for 12-18 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

half a pizza topped with pepperoni and shreds of cheddar cheese

Key ingredients for keto pizza crust

Mozzarella cheese – The cheese is a necessary ingredient in fathead dough. The melted mozzarella works similar to gluten in wheat flour to provide a flexible protein matrix to trap air bubbles as the dough bakes in the oven. Other cheese, especially hard cheeses, don’t work as well because they aren’t as stretchy as mozzarella cheese is when melted. Mozzarella cheese has a neutral flavor so you can’t really tell the pizza crust is made out of cheese!
Almond flour – The foundation to this crust. It gives the cheese structure similar to flour. Sunflower seed flour can be used if allergic to nuts. Lupin flour is delicious alternative but you will need to cut the amount in half (3/4 cup) as it doesn’t measure cup for cup with almond flour.
Egg – Will help hold the crust together.
Baking powder – The leavening agent to help the keto pizza dough rise.
Xanthan gum – Another ingredient that will work as a glue to hold the crust together so it keeps it shape. This can be omitted if sensitive to xanthan gum.

Keto Pizza Recipe Video

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Keto Pizza Crust Ingredients

3½ cups (10 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1½ cups almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, optional
½ teaspoon garlic powder, optional
1 egg

Keto Pizza Directions

STEP

1

Preheat oven

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
STEP

2
Melt the cheese

Place mozzarella in a microwave-safe glass bowl. Microwave for about two minutes. Stir to combine and make sure all of the cheese is melted. You may need to microwave for additional time if all the cheese has not melted. Remove from microwave and let the mixture cool.
Ingredients

3½ cups (10 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
Quick Tip
If you are doubling or tripling this recipe, make sure you double or add on additional microwave time to ensure proper cheese melting.
STEP

3
Mix dry ingredients

In a large separate bowl, mix together the almond flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt and seasonings, if using. Set aside.
Ingredients

1½ cups almond flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, optional

½ teaspoon garlic powder, optional
STEP

4
Mix dough

To a food processor, add melted mozzarella cheese, egg and dry ingredients.
Ingredients

melted cheese

1 egg

dry ingredients
Quick Tip
If you don't have a food processer, an electric mixer can be used. Fathead dough can be mixed by hand by kneading the dough until it comes together; however, this is very messy and time-consuming.
STEP

5

Knead pizza dough

Once combined, form a big dough ball. Knead the dough a couple of times on a lightly almond floured surface to ensure the dough is uniform in appearance and all ingredients are fully combined.
STEP

6

Layer between parchment

Place the ball in between two pieces of parchment paper. You can also just use a silpat mat if you have one of those, but having that top layer of parchment paper keeps the dough from sticking to you and your rolling pin. Plus it allows you to roll out a nice thin pizza crust.
STEP

7

Roll out crust

Roll out dough to desired thickness. Remove top parchment layer and place on top of a baking sheet.
STEP

8

Watcha gonna add?

Add toppings.

Quick Tip
If you are counting macros, make sure you take into account any of the toppings you add! The Nutrition Facts listed in this recipes are for the crust only.
STEP

9

Bake

Bake in a 400 °F oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is bubbling.

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3 reasons why this keto pizza is amazing

First, it’s the fat. Fat is where the flavor is and this crust is pretty much all cheese. This fathead crust is comprised of 70% fat per serving! When you are on a ketogenic diet, you naturally navigate towards fatty foods because that’s your main source of energy. Dietary fat breaks down into ketones. Fat is fuel. Pizza is fuel.
The second reason why this pizza crust is a favorite among keto dieters is the texture and consistency. The fathead crust is a perfect balance of chewy, bread-like texture in the middle and a crispy underside and outer crust. It is a pizza that you can eat with your hands and not with a fork. Unlike cauliflower crust pizza, that tends to have a soft underbelly and will break apart when you pick up a slice of pizza.
Lastly, fathead pizza doesn’t take very long to prepare. The ingredient list is fairly short and you can be eating keto pizza in no time. It’s a perfect quick keto pizza option for busy weeknights or weekend movie nights. One of our family traditions is to make pizzas and watch videos on Friday nights with the boys. Each kid gets to add their own toppings to their own mini fat head pizza.

Other uses for fathead dough

Besides pizza crust, the fathead dough is actually a universal pastry dough in the keto community. We have used it as the breading for bagel dogs, breadsticks, hamburger buns, biscuits, donuts, cinnamon rolls, and crackers.

Keto pizza sauce

If you are making a keto pizza recipe, you have to use a low carb pizza sauce.

Store bought sauces can be high in sugar. You can’t use any jar of pizza sauce on the shelf. Many of those add extra sugar for flavor and excess carbs.
It’s important to look at the nutrition label on the back of marinara sauce to make sure it is the lowest carb possible.
My favorite keto pizza sauce brands are Yo Mama and Rao’s. If you are on a budget, you may consider making your own! Keto pizza sauce is easy to make and this recipe uses crushed tomatoes and a few seasoning along with olive oil to give it that authentic flavor.

Pizza toppings

If you are using this keto dough to make pizza, you will need to keep it low carb with some keto approved pizza toppings. Luckily most pizza toppings are keto friendly. The only one you may have to stay away from is pineapple. Pineapple is higher in sugar content.

Here are some pizza toppings you may consider on your low carb pizza!

Meats

Any meat is fair game on a keto pizza. Go for a basic pepperoni pizza, or add salami, sausage, ground beef, bacon, Canadian bacon, anchovies. Or add all of them for the ultimate meat lovers pizza.

Vegetables

Whether you want to add a few to your pizza or looking to make a vegetarian pizza, load up on the bell pepper, mushroom, olive, onion, tomato, artichoke hearts, spinach or fresh basil

Extras

For the real foodies, drizzle olive oil, toss on the fresh herbs or sprinkle some freshly grated parmesan cheese or red pepper flakes on top.

Tips for making keto pizza crust

Use a food processor – To make your keto dough, the fastest way to mix up all of the crust ingredient evenly is to use a food processor. It will combine all the ingredients in seconds for a uniform dough ball.
Roll out dough between parchment paper – To keep your keto dough from sticking to the rolling pin, place the dough in between two sheets of parchment paper. This will give you an even thickness of crust and help you transfer the dough to your baking sheet or pizza stone. If you parchment paper slides around on the table too much, place a damp paper towel underneath the bottom parchment paper. This will keep the parchment paper from slipping and make it easy to roll out your keto pizza crust.
Melting the mozzarella cheese – You have the option to melt your mozzarella cheese in the microwave at 60 second intervals until melted or you can melt the cheese on the stove top over low – medium heat in a non stick skillet.

an unbaked combination pizza with olives, mushrooms, pepperoni and salami

Storage and meal prep information

Freezing pizza dough

The fat head dough can be frozen either in a dough ball or rolled out in a circle crust shape. For the dough ball, wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer safe bag to freeze. For the pizza crust, keep the crust in between the two sheets of parchment paper used to roll out the dough. Then place in a freezer safe bag to freeze.

This is a great way to store extra pizza dough. Double or triple the recipe to make multiple crusts. You can see that it is easy to have fat head pizza at your disposal, so there’s no excuse not to have pizza night at least once or twice a week on the ketogenic diet!

To thaw, place dough in the refrigerator for a few hours or at room temperature.

Making frozen keto pizza

Rather than just freezing the crust, you can easily make your own frozen pizza. After the crust is rolled out, add the pizza sauce and toppings. Out of cardboard, cut a base for the crust to sit on (similar to frozen pizza from the box). Then wrap in plastic wrap and store in a freezer safe bag.

Baking frozen pizza

Bake the frozen keto pizza from frozen in a 400 degree oven for just a bit longer 18-22 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

Keto Pizza: FAQS

Can I buy keto pizza?

Yes, you can find keto pizza options at several restaurants. Blaze Pizza is known for its keto pizza crust made from cauliflower rice and mozzarella cheese, containing 6 grams of net carbs per slice. Additionally, Papa Murphy's offers a crustless pizza option, which is also low in carbs.

Should I use a pizza stone to make keto pizza?

While it's not necessary to use a pizza stone, it can enhance your keto pizza by making the crust crispy and helping cook the middle evenly. If you don't have a pizza stone, a baking tray works perfectly fine.

Is it keto to pull the toppings and cheese off of pizza and eat it?

Yes, as long as the marinara sauce is low in carbs and sugar. Be cautious, as some pizza places add sugar to their sauces for flavor. Always check the nutritional information of the sauce before consuming.

Who invented fathead pizza dough?

The fathead pizza dough is often credited to comedian Tom Naughton, who popularized it through his low-carb documentary 'Fathead.' However, the original recipe was first created by Cooky’s Creations, a low-carb blogger, who referred to it as 'Holy Grail Pizza Crust' before it was named Fat Head by Naughton and his fans.

Can I make substitutions for the almond flour in the crust?

Yes, while almond flour is commonly used for keto crusts, you can substitute it with other low-carb flours such as coconut flour or sunflower seed flour. Keep in mind that coconut flour is more absorbent, so you may need to adjust the liquid ingredients accordingly.

How should I store leftover keto pizza?

To store leftover keto pizza, allow it to cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or place it in an airtight container. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. For longer storage, consider freezing the pizza, where it will last for about 1-2 months.

What are the nutritional values of the keto pizza crust?

The nutritional values can vary based on specific ingredients used, but generally, a serving of fathead pizza crust (based on the recipe provided) contains approximately 300 calories, 25 grams of fat, 8 grams of protein, and 4-5 grams of net carbs. Always check the specific ingredients you use for accurate nutritional information.

Nutritional information & Macros

Amount Per Serving
Calories	241
Fat	19.8g
Protein	12.8g
Total Carbs	5.8g
Net Carbs	3.5g

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