Gooey, bubbling mozzarella over pepperoni, olives, and marinara, eaten straight from the ramekin with a fork. This crustless pizza bowl is what I grab when I want pizza without dealing with dough or waiting on delivery, and after years of making it, this version wins whenever dinner needs to happen in under two minutes. One minute in the microwave, or a few under the broiler if you want the cheese browned. 3.5g net carbs and 7.6g protein.
When I want pizza but don’t want to deal with dough or wait for delivery, I grab a ramekin. Sixty seconds in the microwave and dinner is done. I’ve been making this alongside my crustless pizza and pizza chaffle for years now, and this version wins when I need something in under two minutes from fridge to fork.
The microwave method is the right call here. Layer marinara, pepperoni, olives, and mozzarella in a ramekin, then microwave for about one minute until the cheese gets that bubbly, stretchy pull you actually want from pizza. The sauce heats through underneath and the pepperoni edges curl slightly, concentrating the flavor the same way they do on a properly baked pie. I’ve made this dozens of times and the microwave consistently beats the oven for speed on something this small, though the broiler wins on browning if you have the extra two minutes. Most other sites recommend baking at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes, but for a single serving that’s just unnecessary oven time.
No crust means the carb count stays at 3.5g net. The only thing to watch is your marinara. A lot of bottled sauces sneak in added sugars, which is why I stick with Rao’s or Yo Mama’s. One tablespoon of a clean marinara adds roughly 1g net carbs, so even with a generous pour this stays firmly keto.
The ramekin size matters more than you’d think. I use those little 6oz ones and the cheese crisps up around the edges almost like a frico. That crispy ring is genuinely one of the best parts. A wider, shallow bowl spreads the toppings too thin and you lose that layered, stacked bite. You want the cheese to melt over the toppings, not around them. One thing I’ve learned: if your microwave runs on the lower end (700w vs 1000w), go 90 seconds or just watch for bubbling at the edges. That’s the real doneness cue, not the timer. A minute in a 700w microwave is completely different from a minute in a 1000w.
This is also one of the best keto meals to scale for a group. Set out ramekins with sauce, a spread of toppings, and let everyone build their own. I’ve done this for game nights and the whole assembly line takes about 12 minutes for four people, microwaving one at a time. For a higher protein version, try the cottage cheese version, which uses seasoned cottage cheese as the base layer instead of straight marinara. I tested it after seeing it blow up on social media, and it earned its own page.
“ When the rest of my family eats pizza, I usually just eat this! It’s the best way to go.”
➥ from YouTube subscriber @airman6822
Topping variations
I swap toppings constantly and this works with whatever I have in the fridge. Here are the combinations I’ve tested, organized by category:
Proteins
Cooked Italian sausage crumbles
Diced grilled chicken
Crumbled cooked bacon
Chopped cooked meatballs
Diced ham
Veggies
Sliced mushrooms (thin, so they cook through in one minute)
Diced bell peppers
Sliced banana peppers
Chopped spinach
Diced tomatoes
Cheeses
Shredded mozzarella (classic melt)
Provolone slices
Ricotta dollops
Grated Parmesan on top
Pepper jack for heat
Seasonings
Italian seasoning
Red pepper flakes
Garlic powder
Dried oregano
Everything bagel seasoning
Make-ahead, freezer, and storage
This is best eaten fresh, right out of the microwave when the cheese is still stretchy and bubbly. I designed it as a single serving, so there’s usually nothing left to store.
If you want to prep ahead, I assemble the bowl with sauce, toppings, and cheese the night before, then cover and refrigerate. When I’m ready to eat, 60 to 90 seconds in the microwave and it’s done. The texture isn’t quite as good as fresh since the toppings absorb some of the sauce during storage, but it still works for a fast keto meal. Assembled bowls keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
For freezing, I wrap assembled bowls tightly in plastic wrap and then foil. They hold up in the freezer for about a month. To reheat from frozen, I microwave at 50% power for 2 minutes, then full power for another 60 seconds. Going straight to full power makes the edges rubbery while the center stays cold. That two-step method is the only way I’ve gotten consistent results from frozen.
For a similar concept that scales better for weekly meal prep, try a keto skillet lasagna that you can portion out across the week.
Key ingredients
Pizza sauce: Use a low sugar marinara or pizza sauce. Rao's and Yo Mama's are both reliable low carb options. I keep a jar in the fridge at all times specifically for quick meals like this.
Pizza toppings: Pepperoni and black olives are the classic combo here, but I also rotate in cooked sausage, diced bell peppers, mushrooms (sliced thin so they cook through in one minute), and banana peppers. For extra crunch, try some Italian slider toppings or crumbled stuffed Italian sausage.
Cheese: Shredded mozzarella gives you the best melt and stretch. A blend of mozzarella and provolone works well too. I've started adding a tablespoon of ricotta underneath the mozzarella before microwaving, and it creates this creamy layer at the bottom that I actually prefer now.
To a small microwave safe bowl or ramekin, add marinara sauce.
For this step
Marinara sauce
2
Layer in pizza toppings
Add pizza toppings on top of the marinara sauce.
For this step
Pepperoni
Sliced olives
3
Top with cheese
Sprinkle shredded cheese on top and add a dash of Italian seasoning.
For this step
Shredded cheese
Italian seasoning
4
Microwave instructions
Microwave 1 minute or until cheese is melted.
5
Oven instructions
Bake in an oven proof container under the broiler on high for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
6
Air fryer instructions
Bake in an oven proof container like a ramekin placed in an air fryer basket and bake at 400 °F for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Nutrition
Per serving: 1 pizza bowl
Calories
172
Fat
14.3g
Protein
7.6g
Total carbs
3.9g
Fiber
0.4g
Net carbs
3.5g
Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed. Brands vary, so check labels if you track closely.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a pizza bowl?
I layer all the classic pizza ingredients (sauce, toppings, melted cheese) in a small ramekin without any crust. Microwave for about a minute, or broil for 2 to 3 minutes, until the cheese melts and bubbles. It's how I do pizza night when I don't feel like making dough, and my family can't tell the difference once all those toppings are melted together.
Is this keto friendly?
Yes. My version with marinara, pepperoni, olives, and mozzarella comes in around 3.5g net carbs per serving. The key is choosing a low sugar marinara (I use Rao's or Yo Mama's) and skipping high carb toppings like pineapple or sweetened barbecue sauce. Without the crust, almost all topping combinations fit within keto macros.
Can you make this in the air fryer or oven?
Yes, I've tested both. For the air fryer, I place the assembled ramekin inside the basket and cook at 400 degrees for 2 to 3 minutes. For the oven, I set the broiler to high and broil for 2 to 3 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly, watching for the edges to start browning. Both methods give you slightly more browning on the cheese compared to the microwave. I still prefer the microwave for speed, but the air fryer gives the best edge browning if you have the extra two minutes.
What kind of bowl should I use?
I use a 6oz ramekin and I'm convinced it's the single most important variable in this recipe. A smaller, deeper container keeps the toppings stacked so you get a better cheese-to-topping ratio in each bite. For the oven or air fryer, use an oven-safe ramekin, a small cast iron dish, or any ceramic bowl rated for high heat. I tried a wide shallow bowl once and the toppings spread too thin, losing the layered bite entirely.
How do I reheat without the cheese getting rubbery?
I've reheated these enough to know the trick: lower power, longer time. From the fridge, 60 to 90 seconds at full power works fine. From frozen, start at 50% power for 2 minutes to thaw the center, then 60 seconds at full power to get the cheese bubbly again. The mistake I made early on was blasting frozen ones at full power, which cooks the outside edges while the middle stays cold.
Can I use cottage cheese as a base?
Yes, and it adds a serious protein boost. I developed a whole cottage cheese variation that uses seasoned cottage cheese as the base layer instead of marinara. The cottage cheese gets warm and creamy underneath the melted mozzarella. It's been trending hard on social media and after testing it myself, I understand why. More filling, more protein, same cook time.
Can I make several at once for a group?
This is one of my favorite ways to do a casual dinner. I set out ramekins, sauce, and a spread of toppings (plus some caprese bites as appetizers) and let everyone build their own. Microwave one at a time, about a minute each. For four people the whole assembly line takes about 12 minutes. If you have an oven, you can broil 3 to 4 ramekins at once on a sheet pan, which cuts the total time to about 5 minutes.
What do you put in a pizza bowl?
I put 3 tablespoons of marinara sauce in the bottom of a 6oz ramekin, then 4 slices of pepperoni, 1 tablespoon of sliced black olives, half a cup of shredded mozzarella, and a dash of Italian seasoning. Microwave for about a minute until the cheese melts and bubbles. Cooked sausage crumbles, thin sliced mushrooms, and banana peppers all rotate in depending on what I have in the fridge.
Is a pizza bowl healthy?
Mine works out to 172 calories, 7.6g protein, and 3.5g net carbs per bowl because there is no crust, just marinara, pepperoni, olives, and mozzarella. The thing to watch is the sauce, since a lot of bottled marinaras sneak in added sugars. I stick with Rao's or Yo Mama's and it stays firmly keto.
Funny thing, I keep a bag of shredded mozzarella in the fridge now just for this. Still do the microwave version, but I started sprinkling more Italian seasoning right on the sauce before the toppings go in. Whole thing smells more like pizza when you pull it out. Such an easy lunch ! Thanks!
Broiler gets you actual browning, those little golden crispy patches on top. Microwave just melts it through. I reach for the broiler when I have two extra minutes.
Didn’t clock this until the third time: olives go a little rubbery under the broiler if you leave them in from the start. Add them in the last minute and the texture is completely different. Otherwise, solid quick lunch. No complaints.
The olive thing is real. I mostly make this in the microwave so I don’t always think through the broiler-specific quirks, but the rubbery texture tracks. Olives don’t need much heat and they give up moisture fast under direct heat. I’ve started thinking of them more like a finishing ingredient anyway. If I’m broiling, last 30 seconds or just drop them on right when it comes out. Good catch.
60 seconds sounded like a gimmick the first time. Then I made it. Then I made it six more times. Since batch three I’ve been putting a thin smear of ricotta down before the pepperoni, under the mozzarella layer, and the whole bowl stops pooling at the bottom. The layers actually hold. That’s why I keep coming back. The base recipe is solid but the ricotta version is unreasonably satisfying for something that takes no effort. 3.5 net carbs and it competes with things I’ve spent real time cooking. The audacity of this recipe.
Ricotta under the mozzarella, before the pepperoni. I’ve done the cottage cheese base version but never thought to put ricotta there specifically to stop the pooling. I’m trying that next batch, Michelle.
Meal prepping for the week and these are going on the list, I’m picturing like five of these pre-loaded in ramekins in the fridge (sauce, pepperoni, olives, mozzarella) and just pulling one out and microwaving it for lunch every day. Will the cheese get weird sitting on the sauce for a few days, or is that fine? I do this kind of layered prep with other stuff all the time so hoping the logic carries over.
Three days is the cap, not five. The cheese sits on the sauce just fine through day three, but by four it starts releasing water and gets mushy. Split the batch – three Sunday, two Wednesday.
My teenager saw me pull this out of the microwave and genuinely asked if I’d ordered something. He’s been let down by enough ‘healthy versions’ of things to be suspicious, but the pepperoni crisped up around the edges in a way that got him. He made his own two minutes later. The ramekin size is actually perfect for someone who claims they’re not hungry but then somehow eats three of something.
Works exactly as advertised for a 60-second lunch, and I mean that. Pepperoni stays soft in the microwave, though. Two minutes under the broiler and the edges crisp up. Worth it.
Made a few other pizza bowl recipes before this and they always came out soupy because I was putting the sauce on top, so the layering was what I’d been missing the whole time. Came together in literally 60 seconds, which still surprises me. Docking one star only because I want to try the broiler version before I’m fully sold.
My husband refuses anything crustless on principle, so I made this for myself on a Wednesday and he immediately asked if there was another ramekin. That reaction sold me. I’ve started pushing the pepperoni under the mozzarella before it goes in the microwave so it crisps against the sides, and with Rao’s marinara it tastes like actual pizza rather than a bowl of toppings.
Pepperoni under the cheese gets it to crisp in a way that feels wrong for a microwave recipe. And Rao’s is the only call here, I won’t use anything else for this.
There was this pizza place my dad used to take me to every Friday growing up, and I swear the smell that hit me when I pulled this out of the microwave was that place. A ramekin of pepperoni and melted mozzarella doing things I didn’t expect in 60 seconds.
I prep four of these on Sundays now, ramekins loaded with sauce, pepperoni, and olives, just sitting in the fridge. Throw the mozzarella on when I need lunch and it’s ready in a minute. Protein’s a bit low solo so I usually make two, but that’s still faster than anything else I make.
Two at 7.6g each still beats almost everything else for speed. If you want to stay at one, the cottage cheese base version pushes the protein up a lot.
I’ll be honest, I came in skeptical. Every crustless pizza bowl I’d tried before came out rubbery or with liquid pooling at the bottom. This one handled both. Something about the layering order keeps the cheese from going soupy, and at the one-minute mark the mozzarella was blistered and pulling from the edges exactly right. Wish there was a bit more protein so it could stand alone as a meal, but with Rao’s marinara this has completely replaced my sheet pan version.
The cottage cheese base fixes that. Swap the marinara for seasoned cottage cheese (same assembly, everything else on top), and you’re looking at probably 10-12g extra protein depending on the brand. Gets warm and creamy under the mozzarella.
Been skeptical of microwave pizza forever, but needed dinner in under two minutes on a Tuesday and this actually worked. Mozzarella got properly melted, bubbling up around the pepperoni. Does the broiler version get a golden top, or does the microwave come out about the same?
Broiler gets actual color on top. Two minutes under high broil and you get spotty brown edges around the pepperoni. Microwave just melts, no browning at all.
I’ve never made a pizza bowl before and wasn’t sure about microwaving cheese, but it came out fully melted and bubbling at exactly one minute. Didn’t expect it to actually taste like pizza. The olives with the pepperoni and marinara just work together. Trying mushrooms next time.
My son kept asking where we ordered the pizza from. Had to explain it was just marinara and mozzarella in a bowl I microwaved for a minute. He didn’t believe me. Making it again tonight.
Did an assembly line for game night, everyone got their own ramekin, done in 12 minutes. My friend who is SO not keto went quiet after her first bite and grabbed my mozzarella bag to read the label.
If you use a ramekin instead of a regular bowl, the edges get this crispy cheese ring that’s honestly the best part. I’ve started keeping a stack of them just for this.
