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I already have a keto pizza casserole recipe and an infamous keto pizza crust on the blog, so why do we need another recipe for pizza without crust? Because it’s the best of both worlds. This low carb keto crustless pizza recipe has the same toppings you’d find on an everything or meat lover’s pizza, but it takes away the fuss of making a crust, skips the cauliflower you’d find in my other pizza casserole, has minimal oven time (great for summer), and is ready super fast in just 20 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights!
Not only does this keto crustless pizza recipe satisfy even the biggest pizza cravings, but it’s also completely customizable by switching up the “toppings” – make it your own! Try it for your next pizza night, I know you’ll love it! Or, try my new pizza dip for the ultimate appetizer!
What Is Crustless Pizza?
Crust free pizza takes the best part of pizza – the sauce, the veggies, the meat toppings, and the CHEESE – and turns it into a casserole (or pizza skillet?) that tastes a lot like pizza, but without the carbs that typically come from the crust.
How To Make Crustless Pizza
This crustless deep dish pizza recipe is not only easy, it’s also ready in less than 20 minutes.
- Brown sausage. Heat cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground sausage and cook, breaking apart with a spatula, until browned and cooked through.
- Cook veggies. Reduce heat and push the sausage to the edges of the pan, making a space in the center. Add mushrooms and bell peppers to the center, cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and excess moisture has evaporated.
TIP #1: The pan will seem very full when you add the veggies. If they don’t all fit, add what you can and add the rest once they start to cook down. The mushrooms will shrink especially.
TIP #2: Make sure to cook the veggies enough to get all the water out. If you don’t, your crustless pizza may be watery.
- Add sauce. Pour marinara sauce over the skillet pizza and smooth with a spatula.
FYI: This crustless pizza recipe uses 1 cup of marinara, which is moderately saucy. If you like it extra saucy, feel free to add more marinara to your liking, but it will increase the carb count. You can also make your own keto pizza sauce to use instead!
- Add toppings. Since we already have sausage and veggies underneath, it’s just shredded mozzarella and pepperoni slices.
TIP: You can adjust the amount of pepperoni and cheese to your liking, just like you would with a regular pizza.
- Broil. Transfer the skillet underneath your oven broiler (preheat it first). Broil until cheese is melted and starting to brown, and pepperoni is starting to crisp up.
Keto Crustless Pizza FAQs
Is homemade crustless pizza keto?
Yes, this crustless pizza casserole recipe is keto! Each serving has 8.9 grams net carbs – and that’s a generous serving size, 1/4 of the entire skillet.
Some pizza joints have started offering pizza without crust as an option, which is great, but if you’re strict keto, check if they add sugar to their marinara sauce.
How many calories in pizza without crust?
This low carb crustless pizza recipe has 571 calories per serving – it’s the perfect size for a satisfying dinner.
Is there a way to lower the carbs in this?
While 8.9 grams net carbs per serving isn’t a lot, depending on your individual keto macros, it may be more than you’d like for a single meal.
Good news – there are a couple of ways to enjoy this with even fewer carbs:
- Divide the pan into 6 servings instead of 4. The recipe as written is a generous, filling serving size, and it could easily still be a meal with a smaller serving. If you divide it into 6 portions, this would make each serving 5.9 grams net carbs.
- Use a lower carb sauce. Much of the carbs in this recipe come from the marinara sauce. Even if you use no-sugar-added marinara like I do, it can add up. To lower the carb count per serving, try replacing the tomato sauce with alfredo sauce or pesto sauce instead.
If you opt for a smaller serving size, try serving it with a side Caesar salad (skip the chicken for a side).
Can I change the toppings?
Absolutely! If you want other toppings in your pizza skillet, feel free to customize. Here are some ideas:
- Caprese – Use ground beef or sausage for the base layer, without marinara. Replace the pepperoni on top with tomato slices and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar or glaze (make the glaze yourself by reducing the vinegar, so there’s no sugar added). Top with fresh basil.
- Breakfast – Replace the sausage with breakfast sausage, scramble some egg into the base layer, skip the marinara, and replace the pepperoni with crumbled bacon.
- BBQ chicken – Replace the sausage and peppers with shredded chicken breast and red onions, and the marinara with sugar-free BBQ sauce. Skip the pepperoni.
- Hawaiian – Pineapple is not keto friendly, but if you are low carb, you might enjoy some in moderation. Combine chopped Canadian bacon and pineapple chunks for the bottom layer, and just cheese on top. Or keep the sausage underneath, and place the pineapple and Canadian bacon on top.
- Traditional Veggie – Replace the sausage with more veggies (peppers, mushrooms, black olives, onions, etc.) and top with extra cheese. Skip the pepperoni, of course.
- Summer Veggie – Try zucchini, eggplant, or spinach. You’ll need to cook them to evaporate all the moisture, just as we do with the mushrooms and peppers.
Need more ideas for vegetables to add? Get the full keto vegetables list for more ideas to put in there.
Low Carb Crustless Pizza Storage Instructions
Can you make crustless low carb pizza ahead?
Yes, you can make low carb crustless pizza ahead. You can make the entire recipe and simply reheat it when you’re ready to eat, or you can prep it ahead.
Assemble the keto crustless pizza recipe and instead of broiling it, store in the refrigerator. When ready to eat, simply broil until heated through and bubbly.
How to store crustless keto pizza
Store low carb crustless pizza in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. I recommend storing it right in the (covered) pan if you can, to maintain the layers.
Can you freeze it?
Yes, you can freeze this low carb crustless pizza casserole for 2-3 months.
To freeze it, cover the top flush to the surface with plastic wrap, then wrap the pan in a layer of foil.
You can do this before or after the oven step, both ways will work. You’ll probably skip the oven step if you are making it ahead as a freezer meal, but it’s fine to freeze it even after being in the oven if you just want to freeze some leftovers.
You can heat your crustless pizza right from the freezer if you like, but it will take a long time to get warm (at least 30 minutes or more) – and you’ll have to be sure your pan can withstand the temperature change of going from freezer to oven.
To be safe, it’s better to let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then place the pan into the oven to heat.
How to reheat a no crust pizza bake
Reheat this keto crustless pizza in a 350 degree F oven for 10-15 minutes, until hot. You could also scoop a serving into a bowl and microwave.
More Keto Pizza Recipes
If you like this keto crustless pizza recipe, you might also like these other keto pizza recipes:
- Fathead Pizza Crust – Just 4 ingredients needed to make this popular pizza crust!
- Cheese Crust Pizza – Simple ingredients and no flour whatsoever!
- Best Zucchini Pizza Crust – Not the soggy zucchini crusts you’ve tried before, you can actually pick this one up with your hands!
- Cauliflower Crust Pizza – A great veggie-packed option, this one is made with just 3 simple ingredients.
- Low Carb Pizza Casserole – If pizza without crust is your thing, here’s another great option to try. Made with just 5 ingredients.
Need more easy dinner ideas? Browse my keto dinner ideas here, or if you have family members that are not low carb, here are more dinner ideas for tonight.
Tools To Make Pizza Without Crust
Tap the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Cast Iron Skillet – Almost 35,000 reviews, this pan is rated 4.5/5 and is exactly what is pictured here. It will last forever.
Keto Crustless Pizza Recipe
Crustless Pizza Recipe (20 Minutes!)
This easy crustless pizza recipe is the best 20-minute low carb dinner! It has all your favorite toppings, sauce and cheese, minus the fuss.
Recipe Video
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Ingredients
Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Heat an oven-safe 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground sausage. Cook for 8-10 minutes, breaking apart with a spatula, until browned and cooked through.
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Toward the end of cooking the sausage, preheat the oven to the Broil setting.
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Reduce heat to medium. Push the sausage to the edges of the pan, making a space in the center. Add mushrooms and bell peppers to the center. Cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally once they start to soften and moving any less cooked pieces toward the bottom, until vegetables are soft and any excess moisture has evaporated. (Add a little oil if the pan gets too dry.)
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Turn off heat. Pour the marinara sauce over the pan. Smooth evenly with a spatula.
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Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella. Arrange pepperoni slices on top.
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Transfer the skillet to the oven under the broiler. Broil for 2-3 minutes, until the cheese is melted and browned, and pepperoni starts to crisp up a little.
Last Step: Leave A Rating!
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/4 crustless pizza
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
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46 Comments
susan Mcdonald
0I loved this, very easy to make. I did use ground pork by mistake but it was still delicious. It was a bit too greasy as I did not drain off when adding the veggies as the recipe did not say to drain before adding veggies. Next time I will use sausage lol and if greasy will drain before adding veggies. I recommend this recipe highly. Very easy to make, one pan dinners I love, and very tasty.
S
0I love a cheese steak without the roll as well — lots of peppers, pepperoni, cheese, grass-fed steak and sauce. This is very similar to a crustless pizza.
Sheri
0This is how I make it but in a casserole dish as I only have larger skillets and it’s just to much for me…I is so good I wouldn’t want to stop or I would have it for every meal for days. I do add an ounce of onions which adds about a gram or carbs and I use Rao’s homemade margarita pizza sauce I use one serving which is more than enough for a 2 serving dish. You won’t go wrong with this recipe I bet in that skillet pan it tastes amazing, I just don’t want to invest in another pan.
Lela
0Delicious! We used Hot Italian Sausage & added a few black olives. Very yummy!
Stefanie
0My whole family loves this dish. Thank you for the recipe. Mine comes out of the oven with some water at the bottom. Any ideas how to fix?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Stefanie, It could be that your marinara is more watery than the sugar-free marinara I use, but more likely, the mushrooms and peppers need to be cooked for longer to cook away more of the liquid they release.
Natalie
0Sauerkraut and Canadian bacon pizza is a local favorite. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.
Bonita
0LOVE THIS RECIPE. My husband keeps asking me to make it. I never thought I would like a pizza without the crust but this is delicious
Nancy
0Great! My son and I loved it – esp with peppers from the garden. My husband, non-keto and proud of it, enjoyed his on a baguette. This is definitely on the repeat list!
Robin
05 star rating! I loved it and will definitely make it again.
Gloria W Parrish
0Wonderful! My husband loved it!
Alan
0Looks awesome. After cooking the meat do you drain the oil? Also, do you need the sauce or can you add more cheese and forget the sauce?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Alan, There is no need to drain the oil for this recipe. The sauce is not crucial in this recipe so feel free to skip and add more cheese.
Matt
0This recipe was amazing. I changed the mushrooms to zucchini. It was sol delicious. Thank you.
Doreen
0So quick easy and yummy
Teri
0What can be used in place of cast iron skillet? Thank you kindly.
Wholesome Yum M
1Hi Teri, Feel free to use any oven-safe pan for this recipe. If you don’t have an oven-safe pan, you can transfer the ground meat to a baking dish, then layer with your desired toppings, and bake.
Mary K Scheer
0Couldn’t save on Pinterest
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Mary, I don’t have any issue with the ‘Pin it’ buttons. Make sure you are logged into Pinterest on your browser before attempting to pin.
Debbie
0Made this today in a cast iron skillet with hot Italian sausage, red and yellow bell peppers, onion, baby bella mushrooms, homemade sugar free sauce, and mozzarella, did not have pepperoni. It was wonderful, first “pizza” I have had in 4 months!! It was fabulous and will definitely go in the “rotation”!
Thank you
Lynn Desormeaux
0I love this recipe and have made it multiple times! I’ve tried it with ground beef, ground chicken and ground sausage and it tastes great with all 3. Can be frozen in portions and taken out as needed.
Thanks for another great recipe Maya, I’m a fan!
Lynn
Terri Gambhir
0This is so good. I am making it for the second time tonight. I used half pizza sauce and half pesto. I also used Italian sausage. This will be our Friday night pizza night meal from now on. I could eat it everyday.
Keri
0I haven’t had pizza in over 3 years, but began craving one last week. I found and made your recipe last night and let me tell you….it did NOT disappoint!!! Truth be told, once I started dinner it was hard to stop – YUM!!! 100%, I’ll be making this again 🙂
I did have an issue with the moisture from the veggies (green bell pepper and sliced Baby Bells)….the more I cooked, the more moisture there was. Veggies were about to get too soft/wilted, so I cut the heat and called it good. I’d rather have extra liquid in the pan (I easily drained liquid off once I had had my dinner and the skillet had cooled) than soggy veggies 🙂
Sue Krause
0This is casserole & not that good of one.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sue, Sorry this recipe didn’t meet your expectations. This recipe is infinitely customizable to match your pizza preferences. Feel free to add any toppings you enjoy, just be sure to account for the carbs if you are low carb or keto.
Michele Chapman
0Can this be made in a Pyrex pan
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Michele, Make sure your glass pan is broiler safe. If it is, then it will work fine, but you’d have to brown the sausage in a pan on the stovetop separately first.
Julie
0A definite winner!!! My husband said he could eat it every night! I used a spicy Italian sausage, and added a little onion to the veggies. Also, sprinkled Italian seasoning (herbs) over the “pizza” sauce. I used some “real” Buffalo cheese mozzarella sliced very thin and then just a little shredded mozzarella and sprinkled fresh Parmesan over the top before putting in the pepperonis.
Diane Sheats
0So funny, I normally don’t watch the recipe videos–just skip to the recipe and form my opinion of the ingredients. But this time I thought I’d watch the video, partly to find out if this is finger food or fork food. And…there’s no video to be found! The places you refer to it, I don’t see anything to tap. Is it possible that it’s missing, or is my computer glitchy?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Diane, I am sorry you can’t see the video! It is there on the recipe card. Please make sure you aren’t viewing the website in ‘Reader Mode,’ which may prevent you from seeing the video on the card. You can verify this in your internet browser settings.
Heather Grant
0Made this tonight. Did a half recipe for me. I used a mini cast iron pan. It was suberb! Yes, did add a few more items for toppings -parmesan cheese, green olives, fresh chopped basil and the rest of the mushrooms. Oh, added some chopped onions, oregano and thyme to ground sausage (i split open the casing on a large Mild Italian sasauge and chopped up the meat) , It was firm and easy to serve too. Definitely making this again!
Lisa Bostic
0This is yummy! My husband and I add own toppings such as mushrooms and black olives. Great recipe, making again tonight!
Susan
0Love this recipe!! I don’t even miss the pizza crust! Definitely a keeper in my book!
April Leger
0Made this last night and it turned out so delicious! The prep was quick and easy too. I will definitely be making this again!
Lynette
0Just made this for dinner and it did not disappoint!! Will definitely make this again!
Justina Robinson
0Delicious – I usually just order a pizza and eat the toppings off, but this can be made quicker than a pizza can be delivered and it’s delicious. I used my cast iron skillet and broiling it was a breeze. I left it in a bit longer because I like the cheese to become golden brown and the pepperoni to curl up into cups. 🙂
Kristin
0Tried this about a year ago. Loved it! Forgot about it, came up on my feed, I’m making it again! So delicious, you dont miss the crust. But if you do, there’s a delicious fathead dough recipe she has as well. That was great also, but because I’m lazy at times I like this is thrown together and done. LOL
Connie
0This looks delicious, definitely going to try it but for some reason, I came up with a different carb count… I only checked because I thought 8.9 per serving was rather high!! So not sure where I messed up, lol.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Connie, Nutrition can vary in this recipe depending on the carb counts of the ingredients you use. Marinara sauce can be very high carb, so be sure to read labels and find one that is sugar-free and low carb. The same is true for the pepperoni and mozzarella (if pre-shredded) as well.
Kathryn
0I love that there’s a crustless keto pizza around. This looks absolutely delicious — can’t wait to give it a go!
Melinda Fewless
0I have a few family members that are keto and they love this!
Jeannette
0What a GREAT idea! I love how you can mix and match the veggies and still have it turn out so well. This is definitely a winner of a recipe!
Jere Cassidy
0Seriously who needs a pizza crust? I love the pizza toppings and this recipe is perfect for us on a keto diet.
Elaine
0Fantastic crustless pizza option. It’s been a while I had anything similar, so really excited to give this one try. My mouth is watering just from looking at the images! 🙂
Nellie Tracy
0This is a great recipe for a weeknight dinner! Love this and so do my kiddos!
Taryn
0Thanks for this recipe! It is perfect for the summer when I don’t want to turn on the oven for a long time.