Crustless Pizza

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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:

1. 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.
2. 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.

• 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.