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Have you ever tried low carb keto Fathead pizza crust? You guys, it’s unbelievably similar to “real” pizza dough made with wheat! When you try this fathead pizza recipe, I challenge you to notice that it’s gluten-free and keto pizza. You can barely tell! It even has that chewy quality that’s so difficult to achieve with low carb baked goods. I have to admit, I was pretty excited the first time I tried this low carb pizza.
I’ve been making my other 4-ingredient low carb pizza crust with almond flour for over a year now. It’s on regular rotation at our house and we love it. Then there’s cauliflower pizza crust, which is great way to sneak in veggies.
But I’ve gotten several requests for a nut-free version of a keto pizza crust recipe that tastes like the real thing. And here it is.
What Is Fathead Pizza?
Fathead pizza dough is a gluten-free, low carb and keto dough that is made with mozzarella, cream cheese, egg, and some type of low carb flour.
There’s a reason fathead pizza crust is such a staple for a keto diet plan. It’s super easy to make, and the best part is that the texture is very close to real pizza!
I also like to use fathead pizza dough to make low carb bagels and other baked goods.
Keto Fathead Pizza Nutrition
Fathead pizza crust nutrition content is very low in carbs, so it’s great for keto diets.
How many carbs in fathead pizza?
The nutrition info varies a little depending on which flour is used, but is pretty similar:
- Fathead pizza with almond flour: 144 calories | 12g fat | 3g total carbs | 2g net carbs | 8g protein
- Fathead pizza with coconut flour: 117 calories | 8g fat | 4g total carbs | 2g net carbs | 7g protein
For both versions, this is nutrition info above is per slice of crust (1/8 of the keto pizza), without toppings. Toppings would be extra, depending on what you add.
Even though this keto pizza crust is a little on the high side when it comes to calories, but you’ll be surprised at how filling it is. Most people agree it’s well worth it, and you end up eating less, too.
Origins Of Fathead Pizza Dough
The original recipe for low carb pizza from the Fathead movie contains almond flour. The classic combination of mozzarella and cream cheese to create a chewy texture. I thought it would be a perfect candidate to adapt into a nut-free keto pizza crust recipe.
If you haven’t heard of the Fathead movie, it’s a 2009 documentary seeking to refute the lipid hypothesis. The lipid hypothesis is the claimed link between high cholesterol and heart disease.
It’s basically the source of the “low fat” way of eating promoted in the Western world since the 1950s. Although numerous studies have debunked the link (this is a good scientific paper on the subject citing many sources), the belief is still widespread today and perpetuated by mainstream media.
In the documentary, Tom Naughton sticks to a moderately low carb diet of fast food for 30 days. To the surprise of many, Tom not only loses weight but also ends up with lower blood cholesterol levels.
And thanks to the film, we have the amazing keto Fathead pizza recipe as a result!
This nut-free Fathead pizza crust recipe is my adaptation, made with coconut flour. Since coconut flour is so absorbent, you need a lot less of it to replace the almond flour.
I used 1/3 cup coconut flour as a substitute, and also added an extra egg to impart additional moisture. I omitted the salt from the original recipe, because the cheeses are salty enough as is.
How To Make Fathead Pizza with Coconut Flour or Almond Flour
Whether you make it with almond flour or coconut flour, the process for how to make fathead pizza is very similar. There are 3 basic steps:
- Melt the cheeses together. You can melt the mozzarella and cream cheese together in the microwave, or a double boiler on the stove.
- Form the dough with the flour and egg. It’s important for the fathead pizza dough to be uniform. You can use a food processor, which I find easiest, or knead with your hands and squeeze through your fingers until it’s uniform.
- Bake the fathead pizza. Once you have the dough, roll it out or form it into a crust, and bake. If the dough is too sticky, check the tips below on how to deal with this.
The original version from the movie had Fathead pizza crust with almond flour. If you want to use that, you totally can! Here is the difference in ingredients based on almond vs coconut flour:
- Fathead pizza recipe with almond flour: 3/4 cup almond flour, 1 1/2 cup mozzarella, 2 tbsp cream cheese, 1 egg
- Fathead pizza recipe with coconut flour: 1/3 cup coconut flour, 1 1/2 cup mozzarella, 2 tbsp cream cheese, 2 eggs
The difference is in the amount of flour and eggs.
I’ve also tried making this keto pizza crust with flax seed meal, and that works too. It’s a great option for people with allergies!
The taste of Fathead pizza is very similar no matter which flour you use. Some people are sensitive to the taste of coconut flour, but personally, I can’t taste it at all in this recipe. The cheese masks it really well. Pretty much the same goes for the almond flour and flax seed meal.
Tricks to Making Keto Pizza Dough Perfectly
Kneading the Fathead Pizza Dough
Kneading with your hands is the trick to making Fathead pizza dough blend well in the third step of the recipe. Especially when working with coconut flour, the mixture dries and solidifies quickly.
Just keep using your hands to squeeze and knead until the dough is uniform. You can always reheat a little to soften the cheese again, but don’t overdo it, to avoid cooking the eggs.
Fathead Dough Using a Food Processor
Another option to make the Fathead pizza dough come together more easily would be to use a food processor. Just fit it with the dough blade, or even simply an S knife blade, and have it do all the work for you!
You may need to scrape down the sides a little to get the dough to form in a food processor. Also, if it doesn’t want to mix together, positioning the cheese near the blade can help.
Dealing with Sticky Fathead Dough
If all else fails and the dough is too sticky for you, there are three tricks that can help:
- Chilling the dough in the fridge will work wonders to make it more manageable. A good amount of chill time is 20 to 30 minutes.
- Use oiled hands to work with the fathead dough. This will help avoid sticking to your fingers.
- If the cheese solidifies too quickly, you may need to reheat a little to soften it, then try kneading again.
Oven Time for Fathead Pizza Crust
The oven time for this Fathead pizza crust will vary depending on how thinly you roll (or spread) it out. I did find that it cooks a bit more quickly than the original.
I like my low carb pizza crust very thin, so it only took about eight minutes for mine, but you can adjust the thickness to your liking. Just watch it in the oven, and poke more holes in the top if it starts to bubble up.
What Does Fathead Pizza Taste Like?
No matter which version I make (and I do them all!), people tend to ask me if it’s just a regular homemade pizza crust. Yes, there is a slight difference, but it’s very close.
This Fathead pizza recipe tastes pretty much like regular pizza! And the texture is spot-on, which is one of the most challenging things to get right with low carb dough.
If you want a handy printable for all 3 versions of the Fathead pizza crust (almond, coconut and flax), you can sign up for my free newsletter and I’ll send it to you right away. The form is at the top of this page. No strings attached – pinky promise. 🙂
What Kind of Sauce To Use For Keto Pizza?
This is a common question I get about keto pizza crust! I usually buy natural, organic marinara sauce with no sugar added.
TIP: Watch for added sugar in the ingredients when buying marinara.
I also have a homemade keto pizza sauce recipe coming up, so stay tuned for that.
If you want to mix it up instead of plain marinara, here are some other options:
- Low carb keto Alfredo sauce – I’m a huge fan of white pizza, and white sauce is lower in carbs than tomato sauce!
- Sugar-free BBQ Sauce – Barbecue chicken pizza is delicious! But, you have to use a sugar-free barbecue sauce to keep it keto.
- Macadamia Nut Pesto Sauce – This makes the fathead pizza taste more like a flatbread.
Topping Ideas For Fathead Pizza
You can use almost any kind of toppings for fathead pizza! Most pizza toppings are naturally low carb, since they are mostly meat and veggies. Get the full keto food list here for ideas. But, watch for ones higher in sugar, like pineapple.
Here are some common favorite fathead pizza toppings:
- Pepperoni
- Sausage
- Canadian bacon
- Mushrooms
- Green peppers
Can You Make This Fathead Pizza Recipe Ahead?
Yes, you can prepare this fathead pizza recipe ahead of time. Here are the ways to do it:
- Make the ball of fathead pizza dough ahead. You can store the prepared dough in the fridge for up to a week, until you are ready to use it.
- Bake the crust ahead. You can refrigerate it for up to a week. Add toppings and bake whenever you’re ready.
- Freeze fathead pizza crust or dough. See options for that below!
Can Fathead Pizza Dough Be Frozen?
Yes, you can freeze keto fathead pizza! There are two options:
- Make the dough, form a ball, wrap tightly in plastic, and freeze it. When you want to use it, let it thaw completely and then roll out as needed. You’ll have to bake the crust before adding toppings and baking again.
- Pre-bake the keto fathead pizza crust. I prefer this option for convenience – no thawing needed! Bake the crust as directed, wrap it, and store in the freezer. When you are ready to enjoy the pizza, simply add sauce and toppings to the frozen crust, and bake for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees, until hot.
Tools To Make Fathead Pizza Crust:
Click the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Food processor – A food processor can make fathead dough so much easier! Avoids the mess of kneading by hand.
- Double boiler – An alternative for melting the cheeses, if you don’t want to use the microwave.
- Rolling pin – Though you can use your hands, you’ll get the most even cooking if you roll out your keto pizza crust. And if you like it thin and crispy, this is a must!
- Pizza pan – You can cook the crust on a basic pizza pan, but this one has a perforated surface to help the crust crisp up. Place parchment paper over it to prevent sticking.
- Pizza stone and pizza peel – A pizza stone creates a crispier exterior to the crust. For a fathead pizza recipe, you’ll still want to use parchment paper on top, so it won’t stick. The pizza peel allows you to place the crust onto the stone and remove when it’s done.
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RECIPE CARD
Fathead Pizza Crust Recipe (Low Carb Keto Pizza) - 4 Ingredients
An EASY low carb keto Fathead pizza crust recipe with coconut flour OR almond flour. Just 4 INGREDIENTS! Fathead pizza is the ultimate keto pizza - crispy, chewy, and ready in 20 minutes.
Recipe Video
Click or tap on the image below to play the video. It's the easiest way to learn how to make this recipe!
PrintIngredients
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Instructions
RECIPE TIPS + VIDEO in the post above, nutrition info + recipe notes below!
Click on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C). Line a baking sheet or pizza pan with parchment paper.
- Combine the shredded mozzarella and cubed cream cheese in a large bowl. Microwave for 90 seconds, stirring halfway through. Stir again at the end until well incorporated. (**See notes for alternative to the microwave.)
- Stir in the beaten eggs and coconut flour. Knead with your hands until a dough forms. If the dough becomes hard before fully mixed, you can microwave for 10-15 seconds to soften it.
- Spread the dough onto the lined baking pan to 1/4" or 1/3" thickness, using your hands or a rolling pin over a piece of parchment (the rolling pin works better if you have one). Use a toothpick or fork to poke lots of holes throughout the crust to prevent bubbling.
Bake for 6 minutes. Poke more holes in any places where you see bubbles forming. Bake for 3-7 more minutes, until golden brown.
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Recipe Notes
- Check the TIPS ABOVE on working with fathead pizza dough!
- To make keto pizza once you have the crust, top with sauce and toppings after cooking the crust and return to the oven for about 10 minutes, until heated through.
- If you don't want to use the microwave, use a double boiler to melt the cheese and cream cheese together instead. Boil water in a saucepan, then place the cheeses in a metal bowl resting over the edges of the saucepan. The idea is to melt the cheese without burning it, stirring frequently.
- Nutrition info does not include toppings.
How to make fathead pizza with almond flour: Follow the instructions above, but replace the coconut flour with 3/4 cup almond flour and reduce the 2 eggs to 1 egg.
Serving size: 1 slice, or 1/8 of entire pizza
Video Showing How To Make Fathead Pizza Crust:
Don't miss the VIDEO above - it's the easiest way to learn how to make Fathead Pizza Crust!
Nutrition Information Per Serving
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database. You can find individual ingredient carb counts we use in the Low Carb & Keto Food List. Net carb count excludes fiber, erythritol, and allulose, because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.
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If you want to know more about how to start a low carb diet, want to substitute sweeteners, need a food list, or need support, check these guides:
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Starter Guide 
Sweetener Conversion Calculator 
Keto Low Carb Macro Calculator 
Low Carb Keto Food List + Printable PDF
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. We'd LOVE for you to share a link to this recipe, but please DO NOT COPY/PASTE the recipe instructions to social media or websites. You may share a photo with a link back instead.
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974 Comments
Roxie Fiste
Made this fathead pizza using Kite cream cheese (almond-based), almond flour, Daiya mozzarella shreds, and an egg replacer – it was so delicious my family leaves no pieces behind! It’s now my go to recipe for low carb pizza! We have lots of food allergies and intolerances so this pizza, with some added yummy herbs and spices, it the best we’ve had in many years!
Thank you for this recipe, Maya!
Elizabeth Pinder
I made the almond flour version, and it is fantastic. Chewy, filling, and my husband likes it too. Easy to make. I use pizza sauce and pepperoni. Keeps well in the fridge for a few days, if you can keep it around that long. I find 1/4 of the pizza is enough for me, as it is really filling.
Natasha Cox
My family loves this pizza. We do all kinds of toppings. Bacon, pepperoni, and olives are favorites. We had to use the low fat shredded mozzarella because stupid grocery stores only sell low fat. I think the crust comes out better with the full fat, not as dry. We can get full fat cheese and (relatively) low carb marinara at Trader Joe’s. We used our cast iron pan and it worked great! Def will be keeping this recipe in our weekly menu rotation! Thanks for writing this, Maya! Let us know what your thoughts are on full fat vs low fat mozzarella.
Geeta
Can you freeze these to use later into mini pizza’s?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Geeta, Yes. Par bake the crust first so it holds it’s shape. Then it can be frozen for later use.
Christine Balas
I can’t do dairy. Can I substitute a dairy free mozzarella imposter and a dairy free cream cheese?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Christine, Yes, that should work just fine!
Darren
Can you use a stand mixer with a dough hook instead of a food processor
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Darren, I don’t believe the dough hook will incorporate the ingredients well enough on its own. The regular paddle will probably be the best tool for this job. A stand mixer will probably take longer than a food processor, but you should still be able to get similar results.
Aimee Aristotelous
Do you put the sauce, cheese, and toppings on before baking, or do you bake the crust first and then put toppings and bake again? Thanks!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Aimee, Bake the crust first, then add toppings and place back in the oven to finish. Enjoy!
Mileidys Campuzano
I made several doughs at home for a hungry family even the ones not on KETO really enjoyed this recipe. I prefered the taste of the Almond flour version and so did the rest of the family . I made both kinds to see which one was tastiest.
Thank you!
Jeannie Watts
My trick when it’s sticky is to roll it between two pieces of parchment paper or saran wrap, then I removed the top paper place the pizza tray over it, flip it and remove the last piece of paper. My son loves this pizza!!
Cynthia W.
Thank you so much for a great pizza crust! Even my picky husband liked it better than the pizza dough packets with yeast. I used my food processor as recommended and used plastic wrap to cover the dough while rolling in the pizza pan. No problem sticking. I used mini pepperonis and mushrooms for my first pizza. Looking forward to experimenting with new toppings.
Charlotte
About to try this tonight. If I get the cross pretty then, how many inches across is this? Can I make two personal pizzas or is this one personal pizza?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Charlotte, It really depends on how thick you like your crust. This pizza is roughly 12 – 14.”
Tracye
I tried this for the first time and the dough was really sticky but manageable. However after the crust was cooked, it stuck to the wax paper and I could not get it off. Crust was completely destroyed. I tried again with the same result. Was I supposed to nonstick spray the paper or something?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Tracye, The problem is the wax paper. Wax paper is covered in a wax that will melt onto anything you bake in the oven, it is intended for cold storage purposes only. Parchment paper is coated with a non-stick layer, which is suited for hot or baking applications.
Natasha
All I can find is the part skim low moisture shredded mozzarella. I wanted full fat but three different stores didn’t have it. Will part skim low fat work?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Natasha, Yes, part-skim will work fine.
Melanie Medrano
I made the almond flour version but even after cooling in the fridge for some time it was still very sticky and barely like dough. When you measure the flour is it supposed to be loose or packed? I didn’t pack it. I rolled it up as best I could & put in the fridge overnight. Can I still salvage it? I really wanna try the pizza but I’m a rookie at all bread making.
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Melanie, Did you use 3/4 cup of almond flour? There isn’t any need to pack it into the cup, just scoop, level, and pour into the bowl. Did you use fresh or low moisture mozzarella? The recipe will not work with fresh.
Melanie Medrano
Hi, I used low-moisture mozzarella. I tried again and it came out better when I packed the flour. It’s still sticky but manageable (even after cooling in the fridge). Maybe I’m putting too much cream cheese? Thanks for your help!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Melanie, Yes, you may want to double-check on the amount of cream cheese. Not much is called for, only 2 Tablespoons.
Brandi K Akina
For almond flour use 3/4 cup?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Brandi, Yes, 3/4 cup of almond flour is correct.
Christine
This recipe is so easy and fantastic! It happens to be ingredients I have around all the time so we can whip it up. We love to add Arugula or Spinach.
Carri
I made the fathead pizza dough for dinner tonight. I had HIGH hopes. I was disappointed. I thought it was going to be close to the real thing but it wasn’t. But I will say, it was better than cauliflower pizza crust! I’m a home cook. Married and cooking for 40 years now. I’ve made regular pizza off and on through the years and honestly, making good pizza is hard to crack. There must be a secret to it that I haven’t discovered! So to think I will find fake dough pizza and that it will taste like a good pizza must be a pipe dream. I will say, the dough came together easily and fast. I marveled at how dough-like rolling out the crust was. Is there just a coconut flour pizza dough crust recipe? How about making a pizza on a Chaffle!? P.S. I just discovered chaffles last night. I bought the Dash waffle maker!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Carri, I’m sorry this recipe didn’t turn out as expected. Many people love fathead dough, but it all depends on your personal tastes and what kind of crust you prefer. You can absolutely make pizza on a chaffle! They are a lot of fun for creating personal-sized pizzas. Here is the chaffles recipe.
Eme
I had to shift the recipe a little bit before I really enjoyed it. I use fine ground almond flour (Almost looks bleached but it’s not) with two eggs in stead of one, added garlic butter flavorings, slightly over cooked it watching carefully. Then added the sauce, cheese and toppings. Found it harder to find the right ratio of all the toppings to sauce and cheese. Lol. Hope you’ll try it again
Donna
I have tried both versions of this crust, and prefer the coconut flour better than the almond. The almond flour makes it a bit gritty, and its taste is more noticeable. This was a great option to get rid of the urge for pizza!
Kristin
I’m planning to make this tonight and have a couple questions:
-How many inches across is this pizza?
-How much marinara sauce do you use per pie?
-How much cheese (by weight or volume) do you use to top the pizza?
Thanks!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Kristen, This crust is approximately 12 – 14″ across depending on how thin you want it. The recipe is for the crust only, so you will have to determine the rest to fit your macros.
Julie Novak
This recipe is amazing! Thanks for sharing
Joyce
I am new to Keto and wanted something different today and came across this I tried it and and love it. I am not much of a cook so this was easy and perfect for me. Taste good too!
Chantel
First time making it… so ok look. While I was making the dough I was verrrrry suspicious I was doing this wrong. It just seemed really stringy and cheesy and not doughy. Then I baked it (WRONG CAUSE I PUT THE TOPPINGS ON FIRST BAKE) but it came out DELICIOUS!!! Thank you so much ❤️
Vickie
Hi there. Loved the recipe but I found it hard too hard to follow. There’s so much dialogue it’s hard to actually find the recipe. I had the whole pizza together and ready for the oven and didn’t see til right at the very end that I was supposed to cook the dough 10 minutes before adding the toppings
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Vickie, I am sorry you found the recipe difficult to follow. If you would prefer to skip the blog post and go straight to the recipe, you can use the button under the blog post title called “Jump to Recipe.” This will bring you directly to the recipe card with the full instructions. I hope this helps.
Dianna
I’m a Pampered Chef consultant and am preparing for a Keto Cooking Show for one of my hosts. I needed a pizza recipe and fond this one. I made the coconut flour version. Super easy and “performed” just like the recipe said. (I did 30-30-30 seconds in the microwave). I rolled it on a 12″ baking stone, with parchment paper on the bottom and one on top. No issues whatsoever. For keto-friendly, this is a great go-to recipe for pizza. I’m going to tweak the baking process a bit to attempt a crisper crust (i.e., do the pre-bake on the parchment paper, then remove the parchment, oil the stone and place the crust on top, do the toppings and bake again for 10 minutes, bottom shelf in oven).
I can imagine how much testing and experimenting it takes to create a new recipe like this. Nice job — and thanks for doing the hard work for us!
Andee
I had the almond flour version of the pizza crust last night and it really tasted like regular thin crust pizza!! I was a little worried because the edges of the pizza crust got very dark, but it didn’t taste burnt at all. The whole thing was super delicious and I highly recommend this recipe if you’re craving pizza!