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Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It Now- My Keto Pizza Recipe Tastes Like Actual Crispy, Chewy Pizza
- Crust Ingredients
- Variations & Substitutions
- How To Make Keto Pizza
- My Tips For Working With Low Carb Pizza Dough
- Keto Pizza (With Crispy, Chewy Crust) Recipe card
- Make Ahead Options
- Sauce & Topping Ideas
- More Fathead Dough Recipes
- Recipe Reviews
My Keto Pizza Recipe Tastes Like Actual Crispy, Chewy Pizza
This keto pizza has been my most popular keto dinner here on Wholesome Yum since 2017 — and for good reason: it tastes almost identical to regular pizza! I try not to say that too often, but I’ll be making this crust forever and ever, whether I stay low carb or not. Here’s why I’m certain you’ll love this keto pizza crust recipe:
- My very best keto pizza crust — I have a long list of low carb pizza recipes on my website — including cauliflower pizza, pizza bowls, chicken crust pizza, and pizza casserole, among others — but this is my best one of them all. Hands down.
- Chewy, sturdy crust with crispy edges – This is so hard to achieve with low carb baked goods without the gluten, but my keto pizza dough (based on this movie) does it perfectly. Using melted cheese, of all things! You can even customize if you want it crunchy, chewy, or a little of both. I’m obsessed.
- Just 4 ingredients – No long lists. Just grab one of my go-to low carb flours — you can decide if you want to use almond flour or coconut flour! — and a few common grocery store staples.
- Easy to make – This crust is so simple once you get the hang of working with the dough. I’ve probably made it 100 times, so I’ll share all my best tips!
- Keto friendly and gluten-free – Naturally my keto pizza is low in carbs… the crust has 2 grams of net carbs per serving, to be exact. Of course the sauce and toppings will also add some, but it’s still really easy to fit into your macros for a keto diet. And it’s gluten-free, too.
- Great for meal prep – Make the dough ahead. Freeze the crust. Freeze a whole pizza with toppings. I’ve done it every which way. See my make ahead options below.
Over the years, I’ve made this keto pizza for my kids, my friends, my very-not-keto extended family, and even dedicated a whole section to it in my Easy Keto Cookbook. Everyone loves it. Make it with me and you’ll see what the hype is about!
Crust Ingredients
Here I explain the best ingredients for my keto pizza recipe, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Low Carb Flour – You can make my keto pizza crust with almond flour or coconut flour. Reading over 1000 reviews, I’ve found some people prefer one and some prefer the other (almond is my preference, but only slightly). The only difference is the amount. And after spending over a decade on low carb baking, I developed my own Wholesome Yum Blanched Almond Flour and Wholesome Yum Coconut Flour, to ensure consistent results. They have the finest consistency and the right moisture level, which is super important for the best texture — not only in low carb pizza but also in other keto baking recipes.
- Eggs – These help the keto pizza dough stay together. The coconut flour version needs an extra one because this flour absorbs more moisture.
- Mozzarella Cheese – Shredded mozzarella is the key component of my fathead dough. It has a neutral flavor and mimics the gluten in white flour to create a chewy texture. For best results, use low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella. I buy pre-shredded for convenience, but you can shred it yourself if you like. Avoid using fresh mozzarella (the snow white kind that comes as a ball), which is too wet. Other semi-hard cheeses work okay, but the texture is typically not as good as mozzarella and your crust will taste more cheesy.
- Cream Cheese – Make your crust less dense. I use regular, but light cream cheese works fine.
Variations & Substitutions
- Dairy Free – Many readers have told me they had success using dairy-free shredded “cheese” and almond milk cream cheese. Keep in mind the carbs in these products are typically higher than real cheeses.
- Nut Free – Make my coconut flour version (coconuts are a fruit or drupal, not a nut). If you can’t have that either, you can use lupin flour in the same amount as the almond flour.
- Egg Free – Flax eggs work fine as an egg replacement, but the crust turns out less sturdy. One of my other egg substitutes might also work.
- Seasonings – I like my keto pizza crust plain, but you can add garlic powder and/or Italian seasoning. I don’t add extra salt, since the cheeses are already salty, but you can add a pinch if you prefer.
- Baking Powder – Add 1-2 teaspoons for a more airy crust.
- Xanthan Gum – For a chewier texture, add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum to the dough, before mixing in the cheeses.
- Protein Packed – My protein pizza recipe is based on this one, but with a lot more protein in the crust.
How To Make Keto Pizza
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Mix the low carb flour and eggs. In a large bowl or in a food processor, mix the egg(s) and either almond flour or coconut flour.
- Melt the cheeses. In a medium bowl, combine the shredded mozzarella and cubed cream cheese. Microwave, stirring halfway through, until melty. (If you prefer not to use the microwave, melt the cheeses in a double boiler on the stove instead.)
- Combine the fathead dough. Add the melted cheeses to the flour mixture. Process in the food processor or knead with your hands (depending on the method you are using), until a uniform dough forms, with no streaks. Form the dough into a ball.
- Roll out the crust. Spread the dough onto the lined pan or pizza peel to 1/4″ or 1/3″ thickness, using your hands or a rolling pin on top of a piece of parchment paper. (I recommend a rolling pin, as it’s easier.) Use a toothpick or fork to poke holes throughout the crust to prevent bubbling.
- Bake the keto pizza crust. If you’re using a pizza stone like I do (highly recommend!), slide the parchment paper from a pizza peel to the stone in the preheated oven. If using a pizza pan, just place it inside. Bake, then poke more holes to pop any bubbles and bake again until slightly golden.
- Add sauce and your favorite toppings. Return your keto pizza to the oven, either directly on the pizza stone or directly on the oven rack (no parchment paper), until hot. If you want the cheese more browned, place it under the broiler briefly, but be careful not to burn the crust.
After baking, I just slide the parchment paper onto a cutting board to slice it. Enjoy!
My Tips For Working With Low Carb Pizza Dough
My keto pizza recipe is easy once you get familiar with fathead dough, but it takes practice. I have an entire section with more details in my Easy Keto Cookbook and also in my keto bagels post, but here are the key things you need to know:
- A food processor is not required, but it helps. It’s fine to mix the dough by hand and I did at first, but these days I always use a food processor. I have this one — it’s powerful, reliable, and can even fit a double batch. It makes the crust more airy and easier to mix. Use either a dough blade or S knife blade, and scrape down the sides as needed. Also, if it doesn’t want to mix together, positioning the cheese near the blade can help.
- Make sure there are no streaks of cheese, or the texture will be off. If you are kneading with your hands, I find it helps to squeeze the dough between your fingers repeatedly.
- Reheat the dough slightly if it doesn’t incorporate. If the cheese hardens before it fully mixes into the flour mixture, you can microwave for 10-15 seconds to soften it.
- Chill dough if it’s sticky. This can be a problem especially if your kitchen is warm or humid. When this happens, I chill it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to make it more manageable.
- Use oiled hands to reduce sticking. If you’re spreading the keto pizza crust by hand and the dough is still too sticky to work with after chilling, another trick I use is coating my hands lightly with oil. Works like a charm!
- Roll the dough between sheets of parchment paper. It’s usually too sticky to roll without it, and I generally don’t recommend adding extra flour. My surprisingly affordable marble rolling pin also helps because it doesn’t warm up the dough.
- A pizza stone will get you the best texture. Although a regular pan works, I recommend a stone for all my keto pizza recipes, because it improves the texture of the crust. You’ll also need a pizza peel to slide the pizza on and off the stone, since it needs to preheat with the oven.
- Make the crust thicker to make it chewy or thinner for crispy. I like mine crispy (plus it’s less carbs and calories), so I make it thin. It will take longer to bake if it’s thicker.
- Watch the oven time. The baking time will vary depending on how thinly you roll (or spread) it out. It goes from perfect to burned fairly fast, so check on it.
- Don’t let it get too dark before topping. The crust should be just slightly golden when you bake it the first time. If it’s already golden, the edges will burn after you add the toppings and bake again. I like my keto pizza crispy, so the pictures above show how golden mine got, but if you like it more chewy, you’ll want it even lighter in the initial baking step.
Keto Pizza (With Crispy, Chewy Crust)
Everyone is obsessed with this easy keto pizza recipe! My crispy, chewy crust has 2 low carb flour options and tastes like regular pizza.
Ingredients
[ See substitutions ]Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.
Almond Flour Version:
Coconut Flour Version:
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Prep: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C). Line a baking sheet or pizza pan with parchment paper. For best results, preheat a pizza stone in the oven and line a pizza peel with parchment paper for preparing the keto pizza crust.
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Mix the flour and eggs: In a large bowl or in a food processor, mix the egg(s) and either almond flour or coconut flour, depending on which version you are making. (A food processor will make a fluffier crust and is easier, but it's fine to do this by hand if needed.)
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Melt the cheeses: In a medium bowl, combine the shredded mozzarella and cubed cream cheese. Microwave for 90 seconds, stirring halfway through. Stir again at the end until well incorporated. (If you prefer not to use the microwave, melt the cheeses in a double boiler on the stove instead.)
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Combine: Add the melted cheeses to the flour mixture. Process in the food processor or knead with your hands (depending on the method you are using), until a uniform dough forms, with no streaks. If the cheese hardens before it fully mixes into the flour mixture, you can microwave for 10-15 seconds to soften it. If it's sticky, see my tips in the post above.
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Form the crust: Spread the dough onto the lined baking pan or pizza peel to 1/4" or 1/3" thickness, using your hands or a rolling pin over a piece of parchment paper (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.
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Bake: Bake for 6 minutes. (If using a pizza stone, slide the parchment paper from the pizza peel to the stone.) Poke more holes in any places where you see bubbles forming. Bake for 3-7 more minutes, until lightly golden. (Don't let the crust get too dark at this step, or the edges will burn by the time you cook the pizza with toppings.)
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To make keto pizza: After pre-baking the crust, top with your favorite sauce and toppings. Return the pizza to the oven, either directly on the pizza stone or directly on the oven rack (no parchment paper), for about 10 minutes, until hot. If you like, place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to brown the cheese.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers (this also helps me continue to provide free recipes on my site), or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 slice, or 1/8 of entire pizza
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you work with this dough (especially if it’s sticky!) and get the perfect texture in your keto pizza.
- Meal prep: See my make ahead options here for different ways you can prep this crust ahead. There are several ways!
- Note on nutrition info: These numbers are for the coconut flour version — almond is pretty similar, but a bit higher in calories. You can customize the recipe in my Wholesome Yum App to see the macros for the almond flour pizza.
- Note on serving size: You’ll be surprised at how filling this low carb pizza is! A slice with a low carb salad or 2 slices on their own usually fill me up.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Easy Keto Cookbook here.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Keto Pizza
Make Ahead Options
One of the things I love about this low carb pizza recipe is its versatility to make ahead or store. Here are all the different ways I do it:
- Leftovers: Keep them in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.
- Make the dough ahead: Form it into a ball, cover tightly in plastic wrap, and keep in the fridge for up to a week. Roll out and bake when the time is right.
- Bake the crust ahead: Pre-bake the crust, wrap it and refrigerate (up to a week this way as well). Just add toppings and bake for 10-15 minutes when you’re ready.
- Freeze the crust: This is what I do most often — and make a double or triple batch in my food processor when I do! You can freeze the ball of dough and thaw before rolling, but I usually freeze the pre-baked crust. (You can add toppings and bake from frozen.)
- Freeze the whole whole pizza: You can even freeze the entire keto pizza with sauce and toppings. Cool completely before topping and place it in the freezer immediately, so that the crust doesn’t get soggy. When you’re ready, bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees F. Don’t thaw first!
Sauce & Topping Ideas
Most toppings will work on keto pizza! Here are the main ones I have on rotation:
- Sauces – Store-bought sauces often have added sugar, so be careful! This brand is popular in my keto community. You can also make my homemade marinara sauce (my second favorite), sugar-free pizza sauce, Alfredo sauce (my actual favorite), sugar-free BBQ sauce (I love it for BBQ chicken pizza!) or even pesto sauce (for a flatbread vibe).
- Meats – Pepperoni (my go-to shown here), sausage, Canadian bacon, ground beef, or even shredded chicken are all great keto meats to use. Since the keto pizza only cooks with toppings for a short time, make sure your meats are pre-cooked.
- Veggies – Try sauteed mushrooms, bell peppers, onions, olives, spinach, or sliced tomatoes (or even sun-dried tomatoes). Check my list of keto vegetables list for more ideas.
- Cheese – I almost always use shredded mozzarella, but other keto cheeses may work well depending on your sauce.
I have more combinations for you in my cauliflower pizza crust post. Avoid toppings that are higher in sugar, such as pineapple.
More Fathead Dough Recipes
I use this fathead dough for so many baked goods beyond pizza! Sometimes I make slight changes, but the base stays the same. Try it in some of my other keto recipes:
1,545 Comments
Darcy Larsen
0The recipe on your site uses 2tbsp cream cheese but the cookbook says to use 1. I found it’s less sticky with just one Tbsp. And I love it!
Darcy Larsen
0My husband and I love this pizza dough. We have pizza and a low carb beer every Friday. Makes great bagels as well!!!!!
Leslie
0How did you make the bagels?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Leslie, You can make bagels following this recipe and procedure.
Coleen Hamilton
0Thank you for the recipe and tips! I know it says it makes 8 slices, but what size is the pizza?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Coleen, Depending on how thin you roll it out, it’s about 10-11 inches across.
Marla
0I gotta tell you, I was not initially on board with trying the keto lifestyle…until I found your website…my husband is a very picky eater and we both love our carbs…EVERY recipe from wholesome yum that we have tried have been huge successes, especially the pizza crust recipe, perfectly balanced, the right amount of “chew”…just delightful. Easy to make and oh so tasty. After trying a few of these recipes I have ordered the cookbook on Amazon. Soo happy I found this site in general, thank you!!!!!!
Amy
0I was so very skeptical. I’ve tried several Chaffle recipes and just can’t get used to them. I think I need a much finer almond flour. This pizza crust was amazing! No coconut flavor, and I could pick up a slice and eat it. Made my own keto pizza sauce, threw some mushrooms and tomatoes on for toppings, covered it with mozzarella, and gave it a few shakes of Parmesan. I’ve been on keto just over a week and have been mostly eating meat, eggs, cheese, and lots of greens. What a treat.
Just a bit of advice; don’t start to make this crust for the first time when you are overtired and hungry. I almost threw the ball of dough across the kitchen and cried. I even raised my voice at my sweet little dog and told her to go lie down. The dough came together very well and I kneaded it until fully incorporated. I put it in the fridge for what I thought was long enough. Guess not. It was so sticky I couldn’t flatten it into crust (and yes, I read all of the hints). I put it back into the fridge, put my rolling pin in the freezer, and sprayed the rolling pin with oil once it was really cold. Then it worked better. Practice makes perfect. I will definitely be making this again. Next time I will make it when I am well rested and not starving. Great recipe! Thank you!
Leslie
0Love your honest and thoughtful review.
Kathy
0I’ve made this recipe twice, once with the almond flour and once with the coconut flour. Both are really really good, and come so close to regular crust. I do like the coconut flour one more, because it doesn’t have the grittiness that sometimes almond flour does. I probably need to use finer ground almond flour. And the coconut flour doesn’t have its usual eggy consistency. It’s by far the best low carb pizza crust / bread dough I’ve had. Thank you so much!
Michele
0Almond and coconut are both nuts, so it’s not a nut-free pizza crust, but it sounds good to do I’d like to try it.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Michele, Actually coconuts are a droop and not a member of the nut family. That’s what makes this recipe nut-free. If you use almond flour in the recipe, then it would not be nut-free.
Dawn
0An almond is a drupe as well. So both versions are technically nut free! 😉 “A drupe is a type of fruit in which an outer fleshy part surrounds a shell (what we sometimes call a pit) with a seed inside. Some examples of drupes are peaches, plums, and cherries—but walnuts, almonds, and pecans are also drupes. They’re just drupes in which we eat the seed inside the pit instead of the fruit!” This quote from: Lee Zalben, aka The Peanut Butter Guy from the seriouseats.com website. As far as allergies go, some people are allergic to true nuts (hazelnuts, pistachios, etc.), some are allergic to legumes, (peanuts, peas, etc.), and some are allergic to drupes, (almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc.) and some may be allergic to two or three types – classification does not really matter! Except people think of all of the above that are in parenthesis, and more, only as nuts.
Ruth Manito
0That was really interesting thanks for posting.
Lovely pizza crust too.
Paul Nebeling
0Second time making this. First time was kind of a disaster. Lessons learned from this time. 1. Read The Fine Manual aka, the recipe. 2. A good (KitchenAid) stand mixer with a dough hook will work in lieu of a good processor or your hands.
3. Saran Wrap is your friend while rolling out the dough.
The taste reminds me of Pizza Kitchen in Catbalogan, Samar, Philippines.
Enjoy!
Anna P Ford
0Hi, I love this recipe but after I took the dough out of the fridge to let the dough set, it was too hard to roll out into a pizza shape. I tried stretching it out with my hands as I don’t have a rolling pin, but it ended up being a very small, thick pizza. Any idea why this happened? The last few times I’ve made it I’ve had trouble kneading it which’s why I stuck it in the fridge like the recipe states.
Thanks!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Anna, I am sorry you had this issue. It sounds like your dough got too cold in the fridge. Next time, try refrigerating it for a shorter period of time.
L Barber
0I love this crust, thank you! Can you make it ahead of time in the “dough” phase, NOT after it is baked, and put it in the refrigerator for later? Thanks.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi L Barber, Yes! See the section “Can I Make this Fathead Pizza Recipe Ahead” for more details on doing this.
Mapula
0This is my go to Pizza crust when we craving a pizza “bread” crust(I usually make flourless Keto Pizzas)… Super easy and versatile. Have tried both Almond and Coconut flour. Coconut flour is a bit tricky to work with but oh delicious . I made my dough early and let it rest in the fridge for 1hour before I needed it, it was better to work with and easier to use a spatula or spoon to flatten+shape it on a parchment pizza stone. My crust took about 10mins to cook ❤️
melissa
0omg!!! This pizza was sooo good!! I wish I could add a picture of my daughter just loving it!! But we all did!! We will be having this often!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Melissa, We would love you see your photos over in the Wholesome Yum FB Support Group.
Katie Powell
0Super easy and a nice change from using cauliflower! I am very happy I found this recipe. Friday night pizza night and continue even on Keto! Thank you for posting this! ❤️
Janet Fryman
0Unfortunately, I cannot locate the actual Fat Head Pizza crust recipe! I taped on every link but could not seem to find the actual recipe itself, only references to it.
I would love to try it and then rate. Thanks.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Janet, Try the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the top of the page. If you still can’t see the recipe card, check your browser settings to make sure you are not viewing the website in ‘Reader Mode’ or in an RSS feed.
Norris
0I’m going to try this recipe very soon as it sounds delicious. My only question is when during the baking process do you add on the sauce and toppings. ?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Norris, Please bake the crust without any toppings first. Once you bake it, you can remove and use your preferred toppings, then return to the oven to heat through.
Christina
0This was the first keto pizza I have made. Your recipe was simple to follow and quick! The pizza turned out amazing and completely satisfied my pizza craving. Thank you for the awesome recipe! Yum
Jennifer Emerson
0I cannot eat dairy (Cow, sheep, or goat) and several recipes in the Wholesome Yum Keto Cookbook include dairy.
Can I use plant based cheeses to make fathead bread recipes? I regularly eat plant based “cheeses” made by Violife and Good Planet.
Thank you,
Jennifer
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jennifer, Although I have not personally tested my recipes with vegan cheeses, many other readers have with great success! Feel free to swap out the dairy cheeses in this recipe with non-dairy versions. Enjoy!
Nancy
0This was what helped me start out strongly with a Keto diet- I LOVE this as pizza crust, bagels, or even garlic knots. I use the coconut flour (and I added the suggested tbspn of baking powder for the bagels). I also use rubber gloves covered with olive oil to knead and work with the dough. I have told everyone what a great source this website is! Thanks so much!
L. Stevens
0We took time off from our keto diet during the holidays (Thanksgiving to Valentines). We want to go back to it and I know I’ve made this pizza MANY times, and it is our favorite. BUT, I can’t recall instructions for using an air fryer. We prefer your almond-flour alternative recipe. How long do you suggest to bake using an air fryer? And, at what temp?
TIA!
L.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi L. Stevens, If you have an air fryer oven, you can follow the directions as written. The overall bake time may need to be shortened so the crust edges don’t burn.
Sherry Mason
0How can i make it without parchment paper?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Sherry, I recommend using parchment paper with this recipe. The crust will stick without it. If you have a non-stick silicone baking mat, that may work as well.
Rose Cancino
0Love it!! So yummy and it makes you forget you’re eating low carb!