Keto pizza with fathead crust
Low‑carb, gluten‑free pizza with a mozzarella–almond fathead crust, quick to make and perfect for keto nights.
This is a proper keto crowd‑pleaser: a fathead crust — mozzarella, cream cheese and almond flour — gives you a chewy, crisp base without gluten or grains. It’s quick once you’ve melted the cheese, and crisps up beautifully on a hot tray.
Make it on a weeknight when you want pizza but don’t want the carb hit. The recipe makes two 20cm pizzas; halve or double as needed. Keep toppings light to preserve the crisp base and full keto glory.
Ingredients
- 300 g mozzarella — use low‑moisture if you can; 200g for the dough, 100g for topping
- 60 g cream cheese — full‑fat
- 120 g almond flour
- 1 egg — large
- 5 ml baking powder
- 5 ml salt
- 5 ml garlic powder
- 5 ml dried oregano
- 100 g passata — smooth tomato purée
- 15 ml olive oil
- 60 g pepperoni — sliced
- 100 g chestnut mushrooms — sliced
- 1 red pepper — small, thinly sliced
- 50 g fresh spinach
- 20 g Parmesan — freshly grated
- 10 g fresh basil — to garnish
- 0 ml black pepper — freshly ground
Equipment
- baking tray
- baking parchment
- microwave-safe bowl or heatproof bowl for bain‑marie
- rolling pin
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 240°C fan/260°C conventional and put a large baking tray in the oven to heat — this helps give a crisp base.
Put the mozzarella and cream cheese in a microwave‑safe bowl. Microwave on high for 60 seconds, stir, then heat for another 30–60 seconds until fully melted and smooth. Alternatively, melt together in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water (bain‑marie), stirring until combined.
Add the almond flour, egg, baking powder, salt, garlic powder and dried oregano to the melted cheese. Mix with a spoon until it starts to come together, then carefully knead (wearing clingfilm gloves helps) until a smooth, slightly sticky dough forms — about 1–2 minutes.
Wrap the dough and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up — this makes it much easier to roll thin without tearing.
Divide the chilled dough into two. Place each ball between two sheets of baking parchment and roll out to roughly 20cm diameter and about 3–4mm thick. Remove the top sheet of parchment.
Transfer each base (on its bottom sheet of parchment) onto the hot baking tray. Blind‑bake the bases for 8–10 minutes until the edges are lightly golden and the base is set but not browned deeply.
While the bases pre‑bake, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium hob and sauté the chestnut mushrooms and red pepper for 4–5 minutes until softened. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Remove the bases from the oven. Spread the passata evenly over each base (divide between two), season with a little extra dried oregano and black pepper, then scatter most of the remaining mozzarella over the sauce. Top with sautéed mushrooms and red pepper, pepperoni, fresh spinach and finish with Parmesan.
Return the pizzas to the oven and bake for 6–8 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the edges are golden.
If you like a browned top, place the pizzas under a hot grill for 1–2 minutes — keep the oven door slightly open and watch constantly.
Remove from the oven, rest for 2 minutes, scatter with fresh basil, slice and serve immediately.
Tips
- Heat the baking tray in the oven before adding the bases — this gives a much crisper underside.
- If the dough feels sticky while rolling, sandwich it between parchment paper and roll; refrigerate briefly if it becomes too soft.
- Pre‑bake the base until set — skipping this causes a soggy pizza centre.
- Use low‑moisture mozzarella or pat grated mozzarella dry with kitchen paper before melting to reduce excess water.
- Make the dough ahead and keep wrapped in the fridge for up to 24 hours or freeze for 1 month; thaw overnight in the fridge before shaping.
Substitutions
almond flour → ground flaxseed, same weight (texture will be denser and more rustic)
Noticeably differentpepperoni → cooked chicken or sliced chorizo, same weight
Stays closemozzarella → a mix of mozzarella and cheddar, same total weight (gives stronger flavour and slightly crisper top)
Stays closepassata → 50g passata + 1 tsp tomato purée to intensify flavour, same carbs approximately
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 1216
- Calories
- 60 g
- Protein
- 19 g
- Carbs
- 100 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 1400 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make the dough without a microwave?
Yes — melt the mozzarella and cream cheese in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (bain‑marie), stirring until smooth. Proceed as normal.
How do I prevent a soggy base?
Preheat the baking tray, pre‑bake the base until set, and cook off moisture in vegetables before topping. Use modest sauce quantities.
Can I freeze the dough or cooked pizza?
Yes. Dough keeps wrapped in the fridge for 24 hours or frozen for up to 1 month. Cooked pizza freezes well; reheat in a hot oven on a tray to restore crispness.
Is this suitable for strict keto?
This recipe keeps total carbs low, but net carbs depend on toppings. Reduce passata and omit red pepper to lower net carbs further.
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