Fathead Pizza
This Fathead Pizza is a low carb alternative for pizza cravings during keto, or great if you simply want to cut down on carbs. I share some tips for how to make the dough surprisingly easy to work with, and really delicious. This recipe is done in 15 minutes!
I first discovered Fathead Pizza when I did the Keto diet for the first time about a year ago. I was telling a friend about how I missed my comfort foods, and she told me I had to try Fathead pizza. That’s not a name you forget!
My family and I were surprised by how good it was, and how similar it was to “regular pizza.”
Of course it’s not a real Semolina Pizza Dough, but with the cheese and toppings, you don’t really notice. This still passes the test as one of the kids’ favorite foods, and they are plenty happy on pizza night.
Why This Recipe Is The Best
It’s better than other alternative crusts – I’ve tried all the unconventional flour-free crusts out there, from cauliflower pizza crust to chicken crust pizza, and I think this fathead pizza crust is the best by far.
I’ve done many rounds of recipe testing – I played with ratios and ingredients from the original recipe for a full year. From the order in which I incorporate the ingredients and how I bake it, this is the final version that has become a somewhat regular treat for my family. It’s the ultimate keto pizza crust!
The dough is easy to work with – It’s surprisingly crust-like and easy to roll. I also include the weights for all the ingredients in case you have a scale (affiliate), as measuring is a little easier that way.
Tips for Best Results
Use the right mozzarella – Here you’ll want to use the bagged and shredded “part-skim” mozzarella and not the fresh stuff that comes in a ball. Also, if you find yourself making this often, I suggest doing a taste test of the brands at your grocery and seeing which one tastes the best. I was absolutely astonished by how much more flavorful some of them were than others. Some were like tasteless shreds of rubber, while others had sweet dairy richness.
Work quickly – Because the dough is made with so much cheese, its texture will change as it cools. So have everything ready to go so you can execute the recipe.
Have any toppings ready – If you’re adding toppings that need to be pre-cooked, have that all ready to go before you start the recipe. Pre-saute peppers, mushrooms, or whatever you need.
Step by Step Overview:
Place shredded mozzarella cheese and cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring each time.
The photo in the left below is after one 30 second interval, and on the right you can see that it doesn’t look like it will come together, but trust me, it will!
After two or three 30-second microwave intervals, the cheese should be smooth and combined, like this:
Add blanched almond flour (and not almond meal, which tends to be more coarse), garlic powder, salt, and nutritional yeast to the dough:
The garlic powder and nutritional yeast are both optional, but I like to add them for flavor.
Stir that around, and you’ll see on the photo below on the left, that it will probably become hard to stir at some point.
That’s when you should pop the dough back into the microwave for another 15-30 seconds, just enough to soften the cheese again (see below on the right):
Lastly, add one beaten egg to the dough:
At first it will seem that the egg won’t incorporate, but if you knead it for about 30 seconds, either with a firm spatula or by hand, the dough will accept that egg:
Now the fathead pizza dough is ready to roll into whatever shape you’d like!
You can either do a big rectangle, a big circle, or even multiple circles for individual pizzas. Whatever shape you choose, I recommend making a thin crust pizza for best results.
To roll out the dough, place it between two pieces of parchment paper, and roll with a rolling pin.
Note that the parchment paper is essential. Even with wax paper, the dough tends to stick.
Keeping your keto pizza dough rounds or rectangle on the bottom piece of parchment paper, transfer to a baking sheet, or your pizza pan of choice.
A pizza stone is great if you have one, and is the best way to get the most crispy crust. If you’re using one, there is no need to keep the dough on the parchment.
Prick the dough all over with a fork, which will prevent the pizza from bubbling up:
After 7 minutes in the oven, the crust should be slightly golden on the bottom, and just starting to brown on the edges.
It will look sort of raw on the top still, and that’s ideal. Flip the pizza over:
Now that the bottom is the top, spread on your pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, and any favorite toppings you’d like.
Today I’m doing tomato sauce, cheese, and pepperoni, but you may like to try Buffalo Chicken Pizza toppings, or Caramelized Pear and Gorgonzola Pizza on top.
You will notice that the more “raw” side from before will now brown perfectly on the bottom, and the cheese on top should be melted with another 5 minutes in the oven:
Sprinkle the top with some red pepper flakes, italian seasoning, a drizzle of good olive oil, or whatever you wish.
How to Serve It
Fathead Pizza is best served while it’s piping hot, while the cheese is melty and gooey. If you wait until it cools too much, it will start to get a bit rubbery and firm. So enjoy promptly, and I recommend only making as much as you’ll think you’ll enjoy, though I share instructions for storing leftovers below.
Zucchini Ribbon Salad and Charred Broccoli are great dishes to serve on the side for something light and healthy on the side.
Or indulge in some Homemade French Fries or Homemade Mozzarella Sticks. Enjoy!
See the full nutritional information in the recipe card below. If you are calculating net carbs, make sure to subtract the fiber from the total carb count.
Recipe FAQ:
Store in an airtight container, placing pieces of parchment paper in between slices to prevent sticking. Then place in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Place in an airtight container, with pieces of parchment paper in between slices, which will prevent them from sticking together. Freeze for up to 2 months.
You can warm in the microwave for about 30 seconds, until the cheese is bubbly, or in a 350F oven for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is warm and melty.
Did you enjoy the recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
Fathead Pizza Dough
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese (168g by weight)
- 1 ounce full-fat cream cheese (28g by weight)
- 3/4 cup blanched almond flour* (84g by weight)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast optional**
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder optional
- 1 large egg beaten
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the mozzarella and cream cheese.
- Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring each time, until the cheeses are homogeneously smooth. It should take 2-3 intervals total.
- Stir in the almond flour, salt, nutritional yeast (if using), and garlic powder (if using), until smooth. If it’s too firm to stir, microwave for an additional 15-30 seconds to soften the dough again.
- Add the egg to the bowl, and knead it into the dough either using a firm spatula, or by hand (the dough shouldn’t be too hot, but if it is, let it cool slightly). At first it might seem like the egg won’t incorporate, but it should with about 30 seconds of kneading.
- Place the dough between two pieces of parchment paper***, and roll into the desired shape (circle, rectangle, etc), about 1/8″ thick. Keeping the dough on the parchment, transfer to a baking sheet, then remove the top layer of parchment.
- Prick the dough all over with a fork, then bake for about 7 minutes, until the dough is golden brown on the bottom and edges, but not yet brown on the top.
- Flip the pizza over, then top with whatever ingredients you’d like. I usually add about 1/2 cup of pizza sauce, then more shredded cheese, and pepperoni.
- Bake the pizza for an additional 5 minutes, to fully melt the cheese on top. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
86 Comments on “Fathead Pizza”
The best low carb pizza I have ever made. So delicious and my pizza turned out so beautiful !
374kcal is equal to 374000 calories. That cannot be right. Unless this is a different kcal used to measure food, I’m assuming you meant 374 calories. I would also like to know if this nutritional information is for the whole pizza or just a slice?
When people say calories, it’s actually a kilocalorie. kcal refers to the proper name, but what people would colloquially refer to as a calorie. The nutritional information is for 1/3 of the total. It depends how large you make the pizzas.
This crust was great! The addition of the yeast added that pizzeria aroma. I don’t have a microwave so I melted the cheeses in a metal bowl over a small pot of hot water on the stove. Super fast and easy. Not much more time than nuking it.