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 Keto 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.
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 crust to chicken crust, 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 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.
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 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, 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.
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.
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 sauce, cheese, and whatever 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:
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!
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. Or, follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest!
Fathead Pizza Crust
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.
85 Comments on “Fathead Pizza”
is it 10g per slice?
Gave this a shot. Skipped the yeast(was out), and dusted the parchment with almond flour before rolling(habit). Came out amazingly well. I used a local low carb/no sugar added sauce(being lazy), and it came out pretty dang good.
Forgot to rate. 5*
Have you ever tried making this with psyllium husk instead of almond flour? I don’t like the almond flavour.
That probably wouldn’t work. I would sub another flour like coconut flour but only use 1/4 cup of coconut flour. You could try other flours as well if you prefer them but I personally am not familiar with any other ones.
Is it essential to pre bake the crust before adding toppings ? I have a pizza oven and can cook fast at high heat and wondering if it’s possible just to pop it in the oven with the toppings ? If not, what is the reason behind the pre-baking.
Thanks !
I’d say give it a try if you’ve got a great high-heat pizza oven. I wish I had one too!
How else can I melt the cheese? I do not use microwave ovens.
A double saucepan.
I don’t have a microwave either so I use a nonstick pan over low heat to melt my mozzarella and cream cheese together. It just takes a little longer and you have to keep it all moving around as it melts.
This is GREAT!! I have been following a fairly strict keto diet, and I thought pizza was lost to me forever… not anymore! 🙂 I am in awe of how good this crust is. Also, really appreciated the weight measurements as this was my very first attempt to make keto-like bread. Very clear and nice instructions. thank you.
I loved this recipe!!! Made it the first few days on Keto! Now that I am rigorous about my macros, I made a chart for nutritional values and they differ from the ones posted on the recipe. Could you please tell us for what portion of the entire dough does that apply? Thank you!!
Can you use shredded parmesan cheese instead of mozzarella cheese? I bought the wrong kind. That will teach me to leave my list at home.
We are allergic to almonds and wheat intolerant; will it work with another flour mix or perhaps if I make pecan flour?
Anyone have any tips for making this without a microwave?
Have you ever made the dough (leave in ball) and refrigerated overnight before using?
I have and it works out just fine, just take it and roll it out, cook, add topping, cook again and eat. Yummy
Does it have to be part skim mozzarella? How will the product change if you put whole milk mozzarella?
If you can find whole milk shredded mozzarella that comes in a bag, that’s probably fine. My grocery only sells part-skim shredded for that, and the fresh stuff that comes in a ball that’s typically cut for caprese will definitely not work because the moisture content is too high.
Are the carbohydrates listed net carbs?
What kind of pizza sauce did you use? I am new to keto. I am excited to try this recipe.
I like Rao’s
I make my own. Sautéed onions and garlic. Caned crushed tomatoes, salt pepper and Italian spices. Takes 20 minutes to make and 100% keyto.
So if I make one pizza with all of this dough does that mean the entire pizza crust will have 30g of carbs?
Yes
I’ve always placed my traditional (non-keto) pizza on a hot stone and baked with no pre-baking the crust. Do you think this would work for this crust?
I used my heated pizza stone and it turned out wonderful. Just be careful as you slide the parchment paper with the dough onto the hot stone. Ii Gad my son carefully hold the hot stone level with the counter while I slid. Also, I found it way easier to pat ut out with my hands instead of rolling.
Thank you! I will try it next time for sure.
I use a pizza peel so I can leave the stone in the oven and just slide it on. Thanks so much!