Discover how to make a simple fat head pizza with almond flour or coconut flour. You only need 4 ingredients and can be made as a crispy thin crust pizza or deep pan pizza.
Fat head pizza is the most popular low-carb keto pizza recipe. It's also the best gluten-free pizza recipe, and the entire internet is going crazy over it.
The cooked keto pizza crust can even be frozen for a quick and easy frozen keto mid-week family dinner.
If you are an absolute beginner, you may want to see the supreme guide to making fat head dough even without a microwave. Can be made with almond flour or coconut flour EVEN WITHOUT a microwave PLUS 16 keto recipes to use it.
Jump to:
When you are craving a delicious slice of traditional pizza but don't want to fall off your low-carb diet, you'll love this recipe! Once you get a taste of this fathead pizza, you won't even miss the real thing because it tastes just like it.
Not only is the famous fathead pizza absolutely fabulous, delicious, and low-carb, only 2.4 g net carbs per slice PLUS it's also a:
- Gluten-free pizza
- Wheat-free pizza
- Grain-free pizza
- And, better than any regular pizza you will ever taste!
What is fat head pizza?
Fathead pizza crust uses an easy low carb keto dough made from mozzarella cheese, almond flour or coconut flour.
This simple pizza dough recipe is perfect if you are an absolute beginner. It's a crowd-pleaser, it's perfect for mid-week family dinners and the supreme Friday night pizza night recipe.
Once you master mozzarella dough, you will discover there are so many different ways to use it.
It's the perfect low carb pizza crust to keep you on track with your macro goals whether you follow a low-carb diet, keto diet or lazy keto diet.
Why is this the best keto pizza?
It's the most popular low-carb keto pizza crust because once you learn how to make fathead pizza crust, you can use the pizza dough recipe in so many low carb recipes. It's incredibly delicious and versatile. You can even make pizza pancakes or cheeseburger pizza too.
I like to make chili fat head crackers, keto bread sticks, and even keto pizza scrolls.
Why is it called is fathead pizza?
Fat Head is a comedy-documentary by Tom Naughton (comedian and former health writer). Well, actually, for anyone who doesn’t know, fathead pizza dough was created by Tom Naughton’s oldest brother’s oldest son.
The documentary explains how low cholesterol is unhealthy as well as saturated fat does not cause heart disease but instead of sugars, grains, starches, and processed vegetable oils do.
Ever since it has been named in honor of his Fat Head Movie.
Nutrition
Here's how the nutrition of a traditional homemade thin crust wheat-based pizza crust recipe compares to a fat head crispy crust. Toppings are additional.
Nutrition of wheat-based pizza crust (1 slice): 18.9 g carbs, 8.8 g protein, 7.4 g fat.
Nutrition of fathead keto pizza crust (1 slice): 2.4 g net carbs, 11 g protein, 16.8 g fat.
Nutritional values from cronometer.com
In addition, the regular pizza will contain gluten, and if store-bought, it will also have preservatives, artificial flavorings, and probably some trans fats.
Also, remember- you will probably only eat 1 or 2 slices of fathead pizza compared to half to 1 regular pizza.
Can I overeat keto pizza?
Does an entire pizza normally disappear before your eyes?
When you eat traditional pizza with a wheat base, do you eat and eat and eat and cannot stop at just one or two slices? Yeah, I've done that too.
But, I'll admit it...there is no way you can over-eat with fathead pizza. And that's part of the way that the low-carb keto diet works. By increasing the fat content in your meals, makes you fuller faster. You eat less and so the weight loss will follow.
Fathead pizza is incredibly rich, but that’s the point. You cannot overindulge. Most people can only handle one, or possibly two, slices. Add a side salad and you’ve got a great Friday night movie meal!
Ingredients
This low-carb pizza crust is grain-free, gluten-free, low-carb, and incredibly filling.
The homemade pizza crust recipe is made from the following simple low-carb ingredients:
- Pre-shredded/grated cheese - pre shredded mozzarella cheese is the best, but a mild cheese will also work
- Cream cheese - it makes the pizza crust a little more softer than a straight cheese crust
- Egg - makes the crust light and soft, but may be omitted for those who have an egg allergy
- Almond flour - you can also use coconut flour instead of almond flour
All quantities, ingredients, and instructions are in the recipe card below.
My children love this recipe and prefer a fathead pizza crust to regular pizza dough. They even make it themselves.
How to swap almond flour for coconut flour
For those who have an almond allergy, or want to lower the carb count of a slice of pizza, you can easily substitute coconut flour. Coconut flour is much lower in carbs than almond flour.
A pizza made with coconut flour is slightly sturdier than an almond flour pizza. Most readers say it doesn't taste of coconut but it depends on how sensitive you are.
Simply swap 1 ¾ cup almond flour (or almond meal) with ¼ cup (4 tbsp) coconut flour. If it's your first time baking with coconut flour and almond flour, you may need to read my guide to low-carb flours.
Instructions
This is one of the easiest ways to make fathead pizza! Let me show you EXACTLY how to make a simple fathead pizza dough with a step-by-step process.
The entire recipe is in a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
STEP 1: Make the keto pizza dough
Place the shredded mozzarella and cream cheese with your chosen low-carb flour into a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high for 1 minute.
Once the cheeses are melted, mix them together.
Add the raw egg, seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix again to form a cheesy dough.
You now have the simple fathead dough, mozzarella cheese dough.
STEP 2: Make the pizza base
Roll the fathead pizza dough between two sheets of baking parchment paper, into a circular pizza shape. You can roll it thin to make a thin crispy pizza base, or a deep pan dish. You can use a rolling pin, a wine bottle, a coffee mug, or even the bottom of a measuring cup.
If your fathead dough begins to stick, use a flat knife or wet hands to scrape the dough away from the parchment paper. You must use baking parchment or another form of non-stick baking paper for this recipe.
Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and place the low-carb pizza base onto a pizza stone, baking tray, baking sheet, or pizza tray.
Press all over the pizza with a fork to make small holes. This ensures your pizza base is cooked evenly and crispy.
Bake the crust in a hot oven. Using the baking paper, flip the pizza over mid-way during cooking so it goes crispy on both sides.
Step 3: Add your pizza toppings
Cover the cooked low-carb keto fathead pizza with a sugar-free tomato pizza sauce or low-sugar tomato paste. Add your favorite toppings. Ensure any meat you use is already cooked. The pizza will go back into the oven just to reheat the base and to melt the cheese topping.
How to bake thin crispy keto pizza
The trick is to roll out the mozzarella dough super thin using 2 sheets of baking parchment as shown in the step-by-step instructions and cooking video.
TOP TIP: Press a fork over the base to make little indentations to allow the keto pizza crust to cook evenly AND turn the low carb keto pizza base over mid cooking so it cooks and bake the crust on both sides.
Always preheat the oven. This guarantees a super crispy thin pizza crust that is golden brown.
Air fryer
How to cook a pizza in the air fryer? It's quick and easy and perfect if you don't want to cook your pizza crust in the oven.
If you don't know how to use an air fryer, it's super simple and is a handy addition to your low-carb kitchen.
- Heat your air fryer to 190C/375F.
- Cut a circle of baking parchment paper that is large enough to line your air fryer basket or wire rack. Ensure there is a gap between the pizza base on the baking parchment and the sides of the basket. This will allow the air flow at high speed to circulate.
- Roll your pizza and place onto the lined tray/basket.
- It's almost impossible to prepare your pizza and to transfer it to your air fryer without all the topings falling to the floor. So add your toppings to the pizza once the rolled pizza dough is placed inside the basket.
- Cook for 7-10 minutes, or until golden.
If you love using your air fryer, I have 101 keto air fryer recipes for you to choose from (chicken, pork, ground beef, salmon, vegetables, and even desserts). Discover how to use your air fryer plus FREE printable air fryer cooking cheat sheets.
Toppings
After you make the fathead pizza crust, you can add all your favorite pizza toppings.
Here are some ideas for you:
- Tomato paste (unsweetened) or a sugar-free tomato sauce
- Sugar-free BBQ sauce
- Mushrooms
- Cherry tomatoes
- Salami/pepperoni
- Cooked sausage meat
- Spinach with a cracked egg on top
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Rosemary, oregano, thyme, sage, garlic powder, Italian seasoning
- More shredded cheese
Storage
Once the almond flour pizza base has been baked, then you can store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. Wrap in a piece of parchment and place in an airtight container or large ziplock bag to prevent "freezer burn".
You cannot store the unbaked pizza dough because the raw egg has been warmed by the melting cheese. The pizza dough MUST be cooked before storing.
Any leftover pizza (I know, that's surely impossible) can be stored in a similar way. Wrap in parchment paper and place in an airtight container or large ziplock bag in the fridge for up to 3 days.
More fathead mozzarella dough recipes
Once you master the fathead dough (which isn’t difficult to do), you should try some of these other keto recipes:
- Keto Pizza Casserole
- Keto pizza pockets (hot pockets)
- Fathead crackers
- Green fathead pizza
- Fathead nachos
- Fathead sausage rolls
- Fathead bread sticks
So, next time you make fathead pizza dough, my top tip – double the recipe quantities, then you are ready to go and make one of these fathead recipes as well.
It's the quick and easy way to meal prep.
Recipe FAQ
A microwave makes it easy to melt the mozzarella and cream cheese but you can also melt them in a saucepan on a medium-heat. Be careful to stir so the cheese doesn't burn. Alternatively, use a double boiler to melt the cheese together.
Yes. You can swap 1 ¾ cup almond flour (or almond meal) with ¼ cup (4 tbsp) coconut flour. If it's your first time baking with coconut flour and almond flour, you may need to read my guide to low-carb flours.
Yes, the low-carb pizza crust can be frozen once it is cooked. You cannot freeze the raw pizza dough.
Serving size 1 slice (in the recipe card below) is 2.4 g net carbs. Toppings are additional. Most members in my Facebook group tell me they tend to eat 2 or 3 slices of the low-carb pizza crust.
No, I have often used a wine bottle, a coffee mug, or the back or a measuring cup.
Mozzarella cheese, cream cheese, almond flour or coconut flour and egg, and some seasoning.
The best way to reheat any pizza is to place it in a hot oven for 5 minutes. You can microwave pizza but it will end up soggy and soft.
100% yes! This simple fathead pizza crust recipe is the BEST pizza you will ever taste.
You can use coconut flour instead of almond flour to make the pizza base even lower in carbs and high in fiber. Make sure you use a sugar-free tomato pizza sauce and only use low-carb vegetables. And of course, no pineapple.
Add 1 additional tablespoon of almond flour or coconut flour, depending on which flour you made the pizza dough with.
You might have added too much flour, in this case, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil at a time and knead the dough until it becomes soft and pliable again.
You can make vegetarian green fat head pizza, cheeseburger pizza, nacho chips, fat head sausage rolls and even pizza pancakes.
Reader's pizza
Take a look at one reader’s Fat Head pizzas. I just had to include his lineup! He has lost 58kg in 38 weeks with “no medication, no gym, and no shakes” “just real food."
I hope you enjoy this delicious crispy homemade pizza recipe! It has no sugars, no grains, no unhealthy oils. You are going to love it!
📖 Recipe
Please rate this recipe.
Fat Head Pizza Recipe - almond flour or coconut flour
Recipe Video
Calculate ingredients
Ingredients
- 170 g (1 ¾ cups) shredded/grated cheese mozzarella is the best or Edam/mild cheese
- 85 g (¾ cups) almond meal/flour
- 2 tablespoon cream cheese
- 1 eggs - medium
- pinch salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary/ garlic or other flavourings optional
- your choice of toppings such as pepperoni peppers, cherry tomatoes, olives, ground/mince beef, mushrooms, herbs etc
Instructions
- Mix the shredded/grated cheese and almond flour/meal in a microwaveable bowl. Add the cream cheese. Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute.
- Stir then microwave on HIGH for another 30 seconds.
- Add the egg, salt, rosemary and any other flavourings, mix gently.
- Place in between 2 pieces of baking parchment/paper and roll into a circular pizza shape (see photos above). Remove the top baking paper/parchment. If the mixture hardens and becomes difficult to work with, pop it back in the microwave for 10-20 seconds to soften again but not too long or you will cook the egg.
- Make fork holes all over the pizza base to ensure it cooks evenly.
- Slide the baking paper/parchment with the keto pizza base, on a baking tray (cookie tray) or pizza stone, and bake at 220C/425F for 12-15 minutes, or until brown.
- To make the base really crispy and sturdy, flip the pizza over (onto baking paper/parchment) once the top has browned.
- Once cooked, remove from the oven and add all the toppings you like. Make sure any meat is already cooked as this time it goes back into the oven just to heat up the toppings and melt the cheese. Bake again at 220C/425F for 5 minutes.
Notes
5-INGREDIENTS COOKBOOK
.
YOUR HOLIDAY PANTRY & GIFT GUIDES
.
Approximate nutrition information is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. For the most accurate nutritional data, use the actual ingredients and brands you used in your preferred nutrition calculator.
Huey Galauiz
Thanks.
Sam Roberts
Great keto pizza recipe, I love pizza and enjoy reading different recipes and cook the most unusual, such as this. The pizza was very tasty and juicy, thank you for sharing the recipe!
Heather
Love this recipe. I make it about once a week and it completely satisfies my pizza craving. My personal preference is to increase the almond flour to 89 grams and add 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder with the egg.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Great tips! thank you, Heather.
Jen
Thank you thank you thank you Libby! I have been making your fathead dough for a few months now and it is just fabulous! The whole fam prefer it to regular pizza dough and pizza night is now one of our fave meals! Our favourite toppings are bocconcini, fresh basil and sundried tomatoes, drizzled with garlic infused olive oil. Bellisimo!!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Ooooh, I'm coming to your house!
Liz
Could you freeze this?
Camille
Thank you thank you xx
After 10 weeks on Keto this pizza has changed my life. So amazing and delicious and zero sore bloated tummy afterwards like normal wheat pizza does to me. Your site is amazing and I'm going to work my way through all the amazing recipes, thanx!!
Libby Jenkinson
Awesome Camille!!!! Isn't it phenomenal the change in our gut, tummy, mood, skin when we stop wheat. Thank you for such a lovely compliment on my website. Remember to subscribe to my wonderful email community (it's free) and you can choose a freebie to download.
Peter
Can this be made with freshly grated cheddar? Anyone tried it? Thx
john talabot
thank you thank you gif
Ben
I absolutely loved this. I've been so tired of the standard keto diet food, this kept me going , thankyou
Sue
As I am on my own I made this using half the ingredients, but used a whole egg, it was very wet - should I have added more almonds?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Yes, adding more almonds would have soaked up the additional ratio of the egg for your half-pizza. You can even omit the egg. Many readers have told me who have an egg allergy are able to omit the egg, it just makes the pizza a little heavier. But equally, both adaptations would work.
Sue
Thank you, I will try again. I am so glad I found your web page. It is so good to be able to have both sweet n savory dishes that you have had to deny yourself because of high carbs.
Paula
What can I substitute for the cheese in this crust?
Anna
Can anyone suggest a substitute for the cream cheese?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
You can omit it for this recipe, the Fat Head pizza may be a little tougher but certainly sturdy - yay!
Anna
What can I substitute for the cream cheese?
K
I have not tried this recipe but my go to substitute for cream cheese is cottage cheese. You can strain out the whey overnight if you have time to make it thicker like cream cheese. Or if not, just blend it up till smooth and it works great in burritos or for cheesecake. For cheesecake, I’d do a 1/2 to 1/2 of real cream cheese to cottage cheese.
Sheila
Sour cream is a good replacement for the cream cheese.
Beatriz
What if we don't have Microwave Oven which is so unhealty? thanks!
David
Hi! Don't be so stupid! Microwave ovens are healthy. Your cell phone however is not!
Suzanne
It's the second time I've made the mozzarella dough - first time for the bagels and today for the pizza rolls...They were tasty but I must be doing something wrong. Both bagels and pizza rolls flattened in the oven. Any suggestions?
Diana Gomes
It's always wonderfull to find recipes that really don't look or "taste" like low carb. Specially if you're going for a pizza.
This recipe is amazing! Really easy to make and it comes out crustry and tasty! I've topped it up with some homemade tomato sauce (do you have a recipe for it as well?) and some ingredients Parma style. Even my picky boyfriend felt in love with it!
I just have one question, can it be frozen? I'm sure someone has asked but I've probably missed it, really sorry.
Congratulations on your ideas and all of the hard work you share with us! I really love your page (also on Instagram!).
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
I'm thrilled you love Fat Head, even your picky boyfriend too! Yes, it can be frozen after it has been cooked. Do not freeze the uncooked dough. The raw egg in the Fat Head dough will have warmed with the hot cheese and so the dough needs cooking before freezing. Freeze in an airtight container with pieces of baking paper in between each slice for up to 1 month. Yummo!
Linda Hulvalchick
Can you make this on a Pizzazz plus?
Libby Jenkinson
Yes, I am sure you could. Please come back and let me know how it turns out.
Patty
Delicious, really helped craving. How well does it reheat in microwave? Our is that not recommended?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
You can reheat it in the microwave, it is the fastest way, but for the best results, it is best reheated in the oven or even in the frying pan! It keeps the pizza base nice and crispy.
Vincent Bird
Hi There,
I don't have a microwave. Can i still make the pizza dough? and, if so, how?
Regards,
Vincent.
Amy
Last night I did the dough in the stove top using a double boiler method. Tonight I tried it just in a non stick fry pan on low. Both work but fry pan was quicker and easier by far.
Jules
I have been low carb (keto for the most part) for over a year now and although have heard so much hype about fathead pizzas, had never 'gone there'...until now!
I was feeling confident after successfully trying many different recipes from this site that I thought I should give the 'keto classic' a whirl. All I can say is wow. It is better than any pizza base - carb loaded ones included- I have ever had.
I made the recipe as per instructions and divided it up into two. I made one pizza with half, which really filled me up. I baked it until golden and was impressed with how well it held together, nothing flimsy about it at all. I topped with lamb, rosemary, labna and a teeny bit of pumpkin. So good. Probably more than I would normally eat in one sitting, but was in an indulgent mood. You could easily get 2x meals from it typically.
With the other half of the dough I made 2 x large (6 x small when cut into pieces) sausage rolls. The sausage rolls turned out looking great too. Can't believe I was contemplating actually buying pre made keto sausage rolls from a business here in Australia- they are so ridiculously easy to make at home. I used 'Beak and Sons' beef sausages from Woolworths as they seem to have relatively little carbs/fillers compared to everything else that was available.
Thanks for the straight forward recipe, fathead dough had all seemed a bit complicated for me before, love how this website makes it all so simple to follow.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Yippee, Jules I am so glad you took the plunge and tried the Fat Head pizza for the first time - warning ... there is no turning back! 😉 No other pizza base will ever compare to this one now. Now you have mastered the Fat Head dough, why not try all these amazing recipes that use it.
Jules
Thanks Libby! The kids love the dough too, we had pizzas again tonight. They were really proud of how well their bases turned out. We made scrolls (pizza, cheesymite and cinnamon) two weekends ago for brunch from this recipe too.
As a family, we love your website and the kids have even told their teachers that this is where they find some great recipes 😉
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Aw Jules, you are so kind. Send big hugs to your clever kiddos. I love the fact they are educating their teachers ... way to go!
aline
This is so easy to make and comes out perfect every time! I like it so much better than regular pizza, because you don't have that bloated, overstuffed feeling afterwards. I have made many variations on the crust seasonings, sticking to the base recipe exactly as is, then experimenting with adding different herbs and spices - whatever I have on hand. No matter what toppings or additions, the crust always holds its texture perfectly. Seriously the best pizza crust ever. I don't think I will ever go back to traditional bread flour based. Thank you for this easy and delicious alternative!
eatfrysmith
What kind of mushroom should I use?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Just choose your favourites one, they'll all taste pretty good!
Mary
I think it tastes like it’s a child’s first effort at making pastry. Wrong texture wrong taste. Sawdust.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Strange then that it is the number one recipe for the entire site and is arguably the number one low-carb and keto recipe in the world. 😉
Amy
Maybe you over cooked it or got your measurements wrong Mary, I've tried this dough twice now in 2 different ditch the carbs recipes and it's really great. My whole family loves it, even the one who hates traditional pastry liked the sausage roll one!
Jenna Sayman
You can substitute ground flax seeds for the almonds. Many people with tree nut allergies do well with flax. Good luck!
Irina Snyder
Can I substitute it for al” recipes?
Jenna Sayman
Just about to leave for a 3 week outback camping trip and I will not have a microwave so wondering if I could melt the cheeses some other way.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Yes, you can melt the cheese very gently in a saucepan, ensuring you keep a close eye on it and stir gently so it doesn't burn.
Sarasayshi
I cannot tell you how many times this recipe has been a life saver for me on Keto. I have used it for years. It's the only one I trust.
Kay
Sorry if this has already been answered. Just don't have the time to read every comment.
If using the 1/4 cup coconut flour should one add another egg and/or increase amount of cream cheese as suggested in the conversion of flours section?
Thanks!
Laughing my @$$ off!
Don’t have time to ready every comment but you have time to make a comment, then wait days/weeks for an answer?
Makes sense.
Be smart
Hey "Laughing my @$$ off" (Nice username by the way) you are truly one of the most idiotic people on this planet if that's really what you think happened.
Tasha
You specify pre-shredded cheese... is that simply for convenience or is fresh grated cheese going to affect the recipe negatively? I dont typically buy bags of cheese. Thanks!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
Purely for convenience. I do grate/shred my own in my food processor when I have time and the recipe works out exactly the same 🙂
Ruth
Preshredded cheese is coated with potato or rice flour. I’m allergic to potato so I always grate my own cheese
Mic
I've made this base several times in the past but yesterday I didn't quite have enough almont flour (8g short) so I made up the shortfall with a tablespoon of unflavoured protein powder and the result was even better than the original!
KAREN
It calls for 170 grams of shredded cheese. How many ounces or cups of cheese is that?
Shawn
1 3/4 cups. Just click on the Cups/Ounces and it will change the units of measurement
elvira
does anyone’s else’s base stick to the parchment paper? i even sprayed it with canola the 2nd attempt but it still stuck? any tips?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com
You may need to add more almond flour as your dough sounds like it is a little sticky.
lee
excellent recipe idea. Can;t wait to try 'em out..
Whoa! It's gonna be a pizza night tonight LOL
Jo
Wow that’s a lot of comments To scroll through to get to the bottom! Anyway the reason for my comment is this: I don’t use the microwave melting on the double boiler seems like too much work so I threw everything in the food processor and I chalked it up really good and I threw it in between two sheets of parchment and rolled it out and put it in the oven and it turned out perfect. Just thought I would let everybody know you can skip the melting as long as you use a food processor and combine until it all stick together in a ball
Libby B
Oh my word, this sounds fantastic! I'm going to try it today. Thanks for sharing.
Susan Rauchfuss
Oh thank you - I find it a bit hard to make so this sounds like a winner!