Pizza | Carbs | Keto | Low-Carb Alternatives | Recipe | Buy Pizza Crust
Pizza is one of the most consumed foods in the Western world. For some, life without pizza is unimaginable. Unfortunately, it is not healthy.
So do you have to give up pizza when you start a low-carb or keto diet?
Not necessarily! You can find out how it works here.
Is Pizza Keto?
It’s traditionally thin, crispy, and made with finely processed wheat flour.
But therein lies the problem with the pizza we know from Italian. Such a pizza dough can quickly bring a concentrated load of carbohydrates into our bodies and spike blood sugar.
On the other hand, the toppings make the hearts of keto enthusiasts beat faster: Full-fat cheese, low-carb veggies, omega-3-rich fish, juicy meats, and savory sausage. I probably don’t need to list the ingredients to clarify that most toppings are keto-friendly.
The proportion of carbs in the pizza crust determines whether pizza is suitable for a low-carb diet like the keto diet.
That’s why we’re now taking a closer look at the carbohydrate content.
Carbs in Pizza
100 grams of an average (fast food) Pizza Margherita provides us with the following macronutrients (*):
- Energy: 266 calories
- Protein: 11.4 grams
- Fat: 9.69 grams
- Carbohydrates: 33.3 grams
- Dietary fiber: 2.3 grams
- Net carbs: 31.0 grams
Therefore, for conventional pizza with cheese, we get a fat to net carbs ratio of about 0.29.
Here, I don’t think we need to argue any further. Fast food consists mainly of refined carbohydrates.
After one piece has about 103 grams, it’s enough to throw you out of ketosis. Ultimately, the entire day’s tolerance level is about 25 grams of net carbohydrates.
Okay, that was the fast-food version from a pizza chain. But what about homemade pizza?
100 grams of homemade pizza gives us about the following macronutrients (*):
- Energy: 246 calories
- Protein: 10 grams
- Fat: 10 grams
- Carbohydrates: 26 grams
The homemade pizza shows almost no calories, protein, and fat difference. It was only able to reduce carbohydrates slightly.
Even though we don’t have a fiber figure here, the net carbohydrate value won’t improve significantly.
Finally, the flour is highly refined and therefore low in fiber. In addition, it has a high glycemic index and thus spikes blood sugar and insulin levels.
Is Pizza Keto-Friendly at All?
No, pizza is not keto. Pizza made with conventional flour cannot be keto-friendly. Even if you make it at home, the insulin response of one slice will possibly be big enough to throw you out of ketosis.
Fortunately, ketogenic diets are nowhere near as restrictive as their reputation. As a result, various alternatives exist that you can use in place of regular flour to make a keto-friendly pizza crust.
Keto Pizza Crust Alternatives
To make a pizza low-carb, you need to replace the main ingredient – flour – with a substitute.
Surprisingly, there is a wide range of pizza crust alternatives for the keto diet. The following substitute has already proven itself in a low carb pizza:
- Organic almond flour (buy on Amazon).
- Organic flaxseed flour (buy on Amazon).
- Riced cauliflower (buy on Amazon)
- Organic psyllium husk powder (buy on Amazon)
- Organic coconut flour (buy on Amazon)
In addition, there even exist chicken crust alternatives for the Carnivore Diet that are completely plant-free and keto-friendly.
However, my low-carb favorite among pizza dough substitutes remains cauliflower. This result is based on five simple reasons:
- You can make keto pizza exceptionally easily with this crust recipe.
- It doesn’t require expensive flour alternatives, such as almond flour, because all you need is cauliflower, cheese, and egg.
- Cauliflower provides a higher nutrient density and more health benefits than other pizza crust alternatives.
- Finally, my low-carb recipe makes the pizza as crispy as we know and love.
- On top of that, this recipe tastes so delicious that I could polish off an entire baking sheet of it.
If you’re still short on time for a simple recipe, I came across a ready-made low-carb pizza crust that’s top-notch for the keto diet—more on that after the recipe.
Keto Pizza Crust Recipe
Cauliflower is the absolute jack of all trades when replacing high-carb foods. From rice to puree to pizza, it brings the right texture, flavor, and health benefits to a ketogenic diet.
With this crispy low-carb pizza crust, you no longer have to do without pizza on keto. And you don’t have to skimp on the cheese either!
Best Keto Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Ingredients
- 1 cauliflower head medium
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cups parmesan cheese
- 1 pastured egg
- 1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt
- 1/2 tsp basil
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 cup marinara sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500°F.
- Remove the stems from the cauliflower and cut into small pieces. Then grate the florets with a cheese grater. You can also put them in a blender instead and pulse until the cauliflower has the consistency of rice.
- Microwave the processed cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl on high for about 4 minutes. Take the cauliflower out of the microwave and then let it cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer the cooled cauliflower to a kitchen towel and squeeze out all the liquid from the cauliflower.
- Combine the cooked cauliflower, egg, garlic, 1/2 a cup of mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese and seasonings. Stir until a dough forms. Spread the cauliflower mixture on lightly greased baking paper or in a pizza pan in the shape of a pizza crust. Place a second sheet of baking paper on top of the mixture and roll out with a rolling pin to make the crust extra crispy.
- Bake the crust for about 10-15 minutes (depending on your oven) or until the crust is golden and crispy. Once the crust is golden, remove from the oven, spread with the marinara and top with the remaining mozzarella.
- Place the pizza back in the oven, but this time turn on the broil function and bake for about 2-5 minutes until the cheese melts.
- Slice and serve.
Best Keto Pizza Crust to Buy
In my opinion, the best ready-made pizza crust on the market is 100% keto-friendly and comes without unnecessary additives.
Here is the Amazon product link: Gourmet Cauliflower Pizza Crust.
You Don’t Have to Give Up the Good Stuff
I can only smile when people tell me that ketogenic diets are too restrictive. On keto, you can still eat the majority of all-natural foods.
Delicious vegetable variations, juicy meats, luscious sauces, tempting snacks, and desserts – there’s not much you can’t eat on the keto diet, as long as you got the knowledge.
Avoiding those commercial dishes that have made the Western world sick and fat is only legitimate. In the end, it’s all about establishing a sustainable healthy lifestyle to enjoy each day at its highest physical and mental quality.
This crispy low-carb pizza crust recipe is proof that you don’t even have to give up delicious fast food to live longer and healthier on a ketogenic diet.
Keto Pizza FAQ
Is there any keto friendly pizza?
There are a lot of low-carb pizza recipes that are keto-friendly. Find the best keto pizza crust recipe in this article.
Does any pizza chain sell keto pizza?
While Blaze Pizza is the first chain to sell a keto-friendly option, I cannot recommend it since they use brown rice for their crust. Instead, check out the recipe in this article.
What is the best pizza for keto diet?
The best pizza for keto is made with my low-carb cauliflower pizza crust recipe. Please find it in this article.
Can I eat pizza without the crust on keto?
Eating pizza without the edges of the crust does not suit a keto diet since it can kick you out of ketosis. But just eating the pizza toppings is okay on keto.
Mag. Stephan Lederer, MSc. is an author and blogger from Austria who writes in-depth content about health and nutrition. His book series on Interval Fasting landed #1 on the bestseller list in the German Amazon marketplace in 15 categories.
Stephan is a true man of science, having earned multiple diplomas and master's degrees in various fields. He has made it his mission to bridge the gap between conventional wisdom and scientific knowledge. He precisely reviews the content and sources of this blog for currency and accuracy.
Click on the links above to visit his author and about me pages.