The Ultimate Keto Deep Dish Pizza Recipe: A Low-Carb Indulgence

For those following a ketogenic diet, pizza cravings can be a frequent challenge. This article provides a comprehensive guide to creating a delicious and satisfying keto deep dish pizza, ensuring you don't have to sacrifice your dietary goals. This is a gluten-free and low-carb recipe alternative that uses the popular fathead dough and is loaded with meat and cheese.

Why Keto Deep Dish Pizza?

Enjoying a piece of deep dish pizza with all of the rich pepperoni and melty cheese is a favorite way to spend an evening with friends and family. Following a keto diet means that it isn't always easy to make happen. This recipe for keto deep dish pizza solves that problem and gives you a perfect choice for satisfying your cravings. The traditional pizza crust is often the culprit for high carb content, but this recipe utilizes innovative alternatives to create a keto-friendly base. Despite the crust often giving the pizza a bad name, most of the toppings are actually very keto-friendly.

Choosing the Right Pan

The choice of pan is crucial for achieving the desired deep-dish effect. A springform pan is highly recommended for its ability to create a deep crust and easy removal. For me, it allows a deep dish crust to happen, all of my toppings to stay in place, and is easy to remove and slice for serving. Other more traditional option includes a heavy-duty cast iron pan or a deep-dish pie plate. If you haven't used a springform pan to make your pizza before, I highly recommend it for a small or single-serving pizza. So convenient and easy to remove so nothing sticks or breaks apart.

Mastering the Keto Crust

The foundation of this keto deep dish pizza is the crust. Several options exist, each offering a unique texture and flavor profile.

Fathead Dough

Keto Fat head dough is the popular dough made with mozzarella and almond flour meant to replace a regular pizza crust. There are many variations to the dough. But, the most common way to make it is by combining cream cheese with mozzarella, heating to melt and then mixing in eggs and almond flour with a few other ingredients. The mozzarella takes the place of the gluten in regular flour, making it the best crust for gluten free deep dish pizza.

Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers

Fathead Dough Recipe:

1. Combine mozzarella cheese and cream cheese in a large bowl.
2. Microwave for 90 seconds, stirring halfway through, until melted.
3. Stir in beaten eggs and almond flour.
4. Knead with your hands until a dough forms.

Tips for Fathead Dough:

• If the dough becomes hard to work with, microwave for 10-15 seconds to soften it.
• If the dough is very sticky, chill it in the fridge and oil your hands when ready.

Almond Flour-Based Crust

To change things up a bit, I used an almond flour-based mozzarella dough for my crust. The texture and buttery flavor reminded me of the gluten free crust on my pizza in Chicago and it’s a little thicker than the traditional keto fathead pizza crust. I seasoned the dough with some Fiesta Brand Italian Gourmet Choice Seasoning to give a little extra flare and flavor to the crust!

Almond Flour Crust Recipe:## Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond flour
• 2 tbsp. coconut flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. Fiesta Brand Italian Gourmet Choice Seasoning or your favorite Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella (not prepackaged)
• 2 oz. cream cheese
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a bowl, combine almond flour, coconut flour, salt, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning; stir well to combine.
3. In a small bowl, combine the shredded cheese and cream cheese and heat in the microwave for about a minute or until melted and smooth. Stir together to combine.
4. Pour the cheese mixture into the almond flour mixture, add the egg, and stir to combine, using your hands to knead the dough together as needed.
5. Press the dough evenly onto the bottom and about 1 1/2 inches up the sides of a well-greased 10" cast iron pan.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden.

Sausage Crust

What sets the Chicago-style pizza apart is usually its thick, buttery crust that's filled with a certain order of toppings, crucial to the flavor and texture of the pizza. Here though, I’m making a “keto-fied” sausage crust! Yes, robust and savory Italian sausage, and it is absolutely crispy and perfect in this recipe as a bread alternative.

Sausage Crust Recipe:

1. Place the ground sausage directly into the cake pan.
2. Using your hands (I like to use gloves for easy clean up), press and ‘smush’ the ground sausage flat to the bottom of the pan and up the side walls of the pan, almost like a pie crust. Note, this does not need to be perfect, but take your time. Make sure there are no holes/thin spots at the bottom, and be sure the sausage wraps all the way up the sides to hold in the filling.
3. Evenly season the sausage “crust” with the pepper and garlic powder, then spread the mozzarella across the bottom of the crust.

Non-Fathead Dough

If you are commonly eating keto types of doughs, you have probably heard of fathead dough. This type of dough is made of a mixture of cheeses along with a grain-free flour and egg. I am not a huge fan of the large amount of cheese that is added to fathead doughs. So, I created a non-fathead dough that creates a flaky, bready pizza crust!

Non-Fathead Dough Recipe:## Ingredients:

• 2 cups Almond Flour
• 1/4 cup Fine Parmesan Cheese
• 1 tbsp Psyllium Husk Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 6 tbsp Cold Butter
• 1 Egg
• 1 tsp Salt

Instructions:

1. In a food processor, combine the almond flour, parmesan, baking powder, psyllium husk, and salt. Pulse to mix.
2. Then add in the diced cold butter and pulse again until the butter is cut into the dry ingredients.
3. Finally, add in the egg and pulse one last time until the dough forms into a ball.
4. Set it aside.

Keto-Friendly Toppings

Despite the crust often giving the pizza a bad name, most of the toppings are actually very keto-friendly. The only thing I've seen added to pizza that I would avoid are the sweet toppings like some barbecue sauces and pineapples. Something not realized by most people too is that onion is actually considered high in carbs for the yield. If using onion, just spread thin slices lightly. For this recipe, I used mushrooms, bell pepper, Canadian bacon, pepperoni, and of course, tons of cheese. You can add crumbled bacon, sausage, hamburger, and onions if you prefer. Chicken and pork are also excellent choices for pizza toppings.

• Meats: Pepperoni, sausage (Italian or breakfast), Canadian bacon, crumbled bacon, hamburger, chicken, pork.
• Vegetables: Mushrooms, bell peppers, onions (in moderation), zucchini, sautéed peppers.
• Cheese: Mozzarella (slices or grated), Parmesan (grated).

Sugar-Free Pizza Sauce

When picking a pizza sauce for your deep dish pizza, I recommend you look for a sugar-free option. There are a variety of brands available, but I have found that Rao's and Primal Kitchen are some of the most popular. I also have tried the basic Prego no sugar sauce and found it worked well. Alternately, you can make your own homemade sauce using sugar-free tomato sauce and spices. Just check the labels ahead of time to make sure there is no hidden sugar or corn syrup.

Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide

Homemade Sauce Recipe:## Ingredients:

• 1, 14.5 oz Crushed Tomatoes
• 2 tsp Italian Seasonings
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/4 Onion grated
• 1-2 Garlic cloves minced

Instructions:

1. In a small pot, add the crushed tomatoes, grated onion, garlic, salt, and Italian seasoning together.
2. Allow it to cook down and break the tomatoes down more with a wooden spoon if necessary.
3. Cook on low.

Step-by-Step Assembly

This pizza is super easy and fun to make. Get the kids involved and let them make their own! Start with the fathead crust. Continue to layer the pizza with sauce, cheese and toppings. Don't forget the veggies, OR go all meat.

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8 to 9-inch springform pan, (you can use a cake pan or pie plate) with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the pan and up the sides about 1 to 1 ½ inch.
3. Bake the crust in the prepared oven for 10 minutes or until slightly golden. Remove from the oven.
4. To the crust add a fine layer of mozzarella cheese. Then, layer the vegetables and pour the pizza sauce over the top. Add the Canadian bacon and pepperoni and finish with another layer of cheese.
5. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese has melted and started to brown slightly about 20 to 25 minutes.
6. Let rest 5 minutes. Before serving, run a dull knife around the edge to loosen crust from pan.

Baking Instructions

• Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.
• Cover the top of the pizza loosely with foil to prevent the edges of the crust from overbrowning if needed.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this Keto Deep Dish Pizza up with a side salad or some roasted veggies for a satisfying comfort meal the whole family will love! This pizza can be made with any of your favorite pizza toppings!

Additional Keto Pizza Recipes

Want More Keto Pizza Recipes? Did you know there are a ton of great pizza recipes that easily fit into the low arb and keto lifestyle? Check out my favorites below! Every keto follower needs a good dough recipe for their favorite low carb pizza. This keto fathead pizza dough recipe is a must in every low carb kitchen. One of my favorites is this grilled chicken and spinach keto pizza recipe. It's reminiscent of a classic alfredo dish. This easy Big Mac pizza sounds odd but is absolutely delicious. A perfect mixture of flavors you'll fall in love with having. For barbecue lovers, this BBQ pulled pork keto pizza is divine. You'll love adding it to your meal plan.

• Grilled Chicken and Spinach Keto Pizza
• Big Mac Pizza
• BBQ Pulled Pork Keto Pizza

Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto

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