This keto fruit pizza recipe offers a delightful and guilt-free way to enjoy a classic dessert while staying true to a low-carb lifestyle. It’s a versatile treat that can be easily customized with your favorite keto-friendly fruits and sweeteners. The combination of a sugar cookie-like crust, creamy frosting, and fresh berries makes it a crowd-pleaser for any occasion.
Why Keto Fruit Pizza?
Traditional fruit pizzas are often loaded with sugar and refined carbs, making them unsuitable for those following a ketogenic diet. This keto version recreates the beloved dessert using low-carb ingredients, allowing you to indulge without compromising your health goals. It's a no-fuss treat that tastes like a treat, thanks to the creamy whipped cream topping.
Key Components of Keto Fruit Pizza
This dessert comprises three main elements: a low-carb cookie crust, a sugar-free cream cheese frosting, and a colorful assortment of fresh berries.
The Low-Carb Cookie Crust
The foundation of this pizza is a sweet, almond flour-based crust that mimics the texture of a sugar cookie. It's made with a simple mixture of:
- Almond flour: Provides a nutty flavor and a tender crumb.
- Coconut flour: Often combined with almond flour to improve texture.
- Sweetener: Use a keto-friendly sweetener like erythritol or monk fruit to achieve the desired sweetness without the carbs.
- Butter: Adds richness and helps the crust crisp up in the oven.
- Egg: Binds the ingredients together.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances the flavor.
- Baking powder: Gives the crust a little lift and lightness.
This crust can be adapted from vanilla wafer cookie recipes by spreading the prepared dough onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper instead of forming it into a roll.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
The Sugar-Free Cream Cheese Frosting
The "pizza sauce" in this recipe is a luscious cream cheese frosting sweetened with a low-carb sweetener. Key ingredients include:
- Cream cheese: Provides a tangy flavor and creamy texture. Full-fat cream cheese is recommended for the best results.
- Heavy cream: Adds richness and helps create a smooth, spreadable frosting.
- Sweetener: Confectioners keto-friendly sweeteners, such as erythritol or monk fruit, work well in this frosting.
- Vanilla extract: Enhances the flavor.
Some variations include sour cream for added tanginess or lemon zest for a brighter flavor profile.
The Keto-Friendly Fruit Toppings
The beauty of fruit pizza lies in its colorful and customizable toppings. When following a keto diet, it's important to choose fruits that are lower in carbohydrates. Excellent choices include:
- Berries: Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries are all relatively low in carbs and packed with antioxidants. A half cup of strawberries or raspberries contains only about 3 net carbs. Blueberries are a bit higher, with around 9 net carbs per half cup.
- Other Options: Apple slices (about 6.3 net carbs per half cup) can also be used sparingly. Shredded coconut is another keto-friendly option.
Avoid higher-sugar fruits like cherries, kiwi, mango, and bananas if you're strictly following a keto diet.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here's a detailed guide to making your own keto fruit pizza:
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
1. Prepare the Low Carb Cookie Crust
Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 325-350°F (160-175°C).
Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour (if using), sweetener, and baking powder.
Combine wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, vanilla extract, melted and cooled butter, and milk (if using) together until well blended.
Mix wet and dry: Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined. Let the dough sit for a few minutes to allow the ingredients to absorb the moisture.
Roll out the dough: Place the dough between two pieces of parchment paper and roll it into a 9-11 inch circle (or press into a quarter baking sheet).
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto
Bake the crust: Place the dough on a baking sheet and bake for 8-20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown and the center is set. The baking time will vary depending on the thickness of the crust and the oven temperature. Watch closely to avoid overcooking.
Cool completely: Let the crust cool completely on the baking sheet before adding the frosting. This is crucial to prevent the frosting from melting.
2. Prepare the Dessert Cream Topping
Beat cream cheese and sweetener: In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sweetener together until smooth and creamy.
Add heavy cream and vanilla: Add the heavy cream and vanilla extract. Whip until the mixture doubles in size and forms stiff peaks.
3. Assemble the Keto Fruit Pizza
Spread the frosting: Evenly spread the cream cheese frosting over the cooled cookie crust.
Arrange the fruit: Decorate the pizza with your favorite keto-friendly berries and other toppings. Get creative with the arrangement to make it visually appealing. Slice larger fruits like strawberries into thin slices to minimize the carb count per serving.
(Optional) Add a glaze: For a show-stopping presentation, you can add a glaze to the fruit. Mix sugar-free orange marmalade with a little warm water to create a thin glaze and gently brush it over the berries.
Chill (optional): Refrigerate the assembled pizza for 10-20 minutes to allow the frosting to set. However, avoid refrigerating for extended periods, as the crust may become soggy.
4. Serve and Enjoy
Slice the keto fruit pizza into wedges and serve immediately. This dessert is best enjoyed fresh, as the crust can soften over time.
Tips and Variations
- Make ahead: To save time, you can bake the cookie crust a day in advance and store it in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also prepare the frosting ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. Assemble the pizza just before serving.
- Customize the crust: Experiment with different flavors in the crust by adding almond extract, lemon zest, or cinnamon.
- Customize the frosting: Add a touch of lemon juice or zest to the frosting for a brighter flavor. You can also use different extracts, such as almond or coconut, to complement the fruit toppings.
- Add a drizzle: For an extra touch of decadence, drizzle the finished pizza with sugar-free chocolate or caramel sauce.
- Use different pans: While a pizza pan or baking sheet is ideal, you can also make mini fruit pizzas using individual tart pans or ramekins.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information for this recipe will vary depending on the specific ingredients you use. However, a typical slice of keto fruit pizza made with almond flour crust, sugar-free cream cheese frosting, and berries will contain approximately:
- Net carbs: 2-5 grams
- Calories: 131
- Fat: Varies
- Protein: Varies
It's always a good idea to calculate the nutritional information based on the specific brands and quantities of ingredients you use. MyFitnessPal and Verywell Fit are useful tools for calculating the nutritional information.