Keto Pizza Crust ? (Low-Carb)

If you want my improved recipe for Keto/Low-Carb pizza, check out Keto Pizza v2.0!

I’m an absolute pizza fanatic. It’s one of the few things that will take me off my low-carb diet and bring me to the dark side – no joke. You can ask my friends who have seen me eat an entire pizza pie plus more…

With my love of pizza, began my quest. Unfortunately, wheat flour is a no go on low-carb and keto diets, so I’ve had to explore other options. There are tons of crust options: fathead, cauliflower, ground chicken, etc. And when it comes to ingredients for low-carb crusts, it seems as if there are even more options: psyllium husks, coconut flour, flax meal, protein powders, eggs, and all sorts of nut flours. They’re all very good, but they are NOT real pizza. This pizza crust is the closest I’ve gotten to the real deal.

It’s taken dozens of tries and test batches – and if you think I’m done searching, you’re wrong. BUT, this recipe is so damned good that I can’t keep it to myself. Hopefully everyone can take it and improve on it!

This recipe is NOT about being easy, it’s about deliciousness… BUT…

…that being said, this recipe is not difficult. If you’ve ever made your own pizza dough with wheat flour, it’s not any more difficult than that. The added benefit? The cleanup is much easier. If you’ve worked with wheat flour, you know how flour with a little water turns into a sort of glue that is a treachery to remove and acts as a welcoming siren for ants.

Keto Pizza Dough Ball - Black Tie Kitchen
Keto Pizza Dough Ball – Black Tie Kitchen

What’s in Keto Pizza Crust?

This pizza crust is simple: almond flour, coconut flour, vital wheat gluten, and yeast. We can get crazy with ingredients (and I might in the future), but true pizza crust is incredibly basic and what’s I was aiming for here. The less, the better. Unfortunately, each ingredient brings a specific trait to the table and we need to balance them all out.

Proofing Keto Pizza Dough - Black Tie Kitchen
Proofing Keto Pizza Dough – Black Tie Kitchen

Is this better than fathead pizza?

Eff yeah. I can’t even begin to tell you how much better it is. Fathead might be super simple to make (if you have a microwave), but it doesn’t taste like real pizza – it’s more akin to a thin crust ‘healthy’ pizza. This crust takes some time and some additional ingredients, but I implore you to try it. You’ll thank me.

Raw Keto Pizza Dough - Black Tie Kitchen
Raw Keto Pizza Dough – Black Tie Kitchen

Vital wheat gluten? Isn’t wheat bad on keto?

Yes, it comes from wheat, but its not full of carbohydrates. It’s the protein that’s found in wheat that gives flour the stretchy characteristic. It’s made by washing the flour until all the carbohydrates granules are washed away in the water. Science. It’s part of what gives this crust the stretchiness that we’ve come to know and love in pizza and bread.

What’s the best way to cook it?

There are tons of methods and manners to cook pizza. There are pizza pans, pizza stones, etc. This pizza might be close to real pizza, but it does not behave like real pizza. It doesn’t hold moisture like real pizza dough and it doesn’t have the same level of carbs like real pizza so it won’t come out as you’d expect in a super hot oven or on a pizza stone.

Since the carb count is low due to the lack of wheat flour, the crust will never leopard as we’d like. In my experience, the best cooking manner was to use a pizza mesh in a 450F oven. Think of this pan like a thin metal wireframe for the pizza (Amazon link: https://amzn.to/34nEiOQ). It allows for much greater airflow and allows decent crisping of a dough that has no inherent crisp capacity. They’re inexpensive and work extremely well!

Is this it?

No. This is only the beginning of the quest for me to find the perfect low-carb and keto friendly pizza. We still have the sauce and the cheese to make it perfect. If however, you’re looking for an easier recipe, you’ll want to checkout How to Make and Meal Prep Fathead Pizza!

Keto Pizza - Black Tie Kitchen
Keto Pizza – Black Tie KItchen
Keto Pizza - Black Tie Kitchen

Keto Pizza Crust

Yield: 1 pizza pie crust
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 9 minutes
Additional Time: 1 day 3 hours
Total Time: 1 day 3 hours 29 minutes

This pizza crust is the closest you will get to the real deal, trust me! BETTER than fathead!

Ingredients

  • 85g almond flour (~½ cup)
  • 45g vital wheat gluten (~¼ cup)
  • 15g coconut flour (~1 tbsp)
  • 80ml filtered water (~2.7 oz)
  • 5g sugar (~1¼ tsp)
  • 4g kosher salt (~¾tsp)
  • 1g instant yeast (¼ tsp)
  • 1 tbsp + some extra virgin olive oil
  • pizza toppings (e.g. sauce and low-moisture mozzarella)

Instructions

  1. In a small container add water (about 20 ml) that's between 105-110°F / 40.5-43°C. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.
  2. Add the instant yeast into the water and stir. WARNING - if the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast. Set aside and let them grow for about 5-10 minutes. You should see a large foam ball. If not, your yeast are likely dead and you need new yeast.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, the coconut flour, the vital wheat gluten, and the salt. Mix to combine.
  4. Add the olive oil and the remaining water (if we used 20 ml for the yeast water, we add 60 ml in this step). Mix.
  5. Once the dough is mixed rather well, add the yeast and mix. Once it has no dry spots, dump onto a flat surface.
  6. Knead the dough using your hands for about 15-20 minutes. the dough will begin to have a springiness to it and until it is relatively smooth (not like regular flour, but as smooth as you think it will go). Attempt to 'pinch' it into a ball.
  7. Lightly coat a container (I use a quart containter) with olive oil and drop the dough into it. Loosely cover and place into a warm location for an hour (we are going to let it proof). An oven with the oven light on is a great location - just be aware and dont turn on the oven or you could start a fire!
  8. Remove the dough from the warm location, seal completely and place into the fridge for 24 hours. This step is not necessary, but it increases the gluten development!
  9. If you placed your dough in the fridge, remove it and let it sit outside for at least two hours to come to room temperature.
  10. Preheat the oven to 450°F / 232°C.
  11. If you have magic hands, stretch the dough out onto the pizza pan. If not, place it between two sheets of parchment paper and using an object such as a rolling pin, roll it out. Starting from the middle of the dough circle, move the rolling pin to the edge - don't go from edge to edge or it will make the shape inconsistent and uneven!
  12. Remove from the parchment paper and place onto the pan (if you dont have the magic hands).
  13. Create a little ridge around the dough. This will hold the sauce, prevent excessive burning, and even out the horrible circle shape that doesnt look like a circle at all.
  14. Add your sauce and cheese.
  15. Place into the oven for a minimum of 7 minutes. After this time, you MUST watch the pizza. It will depend on the oven and the sauce/cheese to determine if it's done. Once it looks amazing to you, pull it out!
  16. Let cool for 2-3 minutes, and dig in!
  17. Enjoy!

Notes

  • You do NOT need to place it into the fridge for 24 hours. It simply helps the gluten develop a bit more. If you decide not to, you can proof the dough for 45 minutes and bake it -it will STILL be awesome!
  • The nutrition facts are for the ENTIRE crust. Honestly, half a pie is an amazing meal. Just dont forget to calculate the cheese and sauce macros!

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases at NO cost to you! This helps keep the lights on, the site running, and the videos coming!

Nutrition Information
Yield 1 Serving Size 1 pie
Amount Per Serving Calories 884Total Fat 62gCarbohydrates 29gNet Carbohydrates 15gFiber 14gSugar 4gProtein 54g

Contains gluten and nuts!

Did you make this recipe?

Share it on Instagram! Tag @BlackTieKitchen so I can see your creation!

You are currently viewing Keto Pizza Crust ? (Low-Carb)
Keto Pizza - Black Tie Kitchen

This Post Has 20 Comments

  1. Archie

    Wow, I could almost believe I was having a regular pizza. And to think I made it from scratch! Thank you for this amazing recipe 🙂

    1. Dennis

      I’m currently working on the next iteration – and let me tell you that if you like this version – you’re going to love the next version =)

      1. Anonymous

        Interesting, I was going to try this one tomorrow, but maybe I should wait for the next one. Is it going to be vital wheat gluten based as well? There are way too many people on keto shying away from it. It’s hard enough to find recipes with gluten nowadays considering most stuff that comes up is gluten free stuff. So I value any more pragmatic close to the original approach. Keto doughs with gluten are often just simply better doughs.

          1. Ravenkeeper

            We were expecting just a *little* crunchy, and I rolled one of the two I made, very thin. It does have good flavor. Wonder what would happen with a wee bit more yeast?

            1. Dennis

              My next version of the pizza is coming out tomorrow and it is iiiiiincredible. I actually thought this version had a little too much yeast, but it’s up to personal preference. If you add too much yeast, it definitely gets quite a bit of rise much more akin to a very bread like pizza

  2. C. Clay

    I’m going to put this to the test in a few minutes. I’ve enjoyed each of your recipes I’ve tried this far!

    1. Dennis

      I’m working on the next iteration of this pizza and it is boooooonkers! Im planning on publishing it next week!

  3. C. Clay

    I’ll be sure to check it out. We eat pizza at least once a week!

  4. AshDezzy151

    Hi Dennis
    Was just wondering how the net carb count gets so low when the net in the almond flour alone is 4 net. Am i missing something? Does it change after mixing with something?
    Thanks, love ur recipes and videos are the best!!

    1. Dennis

      Thanks! The full dough will be split into 4 servings – which is more than a sufficient serving! The nutrition facts are calculated per serving – so if you eat the whole dough, you will be around 40g of net carbs, which might be fine for you, but it will still be filling as heck!

  5. John

    This looks good, but I can’t have almond flour (allergies), have you tried a nut free (maybe coconut flour only) version?

    1. Dennis

      Coconut flour wont work – it’s too absorbent :/

  6. Anonymous

    What I can use instead coconut flour?

  7. Ginny

    Can this dough be made ahead and frozen? I’m trying to make my meal preps easier.

    1. Dennis

      yes! You can even mix the dry ingredients and keep them in an airtight container for a long time, which makes it easier to make the dough on a whim!

  8. Louis

    Looking forward to trying this recipe–in fact I have a ball of dough in the fridge right now. But I think your nutritional info is off…by a lot! I added up the calories for all the ingredients on the list, and I got a total of 590 for one crust (not 884): 320 from the almond flour, 120 from the vital wheat gluten, 30 from the coconut flour, and 120 from the olive oil. The macros are off, too. I got 36.5 grams of protein (not 54), 45.8 grams of fat (not 62), and 11 grams of net carbs (not 15). I didn’t weigh my ingredients, just used a measuring cup, and I didn’t count the sugar since it’s consumed by the yeast, but I don’t think that would account for my far lower calorie count.

    1. Dennis

      The almond flour is more. Each 28g of almond flour is ~160 calories. 84g / 28g per serving = 3 servings. 3 servings * 160 kCal = 480 kCal, not 320.

  9. Bridget

    Pizza is life.

Leave a Reply to John Cancel reply