My low carb Mozzarella Dough in a How-To video! This versatile fathead pizza dough recipe is so useful, it deserves its own landing page. It makes the best low carb pizza crust but it’s also great for calzones, garlic knots, low carb bagels, and even cinnamon rolls. You won’t believe how good it is.
You know me. I won’t ever claim I came up with a recipe idea on my own when I did not. Sadly, a lot of bloggers do that these days and they never credit their sources of inspiration.
But I am old school and I believe in citing my sources and building strong relationships based on trust. So let me say right off the bat that this is a really good variation of the famous Fathead Pizza dough. I never ever would have come up with using mozzarella cheese as a base for dough on my own. And I am grateful to the Fathead creators, and Tom Naughton of the Fathead Movie, for thinking of it.
How To Make Keto Pizza Dough
Watch me make my version of the famous fathead pizza crust in this instructional video!
Fathead pizza dough is ever evolving stuff, with every blogger putting their own unique spin on it. Mine, which I like to call Magic Mozzarella Dough, is a little sturdier than the original recipe, and uses butter in place of cream cheese, some coconut flour, and a little baking powder to help it rise and puff up a bit.
It’s buttery and rich and even a little flaky. This stuff really is magic and can be used for so many different fun recipes, from savory to sweet. I used it for several recipes in my cookbook, The Everyday Ketogenic Kitchen. Including the delicious Pesto Twists, which were a huge hit with my kids!
But one of the things people miss most when they embark on a keto diet is pizza. It’s the ultimate American comfort food. And the many variations of fathead pizza crust are truly a blessing for all of us.
Here’s how to make the best keto pizza crust with my magic mozzarella dough
- Roll the dough out between pieces of parchment paper to 12 inches (0r use a silicone mat on the bottom)
- Remove the top parchment and roll up the edge a little to create a crust
- Transfer the bottom parchment with the dough on it to a cookie sheet or pizza stone
- Bake at 350F for 10 to 15 minutes, until starting to brown and firm up.
- Remove and top with your favourite toppings and bake again until melted and bubbly.
Tips and Tricks for Nailing Fathead Pizza Dough
But it’s not always the easiest to work with and there are some tricks to getting it right. Let’s go over these, shall we?
- As much as it may go against the keto mantra, you actually want the pre-shredded, part skim mozzarella as it contains some fillers that usually help the dough hold together a little better. But it does NOT have to be the junky kind full of extra starches. I’ve found that the good organic stuff contains vegetable cellulose as an anti-caking agent, and with a little extra almond flour in the mix, it works just as well.
- Use finely ground BLANCHED almond flour. Please please please. Do not use almond meal, which is more coarsely ground and often contains the brown skin of the almond. I had one reader tell me that the dough kept falling apart on her but that she couldn’t imagine that the grind of the almond flour was an issue. BUT IT IS! Because those coarse particles don’t combine with the cheese and butter very well and they don’t absorb enough of the oils to come together like a proper dough. This is the case with ANY low carb baked good. While you can get away with that coarse texture in something like a muffin, it just isn’t going to work in a fine cake or a dough and you will have a crumbly, greasy mess on your hands.
- Keep your heat low at all times. Very low. The lowest it will go. And if you have an electric stove and have a little more difficulty controlling the heat than with gas, you may have to take your pot on and off from the element several times to keep it from getting too hot. You want your butter and cheese to melt together but you never want them to bubble.
- Add the egg last and add it off heat. Because we don’t want it cooking before you have a chance to incorporate it into the dough.
- Knead that sucker, both in the pan and out of the pan. It doesn’t need a lot of kneading (or knead a lot of needing — see what I did there???), but if you do it right after you incorporate the egg and flours, it will hang together much better. I use a rubber spatula to knead it against the sides of the pan after I’ve added the remaining ingredients. Only then, when it comes together, do I turn it out onto a surface, where I knead it a little more until it’s mostly uniform.
- Be ready to adjust. I find that this is actually a very forgiving recipe, if you know how to adjust it. If it comes out of the pan very sticky to the touch, you simply need to sprinkle it with a little more almond flour and knead that in, adding more until it’s not longer sticking to your hands.
There you have it. My tips on how to make the best low carb dough that can be used for everything from pizza to cinnamon rolls. Really, this is remarkable stuff and I hope I’ve given you the confidence to try it and make it work for you!
More recipes that use Keto Pizza Crust
Keto Magic Mozzarella Dough
Ingredients
- 6 ounces pre-shredded part skim mozzarella
- 5 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup blanched almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Sprinkle a clean counter or a large silicone baking mat with almond flour.
- In a large saucepan, melt the cheese and butter together over low heat until they are melted and can be stirred together.
- Remove from heat and add the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, garlic powder, and salt. Add the egg and stir everything together until a cohesive forms. Use a rubber spatula to really knead the dough together in the pan. It may still contain some streaks of cheese.
- Turn the dough out onto the prepared work surface and knead until uniform. This will only take a little kneading. If your dough is still very sticky, add a tablespoon or two more almond flour and work it in.
Notes
- Roll the dough out between pieces of parchment paper to 12 inches (0r use a silicone mat on the bottom)
- Remove the top parchment and roll up the edge a little to create a crust
- Transfer the bottom parchment with the dough on it to a cookie sheet or pizza stone
- Bake at 350F for 10 to 15 minutes, until starting to brown and firm up.
- Remove and top with your favourite toppings and bake again until melted and bubbly.
Charlotte says
Just wondering: my dil is allergic to coconut. What is the best substitute since many of your recipes call for it.. thanks, charlotte
Jordan says
Can I just say that I am so grateful for you and your recipes! I am a full time caregiver for my sister who is a diabetic and confined to a wheelchair due to Muscular Dystrophy. I came across your website after countless hours of searching for “diabetic” meals and I have tried at least 5 of your recipes and I must say, my sisters blood glucose levels have never been better! I appreciate you and your website for giving me such great ideas to make enjoyable and flavorful meals that are so easy! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
Carolyn says
That’s so great to hear! I am glad you can help her out so much and are finding success with my recipes.
Leslye Irwin says
Best keto pizza crust I’ve ever tried! I melted butter and cheese in microwave oven in 15 sec increments. Then used my oven to bake the crust, then my air fryer for the last baking with toppings.
Cindy says
Can you heat butter and cheese in microwave then add ingredients or should it really be pan on stove (electric)
Carolyn says
You can… you just need to do it carefully so it doesn’t overcook.
Bonnie Camden says
Oh my! This really hit the pizza spot! Thank you for all you do! For some reason I was intimidated by this procedure and afraid I’d mess it up. It was so easy I’ll use it often!
Judy says
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I love how you inform all of us, on the tricks to fixing any Keto recipe. That is so helpful
I have tried several of the recipes. And loved everyone of them. I get a lot of complimates. When serving them. Thank you.
Carolyn says
Glad it helps!
Monica says
Hi Carolyn, first time last night I made your magic pizza dough recipe and both my husband and I loved it even though I think I made a mistake with the mozzarella ingredients.
Did you mean 6oz in total of the skim and full mozzarella, or to use just skim.
Thanks.
From Australia
Carolyn says
I am not sure where you’re getting full fat? It only says 6 ounces part skim.
Monica says
Thank you Carolyn, my mistake ,were I live in Australia I can only buy light mozzarella and I can’t seem to incorporate the butter like you do. Made pizza again the other day for lunch,best recipe says my Italian husband,😋😋
Wanda Platte says
I haven’t tried this yet, but cinnamon rolls came to mind!
David says
Hi Carolyn,
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I got here from your Spanakopita recipe.
Before Keto, I would sometimes make dough and refrigerate or freeze some of it for later use. Is that possible with this dough?
Thanks
David
Carolyn says
Not really, it tends to lose elasticity as it cools. You could shape it into a pizza crust and freeze it that way, though. Then it’s already in the final shape before you freeze it.
Beth says
Wow, this is such an easy recipe and so good! Will be making this again and I want to try out the sweet dough as well!
Oksana says
Our family loves this pizza crust recipe!
Peter Piper says
This dough has one fatal flaw. As a pizza crust, it flops. It literally bends over and spills out the contents of the pizza. I suggest you eat this pizza with a fork.
Carolyn says
I don’t find that to be true. Are you sure you cooked it enough?
Suzie says
Can you make garlic knots with this recipe?
Carolyn says
https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/low-carb-garlic-parmesan-knots/
Kate Dunham says
This is by far the BEST KETO website. I like your honest commentary and every recipe I’ve tried is really good. Thanks!!
Carolyn says
Thank you so much!
Cheryl says
I have tried a lot of fat head dough, however this hands down is my favorite. I gave a slice to a friend of mine who cannot eat flour and yeast. She also thought it was amazing. Thanks so much!!
Carolyn says
Glad to hear it!
Zoe Vaughn says
Carolyn is there any way more almond flour can be substituted for the coconut flour? Was hoping to make this for a potluck, but we have a friend who is very allergic to coconut.
Susan says
I tried this crust for my lunch pizza today and was very pleased with it. I melted the cheese and butter in my microwave for 50 seconds total, in a wide soup plate, that enabled me to both mxi and knead in the bowl. I need to play around with baking times – probably needed the full 15 minutes. A fried recommended the fat head crust several years ago, and it was a helpful recipe to have, but yours is so very much better! It is a definite keeper – tasty and easy. Couldn’t ask for more.
Simone says
I can’t wait to try this! Thanks! But I see you listed a sweet recipe. I’m guessing it’s for a desert? Do you have any recommendations? I’m so new to this, I wouldn’t want to try and ruin the dough. Thanks so much.
Carolyn says
Please see the recipes I list in the post.