This easy Fathead Dough recipe makes the best keto pizza crust. It’s chewy and tender, just like the real thing. And it holds up to all of your favorite toppings!
Fathead dough is pretty remarkable stuff. And it’s an absolute game changer for anyone who loves pizza. It has all the elasticity and stretchiness of real pizza dough, but with a fraction of the carbs.
I never would have come up with using mozzarella cheese as a base for keto pizza crust on my own. And I am grateful to the Fathead creators, and Tom Naughton of the Fathead Movie for making it famous.
And it’s so versatile too! I’ve made everything from keto garlic knots to spinach artichoke calzones. You can even make it sweet for recipes like keto cinnamon rolls.
Of couse, one of the most oft-requested recipes for keto beginners is pizza. It’s really just the ultimate American comfort food. And fathead dough has filled the void like no other.
Why this recipe is the best
I have put my own unique spin on it, to make it a little sturdier for keto pizza crust. I use butter in place of cream cheese, a bit of coconut flour for added structure, and baking powder to help it rise and puff up nicely.
The resulting dough is buttery and rich, and even a little flaky. This stuff really is magic and can be used for so many different keto recipes, from savory to sweet.
But if you’re new to fathead dough, then pizza crust is a great place to start. It’s easy and you get a feel for how the process works. And it only takes about 20 minutes, start to finish.
Best of all, this recipe has only 3.3g net carbs per serving.
Reader Testimonials
“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!!” — Cheryl
“This is by far the most superior recipe for fathead dough that I’ve used yet! Using butter makes it so much better than using cream cheese, in my opinion. My pizza crust was flavorful and was not dry at all.” — Pam K
“WOWZERS with a capital W!! devoured by hubs and me – we are both very impressed! Shared widely. congrats on such a great adaptation – so light considering the ingredients and so easy to find in a regular supermarket. hooray!” — Alice
Ingredients you need
- Shredded mozzarella: Pre-shredded, part skim mozzarella works best for fathead dough. It usually has some added fillers but this actually helps the consistency of the dough. But it does not have to be full of extra starches. I usually purchase organic cheese that has vegetable cellulose as an anti-caking agent.
- Butter: Most fathead dough recipes use cream cheese, but butter makes it lighter and flakier. And more buttery!
- Blanched almond flour: You must use finely ground almond flour and NOT almond meal. Almond meal is more coarsely ground and often contains the brown skin of the almond. Those coarse particles don’t combine with the cheese and butter very well and don’t absorb enough of the oils leaving you with a dough that falls apart.
- Coconut flour: The addition of coconut flour adds more structure, making the dough sturdier and yet still flexible.
- Kitchen staples: Egg, baking powder, garlic powder and salt.
Step-by-step instructions
1. In a large saucepan, combine the cheese and butter over low heat. Stir until they are melted and can be mixed together.
2. Remove the pan 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.
3. Turn the dough out onto a work surface dusted with almond flour 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.
4. Roll the dough out between pieces of parchment paper to 12 inches (or use a silicone mat on the bottom). Transfer the parchment with the dough on it to a cookie sheet or pizza stone. Bake at 350ºF for 10 to 15 minutes, until starting to brown and firm up.
5. Remove and top with your favourite toppings and bake another 7 to 10 minutes, until the toppings are melted and bubbly.
Expert Tips and FAQs
Fathead dough is amazing, and it’s easy to make once you get the hang of it. Here are some added tips and tricks for getting it right.
Low heat: When melting the cheese and butter together, keep the pan over the lowest heat you can. If you have an electric stove, you may want to take the pan on and off the heat a few times to keep it from getting too hot.
Adding the egg: Add all of the dry ingredients before adding the egg, so that they protect it from the hot cheese. You don’t want the egg to cook before you have a chance to incorporate it into the dough.
Kneading the dough: Really work the ingredients together, both in the pan and out of the pan. If you do it right after you incorporate the dry ingredients and the egg, the dough will come together much better. I use a rubber spatula to knead it against the sides of the pan.
Making adjustments: 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.
Nut-free variation: If you are allergic to almonds, use my keto bagel recipe for your pizza crust. A half recipe is enough for one 10 to 12 inch pizza and it is made entirely coconut flour.
Frequently Asked Questions
This fathead dough crust is completely gluten-free. It takes mozzarella, butter, almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, garlic powder, salt, and an egg.
This keto pizza crust recipe has 6g of carbs and 2.7g of fiber per serving. That comes to 3.3g net carbs per slice.
This fathead dough is a delicious alternative for keto pizza, calzones, and even pastries. It is rich and buttery, with a mild flavor. You can add Italian herbs or spices for added flavor.
Fathead dough loses elasticity as it cools. Thus, I recommend shaping it into a pizza crust, and then freezing it. Wrap it up tightly to avoid freezer burn, and let it thaw completely before baking.
More recipes that use fathead dough
- Keto Spanakopita
- Keto Cinnamon Twists
- Chocolate Walnut Swirls
- Keto Turkey Pot Pie
- Air Fryer Pretzel Bites
Keto Pizza Crust Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 ounces (170.1 g) pre-shredded part skim mozzarella
- 5 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup (56 g) blanched almond flour
- 1/4 cup (30 g) coconut flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
- 1 large egg
Instructions
Dough
- 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 the pan from over the heat and add the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, garlic powder, and salt. Add the egg and stir everything together until a cohesive dough 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.
Pizza Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and place an oven rack in the middle position.
- Roll the dough out between pieces of parchment paper to a 12 inch circle. Remove the top piece of 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 10 to 15 minutes until starting to brown and firm up.
- Remove the crust from the oven and top with your favourite toppings. Bake again until the toppings are melted and bubbly.
Notes
Sweet Fathead Dough Variation
Leave out the garlic powder and add ¼ cup powdered sweetener and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract along with the almond flour. Storage Information: Store leftover pizza in a covered container for up to 5 days. The shaped crust can also be frozen, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 months.Nutrition
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This is the absolute best keto crust I have made. I’ve made the chicken one and fat head from other sites. This is perfection, thank you. When I baked it again with the toppings, I slid it off the baking sheet and cooked it straight on the shelf in the oven (the parchment still underneath) which gave the bottom a crispier feel to it. Plus it’s very filling! Thank you again!
Looks great just made it and sending off to the oven! I did notice that the dough is very greasy. I have made this before with cream cheese but didn’t have any so I substituted the butter and used your recipe. Has anyone else asked about this? I measured everything to exact and weighed my almond flour. Thanks!
I think it depends on the type of Mozz cheese. I always use Great Value (Walmart) and I don’t ever have a grease issue. One time they were out and I picked up another brand, one I never heard of and when it melted, I had to pour out the grease. Still couldn’t eat the cheese. It was ruined.
New thought!
I have discovered low carb Pita bread at Walmart!
My thought was to put provolone inside the Pita, Top with pizza ingredients of choice, and bake into a stuffed crust pizza that is richer and low carb!
Living the keto lifestyle for 3 years…. why has it taken me until today to make pizza? So easy, so good thank you so much!
So So GOOD! Followed your recipe to a T, using my Ninja food processor dough blades. Perfect dough, perfect pizza crust, and a truly delightful dinner for us!! Thank you so. much!
This is by far the most superior recipe for fathead dough that I’ve used yet! Using butter makes it so much better than using cream cheese, in my opinion. My pizza crust was flavorful and was not dry at all. I did brush the edges with a little garlic butter, because that’s how I roll! I will totally use this recipe from now on when I’m in a pizza mood! I can’t wait to use it to make all kinds of yummy “bready” desserts!
So glad you liked it!
Made your Magic Mozzarella Dough from your cookbook for Friday date night. Dang, it was so good !! I made the prosciutto and arugula with red sauce on the crust and I made the mushroom, fontina cheese and fresh sage with alfredo sauce on the crust. Delicious is all hubby and I can say. Having leftovers for lunch today, can’t wait. Thanks Carolyn for another great recipe 🙂
What almond flour do you think is the best on the market. And do you think getting supplies at Thrive would be better than on Amazon, as far as what they have available.
Thank you
Rosette
I always use Bob’s Red Mill, and it’s available at both places.
Hi there, can I use marble cheese which is cheddar and mozzarella combination?
No idea, I haven’t tried it.
Can i use Almond meal instead of almond flour? Thanks
If it’s not finely ground, you may find it not as nice and smooth.
Hello, I’m newer to Keto and wondered about making calzones or even garbage bread with this. Can you put the toppings on before you roll it up and then bake it all? Or do I have to partially bake it first and then try rolling it? I just don’t want to end up with a doughy mess. Thank you.
Yes, this can be used for calzones.
Please help. It sticks to the parchment paper
Then it doesn’t have enough flour in it. Add another tbsp of coconut flour.
I miss the yeasty taste is pizza crust. would the addition of nutritional yeast provide that?
I’d actually add real yeast. It won’t make it rise but will give it the right flavour.
Hello ???????? Can I freeze the dough? Or perhaps it’s better to bake it then freeze it? Or perhaps you don’t recommend freezing it in any state at all? Thanks, Victoria
You can shape it into a pizza crust and freeze that, but don’t freeze it as a ball. It loses elasticity and hard to work with.
My first time making keto pizza and it turns out great with your recipe. My only question is whether I can use a liquid oil like avocado oil to replace the butter. I am just trying to use less dairy fat whenever possible.
I honestly can’t say how it would fare, but it’s worth a try. I wouldn’t melt it with the cheese, I would add it after the cheese is melted.
Just made this recipe and very good. I can usually eat several pieces of pizza easily but this crust is so filling two 1/8th slices was my limit. Gave 4-5 only because I’m reserving 5 for a pizza crust identical to a flour yeast crust. 5-5 may never happen in my opinion. I would say make this crust in lieu of a labor intensive cauliflower crust or a pizza bowl recipe. Looks like pizza, eat it by hand like pizza, just be aware that its very filling and don’t expect to pack in the whole pie with 2 beers and still have room for the game with a bowl of pork rinds. Great Keto option! Wish I could attach a photo of my pie.
-Keith
Holding out for the perfect pizza… I can dig it!
Carolyn – do you think one could add “quick dry yeast” to the recipe to help add a “yeasty” taste?
I adore this recipe….best one out there and I’ve tried 10 different ones! But as good as it is….I miss the “yeasty” taste of pizza crust in my keto recipe. If it were added with only flavor as the intent …. how much would you suggest? Change any other ingredients?
Thanks for the great recipes!!!
Sure, if you’re just doing it for flavor, go for it!
What a delicious idea!! I will have to try for our next pizza night! Looks easy & so good!
This is such a great an versatile dough! It is so tasty and really satisfied my pizza cravings!
I am so excited to make this!! Love the idea of mozzarella in the dough!! And, low carb…I won’t feel guilty!