This low carb Almond Flour Pizza Crust is thin, crispy, and simple to prepare with just 7 ingredients, under 30 minutes, only 4 net carbs per slice, ready to enjoy immediately or freeze for later!
Healthy homemade pizza is also excellent in rotation with this low carb cauliflower pizza crust or cauliflower breadsticks!
Table of contents
Nutritious almond flour works wonders in sweet bakes, but after a week of craving pizza, I put it to work in creating tasty almond flour pizza crust. Whether you want to avoid ‘empty calories,’ boost protein, or need a gluten free or low carb option, this crust is thin and crispy without tasting overwhelmingly nutty!
With no kneading or resting period, it is also super simple and quick to prepare. Just combine the ingredients, roll it out, pre bake, top it with all your favorite toppings, bake for a few more minutes, and then tuck into a healthy homemade pizza!
Why Make Almond Flour Pizza Crust?
- Pantry friendly: Made with just 7 pantry friendly ingredients.
- Diet friendly: This pizza dough with almond flour is gluten free, grain free, vegetarian, low carb, keto, paleo and can optionally be prepared egg free (aka vegan!).
- Nutritious: The combination of almond flour and egg provides tons of plant based protein, heart healthy fats, and several vitamins and minerals.
- Flavor: Almond flour doesn’t taste overwhelmingly nutty once seasoned and baked. Instead, this low carb pizza crust is truly delicious! Use a little yeast for extra ‘bread’ flavor.
- Quick & simple: Ready in under 30 minutes from scratch and simple enough to get the entire family involved!
- Crispy texture: Par baking will make sure the pizza isn’t too soggy/ floppy (so you can eat it by hand) and provide an impressive, crisp texture, somewhere between cracker and bread.
- Freezer friendly: Meal prep this paleo pizza crust up to 3 months in advance, ready for when the cravings hit.
Ingredients for Almond Flour Pizza Crust
- Almond flour: Use fine or superfine almond flour (blanched finely ground almonds) and not almond meal (ground almonds with the skin on); otherwise, it will be grainy.
- Baking soda: This will help provide the correct texture to the keto pizza crust recipe.
- Eggs: Eggs work as a binder to help make the dough easier to handle. For an egg free (vegan) version, you could try using 2 chia seed egg or learn how to make a flax egg instead. However, the crust will be less crispy and harder (more fiddly) to roll out.
- Oil: Use a neutral, high quality cooking oil for moisture and subtle flavor. I used extra virgin olive oil, but avocado oil or coconut oil would also work.
- Seasonings: I used a simple combination of onion powder, garlic powder, and sea salt.
If you want to further flavor the dough, you could experiment with adding 1-2 teaspoons of dried herbs like oregano, basil, thyme, or Italian seasonings. For heat, you could add a small pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Dry active yeast: This is 100% optional but will provide a bit of the classic, yeasty ‘bread’ flavor to the almond flour pizza dough to help mimic regular pizza crust.
Additionally, if you want a slightly ‘chewier’ dough more reminiscent of regular wheat based dough, you could experiment with adding a small amount of xanthan gum (about ½ teaspoon). This helps to mimic the stretchy quality of gluten dough.
- Toppings: Read below for tons of topping inspiration. I simply used 2 cups of freshly grated mozzarella and a simple marinara sauce. Use a sugar free sauce if you would like.
Keep reading below (after the recipe how-to) for more information on any add-ins and recipe variations!
How to Make Almond Flour Pizza Crust
Prepare the Crust
- Combine the dry ingredients: First, preheat the oven to 400F/205C and cut out 2 pieces of parchment paper (the size of your baking sheet). Then, in a large mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, seasonings, baking soda, and whisk well. Then, add the oil and mix once more.
- Form the pizza dough: In a small bowl, whisk the eggs well. Then, add them to the other ingredients. Mix well with a spatula until a dough forms.
- Shape the pizza: Form the dough into a ball and place it on one sheet of the cut parchment paper, then gently flatten. Place the second sheet of parchment paper over that and use a rolling pin to roll out the almond flour pizza dough until around 11-inches (28cm) in diameter, making sure to form a slight lip at the edges (to hold the toppings).
- Par bake the crust: Transfer the almond pizza crust (on the parchment paper) to the oven and bake for 12 minutes on the middle rack, until golden brown.
I found this to be the perfect thickness, so the thin crust pizza dough isn’t too floppy or too thick, and the nutty flavor is very subtle. However, feel free to experiment anywhere between 10-12 inches (25-30cm).
At this point, you can either save/freeze the prebaked pizza crust for later OR now add the toppings and continue baking.
Make Pizza
- Add the sauce and cheese: Start by spreading a thin layer of your favorite pizza sauce (I use marinara) over the gluten free pizza crust. Then, top with cheese (I used 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese). At this point, add any other toppings of your choosing (read below section for inspiration).
- Finish baking the pizza: Return the pizza to the oven for 4-5 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling. Finally, remove the pizza from the oven and allow it to rest for a few minutes before slicing and serving!
Optionally broil it for a more golden topping. However, it’s best to cover the edges with foil then, as almond flour burns quickly.
Healthy Homemade Pizza Topping Options
- Other cheese: Feel free to increase the flavor with additional cheese such as a strong cheddar, sprinkle of goat cheese, parmesan, feta, etc.
- Vegetables (raw/as bought): Olives, sweetcorn (canned or frozen and thawed), spinach/kale, arugula, sun-dried tomatoes (just a few).
- Vegetables (pre-cooked): Mushroom slices, eggplant, root vegetables (potato, sweet potato, butternut squash, pumpkin, etc.), broccoli (blanched), asparagus (blanched), bell pepper, onion, zucchini (grilled or roasted).
It’s always best to pre-cook any ‘wet’ vegetables to remove excess water. Otherwise, the pizza will become soggy.
- Meat: Pepperoni, oven baked chicken slices, bacon, sausage, or meatballs. I recommend pre-cooking any meats added to the pizza unless it’s ‘prepared’ already (ham, pancetta, etc.)
- Basil: To top the pizza with when serving. Just a few fresh basil leaves should be enough.
- Spice: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a drizzle of chili oil before serving. Adjust the amount to taste.
- Pesto: Add a small swirl or dollop of your favorite pesto to the top of the pizza.
- Dessert Pizza: Omit the savory spices from the almond flour pizza dough. Then, bake for the full time (the par bake time plus extra 4-5 mins), allow to cool slightly, and then top with your toppings of choice (i.e., fruit and yogurt, mascarpone, or homemade healthier Nutella).
Tips for Best Results
- For the most authentic flavor: While yeast won’t make almond flour pizza dough rise, it will still provide it with that classic yeasty, ‘bread’ flavor like regular wheat based pizza.
- Working with the dough: This gluten free dough is stickier than regular pizza dough, so make sure to use parchment paper when rolling it out for the best results.
- Don’t add too much cheese: It will weigh down the crust and leave it soggy with oils/grease.
- Less is more: If you overload this thin pizza crust with toppings, it may become difficult to handle and more ‘floppy’.
- Be careful not to overbake: If you prebake the crust for too long, it may become more crisp like a cracker.
- Ovens may vary: Keep an eye on it the first time baking, as all ovens vary, and almond flour is prone to burning quickly. If yours darkens quickly, it can help to move it to a lower rack and possibly cook it for longer.
FAQs
No, yeast won’t work with almond flour. However, it will still add that yeasty ‘bread’ flavor, which can help this pizza dough with almond flour taste more like regular pizza dough.
Almond flour is simply made with blanched and ground almonds and lacks the gluten in wheat flour necessary to rise in the way wheat does. Instead, baking soda and egg create the crisp but flexible texture of this almond flour pizza crust.
You could experiment with egg replacer, though the crust may not be as sturdy/crisp.
There are 4g Net Carbs per slice of this almond flour pizza crust, which is a whopping 9-10x fewer carbs than an equal sized piece of a wheat based pizza.
The best low carb pizza sauce would be a sugar free homemade tomato sauce.
Absolutely! I recommend pre baking the crust (without any toppings), and then you can freeze it for up to three months. Follow the storage instructions for the complete method.
How to Serve Almond Flour Pizza
You can enjoy a few slices of this healthy homemade pizza alone or alongside:
- Vegetables: I love enjoying pizza with a nutritious side, particularly greens. Some of my favorite options include garlic green beans or sauteed zucchini.
- A simple side salad: This is my favorite option for packing in tons of color, nutrients, flavor, and extra veggies to my meal. Some of my favorite options include:
How to Meal Prep It
Make ahead: The best way to ‘meal prep’ the low carb pizza base is by shaping and pre-baking the crust (untopped), then freezing. Flash freeze the pizza to begin, then tightly wrap in two layers of plastic wrap for up to 3 months.
When you want to bake the pizza, allow it to thaw on the counter for 2 hours, top, and bake as usual. For crispier results, bake it for a few minutes first before adding the toppings and continuing the baking process.
How to Store Leftovers
Storing: Once topped and baked, any leftovers will store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 days.
Freeze: I prefer to freeze the pre-baked, empty crust. However, you can also freeze the leftover baked pizza slices for three months.
Reheat: I prefer to reheat the pizza in the oven at 400F/205C for the best results.
More Pizza Crust Recipes
More Almond Flour Recipes to Try
You may also love these almond flour recipes favorites!
Almond Flour Pizza Crust
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups almond flour not almond meal
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp dry active yeast it’s optional but adds a bread flavor
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and prep 2 pieces of parchment paper the size of a baking sheet.
- In a large bowl, add almond flour, garlic powder, onion powder, yeast, baking soda and salt. Whisk well. Add olive oil.
- In another small bowl, whisk the eggs and add to the bowl with flour and oil. Mix well with spatula until pizza dough forms.
- Transfer the dough onto parchment paper, form a ball, flatten a bit and cover with another piece of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll out into a round pizza crust about 11 inch (28 cm) diameter. I found this was a perfect thickness but you can make it a bit thinner 12 inch (30 cm) or thicker 10 inch (25 cm). Using your hands, shape the edges so there is a bit of "a lip".
- Transfer the crust on a piece of parchment paper onto baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown on a middle rack. Your pre-baked crust is ready.
- To make pizza, spread thin layer of favorite pizza sauce (I used marinara) and sprinkle with favorite toppings ( I used 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese). I recommend not to overload your pizza, so it doesn't become soggy. High water content veggies like mushrooms, zucchini and overall any veggies are best to be pre-cooked (skillet or air fryer), so they do not make crust soggy and come out cooked (we do not bake pizza for long).
- Return pizza to the oven and bake for another 4 minutes or until cheese is bubbly on a middle rack. You can broil it (like I did) but I recommend to cover the edges with foil as almond flour burns fast!
- Allow pizza to set for a few minutes, cut into 8 slices and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 days. You can also refrigerate prebaked pizza crust wrapped in plastic wrap for 3 days and add toppings after.
- Freeze: Freeze leftover pizza slices in an airtight container or a resealable Ziploc bag for up to 3 months. If you would like to freeze the crust, I highly recommend to freeze the prebaked pizza crust (vs. the uncooked) wrapped in a plastic wrap for 3 months. Thaw on a counter for 2 hours, the add toppings and bake.
- Almond meal is not the same as almond flour. Please use almond flour.
- Vegan pizza: You can use 2 chia seed egg or 2 flax egg, however pizza crust will be less crispy and slightly harder to roll.
- Ovens vary greatly: I have 2 ovens – one in the house and another one in the studio, and both bake so differently. Watch your crust after 30 minutes as almond flour burns quickly. I prefer to bake on a middle rack in my studio oven as it runs quite hot. If you see your almond flour goodies come out pale and take longer to cook, you could bake on lower rack and for longer time.
- For the most authentic flavor: While yeast won’t make almond flour pizza dough rise, it will still provide it with that classic yeasty, ‘bread’ flavor like regular wheat based pizza.
- Working with the dough: This gluten free dough is stickier than regular pizza dough, so make sure to use parchment paper when rolling it out for the best results.
- Don’t add too much cheese/toppings: It will weigh down the crust and leave it soggy with oils/grease. Overloading with toppings will make it difficult to handle and ‘floppy’.
Thanks so much we are chowing down as I text. Great recipe.
Haven’t tried this yet, wondering if I could substitute 1/2 white whole wheat (or regular) flour? I like that it’s low carb, but still would like to reduce saturated fat by 1/2 and overall fat. Any suggestions in doing this?
Unfortunately that would need testing. Almond flour has no gluten so needs different amount of liquids.
Delicious! Finally a low-carb pizza recipe that’s not only easy to make, but tastes good
So happy to hear this!
I did not love this . Followed the recipe exact and dough was crumbly and hard to work with . Did not taste that great, either .
I have been a long-time fan of your recipes, for years! I just made tonight and really loved it. I will be making again.
So glad to have you here Julisa! Glad you loved the crust!
Fabulous, love that this is made with good for my family ingredients!
Agreed, glad you enjoyed it!