Let’s be honest. Pizza night hits different. Whether you’re wiping off a long week or just too lazy to deal with cooking something fancy, pizza feels like a warm hug from your fridge.

But if you’re on keto? That hug turns into a slap real quick.

Flour crust, sugar-loaded sauces, mystery oils… It adds up fast. You blink, and suddenly you’re 70g of carbs deep and wondering where your self-control went.

That’s where this Keto Margherita Pizza saves the day. It’s low-carb, packed with flavor, and the best part? You won’t feel like you’re eating “diet food.” No cauliflower crusts that fall apart or chewy fake dough that tastes like sadness.

Just real ingredients, easy steps, and a pizza that actually holds its shape when you pick it up. Let’s get into it.

What Is A Margherita Pizza, Anyway?

A Margherita pizza is one of those things that looks too simple to be good. But it’s a classic for a reason.

Here’s what it usually has:

Thin crust
Fresh tomato sauce
Slices of fresh mozzarella
Basil leaves
Olive oil drizzle

That’s it. No meat. No 4-cheese blend. Just good basics that hit the right notes when done right. So how do we make this keto-friendly without losing the taste?

It starts with the crust.

How to make the Best Keto Margherita Pizza

Most keto pizza crusts fall into two camps:

Cauliflower mush
Fathead dough that melts into a weird cheese pancake

We’re not doing either.

This version uses almond flour, egg, mozzarella, and a few extras to create a crust that holds firm, browns nicely, and has that slight crunch at the edge you want in a pizza.

Ingredients for the Crust

1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp cream cheese
1 cup almond flour
1 large egg
½ tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
Optional: ½ tsp garlic powder or Italian seasoning for extra flavor

Tip: Use low-moisture mozzarella or it’ll turn into soup.

How to Make the Crust

Melt the cheese
Throw the shredded mozzarella and cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for about 45 seconds. Stir. Microwave again for 30 more seconds until it’s a stretchy gooey mess.
Add almond flour, baking powder, and seasonings
Mix it all into the cheese mess. It’ll look weird at first — keep stirring. Add the egg last. Get in there with your hands if you need to.
Form the dough into a ball
Once it stops sticking to your fingers, it’s ready. If it’s too sticky, add a tiny bit more almond flour.
Roll it out
Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll it out into a thin circle, about ¼ inch thick. Don’t make it too thick — it won’t bake right.
Bake the crust first
Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Slide the crust (still on parchment) onto a baking sheet or pizza stone. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until it’s lightly golden and firm to the touch.

That’s your base. Now let’s make it sing.

Simple Tomato Sauce That Tastes Fresh

You don’t need to cook your sauce for an hour to get a rich flavor. A quick, raw tomato sauce actually works better here. It’s lighter and lets the cheese shine.

Ingredients for the Sauce

½ cup crushed tomatoes (canned, plain — no sugar added)
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste
1 small clove garlic, minced
A few fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
Optional: pinch of oregano

How to Make It

Just mix everything in a bowl. That’s it. No cooking. No simmering. Use it right away or let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes so the flavors blend better.

The Toppings: Keep It Classic

Margherita is about balance. You want just enough cheese and basil, not a mountain of toppings.

What You’ll Need

Fresh mozzarella (the kind that comes in a ball, not the pre-shredded stuff)
A few whole basil leaves
Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Optional: grated parmesan for finishing

Slice the mozzarella thin. If it’s too wet, pat it dry with a paper towel — otherwise, it’ll flood your pizza.

Putting It All Together

Now comes the fun part.

Sauce the crust
Spread a thin layer of your tomato sauce over the pre-baked crust. Don’t go too heavy — you don’t want soggy pizza.
Add cheese
Lay the mozzarella slices evenly over the sauce. Leave a little space between them so they can melt without turning into one giant puddle.
Bake again
Bake the pizza for another 6–8 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown at the edges.
Add basil + olive oil
As soon as it comes out of the oven, scatter the basil leaves on top and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.
Cool slightly, then slice
Let it sit for 2–3 minutes before cutting. This gives the cheese a second to set so everything doesn’t slide off.

Macros & Nutrition (Rough Estimate)

If you cut this into 8 slices:

Calories per slice: 160–180
Fat: 12–14g
Protein: 8–10g
Net Carbs: 2–3g

Way better than the regular stuff that racks up 35g carbs per slice.

Make It Your Own

You can’t mess this up. Okay, you can, but it’s pretty forgiving. Here’s how you can change things up:

Crust Tweaks

No almond flour? Use coconut flour — but only ¼ cup. It absorbs way more liquid.
Nut allergy? Use flax meal or sunflower seed flour.
Egg-free? Try a flax egg (1 tbsp flaxseed meal + 2.5 tbsp water, let it sit for 5 minutes). The crust won’t be as firm but it still works.

Sauce Swaps

Go garlic-heavy if you like a punchier flavor
Add red pepper flakes for heat
Use pesto instead of tomato sauce if you want to go full herby

Cheese Variations

Mix in a little goat cheese or fontina for richness
Top with grated parmesan right before baking for that extra umami kick

How It Holds Up

Next-day pizza is sacred. And this one holds up surprisingly well.

You can toss leftovers in the fridge, and they reheat beautifully in a pan or toaster oven. Just don’t microwave it — it’ll go rubbery. Reheat it low and slow until the crust crisps again.

Some folks even prefer it cold the next day (I’m one of those people).

Why This Pizza Works (And Why Most Don’t)

Here’s the thing. Most keto pizza recipes try too hard to imitate the exact texture of doughy, gluten-y crusts. That’s why they fall flat. They try to fake it.

This recipe doesn’t fake it. It embraces the ingredients for what they are. The crust is a little different — yeah — but it’s solid. It tastes good. It supports the toppings. It’s not pretending to be a regular pizza crust, and that’s why it works.

You’ll actually want to eat this more than once a month.

Pizza Night That Doesn’t Feel Like Punishment

When I first started keto, pizza night was a bummer. I’d try some frozen keto option and end up scraping toppings off cardboard. Or worse — I’d “cheat” and then feel awful about it.

I remember the first time I made this version. I didn’t even tell my boyfriend it was low-carb. He ate half the pizza, looked up, and said, “Wait — this is keto?”

That’s when I knew it was a winner.

For Meal Preppers and Lazy Cooks

You can double the crust recipe and freeze one.

After you bake the crust (just the base), let it cool completely, wrap it in foil, and freeze it. Next time you want pizza, pull it out, add toppings, and bake straight from frozen for 10–12 minutes.

Huge time saver. Especially when you don’t feel like doing anything except binge-watching shows and eating with one hand.

Conclusion

You don’t need to give up pizza just because you’re eating low-carb.

This Keto Margherita Pizza hits all the right spots — crispy crust, melty cheese, fresh basil, no weird aftertaste. And the best part? You control the ingredients. You know what’s going in your food.

You don’t need a mixer. You don’t need fancy tools. If you’ve got a microwave, an oven, and a rolling pin (or even a wine bottle), you’re good.

So next time that pizza craving hits… don’t scroll through a delivery app. Just pull out the almond flour and make something better.

If this recipe worked for you, make sure you pin it to your Keto Dinner Ideas board or wherever you save stuff you actually plan to cook (not just look at once and forget about).

And hey, tag someone who keeps saying they “miss pizza.” They’ll thank you later.