Crustless Pizza is keto-friendly, gluten-free comfort food–it has the best parts of a pizza minus the carb-heavy crust! Cheesy, meaty, and completely customizable, this easy-to-make meal goes from stovetop to oven in 15 minutes; the perfect swap when the craving strikes!
What Is Crustless Pizza?
Keto crustless pizza puts a fun twist on the classic—melted cheese, savory sauce, and toppings without the dough. It’s perfect for low-carb, keto, or gluten-free diets and lets you enjoy all the flavor without the extra carbs. Skip the crust and keep it simple and satisfying!
Love keto recipes? Check out my cauliflower pizza crust recipe to replace any carb-heavy crust.
Ingredients for Crustless Pizza
- Olive oil
- Ground mild Italian sausage: If your Italian sausage comes in a casing, you will need to remove the casing before cooking and browning it in the skillet. Do not use smoked sausage for this recipe, although most other ground meat will work. Lean ground beef, ground turkey, ground chicken, or even ground pork can cut down on the fat content.
- Minced garlic
- Italian seasoning blend: You can also add garlic powder or fresh herbs to enhance flavor.
- Marinara sauce: To keep this recipe low carb and low sugar, use a good quality, no sugars added marinara sauce, keto pizza sauce, or sugar-free tomato sauce.
- Mozzarella cheese: Use a mix of mozzarella and parmesan for the perfect melt and crisp.
- Pepperoni slices
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Crustless Pizza (Step-by-Step)
- Cook And Crumble: Heat the oil in an oven safe skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and crumble the sausage with the garlic and Italian seasoning until browned. Remove from the heat and drain any excess grease.
- Assemble: Spread the cooked sausage in an even layer into the bottom of the skillet and cover with marinara sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella over the sausage and sauce then top with pepperoni slices.
- Bake: Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit until the cheese is melted, bubbly and lightly golden around the edges.
- Serve: Cool for 3-5 minutes before scooping and serving. Enjoy!
Tips for the Best Crustless Pizza
- Stop Sogginess: Pat down moisture-heavy toppings like mushrooms or tomatoes, and consider pre-baking the pizza for a few minutes to help firm up the base.
- Pick the Right Pan: Use a large metal or glass dish for even heat distribution. This ensures the pizza cooks properly and helps avoid a soggy crustless base.
- Don’t Overcrowd The “Crust:” Be careful not to overload the pizza. Adding toppings in moderation lets the cheese bubble up and gives it a crispy finish.
- Customize Your Crustless Pizza: Add your favorite pizza toppings, like mushrooms, red onion, green peppers, black olives, crumbled bacon, pineapple, or anything you can think of.
How to Make a Crustless Pizza Casserole?
You can easily turn a crustless pizza into a casserole! Simply bake it in a deeper casserole dish, like a 9×13 disposable aluminum tray, and serve it family-style. After cooking the sausage, transfer it to the pan and follow the rest of the recipe instructions. If using a larger pan, add an extra 1 cup of shredded mozzarella to ensure the cheese covers the entire surface.
Perfect for meal prep and feeding a crowd!
Storage and Reheating Tips for Crustless Pizza
- To Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: Let the pizza cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, or place it in an airtight freezer-safe container. You can freeze leftovers for up to 2-3 months.
- To Reheat: You can reheat leftovers in the microwave, or a 350°F preheated oven, until the cheese is melted and warmed through.
More Twists on Pizza Recipes
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Crustless Pizza
Serves — 4
Crustless pizza is a great gluten-free, low-carb, keto-friendly alternative to the classic bread base. Satisfy your cravings without the carbs!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground mild Italian sausage
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
- 1¼ cups jarred marinara Rao’s brand used – no sugar added
- 8 ounce block style whole milk mozzarella cheese shredded
- 16 pepperoni slices plus additional if desired
Optional toppings
- Sliced mushrooms
- Diced red onion
- Diced green bell pepper
- Sliced black olives
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- To a large, 12 inch, oven safe skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the ground mild Italian sausage, minced garlic and Italian seasoning blend. Cook, and crumble the mild Italian sausage for 6-8 minutes or until browned no pink remains. Remove the skillet from the heat and drain off any excess grease from the skillet.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 pound ground mild Italian sausage, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
- Spread the cooked sausage into an even layer covering the entire bottom surface of the skillet. Spoon the marinara sauce evenly over the layer of cooked mild Italian sausage.1¼ cups jarred marinara
- Add the shredded mozzarella cheese in an even layer over the sausage and pizza sauce.8 ounce block style whole milk mozzarella cheese
- Top the crustless pizza with the pepperoni slices and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted, bubbly and lightly golden around the edges. If using additional optional toppings, add them with the pepperoni slices, being careful not to overcrowd the surface area of the crustless pizza before baking.16 pepperoni slices, Sliced mushrooms, Diced red onion, Diced green bell pepper, Sliced black olives
- Remove the crustless pizza from the oven and cool for 3-5 minutes, to allow the fillings to set up slightly, before scooping and serving.
Jenn’s Notes
Storage :
- To Store: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: Let the pizza cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, or place it in an airtight freezer-safe container. You can freeze leftovers for up to 2-3 months.
- To Reheat: You can reheat leftovers in the microwave, or a 350°F preheated oven, until the cheese is melted and warmed through.
- Pat down moisture-heavy toppings like mushrooms or tomatoes, and consider pre-baking the pizza for a few minutes to help firm up the base.
- Use a large metal or glass dish for even heat distribution. This ensures the pizza cooks properly and helps avoid a soggy crustless base.
- Be careful not to overload the pizza. Adding toppings in moderation lets the cheese bubble up and gives it a crispy finish.
- Add your favorite pizza toppings, like mushrooms, red onion, green bell peppers, black olives, crumbled bacon, pineapple, or anything you can think of.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 655kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 56g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 24g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 139mg | Sodium: 1674mg | Potassium: 588mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 719IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 326mg | Iron: 3mg
