Say goodbye to boring, sad, low-carb pizza recipes and hello to the ooey-gooey healthy pizza of your dreams! My High Protein Pepperoni Pizza is not only gluten-free and grain-free, but it is packed with protein thanks to the cottage cheese crust. But, don’t let that stop you from making this recipe: this pizza is deliciously-comforting and picky kid-approved!
Friends, if you think that healthy, high protein recipes need to be boring, I am here to tell you that is NOT the case. Gone are the days of sad protein bars and gritty protein shakes. In fact, what if I told you that you could enjoy all of the foods that you know and love… but made with ingredients that will fill you up, help you build muscle, and keep your taste buds satisfied?
That’s exactly what this pizza is. As a mom of two young boys, I am no stranger to the rampant requests for pepperoni pizza for dinner. And while I am more than happy to give my boys the traditional pepperoni pizzas of their dreams (because I fully believe that a “healthy” diet leaves room for ALL foods), I also love to find ways to make healthier versions of the foods that they love. I’m proud to say that this High Protein Pepperoni Pizza is not only a healthier option, thanks to the better-for-you ingredients, but tastes just as delicious as traditional pepperoni pizza AND is kid-approved. Truly, what could be better than that?
What makes this pizza healthier is that the crust is not only gluten-free and grain-free, but it is packed with protein thanks to cottage cheese. If you haven’t gotten on to the cottage cheese trend lately, then you MUST. Cottage cheese is a true superfood: it’s packed with protein and healthy fats and is neutral in flavor, which means it can be added to anything! My Cottage Cheese Flatbread is the perfect example of this, as is my Cottage Cheese Ranch Dip. I just know you’re going to love these recipes!
What You Need to Make Your New Favorite Pizza
- Cottage Cheese: Cottage cheese is perfectly creamy and packed with protein, and is the perfect base for this pizza crust. I highly recommend using the Good Culture cottage cheese – it’s my favorite!
- Coconut Flour: Coconut flour adds a soft and pillowy texture to this pizza crust, sans the gluten.
- Ground Flaxseed Meal: Flaxseed meal adds both fiber to this pizza crust, and is the perfect way to sneak in some extra superfoods.
- Italian Seasoning: My favorite seasoning to use in homemade pizza crust is, by far, Italian seasoning, and this recipe is no exception.
- Ground Black Pepper: A dash of ground black pepper adds the perfect touch to the crust.
- Pizza Sauce: Pick your favorite jarred pizza sauce and use it in this recipe! I like Rao’s, but any jarred pizza sauce will do.
- Shredded Mozzarella Cheese: I love using shredded mozzarella cheese in this recipe. It melts and stretches and adds the perfect, gooey, cheesy texture!
- Pepperoni: I love pepperoni pizza, so adding pepperoni slices to this pizza is perfect! If you want to make this recipe vegetarian-friendly, you can always omit the pepperoni or go for a plant-based option.
- Fresh Basil: Basil adds the perfect finishing touch to this pizza!
How to Make This Better-Than-Delivery Pizza
To make this pizza, start by preheating your oven to 400 F. Next, prepare the pizza crust. In a food processor or blender, add the cottage cheese, coconut flour, flaxseed meal, Italian seasoning, and ground black pepper. Pulse or blend to combine until the ingredients form a thick paste.
Next, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and carefully transfer the paste to it. Use your hands to gently press the paste into a round, thin, 8-inch circle. If it starts to stick to your hands, add a little bit of oil to them before working it into a circle. Once the mixture has formed a flat pizza crust, transfer it into the oven and allow it to bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges are golden.
When the crust is done baking, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. Add a very thin layer of pizza sauce to the crust, spreading it out evenly. Then, add the mozzarella cheese and pepperoni slices on top of the crust.
Transfer the pizza back to the oven and allow it to bake for another 10 minutes, or until the cheese has fully melted and browned evenly. Once the pizza is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for another 5-6 minutes. Then, slice, serve immediately, and enjoy!
🎯 Save These Serving Suggestions
Let’s be honest: this pepperoni pizza is delicious as-is. But, if you’re looking for ways to take this pizza to the next level, these are a few of my favorite ways to give it that extra exciting twist (and, pack in even more nutrients!)
- 🥬 Top with some greens: You know what’s better than salad and pizza? Salad on TOP of pizza! I love adding some lightly dressed arugula (with some olive oil, sea salt, and a bit of lemon) on top of this pizza to get in some extra greens and add texture.
- 🍕 Serve it up with ranch: There’s nothing better than pizza dipped in ranch dressing, and my High Protein Cottage Cheese Ranch Dip is the perfect accompaniment to this pizza!
- 🍳 Add an egg to it: Adding a fried egg on top of the pizza is the perfect way to pack in some more protein, healthy fats, and jazz things up a bit!
Frequently Asked Questions
Unfortunately, this recipe requires full-fat cottage cheese in order for the crust to achieve the right texture.
If you want to amp up the flavor of the crust, you can add in some crushed red pepper flakes (for spice), grated parmesan cheese (for saltiness and a cheesy flavor), or chopped basil (for aromatics).
Unfortunately, no! If you’re looking for a pizza recipe that can be made dairy-free, try my Crunchy Pizza Potato Cups!
The best way to prevent this crust from getting soggy is to minimize the amount of pizza sauce that you use. Since the crust will be on the softer side, using too much sauce can lead to a soggy pizza.
I recommend storing this pizza inside an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to three days!
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.
** Photography by Tanya Pilgrim
Equipment
- 1 Blender or Food Processor I love to prepare this recipe in my Vitamix blender – however, you can also use a food processor, if you prefer.
- 1 Baking Sheet A good baking sheet is a staple in any kitchen!
Ingredients
For the Pizza Crust
- 1 ¼ Cups Full-Fat Cottage Cheese
- ⅓ Cup Coconut Flour
- 3 Tablespoons Ground Flaxseed Meal
- 1 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- ¼ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
For the Toppings
- ¼ Cup Pizza Sauce
- ⅓ Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- 10 Slices Pepperoni
- Fresh Basil, chopped
Instructions
- To make this pizza, start by preheating your oven to 400 F.
- Next, prepare the pizza crust. In a food processor or blender, add the cottage cheese, coconut flour, flaxseed meal, Italian seasoning, and ground black pepper.
- Pulse or blend to combine until the ingredients form a thick paste.
- Next, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and carefully transfer the paste to it.
- Use your hands to gently press the paste into a round, thin, 8-inch circle. If it starts to stick to your hands, add a little bit of oil to them before working it into a circle.
- Once the mixture has formed a flat pizza crust, transfer it into the oven and allow it to bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges are golden.
- When the crust is done baking, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes.
- Add a very thin layer of pizza sauce to the crust, spreading it out evenly. Then, add the mozzarella cheese and pepperoni slices on top of the crust.
- Transfer the pizza back to the oven and allow it to bake for another 10 minutes, or until the cheese has fully melted and browned evenly.
- Once the pizza is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for another 5-6 minutes.
- Then, slice, serve immediately, and enjoy!
Rate & review
SELECT A RATING and tell me what you think!
What others are saying
If we aren’t concerned about gluten, are there other flours that would work here?
I can’t find your delicious looking WARM APPLE PIE OVERNIGHT . could you please send it to me?
Where’s nutrition info?
Hi Elaine! We are working on adding nutritional info to all of my recipes. In the meantime, feel free to plug the recipe into an app like MyFitnessPal!