One of the hardest things about my recent gluten-free journey is having to eliminate some of my favorite things in the world.

Like hunks of Celebration and Chocolate Marble cake from SusieCakes. 

And pizza. And the glorious Root Beer Glaze wings that pair beautifully with said pizza.

Since going gluten-free, I've dabbled in specialty pizzas from Blaze, Pizza Rev, Piologie, Stacked (word of advice: don't do it), and more. And while they're all decent (except Stacked... again, don't do it), they're all incredibly carb-heavy — just as bad or worse than their glutinous counterparts.

The truth is, I can blow through all my carbs for the day with just two or three slices. Plus, gluten-free pizzas always cost $3+ extra. Which is also a pain in the butt. 

So I took to the internet, wondering if there was such a thing as low-carb pizza that actually tastes like pizza. Not some protein-crust infused monstrosity that I'd have to delude myself into thinking tastes like protein — but a legit delicious crust that looks, tastes, and feels like pizza crust. 

And I found it!

So without further delay, I'm gonna hit you with the recipe and how-to for my newfound favorite pizza crust that allows me to enjoy a MUCH more reasonable version of one of my favorite fork-less foods.

Ingredients for Pizza Crust

• 170g (6oz or 1 and 3/4 cups)  mozzarella cheese (I use Trader Joe's Shredded Mozzarella)
• 85g (3oz or 3/4 cup) almond flour (I used Bob's Red Mill Super Fine Almond Flour/Meal for this recipe, but I've since switched to Costco's Kirkland Almond Flour)
• 30g (2 tablespoons) cream cheese (you can also use light/reduced fat cream cheese)
• 1 egg
• optional: seasonings to taste (I use a pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt, garlic, and dried basil)

Ingredients for Pizza Topping

So far, I've made more pizzas than I can count with this recipe — Hawaiian (pineapple does too belong on pizza, hush your mouth!), BBQ Chicken, and even a spin off of CPK's Jamaican Jerk with Chicken and Shrimp. This is where your personal preferences come in to play. To keep your carb count lower, avoid tomato and pizza sauces with tons of sugar — although I've used BBQ sauce and Pineapple Habanero sauce and still managed to keep things reasonable. As an example, I'm going to share with you what I used to craft the Hawaiian pizza:

• 110g mozzarella cheese (same as used in the crust)
•  4 slices Celebrity Healthy Black Forest Ham (approximately 4) cooked boneless skinless chicken thighs, diced
• 1/2 cup Kroger brand pineapple tidbits (drained and squeezed gently to remove excess juice)
• 3/4 cup Trader Joe's Tomato Basil Marinara, cooked (to thicken)

Tools & Utensils

• small microwave-safe bowl for mixing crust
• non-stick or silicone spatula for mixing
• parchment paper
• rolling pin
• baking sheet or pizza pan (here's the one I have - it's amazing)
• measuring utensils or food scale
• cutting board and knife (for toppings prep)
• cheese grater (if not using pre-shredded cheese)

Instructions for Pizza Crust & Toppings

The key to this pizza is to fully prepare the crust and toppings first. Pre-heat your oven to 400F. 

While your oven is heating, take the time to prep your toppings. If you're going to be using meats like chicken, shrimp, sausage, etc., cook them first. Chop any pre-packaged meats or veggies, and shred cheese (if necessary). Also prepare your sauce over low heat. Set aside.

In a small, microwave-safe bowl, combine the mozzarella cheese, almond flour, and cream cheese. Do not mix— just toss the bowl in your microwave on HIGH for 1 minute ONLY. Remove the bowl after 1 minute and stir with a non-stick spatula. If your cheeses have sufficiently melted enough to soften and start taking the shape of a dough, do not put it back in the microwave. If it has not, put it in the microwave again for another 15-20 seconds, but no more than 30. It's super important to not overcook the cheese in the microwave. I find that 1 minute is enough time.

Once your cheeses have melted, begin mixing to form dough. Fold in 1 egg and your seasonings (optional), and continue using your spatula to knead the dough into a ball.

After mixing your dough, grab two long (at least 16-20 inches) sheets of parchment paper. Place the dough between the two sheets, and use your rolling pin to flatten the dough into a circular crust (or shape of preference). Feel free to roll the dough as thick or thin as you like — I prefer the dough on the thin side to make more generous slices.

Once you've achieved the desired thickness, remove top sheet of parchment paper, and place the crust (with parchment paper still underneath), onto your baking sheet or pizza pan.

Bake on 400F until the crust begins to brown (about 12-14 minutes for thinner crust).

Remove crust from the oven and set aside to cool for a moment.

DO NOT turn your oven off yet. 

Gather your sauce and toppings that you had previously prepared. For my Hawaiian pizza, I spread the Tomato Basil Marinara evenly around first, following up with mozzarella cheese.

After that, I distributed the chopped ham and pineapple tidbits.

Once your pizza has been crafted, pop it back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes — enough to melt the cheese down. That's why it's important to prepare your raw toppings ahead of time — the amount of time required for them to cook in the oven would cause the crust to burn.

Remove, cool a little (until the cheese stops actively bubbling), slice and enjoy!

Macros for my Hawaiian Pizza (per slice - makes 8 'large size' slices):

• 246 calories
• 16.9g protein
• 6.8g carbs
• 16.3g fat
• 2.3g sugar

Compared to a generic/general large slice of Hawaiian pizza (i.e. Pizza Hut)

• 340 calories
• 14g protein
• 39g carbs
• 15g fat
• 4g sugar

Tip: If you want to further cut carbs and fat, try experimenting with reduced fat mozzarella on top of the crust, switching to light/fat-free cream cheese, and staying away from sugary sauces.

But overall, we're talking less calories, A LOT less carbs, a little less sugar, and more protein. Not a bad deal at all! And not to mention -—it tastes GREAT! I'll take this pizza over Pizza Hut ANY day. Plus, it doesn't leave me feeling heavy and sluggish...and it's KID & GROWN FOLK TESTED!

I gave the BBQ Chicken and Ham & Cheese pizzas to my newphews over one weekend, and they LOVED it. Samuel loves them all, and his favorite is the Jamaican Jerk Chicken & Shrimp. My sister was mad skeptical at first — but she sho' did grab a slice of BBQ Chicken when dropping off my nephews, and a slice of Ham & Cheese when picking 'em up. Lol.