Craving pizza without the carbs? My keto calzone has a crisp almond flour crust and a gooey mozzarella and ricotta filling. It has all the taste of a traditional Italian calzone without the wheat or fathead dough. Ready in just 35 minutes.
We all love a good pizza here in the Sugar Free Londoner household. This easy low carb pizza with fathead dough is a regular and I also created an almond flour pizza crust which is ah-may-zing with just about any topping.
I'm so happy that I have now added another Italian favourite with this keto calzone recipe. It's like a pizza turnover or stuffed pizza, with all the gooey cheese on the inside!
I love how versatile and easy to make this recipe is. The almond flour crust is extra crispy and won't go soggy. You can fill it with any filling you like, from veggie to meat. All it needs is 15 minutes prep.
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Why You'll Love It
- The almond flour crust - It's light, golden, sturdy and crisp.
- No fathead dough
- Ready in 35 minutes
- Freezer-friendly
- Only 7.6g net carbs
- Easy to customise
What I'm Most Proud Of
The crust! I tested the almond flour pizza dough multiple times until it was perfect. Almond flour alone cracks easily. But, by adding the right amount of xanthan gum I created a mix that rolls thinly and folds easily.
My recipe is much lighter than most keto calzones, which have fathead crusts. You don't want a heavy, cheesy, chewy dough when there's already so plenty of cheese in the filling!
The crust bakes beautifully golden and does not crack.
Ingredients
Here is what you need:
- Almond flour - I used ground blanched almonds, which are equivalent to regular almond flour. Super fine almond flour will also work well.
- Coconut flour
- Xanthan gum - absolutely essential! Without it, the dough might crack.
- Egg
- Olive oil - I like extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
I'm giving many ideas for calzone filling further down in the post. Here I used:
- Ricotta - this is an Italian soft cheese
- Shredded mozzarella - Use low moisture mozzarella
- Prosciutto slices
- Homemade pizza sauce - marinara sauce is optional, but recommended.
Instructions
This section contains step-by-step instructions and photos that show how to make this recipe. See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities
Let's get started with the fun! First, preheat the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
STEP 1
Place the dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse to combine.
STEP 2
Add 1 egg and olive oil and pulse until a sticky batter. Don't over-mix.
Tip: You can also use a bowl and an electric mixer.
STEP 3
Divide the dough into two and roll it out thinly between two sheets of parchment paper.
STEP 4
Cut around a 19 centimeter saucepan lid. Then, use the ends to form the third circle.
STEP 5
On one half of the dough, spread the ingredients starting with the pizza sauce, ham, ricotta and mozzarella cheese, leaving about ¾ inch from the edge.
STEP 6
Fold over and crimp the edges.
Step 7: Brush with egg wash and optional seat salt flakes and dried oregano.
Step 8: Bake until golden brown. Serve with a generous drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle over fresh thyme leaves, oregano or basil.
Katrin's Recipe Tips
There are two non-negotiables:
Use the xanthan gum. Almond flour is gluten-free. That's why it is important to add xanthan gum as a binder so the dough is easy to roll out and does not crack.
Don't over-fill. Do not over-stuff the calzones so they stay intact.
Seal edges tightly. Seal and crimp the edges of the dough well so nothing spills out during baking. Option to vent the tops by pricking with a fork.
Variations
Super quick pizza sauce: To save time, make a speedy no cook tomato sauce with ⅓ cup (80ml) thick tomato passata, 1 teaspoon minced garlic or ½ teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs.
Or simply use 1 tablespoon double concentrated tomato puree per calzone.
Nut free crust: Replace the almond flour with a mix of sesame seed flour and sunflower seed flour. I would also add 1 teaspoon of psyllium husk powder.
Dairy free calzone: For a dairy-free version, use dairy free cheeses such as by Violife.
Best Fillings
Keep the mozzarella and ricotta, plus the optional tomato sauce. Then, swap the ham for one or more or the following:
MEAT LOVERS
- Pepperoni
- Italian sausage
- Bacon
- Chorizo
- Parma Ham
- Shredded chicken
VEGETARIAN
- zucchini
- spinach
- red onions
- mushrooms
- bell peppers
Pre-cook vegetables: Important! Saute vegetables first to release their liquid. This way the almond flour crust won't go soggy.
FLAVOR POP
- olives
- anchovies
- goats cheese
- pesto
You can use the same dough to make keto empanadas or Cornish pasties.
Or how about Buffalo chicken, Philly cheesesteak or a breakfast calzone?
Recipe FAQ
Yes. Preheat the air fryer to 160F / 320C and air fry around 17 minutes or until golden and crisp.
Sure! Make 6 small pizza turnovers instead of 3 large ones.
Traditional Italian calzone is not keto friendly. This is because of the pizza dough, which is made with wheat. Regular calzone has about 42g net carbs! By using my low carb almond flour crust, I created a calzone with ony 7.6g net carbs.
Prep and Storage
Meal prep to save time: You can make the calzone dough ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer. Layer it between sheets of parment paper.
Storage: Low carb calzones can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat: Pre-heat the oven to 200C / 400F and bake for about 7 minutes or until the inside is hot and the dough has crisped up again. I prefer this method over reheating in the microwave.
Defrost frozen calzones before reheating.
More Italian Recipes
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Recipe
Best Ever Keto Calzone
Video
Ingredients
PASTRY
- 1.5 cup almond flour 150g
- 2 tablespoon coconut flour 16g
- Good pinch of salt
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 large egg + 1 for egg wash
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
FILLING
- ½ cup ricotta 115g
- ⅓ cup keto pizza sauce 80g ***see notes
- 6 - 8 slices thin ham 100g
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese shredded 60g
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / 160C fan.
- Place the dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse to combine.
- Add 1 egg and olive oil and pulse until a sticky batter. Don't over-mix.
- Divide dough into two and roll out between two sheets of parchment paper. Cut around a 19 cm saucepan lid. Use ends to form the third circle.
- On one half of the dough, spread the ingredients starting with 2 tablespoon pizza sauce, ham, ricotta and mozzarella, leaving about ¾ inch from the edge. Fold over and crimp the edges.
- Brush with egg wash and top with optional dried oregano and sea salt flakes. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until golden. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh basil or thyme.
Noelle
Thank you for this recipe, Karen! My husband and I loved it! Mine didn't come out nearly as pretty as yours, but the taste was perfect. Question... I did everything as written and used a scale to measure ingredients, but the dough didn't come together in the food processor like yours did. It remained sandy looking (like your photo, not your video),and I pressed it together to make it like a ball to roll out. Do you think I should be adding more olive oil next time? Maybe my egg was smaller than yours? I added the xanthan gum... just trying to troubleshoot because I know this will be a recipe we repeat! Thank you for ALL your amazing keto content!
Katrin Nürnberger
I think using a little more olive oil will definitely make the dough smoother if it turned out too dry.
Noelle
Thank you soooo much. And I’m so sorry for the autocorrect name. I know your name is Katrin ❤️
Elizabeth
I like this better than other low card doughs I have tried.
Laura
I have made these several times since I first discovered the recipe, and its an outstanding keto meal! the dough comes together so quickly, and its tender and flaky. I am a big fan of the combination of the stuffing ie ricotta, ham or turkey, pizza sauce, and the whole meal can come together in less than 30 minutes. thank you so much!
Nancy Cory
What would the temp and time be if you were to air fry it?
Katrin Nürnberger
I would use 160C / 320F and air fry for 17-18 minutes, then check. From my experience, air fryers are always a little faster than ovens.
Dawn Spaulding
This is a great make-ahead crust. I freeze the disks and defrosting takes just a few minutes. Your recipe of ricotta, ham, pizza sauce and shredded moz is so good that I have not even attempted any other flavors. I serve it with a simple side salad for a satisfying (and yummy!) lunch. One of these days, I will make a sweet version for hand pies!
Nathan Fogg
Hi,
As a diabetic, i love the idea of this. Do you think you could bake and then freeze these? I want to try and make in bulk for quick freezer lunches…
Katrin Nürnberger
Yes, you can freeze the calzones.
Kenrick Fearn
Great recipe …I also used this pastry to make some home made Spanish empanadas…perfect …just swapped out Italian filling for a Spanish one lol…plus on the good side not only is this pastry low card but it’s lighter in density so don’t leave one feelin* over bloated if one losses self control and eats too many !
Katrin Nürnberger
Yes, you can freeze it for 3 months.
Louise
Do you think these would cook well in an air fryer? Thanks
Katrin Nürnberger
Yes, I think that should work well. They may cook a little quicker as with all air fryer recipes. Also, be sure to choose the 160C / 320F setting as air fryers are fan assisted.
Yvonne
If I were to use this pastry for a Cornish pasty do you recommend par cooking the meat and veg before baking
Katrin Nürnberger
Yes, I would definitely do that.
Irma
Katrin, do you think this pastry would work well for a puréed pumpkin filling? I’m trying to find a keto substitute for Mexican Pumpkin Empanadas. They’re also made with apple filling and cream cheese, but my favorite is pumpkin.
Katrin Nürnberger
Yes, absolutely. You could add a little sweetener to it (if this is a sweet recipe).