Keto Pepperoni Pizza Croissants
Bread and other baked goods can be some of the harder things to keto-fy, but once you find a good, versatile dough recipe that you can make consistently, the possibilities are almost endless. The classic “fathead” recipe is a keto staple for that reason, but lately I’ve been using my low carb dough ball recipe as a base for other low carb baking experiments.
It’s a little more involved to make, but for me the results have been worth the extra effort. I really enjoy the fluffier, more bread-like texture, which really shines in things like this keto pizza croissant recipe. The dough is cut into triangles, filled with pepperoni, basil, and mozzarella, and then rolled into croissants to bake.
The result is a yummy lunch, snack, or side dish that has all of the flavors of pepperoni pizza with almost none of the carbs. I like to eat them with a sauce for dipping, like a low carb marinara or garlic butter, but the garlic parmesan topping adds enough flavor that dipping is totally optional.
The recipe uses fresh basil for the filling and dried keto Italian seasoning for the dough and topping. If you can’t find fresh basil, you could possible use 2-3 teaspoons of dried basil or 1-2 tablespoons of pesto as a substitute, but I really recommend going for fresh if you can.
Low Carb Pepperoni Pizza Croissants
These keto-friendly croissants are filled with pepperoni, mozzarella, and fresh basil. Per croissant: ~170 kcal, 13.5g fat, 10g protein, 2.6g total carbs – 1g fiber = 1.6g net carbs.
- Prep Time: 15m
- Cook Time: 25m
- Total Time: 40m
- Serves: 4
- Yield: 12 croissants
Ingredients
Dough
- 6 ounces shredded mozzarella
- 1 ounce (28g) cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon (14g) butter
- 3/4 cup blanched almond flour
- 1/2 teaspoon xantham gum
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons warm (~110F) water, for dissolving yeast
- 2 large eggs (one for dough, one for egg wash)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour (for kneading dough)
Filling
- 3 ounces shredded mozzarella
- 3 tablespoons fresh basil, coarsely chopped
- 36 slices pepperoni (about 2.5 ounces)
Topping
- 1 tablespoon grated parmesan
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
Dough
- Preheat oven to 375F. Prepare a baking pan by covering with parchment paper or a baking mat.
- Sift together dry ingredients (almond flour, xantham gum, baking powder, salt, garlic powder).
- Add yeast to warm water and allow to dissolve, stirring to break up any clumps.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, combine mozzarella, cream cheese, and butter. Microwave for 60-90 seconds, or until cheese is melted. Stir to combine.
- Add dry ingredients, egg, and yeast mixture to melted cheese mixture and mix well until dough forms a ball.
- Turn dough onto a flat surface sprinkled with the coconut flour and knead gently, 15-20 times.
- For best results, cover the dough with a damp cloth and allow to rise in a warm place for ~10 minutes.
Filling
- Combine the mozzarella and basil in a small bowl for the filling.
- Roll the dough to about 1/4" thickness, and cut into 12 triangles (see pictures). I find this easiest to do by dividing the dough in half, rolling each half into a rectangle, and then using diagonal cuts to get six triangles from each.
- Cut a small notch into the short side of each triangle. Top with three slices of pepperoni followed by about a tablespoon of the mozzarella mixture.
- Starting from the sort side, roll each triangle into a crescent and place seam side down on your prepared baking sheet.
- Whisk the remaining egg, and generously brush each crescent with the egg wash.
Topping
- Combine topping ingredients in a small bowl
- Bake croissants in preheated oven for about 12 minutes, or until just beginning to brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle topping evenly over the croissants. Return to oven and bake for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Best served warm. Optionally, serve with low carb marinara or garlic sauce for dipping. Store in a sealed container at room temperate for up to 1 day or refrigerated for up to 5 days.
These really look temtping. As of now i am on a liquid diet; due to dental. I will make these within the month. Thanks for sharing!
I was wondering if I can sub xantham gum for powdered psyllium husk? And if so how much do I use? (Too broke to get xantham this month.)
I haven’t tried it, but it could work. I would try 1 teaspoon of psyllium powder.
Hey!
I’m allergic to nuts, so was just wondering if the almond flour can be swapped? If so, what? And what would the measurement be please?
Thank you ?
I haven’t tried it, but you could try substituting oat fiber or flax meal. Maybe use 1-2 tablespoons less than the recipe calls for.