If low carb pizza is an oxymoron, then this incredible zucchini pizza is a mystifying anomaly! Scrumptious zucchini recipes that taste like pizza are kind of a two-for! I mean, who doesn’t love pizza, right…
All that gooey, melted cheese and savory pizza sauce gently cradled by a mildly sweet zucchini boat is one of the best low carb recipes ever – AND it’s full of veggies, so your body will be stoked!
Zucchini pizza is one of those low carb dinners that taste so good it makes you tingle inside. I can’t WAIT to hear what you think!
What I Love About This Recipe
Zucchini pizza is so simple to make that you can have it ready in under 30 minutes. There is no yeast, no flour and practically no mess – easy peesy! When friends pop over for a quick visit or the kids need after-school snacks, zucchini pizza is your jam!
I absolutely LOVE that this recipe is:
- Dang delicious!
- Squeezes in veggies
- Inexpensive
- Super customizable!
Zucchini Pizza Crust Recipe Notes
This recipe comes together in a snap! Here are a few tips that’ll give you perfect results every time:
Important Tips
PRECOOKING. Baking the zucchini before adding topping will help to release some of this veggies liquid, while softening it up.
Cook the zucchini anywhere between 15-25 minutes. I prefer 25, but my taste testers prefer 15, as this maintains a bit of the zucchini’s natural crunch. If you plan to save most of this for leftovers, opt for 15 minutes, as the zucchini will continue to soften when you reheat it.
SCOOPING. Scoop the insides of the zucchini with a spoon, while maintaining a thin “crust” around the edges.
BROIL. We’ll melt the toppings into gooey form by broiling. This means your zucchini pizzas can burn easily, so keep a close eye on them!
Tools To Make
Making zucchini pizza doesn’t require a lot of crazy kitchen tools (thank goodness)! Of course, you’ll need a knife for chopping veggies and a sheet pan for baking — I like using a rimmed baking sheet, as the zucchini will release liquid as it cooks.
Line you baking sheet with parchment to cut down on clean up.
Use a heavy-bottomed skillet to cook your sausage, as this will distribute heat more evenly and prevent burning.
Storing This Crustless Pizza
Your zucchini pizza will keep in an airtight container in the fridge so you can have crustless pizza for lunch the next day (if there’s any left)!!
Meal Prepping Tips
This zucchini crust pizza is PERFECT for meal prep!
Cutting the pizza in half when it comes out of the oven gives you bite-sized portions you can pack in your favorite meal prep container. Plus, freezing it this way allows you to pull out exactly the right portions so there’s no waste!
I like to place 2 zucchini halves on top of each other (kinda like a keto calzone) for easier storing and cleanup.
What Are Some Low Carb Pizza Crust Toppings?
You can get pretty wild and crazy with your low carb pizza crust toppings. The sky is the limit! Here are a few of my favorite suggestions:
- Pesto
- Parmesan cheese or deactivated yeast
- Roughly chopped cashews (this is one you just have to try!)
- Balsamic vinegar
- Pumpkin seeds
- Pizza Sauce
- Low Carb BBQ Sauce, for a barbecue chicken pizza that just so happens to be scrumptious in these little zucchini boats!
Recipe Variations
There are so many ways to tweak this recipe it’s unreal!
Using different cheeses totally changes the flavor of the pizza, or try one of these healthy recipes variations:
- Turn these into zucchini pizza bites by slicing the zucchini instead of creating “boats”, and adding toppings to each slice. Cauliflower pizza bites are another yummy bite-sized variation!
- Use veggies other than zucchini. Use the same concept as this recipe, by sub in summer squash or eggplant pizza. Portobello mushroom pizza and cauliflower pizza crust are two other veggie-based pizza crusts that use different bake times, but are worth checking out!
- Turn this into a casserole. I love using spiralized zucchini as the base for my low carb pizza casserole. You can also julienne the zucchini, layer the slices along the bottom of a casserole dish, add toppings, and bake!
- Make this heartier by adding more protein. Load as much as you can fit/want into each of these boats. Or, if you’re looking for a super protein-packed pizza, check out my meatza or my chicken crust pizza recipes.
More Zucchini Recipes
All it takes is a little creativity, an open mind, and a little finesse and ZUCCHINI can be turned into all your favorites. Including:
Zucchini Pizza
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 6 Medium Zucchini
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Lb Italian Sausage
- 3/4 Cup Low Carb Pizza Sauce
- 2 Cup Mozzarella shredded + low moisture
- 1/2 Cup Onion sliced
- 1/2 Cup Bell Pepper sliced
- 1/2 Cup Mushrooms sliced
- 1/4 Cup Black Olives sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Cut off the ends of the zucchini (6 medium size), then cut them in half lengthwise. Scoop out most of the flesh, leaving about 1/4 inch thick wall -- I do this with a spoon.
- Drizzle zucchinis with olive oil (1 tablespoon), and place them on a baking sheet, cut side up.
- Bake zucchinis in preheated oven for 15-25 minutes, or until they're tender to your liking. Use a fork to check doneness.
- Meanwhile, cook Italian sausage (1 Lb ) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Break the sausage into small pieces with the back of your spoon as it cooks.
- Once cooked, remove sausage to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess grease.
- Remove zucchini from oven, and bring oven to a broil.
- Dab any accumulated water/oil from the center of the cooked zucchinis.
- Add low carb pizza sauce (3/4 cup) to the zucchinis, followed by the sausage, shredded mozzarella cheese (2 cups), sliced onions (1/2 cup), sliced bell peppers (1/2 cup), sliced mushrooms (1/2 cup) and black olives (1/4 cup).
- Bake until the cheese is golden brown and melted -- items will burn easily at this temp, so keep a close eye. I bake mine for 3-5 minutes.
- Cover with fresh herbs, and allow pizzas to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!
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Lindsey's Tips
- Bake time. I prefer to bake my zucchinis for 25 minutes. If you plan to serve these as leftovers (i.e. you'll heat them again), cook for 15-20 minutes.
- Nutritional information is based on 2 zucchini halves:
These were amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
Hello Michelle! I’m so glad you enjoyed!😁