Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 22, 2022

The Best Quick & Easy Low Carb Keto Shortcake Cupcakes Recipe

In the heat of summer, most of us enjoy eating lighter desserts featuring sweet, fresh summer fruit and would rather spend as little time as possible cooking or baking in a hot kitchen. Some of us also may be trying to get or stay slim to look our best in lightweight, more revealing summer clothing. 

In this review, I'm sharing my yummy, quick & easy low carb keto shortcake cupcakes recipe, which can be whipped up fast thanks to a keto baking mix, is bursting with sweet, ripe berries and topped with a luscious sugar-free buttercream frosting.

Quick & Easy Low Carb Mixed-Berry Shortcake Cupcakes - Keto-Friendly, Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free

A Fun Cupcake Twist on Traditional Biscuit-Based Berry Shortcake

I have made delicious keto-friendly strawberry shortcake with biscuits from a low carb baking mix topped with fresh whipped cream and berries. However, since there are only two of us in our household, that means whipping just a few tablespoons of heavy cream and assembling two shortcakes after dinner every time I want to serve them.

Recently, I got the idea to try making shortcake cupcakes, substituting cupcakes for the biscuits and low carb buttercream frosting for the whipped cream, which would let me assemble and refrigerate them in advance. While I'm making dinner, I can just take out two of the refrigerated shortcake cupcakes and set them on the counter so they will be at room temperature when we are ready for dessert.

A Delicious, Quick & Easy, Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free* Summer Dessert

The cake portion of these cupcakes is made with Scotty's Everyday Keto Cupcake & Cake Mix. This healthy, sugar-free, gluten-free and nut-free boxed keto cupcake mix is a real time-saver that minimizes time in a hot kitchen during the summer months.

The baked cupcakes are paired with juicy, fresh berries, keto berry jam and a super simple sugar-free buttercream that takes just a few minutes.

Scotty's Keto Cupcake Mix + Low Carb Buttercream Frosting + Sugar-Free Berry Jam + Fresh Berries = The Best Quick & Easy Low Carb Keto Shortcake Cupcakes

*Important food allergy note: Although Scotty's Everyday baking mixes are made with no nut flours, their website does not state that their mixes are made in a nut-free processing facility. It is important to contact the company to find out that information if you are thinking about serving these treats to anyone who has a severe nut allergy.

low carb keto shortcake cupcakes batter in silicone muffin pan liners
Just add melted butter, eggs, water and vanilla extract to Scotty's Everyday Keto Cupcake & Cake Mix for the base of these quick & easy low carb shortcake cupcakes, then split, fill, frost and decorate them with sugar-free jam, keto buttercream frosting and fresh berries.

Scotty's Everyday Keto Cupcake & Cake Mix Makes an Ideal Biscuit Alternative for This Low Carb Shortcake Cupcakes Recipe

I have used several keto baking mixes from Scotty's Everyday and like them a lot. Scotty's Everyday Keto Cupcake & Cake Mix is sweetened very lightly, and the baked cupcakes taste a bit like the drop biscuits I sometimes make for shortcake. They are also less crumbly than traditional cupcakes using sugar and wheat flour, which makes them perfect for this recipe.

In addition to the biscuit-like flavor and sturdy structure, each cupcake prepared according to the directions on the Scotty's Everyday Keto Cupcake & Cake Mix package have several other benefits:

  • 0 net carbs (22g total carbs - 14g dietary fiber - 8g erythritol = 0 net carbs)
  • No added sugars
  • Sweetened with erythritol and monk fruit extract
  • 14g dietary fiber
  • 90 calories

This sugar-free, gluten-free, nut-free, low carb keto baking mix is also a cinch to prepare. Just add melted butter, eggs, water and vanilla extract. My product review rating for Scotty's Everyday Keto Cupcake & Cake Mix is 5 stars!

My Favorite Keto Buttercream Frosting Recipes

The Best Quick & Easy Low Carb Keto Shortcake Cupcakes Recipe needs a fast, simple frosting to live up to its name. I recommend the Keto Buttercream Frosting Recipe from Wholesome Yum, which has 205 calories, 16.4g of fat and 0g net carbs per serving (3 tablespoons).

If you want to significantly cut the calories and fat and are willing to spend a bit more time and effort, I highly recommend the luscious Sugar-Free Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting recipe from All Day I Dream About Food, which lends itself beautifully to piping and tastes out of this world. A 1/4-cup serving (4 tablespoons) has only 109 calories, 10.7g of fat and and almost zero (0.1g) net carbs.

Use Your Favorite Keto Friendly Berries

Berries are the only fruits low enough in carbohydrates to fit a ketogenic diet. The berries with the fewest net carbs are raspberries, blackberries and strawberries. Blueberries have more than twice the net carbs and half the dietary fiber of raspberries or blackberries, but are still low enough in carbs for you to enjoy a few on one of these keto shortcake cupcakes.

For the keto shortcake cupcakes I photographed for this post, I used fresh raspberries and blueberries. I also added a taste of strawberries by pairing my favorite sugar-free strawberry jam with the buttercream frosting for the filling.

cupcakes being split, filled, frosted and decorated
ChocZero Keto Strawberry Jam is delicious, spreads easily and, like the buttercream frosting, helps hold the fresh rasbperries and blueberries in place while reassembling the filled shortcake cupcakes.

The Best Low Carb Keto Strawberry Jam

I have tried several brands and flavors of sugar-free jams. Most were fairly disappointing. Some were sweetened with artificial sweeteners, which I try to avoid for health reasons. Some were too thin and loose or had big chunks of berries that made them hard to spread in a thin layer.

ChocZero is one of my favorite brands of low carb and keto-friendly products. Recently, they launched a keto strawberry jam, which I ordered immediately. Based on my experience with other sugar-free jam products, I was only cautiously optimistic. (I didn't want to get my hopes up only to be disappointed again.)

I was pleasantly surprised by the new ChocZero Keto Strawberry Jam. It has a thick, "jammy" consistency, spreads easily in as thick or thin a layer as you wish, is sweetened with monk fruit, has no added sugars, and has a delicious flavor from real strawberries. Each serving (1 tablespoon) provides a whopping 10g of dietary fiber and has just 15 calories and 1 net carb.

Unlike the other low carb, sugar-free jams and preserves I have tried, ChocZero Keto Strawberry Jam is also sticky enough to help keep the raspberries, blackberries, strawberries or blueberries in place when sandwiching them between the halves of the split shortcake cupcakes.

Five filled, frosted and decorated low carb keto shortcake cupcakes
Don't these keto-friendly shortcake cupcakes filled with jam, frosting and fresh berries look yummy, despite my messy piping of my melting buttercream? They're one of the best keto desserts to make for summer holiday gatherings including the 4th of July (especially if you use red and blue berries!).

How to Make the Best Quick & Easy Low Carb Keto Shortcake Cupcakes

Recommended Kitchen Tools and Supplies for This Recipe

  • Silicone Muffin or Cupcake Liners
    The Scotty's Everyday Keto Cupcake & Cake Mix package instructions say to "Line one 12-cup standard muffin tin" without specifying the type of cupcake liners to use, I highly recommend Pantry Elements Silicone Baking Muffin Cups. They are made from BPA-, PVC- and phthalate-free, food grade platinum silicone and sturdy enough to use on their own on top of a flat baking sheet, if desired, or you can use them as liners for cupcake or muffin tins. They also come in a clear, reusable screw-top container for storage, which keeps them clean and dust-free and lets you enjoy the rainbow of bright, happy colors even when these nonstick silicone baking cups are not in use. I have used mine frequently for several years for both muffins and cupcakes and can attest to their high quality and durability.

  • Stainless Steel Scoop With Trigger or Spring Action Handle
    I have a large assortment of these stainless steel scoops in different sizes and found that my Norpro 50mm stainless steel scoop (3 Tablespoons) was a bit too small and my Norpro 56mm stainless steel scoop (4 Tablespoons) was a bit too large. You can use a rounded 3 Tablespoon scoop of cupcake batter or, if you make a lot of cupcakes or muffins, you might want to get the Solula 18/8 Stainless Steel Ice Cream Cupcake Muffin Scoop (3.4 Tablespoons), which is just the right size and capacity to portion out nicely rounded scoops of batter into standard size muffin or cupcake pans.

  • Cake Decorating Set or Piping Bags With Decorating Tips
    These low carb keto shortcake cupcakes will be just as delicious if you use a small offset spatula to spread the frosting on the tops, but piping the buttercream into decorative swirls makes for a more festive presentation. As you can see in the photos, I had a hard time piping the frosting onto my cupcakes, partly because I'm decades out of practice and partly because my kitchen was so hot that the buttercream quickly softened too much. Even so, I like the look of the buttercream swirls, messy though they turned out! If you are new to cake decorating and would like to give it a try, I recommend starting with a small, inexpensive, basic set, such as the Wilton Beginning Buttercream 20-Piece Cake Decorating Kit to see whether you enjoy using a piping bag and decorative tips.

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

  • 1 package Scotty's Everyday Keto Cupcake & Cake Mix
  • 1 Tablespoon melted butter or ghee (clarified butter)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • Optional but recommended: Avocado oil, clarified butter or coconut oil for greasing the cupcake liners

For the Keto Buttercream Frosting (Wholesome Yum recipe):

  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature (Wholesome Yum's recipe recommends Danish Creamery European Style Unsalted Butter, which isn't available where I live; I use Kerrygold Unsalted Butter, a high-quality Irish butter made from the milk of grass-fed cows that are free of growth hormones)
  • 1 cup Wholesome Yum Besti Keto Monk Fruit Sweetener With Allulose 1:1 Natural Powdered Sugar Replacement
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 Tablespoon heavy cream (approximately)

For the Filling:

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 ℉ / 180 ℃. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper, foil or silicone cupcake liners or place 12 sturdy silicone baking cups on a baking sheet. Although not specified on the cupcake mix package directions, I recommend greasing the liners lightly with a thin film of avocado oil, clarified butter or coconut oil.
  2. Prepare the Scotty's Everyday Keto Cupcake & Cake Mix batter according to the package directions. Use a trigger or spring action scoop to portion the batter evenly among the 12 lined muffin tin wells or silicone baking cups, using approximately 3.5 tablespoons of batter for each cupcake.
  3. Bake for 20–22 minutes, just until they test done according to the standard "toothpick test" (i.e., insert a clean, dry toothpick into to center of one of the cupcakes and pull it back out; if it remains clean and dry, the baked goods are done). Do not overbake! Cool them on a baking rack for 20 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the muffin pan or silicone baking cups.
  4. While the cupcakes are cooling, prepare the buttercream according to the Keto Buttercream Frosting Recipe on the Wholesome Yum website.
  5. Rinse the berries and lay them on two thicknesses of paper towel to dry. Set aside the best looking ones to decorate the tops of the cakes.
  6. Slice the cooled keto shorctcake cupcakes in half horizontally and turn the halves cut side up. Spread a layer of ChocZero Keto Strawberry Jam on one half and a thin layer of the prepared buttercream frosting on the other half. Arrange the berries on the bottom half of the cupcake and cover them with the top half.
  7. Frost the tops of the cupcakes with the remaining buttercream frosting. You can either spread it on with an offset spatula or put it into a piping bag fitted with a star tip (or your favorite cake decorating tip) and piping it on in swirls or rosettes. Top each frosted shortcake cupcake with one of the reserved fresh berries.
  8. Serve on dessert plates with knives and forks, like traditional berry shortcakes. (These towering, berry-filled cupcakes are too tall to bite into directly!)

A Perfect 4th of July Dessert

Make these shortcakes with fresh raspberries (or sliced or diced strawberries) and blueberries for a festive red, white and blue 4th of July dessert that everyone at your holiday gathering can enjoy, even if they are on a gluten-free, sugar-free, nut-free, low carb or ketogenic diet.

The Best Quick & Easy Low Carb Keto Shortcake Cupcakes Recipe by Margaret Schindel

Posts About My Keto Diet Journey

My First Year on The Keto Diet

Preparing to Succeed on the Keto Diet, Part One

Preparing to Succeed on the Keto Diet, Part Two

Low Carb Muffins & Cupcakes: Treats to Enjoy on a Keto Diet

Low Carb Keto Chocolate Yogurt Granola Chip Pudding Recipe

Good Dee’s Keto Cookie Low Carb Baking Mix Review

Hamama Microgreens Growing Kit Review & Success Tips

My Favorite Hamama Microgreens Seed Quilt Accessories

Keto Cheddar Cheese Biscuits With Chives Recipe

The Ultimate Keto Hot Chocolate Recipe

The Best Low Carb Keto Gift Ideas: Keto Gift Guide

The Best Low Carb Keto Cinnamon Muffins

Wholesome Yum Keto Bread Mix and Yeast Bread Recipe

The Good Chocolate 100% Organic No Sugar Dark Chocolate Review

The Best Advice to Maintain Your Keto Diet Weight Loss

My New Irresistibly Delicious Keto Cheese Crackers Recipe

Luscious Low Carb Keto Triple Peppermint Cheesecake Brownies Recipe

Quick & Easy Livlo Blueberry Scones Keto Baking Mix Review

Snack Better With The Best Healthy Keto Cookie Dough Bites

The Best Quick and Easy Low Carb Keto Pizza Recipe

The Best Quick and Easy Low Carb Keto Shortcake Cupcakes Recipe

Comparing the Best Keto-Friendly Chocolate Hazelnut Spreads - No Added Sugars

The Best Low Carb Keto Sandwich and Burger Buns Mix

Blueberry Biscuit Scones — New, Easy, Low Carb Keto Recipe

The Best Keto Pizza Crust Mix With 0 Net Carbs

An Unusual, Delicious Strawberry Chocolate Tea With 0 Calories

Delicious Sugar-Free Keto Cookies That OREO Fans Will Love

Healthy Pistachio Cherry Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cereal Treats Recipe

Easy, Decadent, High Protein, Sugar-Free Rocky Road Cottage Cheese Ice Cream

The Best Quick & Easy Low Carb Sausage and Ricotta Calzones

How to Make Refreshing Vanilla Italian Soda (With or Without Cream)


Reviews of the Keto Diet by Barbara C. (aka Brite-Ideas)

My Personal Keto Testimonial

How I Stayed Committed to the Ketogenic Way of Eating

Read More Recipe Reviews by Our Review This Reviews Contributors

Read More Product Reviews by Our Review This Reviews Contributors

Read More Reviews About Health and Wellness by Our Review This Reviews Contributors




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Wednesday, May 25, 2022

The Best Quick and Easy Low Carb Keto Pizza Recipe

Pizza is the most popular food in the world, according to TasteAtlas. A 2019 online survey of more than 2,000 U.S. adults ages 18 and older conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of California Pizza Kitchen found that pizza was the #1 food Americans would choose if they could eat only one food for the rest of their lives.

Take-out pizzas from your local pizzeria and ready-to-bake frozen pizzas from the supermarket can be convenient and often tasty. Unfortunately, most are very high in calories, fat and carbs. Homemade keto pizza crusts based on variations of the popular "fathead dough" are a reasonable alternative to traditional pizzas crusts made with wheat flour for someone on a gluten-free or low carb diet. Making your own pizza with high-quality, fresh, wholesome ingredients also lets you control the nutrition of both the crust and the toppings. It can also be messy and, depending on the recipe, possibly time-consuming.

In this review, I’ll share a delicious, quick and easy low carb keto pizza recipe that you can get on the table in just 30 minutes from start to finish, using a frozen KBosh keto crust and your choice of low carb toppings. These gluten-free, keto-friendly frozen crusts are extremely low in calories as well as carbohydrates and come in several different flavors, both sweet and savory. They are also very thin, so they crisp up quickly and allow your favorite toppings to be the center of attention.

This quick and easy low carb keto pizza recipe is intended as a starting point that you can customize to your taste with your choices of KBosh keto crust flavors and yummy toppings.

Photo of Low Carb Pizza With KBosh Keto Crust
This quick and easy low carb keto pizza recipe can be on the table in as little as 30 minutes!

Takeout Pizzas Are Loaded With Carbs and Calories

My husband and I are both pizza lovers and “foodies.” Until a few years ago, getting a large takeout pizza and a couple of big side salads was a frequent mid-week ritual for us. Our favorite was Bertucci’s Sporkie pizza, a wheat flour crust layered with sweet Italian sausage, ricotta, shredded mozzarella, grated Pecorino Romano and house-made tomato sauce, with extra toppings of roasted eggplant and caramelized onions. This scrumptious pie has a fabulous flavor and texture, but the nutritional profile is less than stellar. The large pies are cut into eight slices, and based on my calculation using Bertucci’s Main Menu Nutritional Information, our usual serving (1.5 slices) of a large Sporkie pizza with added roasted eggplant and caramelized onions weighs in at a whopping 840 calories, 13g of saturated fat, 60g of cholesterol, 1,815 mg of sodium, 76.5g of carbohydrates, 6g of fiber, 20 mg of sugar and 28.5g of protein!

After a serious health scare in 2019 gave me the motivation to lose nearly 60 pounds on a ketogenic weight loss diet, I decided to adopt a healthy, low carb lifestyle and find healthier, low carb alternatives to my favorite high-carb foods, and Sporkies became a thing of the past for us. I'm still hoping to perfect a delicious and easy keto pizza recipe with a crust that resembles the ones served at Bertucci's, so I can make a low carb version of our beloved Sporkie with roasted eggplant and caramelized onions. In the meantime, however, I have been experimenting with different, healthier, low carb pizza crust options.

KBosh Keto Cauliflower Crust Nutrition and Ingredients Label
Each KBosh Keto Crust has just 45 calories and less than 1 carbohydrate per serving!

Fathead Dough Keto Pizza Crusts vs. KBosh Keto Crusts

The most popular low carb and keto pizza recipes feature thin crusts made with some variation on "fathead dough," made with mozzarella cheese, butter or cream cheese, egg, coconut and/or almond flour and sometimes additional ingredients. Two good ones to try are the Keto Magic Mozzarella Dough recipe from All Day I Dream About Food and The Best Keto Pizza Recipe (Fathead Dough) from Wholesome Yum. Although I haven't yet found a recipe that produces a low carb pizza crust with the taste, texture and aroma of a traditional, wheat flour-based crust, these fathead dough variations offer a tasty and satisfying alternative for people who are watching their carbs.

KBosh Keto Crusts are made from many of the same ingredients as fathead dough, but they also contain low carb vegetables, such as cauliflower, zucchini, pumpkin, spinach or broccoli, depending on which flavor you choose. This gives them a somewhat different taste and texture than fathead dough type crusts and makes them lower in calories, fat and carbohydrates than regular fathead dough keto pizza crusts.

  • Ready to Use. Keto pizza crusts made from fathead dough need to be made from scratch. KBosh Keto Crusts arrive frozen and don't need to be thawed. Just remove the package from the freezer, gently separate the two crusts and crisp them up in a nonstick frying pan for a few minutes before adding your toppings and baking.
  • Lower in Net Carbs. Fathead dough based pizza crusts typically have 2–3.5 net carbs per serving. All KBosh keto pizza crust flavors have only 1 net carb per serving except the chocolate zucchini dessert pizza crust, which has 2 net carbs per serving.
  • The Entire KBosh Keto Pizza Crust (3 Servings) Has Just 3 Net Carbs and 120 Calories! That's low enough to allow you to indulge in an entire pizza with low carb toppings, if you are so inclined.

KBosh keto pizza crusts are also gluten-free and much lower in calories and carbohydrates than other popular gluten-free pizza crusts, such as Udi's Gluten Free Pizza Crust (200 calories and 34g of carbohydrates per 1/2-crust serving) and CauliPower All About the Base cauliflower pizza crust (170 calories and 28g of carbs per 1/3-crust serving).

Note: I also plan to try a few keto pizza crust mixes and will share any that I can recommend in a future product review.

Homemade Low Carb Ham and Asparagus Pizza on a KBosh Zucchini Keto Pizza Crust
I made this delicious, quick and easy low carb pizza using a KBosh zucchini keto pizza crust topped with sauce, three kinds of cheese, asparagus and ham. Here it is fresh from the oven, ready to devour!

Customize Your Pizza Topping Choices to Suit Your Preferences and Nutritional Macros

Another great thing about making your own homemade pizzas is that you can easily tailor your choices of pizza crust and toppings to suit your mood, the contents of your fridge and pantry, your low carb or keto macros, and the rest of your day's meal plan. 

For example, I can lower the carbs and increase the protein by skipping the pizza sauce and topping my keto pizza crust with whole milk mozzarella, crumbled bacon or sausage, and maybe some fresh asparagus and mushrooms. On days when I can afford a few more carbs, I might add some low carb pizza sauce and fresh red bell pepper and swap out the bacon or sausage for diced or julienned deli ham.

Photo of baked low carb pizza with KBosh pumpkin zucchini keto crust

Quick and Easy Low Carb Pizza Recipe With KBosh Keto Crust

Prep Time:

12-15 minutes

Cook Time:

12-15 minutes

Total Time:

24-30 minutes

Servings:

3 Servings

Ingredients

  • Low carb pizza sauce with no added sugar, such as Rao's Homemade All Natural Pizza SauceYo Mama's Classic Pizza Sauce, or Thrive Market Pizza Sauce
  • Whole milk ricotta cheese
  • Whole or part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded or whole
  • Fresh or frozen, sliced or chopped, raw or cooked mushrooms, asparagus, bell peppers, red onions artichoke hearts or other low carb vegetables, roasted garlic gloves
  • Sliced olives
  • Anchovies
  • Cooked and crumbled ground beef, pork, turkey, chicken, or bulk sausage
  • Cooked and crumbled bacon
  • Cooked low carb breakfast, Italian or other sausage links, cut into coins, half moons, chunks or 1/3" to 1/2" dice OR cooked, crumbled, bulk low carb sausage meat
  • Thinly sliced deli ham, diced or julienned
  • Fresh herbs, such as oregano, thyme, rosemary or basil leaves
  • Freshly grated, aged Parmigiana Romano cheese, as a final topping (optional) and to patch any tears or cracks that may develop while manipulating the fragile crust before it is baked.

Tools, Supplies & Equipment Needed

Instructions

1. If using a pizza stone, place it on an oven rack in a cold oven. Preheat the oven to 425 °F.

Important tip: Never put a cold pizza stone into a hot oven! These stones are usually made of either ceramic or cordierite, materials that can withstand high heat but must be heated gradually to avoid thermal shock, which could cause them to crack.

Toppings prepped for low carb pumpkin zucchini crust pizza
All the ingredients for my KBosh keto crust low carb pizza (excluding the grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and olive oil), prepped and ready to assemble.

2. Set out and prep your choice of toppings.

Browning KBosh zucchini keto pizza crust in a nonstick skillet
I forgot to take a photo when I was browning the KBosh pumpkin zucchini keto crust, but here is the KBosh zucchini keto crust I used for my three-cheese, fresh asparagus, ham low carb pizza.

3. Lightly oil the nonstick skillet with olive or avocado oil and preheat it for a minute or two over medium to medium-high heat. (Read why you should never preheat an empty nonstick pan.) While the pan is preheating, remove the KBosh keto crust package from the freezer. Cut open the plastic sleeve and carefully separate the two crusts. Slide the extra crust back into the plastic sleeve, seal it inside a large zippered freezer bag and return it to the freezer for storage.

Gently peel away the parchment from the remaining frozen crust and use the tip of the knife or spatula, if necessary, to carefully pry off the dessicant packet. Place the crust in the lightly oiled, preheated skillet and and pan-toast each side for 2–3 minutes, using the extra-wide, 6-inch slotted spatula to help you lift the edges to check the color and to turn over the crust after the first side is a rich medium brown. (Using an extra-wide turner to flip the fragile KBosh keto crust helps to lower the chances of causing tears or cracks.)

Tip: The KBosh crusts are very thin and somewhat fragile until they have been browned on both sides. To separate the frozen crusts, I slide the tip of a dinner knife or thin spatula between the parchment paper separators and slowly and carefully work my way around from the edges toward the center.If the crust develops any cracks or tears as you are separating the frozen crusts, prying off the dessicant packet or flipping the crust as you are browning it, see my quick and easy KBosh keto crust tear repair trick, below. Using freshly grated Parmigiano-Romano cheese and heat to "glue" the cracked or torn edges together works like a charm!

Trimming parchment paper to fit a round pizza baking pan
If using a round pizza baking pan, fold the parchment paper in half crosswise, then center the pan on the folded edge and trace around the rim, then trim off the excess, leaving a center gap for tab handles.

4. While the crust is browning, trim the sheet of unbleached baking parchment to fit your stainless steel pizza pan (if using) or fold the sheet of baking parchment in half lengthwise. Center the stainless steel pizza baking pan on the fold and trace around the edges to make a cutting template, leaving a 2-inch gap in the center to allow for tabs that will serve as handles. Trim the parchment along the guidelines as shown in the photo, then unfold the paper liner and center it on the stainless steel pizza pan.

Note: If you are using a dark nonstick baking sheet instead of the stainless steel pizza pan, I still recommend lining it with baking parchment to help absorb moisture from the crust and ensure that it doesn't stick to the baking sheet.

Topping the pizza sauce with large mounds of ricotta cheese
For a solid layer of ricotta over pizza sauce, place large, oval spoonfuls of ricotta in a flower pattern.

Spreading the ricotta evenly over the pizza sauce
Then, with the back of the spoon. gently spread the cheese to fill in the gaps between the "petals."

5. When both sides of the KBosh keto crust have been cooked to the desired doneness, remove the pan from the heat and allow the crust to cool for a few minutes. Then, using the extra-wide slotted turner, gently transfer the cooled crust to the prepared stainless steel pizza pan or dark nonstick baking sheet, centering the crust on the parchment liner. Spread a thin layer of your pizza sauce, pesto or other sauce over the crust, leaving a generous margin of bare crust around the edges, especially if you plan to add a layer of ricotta cheese. You can add small dollops of ricotta evenly spaced on top of the sauce layer or, for a solid layer of ricotta over the sauce, use a larger spoon to scoop and place large, closely spaced mounds and then use gentle pressure to spread the soft cheese and fill in the gaps, as shown.

Unbaked KBosh pumpkin zucchini pizza crust with all toppings added
I topped the sauce and cheese on this KBosh pumpkin zucchini crust with red peppers and Portobello mushrooms, then sprinkled julienned ham across the top, distributing everything evenly.

6. Layer your remaining toppings in whichever order you prefer, taking care to distribute all the toppings evenly among all the slices.

I usually decide the layering order for each pizza based on the specific characteristics of the toppings I have chosen, including whether they are raw or cooked. For example, here is how I layered my toppings on the KBosh pumpkin-zucchini keto crust pizza I made last week while my husband and I were away on vacation. I started with a thin layer of pizza sauce, topped with a thicker layer of whole milk ricotta and then a layer of sliced whole milk mozzarella cheese. The vegetables came next. First, I built a low "retainining wall" from short pieces of fresh red bell pepper strips around the perimeter to help limit the spread of the melting ricotta and mozzarella layers in the hot oven. Then, I arranged fresh Portobello mushroom slices over the cheese in a symmetrical pattern (for even distribution) and tucked more red bell pepper pieces in between. Then I sprinkled julienned deli ham over the vegetables, added a dusting of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and a light drizzle of olive oil before placing my pan of "loaded" low carb keto pizza into the hot oven, atop the preheated pizza stone.

Baked low carb keto pizza with KBosh pumpkin zucchini crust topped with pizza sauce, three cheeses, portobello mushrooms, red bell peppers, ham and baconom,
This low carb keto pizza with sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, red peppers, Portobello mushrooms, julienned ham, freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and olive oil smelled amazing, hot from the oven!

7. Protect your hands with oven mitts, then open the oven and carefully place the stainless steel pie pan on the preheated pizza stone. Close the oven and bake the pie for 11–13 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and started to brown lightly. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and transfer it to a rack, then let it cool for a few minutes to let the crust and toppings set up a bit. Use the tabs you left on both sides of the parchment paper liner to transfer the pizza onto a cutting board. Use a pizza wheel or, preferably, a rocker-style pizza cutter (which won't drag the melted cheese around as you cut) to cut the pie into four or six slices. Serve each person 2–3 slices, along with a knife and fork if you make a "loaded" pizza with lots of toppings, like the ones in the photos. (The thin, flourless, gluten-free crust isn't sturdy enough to support that much weight if you pick up the slice with your fingers.)

Note: Each KBosh keto crust serves 3, according to the packaging, and 1/3 of a pie is a good serving size. However, since the calories and carbs are so low, my husband and I often cut the baked pie into four large slices and eat two large slices each.

Quick & Easy KBosh Keto Crust Tear Repair Trick

My Secret? Use Freshly Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese as a Strong, Tasty "Hot Glue" for Repairing Any Cracks or Tears!

The two frozen keto crusts usually are stuck together pretty firmly inside the plastic sleeve, despite the parchment paper separators. Being both very thin and frozen hard makes them fragile until they have been crisped up. They may crack (or an edge may break off) when you are trying to separate the frozen crusts or pry off the dessicant packet. Also, when you are pan-toasting a frozen KBosh keto crust, it will remain fragile until it has been properly browned on both sides and allowed to cool and crisp up, (which is why I highly recommend using a 6-inch-wide spatula/turner for lifting, flipping and transferring these crusts from the skillet to the parchment lined pan).

Fortunately, even if an edge breaks off completely, there's an effective, quick and easy fix.

Photo of frozen crust with broken-off edges aligned in preheated skillet
See how one edge of this KBosh keto crust broke off completely? No worries! I started the repair by placing the pieces in the preheated, lightly oiled skillet, aligning the broken edges as closely as possible.

If a piece breaks off the outer edge while you are separating the two frozen crusts, lay both parts of the broken crust in the preheated, oiled skillet, taking care to align the broken edges. Then, sprinkle a generous line of freshly grated Parmigiano Romano along the entire length of the broken edges, as shown in the photos.

Photo of grated Parmesan cheese covering the entire break
Sprinkle freshly grated, aged Parmigiano Reggiano cheese over the entire break and heat (or continue to heat) the KBosh keto crust.

As the crust heats up, within 30–60 seconds, the grated cheese will melt and form a sturdy patch across the broken edges.

Photo of melted cheese repair reattaching the broken edge piece to the crust
After 30-60 seconds, the cheese will melt.

If the crust tears or breaks when you are checking for doneness or turning the crust over to brown the other side, patch the crack or break the same way, keeping the crust in the pan until the cheese has melted fully.

This repair trick works so well that I sometimes sprinkle a light, even layer of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese across the top of my frozen KBosh keto pizza crust as soon as I add it to the nonstick skillet. This has several benefits. It adds flavor; it helps to reinforce the fragile crust as it is browning (I usually oil the skillet a bit more when I do this); and it helps prevent the pizza sauce from soaking into the crust. Just make sure you flip the crust when you transfer it to the parchment paper so the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese layer is facing up!

Photo of the reverse side of the repaired crust
As you can see, when I flipped over the crust to brown the other side, the melted cheese formed a sturdy patch that made the torn area one solid piece again.

Important: Don't try to substitute shelf-stable parmesan cheese that contains cellulose (basically sawdust - ugh!) as an anti-caking agent. For this purpose, you WANT the grated cheese to stick together so it melts into a stronger, more solid patch over your tear or crack!

KBosh Keto Pizza Crusts: A Delicious Investment in Healthy Eating

Like most keto-friendly prepared foods with healthy, high-quality, nutritious ingredients, KBosh keto crusts aren't inexpensive. But for the price of a takeout pizza, I can have a delicious, hot, low carb pizza made with fresh, healthy ingredients on the table in just 30 minutes, without leaving the comfort of my home.

After a long day, it's well worth it to me to be able to serve my family a yummy, healthy, low carb, high protein dinner with lots of flavor and very little effort.

The Best Quick and Easy Low Carb Keto Pizza Recipe by Margaret Schindel

Posts About My Keto Diet Journey

My First Year on The Keto Diet

Preparing to Succeed on the Keto Diet, Part One

Preparing to Succeed on the Keto Diet, Part Two

Low Carb Muffins & Cupcakes: Treats to Enjoy on a Keto Diet

Low Carb Keto Chocolate Yogurt Granola Chip Pudding Recipe

Good Dee’s Keto Cookie Low Carb Baking Mix Review

Hamama Microgreens Growing Kit Review & Success Tips

My Favorite Hamama Microgreens Seed Quilt Accessories

Keto Cheddar Cheese Biscuits With Chives Recipe

The Ultimate Keto Hot Chocolate Recipe

The Best Low Carb Keto Gift Ideas: Keto Gift Guide

The Best Low Carb Keto Cinnamon Muffins

Wholesome Yum Keto Bread Mix and Yeast Bread Recipe

The Good Chocolate 100% Organic No Sugar Dark Chocolate Review

The Best Advice to Maintain Your Keto Diet Weight Loss

My New Irresistibly Delicious Keto Cheese Crackers Recipe

Luscious Low Carb Keto Triple Peppermint Cheesecake Brownies Recipe

Quick & Easy Livlo Blueberry Scones Keto Baking Mix Review

Snack Better With The Best Healthy Keto Cookie Dough Bites

The Best Quick and Easy Low Carb Keto Pizza Recipe

The Best Quick and Easy Low Carb Keto Shortcake Cupcakes Recipe

Comparing the Best Keto-Friendly Chocolate Hazelnut Spreads - No Added Sugars

The Best Low Carb Keto Sandwich and Burger Buns Mix

Blueberry Biscuit Scones — New, Easy, Low Carb Keto Recipe

The Best Keto Pizza Crust Mix With 0 Net Carbs

An Unusual, Delicious Strawberry Chocolate Tea With 0 Calories

Delicious Sugar-Free Keto Cookies That OREO Fans Will Love

Healthy Pistachio Cherry Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cereal Treats Recipe

Easy, Decadent, High Protein, Sugar-Free Rocky Road Cottage Cheese Ice Cream

The Best Quick & Easy Low Carb Sausage and Ricotta Calzones

How to Make Refreshing Vanilla Italian Soda (With or Without Cream)


Reviews of the Keto Diet by Barbara C. (aka Brite-Ideas)

My Personal Keto Testimonial

How I Stayed Committed to the Ketogenic Way of Eating

Read More Recipe Reviews by Our Review This Reviews Contributors

Read More Product Reviews by Our Review This Reviews Contributors

Read More Reviews About Health and Wellness by Our Review This Reviews Contributors




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Most Recent Reviews on Review This Reviews






Search for Reviews by Subject, Author or Title

The Review This Reviews Contributors



SylvestermouseSylvestermouseDawn Rae BDawn Rae BMbgPhotoMbgPhotoBrite-IdeasBrite-IdeasWednesday ElfWednesday ElfOlivia MorrisOlivia MorrisTreasures by BrendaTreasures by BrendaThe Savvy AgeThe Savvy AgeMargaret SchindelMargaret SchindelRaintree AnnieRaintree AnnieLou16Lou16Sam MonacoSam MonacoTracey BoyerTracey BoyerRenaissance WomanRenaissance WomanBarbRadBarbRadBev OwensBev OwensBuckHawkBuckHawkDecorating for EventsDecorating for EventsHeather426Heather426Coletta TeskeColetta TeskeMissMerFaeryMissMerFaeryMickie_GMickie_G

 


Review This Reviews is Dedicated to the Memory of Our Beloved Friend and Fellow Contributor

Susan DeppnerSusan Deppner

We may be apart, but
You Are Not Forgotten





“As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and or Etsy (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from purchases.” Disclosure Statement

X