With 4-Ingredient ‘Fathead Dough,’ You Can Make Keto-Friendly Pizza and Cinnamon Rolls

The scene opens on two sisters—Kells (that’s me!) and Rory—in the checkout line at Trader Joe’s near New York City’s Union Square. Rory has been eating keto for about two months, and wants to make low-carb, high-fat pizza for me while she’s visiting.

“No, seriously,” says Rory. “It’s called ‘fathead’ dough and it’s better than normal pizza crust.”

“You’re lying,” I reply.

Several hours later, Rory and I stared down at our now empty plates. She had been absolutely right: the fathead pizza dough was divine, a gift from the ketogenic food gods. Somehow, the recipe (which is all over the fat-lovin’ internet) hit the sweet spot between easy to prep and mouthwateringly delicious. The only four ingredients you need are mozzarella cheese, cream cheese, eggs, and coconut or almond flour. And as I sat at my kitchen table with sister, I said in all seriousness: “Can we make this again tomorrow night?”

A one-slice serving contains 117 calories, 2 net carbs (that’s total grams of carbs minus grams of fiber, for non-keto subscribers), 8 grams of fat, and a whopping 7 grams of protein. The cheese packed into the crust gives it all the creaminess of a rich dessert, but with the savoriness of pizza dough. While it’s easiest to enjoy it with a fork, the finger food-lover could totally get away with eating it in the traditional slice style.

The very best part, however, is that once you’ve mastered the recipe (and, I mean, it’s only four ingredients—so that shouldn’t take long), you can use it as a base for other traditionally carb-heavy treats. For example, the same ingredients can be used to make cinnamon rolls (I’m not kidding), bagels (for real), taco “cups” (you are not dreaming), and so much more. Whether you’re living the keto life 24/7 or simply dabbling, fathead dough is something you can take 20 minutes to make on Sunday and enjoy in various forms all week long.

The new landscape of keto snacks is seriously impressive, sure—but here’s how to make the diet more earth-friendly.