Best Pizza Sauce Options For Your Keto Diet

Pizza is a popular food choice for many, but it's not always the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about a keto-friendly meal. The high carbohydrate and fat content in pizzas can quickly add up, making it challenging to stay within the keto diet's recommended range of 5-10% carbohydrate intake. However, with some creative ingredient swaps, it is possible to enjoy pizza while adhering to a keto diet.

One crucial aspect of making keto-friendly pizzas is choosing the right pizza sauce. Traditional red marinara sauces and white pizza sauces often contain added sugars and high amounts of carbohydrates, making them unsuitable for a keto diet. But there are alternatives! Here are some tips and suggestions for choosing or making the best keto pizza sauce:

- Tomato Paste-Based Red Sauce: Instead of using canned tomatoes, opt for tomato paste, which provides concentrated flavour without the added sugars. Mixing it with extra-virgin olive oil gives it a spreadable texture. You can also add various spices and herbs to enhance the flavour.

- Heavy Cream and Cheese-Based White Sauce: For a keto-friendly white sauce, replace milk with heavy cream and cheese. While this option is low in carbohydrates, it can be high in calories, so use it sparingly.

- Cream Cheese or Mascarpone Frosting: For a sweet twist, consider making a dessert pizza with a cream cheese or mascarpone frosting. The Low Carb Spark recipe has just 4g of net carbs per serving.

When making your own keto pizza sauce, remember to read the labels of all ingredients carefully to avoid hidden sugars and unwanted carbohydrates. By choosing the right sauce and being mindful of portion sizes, you can enjoy delicious keto-friendly pizzas without compromising your diet.

Tomato paste-based red sauce

Ingredients

To make a keto-friendly tomato paste-based red sauce, you will need the following ingredients:

• Tomato paste
• Olive oil
• Spices and herbs (such as garlic, basil, oregano, marjoram, onion powder, and fennel seed)
• Water (optional, to adjust consistency)
• Balsamic vinegar (optional, for added sweetness)

Preparation

Preparing this sauce is simple and quick. Start by sautéing fresh chopped garlic in olive oil until softened. Then, add the tomato paste and your desired spices and herbs. If you prefer a thinner sauce, you can add water to adjust the consistency. For a touch of sweetness, add a small amount of balsamic vinegar. Simmer the sauce for a few minutes until it darkens slightly and loses its raw smell.

Storage

This keto-friendly tomato paste-based red sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. For longer storage, you can freeze the sauce in portions using ice cube trays. Once frozen, transfer the sauce cubes to a freezer-safe container and store for up to three months.

Usage

This sauce is perfect for topping any low-carb pizza dough or as a dip for keto-friendly snacks. It can also be used in place of marinara sauce in casseroles, keto pasta, and other Italian dishes.

Customisation

Feel free to customise the sauce to your taste preferences. You can add chopped onion, fresh rosemary, dried marjoram, red pepper flakes, or Parmesan cheese to give it your unique flavour. Additionally, if you prefer a sweeter sauce, you can add a granulated sweetener of your choice, such as erythritol, monk fruit sweetener, or allulose.

Olive oil and garlic

To make a keto-friendly pizza sauce with olive oil and garlic, you'll need the following ingredients:

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Garlic
• Tomato sauce/passata (no added sugar)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Other herbs and spices (optional)

Here's a simple recipe you can follow:

• Mince or press 1-2 cloves of garlic.
• Add olive oil and garlic to a saucepan and place over medium heat.
• Sauté the garlic until it becomes fragrant, usually around 1-3 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic as it can turn bitter.
• Add in the tomato sauce/passata and any desired herbs and spices. You can add Italian mixed herbs like basil, oregano, and rosemary, or get creative with other options like onion powder, red pepper flakes, or dried marjoram.
• Stir everything together and let the sauce simmer for around 5-20 minutes. Keep an eye on it and give it a stir occasionally to prevent sticking and burning.
• Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning as needed.
• Remove the sauce from the heat and let it cool.

Your keto-friendly pizza sauce is now ready to use! You can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or freeze it for later use.

Feel free to experiment with different ingredients and spices to make the sauce your own. You can also try adding other ingredients like shallots, ricotta cheese, or parmesan cheese for a more indulgent sauce.

Remember, when choosing your ingredients, always opt for high-quality olive oil and avoid any tomato products with added sugar to ensure your sauce stays keto-friendly.

Herbs and spices

Oregano

Oregano is a staple herb in Italian cuisine and is commonly found in pizza sauces. It has a pungent, earthy, and slightly bitter flavour that pairs well with tomatoes. Oregano also has antioxidant properties, making it a nutritious addition to your keto pizza sauce.

Basil

Basil is another classic herb used in Italian cooking, including pizza sauces. It has a fresh, sweet, and slightly peppery flavour that complements the acidity of tomatoes. Basil is often used alongside oregano, creating a well-rounded and aromatic herb combination.

Marjoram

Marjoram is a lesser-known herb that belongs to the mint family and has a similar flavour profile to oregano. It adds a warm and slightly sweet taste to the keto pizza sauce, creating a unique flavour profile.

Red Pepper Flakes

Red pepper flakes, also known as crushed red peppers, add a spicy kick to your keto pizza sauce. They are commonly used to enhance the flavour and provide a mild to moderate level of heat. If you prefer a spicier sauce, you can increase the amount of red pepper flakes used.

Garlic

Garlic is a staple ingredient in pizza sauces, adding a pungent and savoury flavour. Freshly minced or pressed garlic is typically preferred over jarred garlic, as it offers a more robust flavour. However, jarred garlic can be a convenient alternative if fresh garlic is unavailable.

Onion Powder

Onion powder is used in keto pizza sauce to add the savoury flavour of onions without the bulk or moisture of fresh onions. It blends seamlessly into the sauce, enhancing the overall flavour profile.

Rosemary

Rosemary is an aromatic herb with a strong, woody, and slightly pine-like flavour. It is commonly used in Italian mixed herb blends and can be added to keto pizza sauce for a unique and robust flavour.

Parsley

Parsley is a bright and fresh-tasting herb that can be used in keto pizza sauce. It has a subtle flavour that enhances the other ingredients in the sauce without overwhelming them. Fresh or dried parsley can be used, depending on your preference.

Additional Spices

Other spices that can be added to keto pizza sauce include fennel seed, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. These spices contribute to the overall flavour profile and can be adjusted to suit your taste preferences.

Balsamic vinegar

However, balsamic vinegar is pretty sweet compared to other vinegars, so it is important to check the label when incorporating it into a keto diet. The nutritional information of balsamic vinegar can vary, but one tablespoon of a keto-friendly variety will contain zero grams of protein, fat or fibre, two grams of net carbs, and trace amounts of calcium, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium.

Regular balsamic vinegar and white balsamic vinegar varieties contain between two and ten grams of carbs per tablespoon serving. However, some low-carb versions are available that contain less than two grams of net carbs per serving. The cheaper, low-quality balsamic vinegars found in supermarkets will typically have two grams of carbs and two grams of sugar per tablespoon.

Balsamic glaze, a highly concentrated form of balsamic vinegar with a thick and syrupy consistency, is generally not considered keto-friendly. Most commercially produced balsamic glazes are sweetened with sugars and can contain as many as 18 grams of carbs per tablespoon.

If you are looking to incorporate balsamic vinegar into your keto diet, it is best to opt for a low-carb variety, or to make your own.

Sugar-free sweetener

There are several sugar-free sweeteners that can be used in keto pizza sauces, including:

• Erythritol
• Monk fruit sweetener
• Allulose
• Stevia
• Besti (a powdered sweetener)
• Golden erythritol

These sugar-free sweeteners can be added to the pizza sauce in small quantities to enhance the flavour and create a sweet and savoury base for your favourite keto-friendly pizza toppings.

When selecting a sugar-free sweetener for your keto pizza sauce, it is important to choose one that dissolves easily and complements the other ingredients in your sauce. Some sweeteners may have a bitter aftertaste, so it is worth experimenting with different options to find the one that suits your taste preferences.

Additionally, you can adjust the amount of sweetener used in your keto pizza sauce based on your desired level of sweetness. If you prefer a less sweet sauce, you can reduce the amount of sweetener or omit it entirely. On the other hand, if you have a sweet tooth, you can increase the amount of sweetener used or add a few drops at a time until the desired level of sweetness is achieved.

By using sugar-free sweeteners in your keto pizza sauce, you can enjoy a delicious and healthy pizza night without compromising your dietary restrictions.

Frequently asked questions