Best Cottage Cheese Pizza Bowl Low Carb Viral Recipe

This Cottage Cheese Pizza Bowl recipe is a low-carb, high-protein twist on classic pizza. Using cottage cheese as the base, it combines sautéed mushrooms, spinach, marinara sauce, mozzarella, and your choice of cooked meat. Enjoy it as a quick, satisfying meal or as a crustless pizza dip that’s perfect for pizza cravings!

Bowl of cottage cheese pizza.


This Cottage Cheese Pizza Bowl is one of my go-to recipes when I’m craving pizza but want something a bit lighter and higher in protein. Instead of using a traditional crust, this recipe starts with a base of cottage cheese, which makes it perfect for anyone following a low-carb or gluten-free diet. By sautéing mushrooms and spinach, then layering them with marinara sauce, mozzarella, and your choice of cooked meat, you get all the flavors of a classic pizza without the carbs.

Whether you’re making a single serving or feeding the family on pizza night, this recipe is easy, quick, and packed with protein and flavor. Plus, it can even double as a fun cottage cheese pizza dip—perfect for those casual nights when you want something comforting but still nutritious!

Are cottage cheese pizza bowls a good alternative to pizza?

Cottage cheese pizza bowls offer a delicious twist on traditional pizza by skipping the crust and using cottage cheese as the base. They’re great for anyone looking for a crustless option and can easily be customized with your favorite veggies and toppings. Plus, they’re naturally gluten-free. 

YouTube video

Why You’ll Love This Low-Carb Pizza Bowl Recipe

  • Easy to Make: Whip up this crustless pizza bowl with simple ingredients and minimal prep time for a quick, flavorful meal.
  • Pizza Cravings, No Crust: Satisfy your pizza cravings with all the cheesy goodness, but skip the crust for a lighter option.
  • Customizable: Add your favorite veggies and protein to make this dish your own, whether for a single serving or family dinner.
  • Versatile Cooking: Enjoy it microwaved, baked, or air-fried until warm and bubbly—perfect for a low-carb dinner or snack.
Bowl of cottage cheese pizza.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here is everything you need to make the best-tasting low-carb pizza cottage cheese bowl:

Cottage Cheese: You can use low-fat cottage cheese or fat-free cottage cheese.

Marinara Sauce: You can use homemade or store-bought tomato sauce or pizza sauce instead of marinara sauce.

Italian Seasoning: You can omit it or use a combination of dried oregano, basil, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Shredded Mozzarella Cheese: Any type of shredded cheese like cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack, or a blend with parmesan cheese.

Fresh Mushrooms: Use any other vegetable of your choice such as red bell peppers, green peppers, red onion, or zucchini.

Baby Spinach Leaves: You can omit or use kale or Swiss chard.

Garlic Powder: Fresh minced garlic or garlic paste can be used as a substitute for garlic powder.

Oil: Butter, olive oil, or any other cooking oil can be used in place of oil.

Pepperoni: You can use any cooked meat such as cooked chicken, turkey pepperoni, or ham.

Fresh Basil: This is an optional garnish.

Bowl of cottage cheese pizza.

How to Make My Cottage Cheese Pizza Bowl Recipe

Here are easy, detailed, step-by-step instructions for the best way to make low carb pizza bowls. The instructions are also repeated in the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post.

Step 1: Sautee the Veggies

Preheat the Oven: If you’re baking the pizza bowl, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). If you’re microwaving it or not adding vegetables, you can skip this step.

Heat a teaspoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms, a pinch of garlic powder, and salt. Saute until they start to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the baby spinach leaves and cook until wilted about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Spinach and mushrooms in a frying pan.

Step 2: Assemble Your Pizza Bowl

In an oven and microwave-safe bowl, combine the cottage cheese, marinara sauce, and Italian seasoning and mix until combined.

Add the sauteed mushrooms and spinach on top. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the vegetables and arrange the pepperoni slices on top of the cheese layer.

Oven Instructions: Place the bowl in the preheated oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. 

Microwave Instructions: Cover the bowl with a microwave-safe lid or plate and microwave on high for 1 minute or until the cheese is melted.

Air Fryer Instructions: Place the bowl inside the air fryer basket and cook for 5 minutes at 400°F or until the cheese is melted.

Stirring cottage cheese and marinara sauce in bowl.
Adding pepperoni to the top of the cheese in a bowl.
Bowl of cottage cheese pizza.

Recipe Notes

Blended Cottage Cheese: If you’re not a fan of the curdled texture of cottage cheese, you can blend it until it’s smooth before adding it to the bowl.

Excess Water: You can drain off any excess liquid in the bowl after it’s cooked or mix it all together before eating.

Low-Carb Options: To make this dish even lower in carbs, use a sugar-free marinara sauce and check the carb content of the cottage cheese and other ingredients.

Pizza Dip: You can enjoy your bowl as a dip with tortilla chips, pita chips, or veggie sticks.

Delicious Pizza Flavors

Here are a few favorite pizza toppings combinations to consider for your tasty bowl:

Regular Pepperoni: pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and pepperoni.

Supreme Pizza: pizza sauce, cheese, pepperoni, sausage, bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms.

Vegetarian: pizza sauce, cheese, green bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, black olives, spinach and tomatoes.

Meat Lovers: pizza sauce, cheese, pepperoni, ground beef, sausage, bacon, and sometimes ham or beef.

BBQ Chicken: BBQ sauce, cheese, grilled chicken, red onions, and sometimes cilantro.

Hawaiian: pizza sauce, cheese, ham and pineapple.

Four Cheese Pizza: pizza sauce, mozzarella, parmesan, ricotta, and asiago cheese.

Buffalo Chicken: buffalo sauce, cheese, grilled chicken, red onions, and sometimes ranch or blue cheese dressing, offering a spicy and tangy flavor.t

pesto sauce, fresh basil, diced chicken, Monterey jack cheese.

Extra Seasonings: Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, garlic aioli

Refrigeration: Store any leftover pizza bowl in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.

Freezing: While it’s best to enjoy this dish fresh, you can freeze the unbaked pizza bowl for up to 1-2 months. Assemble the pizza bowl in a freezer-safe dish, cover tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil, then freeze. When ready to eat, bake it from frozen, adding extra time as needed until it’s heated through and the cheese is bubbly.

Reheating: To reheat the pizza bowl, you can microwave it until heated through or bake it in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 10-15 minutes or until warmed through.

Do I have to cook the veggies and meat before I add them to my personal pizza bowl?
Yes, for best results, you’ll want to cook your vegetables first for flavor and texture. And the meat needs to be precooked.

What are the benefits of making low-carb cottage cheese pizza bowls?
They are a single-serving, customizable meal that’s lower in carbs than traditional pizza while still offering the flavors you love. Cottage cheese is a good source of protein and can help you feel fuller for longer.

Can I use full-fat cottage cheese in a viral cottage cheese pizza bowl?
Yes, you can use any type of cottage cheese you prefer. Full-fat cottage cheese will be higher in calories and fat, but also creamier.

What are some low-carb toppings I can add to my pizza bowl?
Popular options include chopped bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, olives, pepperoni, and ground sausage. You can also use cauliflower rice for a base that adds more vegetables.

How can I make this low-carb pizza bowl recipe vegan?
Use vegan ricotta cheese instead of cottage cheese and choose vegan mozzarella cheese. There are also dairy-free marinara sauces available.

What can I dip in my cottage cheese pizza bowl?
While the cottage cheese adds some creaminess, you can enjoy these bowls with keto bread/baguette slices, mini bell pepper halves, or even pork rinds for an extra crunchy option.

Bowl of cottage cheese pizza.

Best Cottage Cheese Pizza Bowl Low Carb Viral Recipe

Gluten-Free diet-friendly recipe
This Cottage Cheese Pizza Bowl recipe is a low-carb, high-protein twist on classic pizza. Using cottage cheese as the base, it combines sautéed mushrooms, spinach, marinara sauce, mozzarella, and your choice of cooked meat. Enjoy it as a quick, satisfying meal or as a crustless pizza dip that’s perfect for pizza cravings!
5 from 6 votes
Servings 1
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 6 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup cottage cheese
  • 1/4 cup marinara sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup baby spinach leaves
  • 8 slices pepperoni

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the Oven: If you're baking the pizza bowl, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). If you're microwaving it, you can skip this step.
    Heat a teaspoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms, a pinch of garlic powder, and salt. Saute until they start to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the baby spinach leaves and cook until wilted about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • In an oven and microwave-safe bowl, combine the cottage cheese, marinara sauce, and Italian seasoning and mix until combined.
    Add the sauteed mushrooms and spinach on top. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the vegetables and arrange the pepperoni slices on top of the cheese layer.
  • Oven Instructions: Place the bowl in the preheated oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. 
    Microwave Instructions: Cover the bowl with a microwave-safe lid or plate and microwave on high for 1 minute or until the cheese is melted.
    Air Fryer Instructions: Place the bowl inside the air fryer basket and cook for 5 minutes at 400°F or until the cheese is melted.

Video

YouTube video

Notes

Blended Cottage Cheese: If you’re not a fan of the curdled texture of cottage cheese, you can blend it until it’s smooth before adding it to the bowl.
Excess Water: You can drain off any excess liquid in the bowl after it’s cooked or mix it all together before eating.
Low-Carb Options: To make this dish even lower in carbs, use a sugar-free marinara sauce and check the carb content of the cottage cheese and other ingredients.
Pizza Dip: You can enjoy your bowl as a dip with tortilla chips, pita chips, or veggie sticks.

Nutrition

Calories: 292kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 23gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 1063mgPotassium: 523mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 2017IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 264mgIron: 2mg
Keyword cottage cheese, low-carb pizza, pizza bowl, protein pizza
Did you make this recipe and love it?Please let me know in the comments below how it turned out 🙂

7 Comments

  1. I like Italian food, soup, and cheese (who doesn’t?) so this was a win 🙂 Used frozen spinach cubes (accommodated for it being a little watery when thawed) which speeds it up even more!

  2. This tastes exactly like how my pizza would without having the bread that always gives me a stomach ache. Thank you for your recipe!!

5 from 6 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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