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This Crustless Pizza Bowl for One is loaded with Italian sausage, pepperoni, marinara, and bubbly mozzarella. A low-carb single serving dinner, ready in about 20 minutes.
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Equipment: Skillet and a 10-ounce ramekin
- Cook Method: Stovetop + Oven (350°F / 177°C)
- Flavor Profile: Savory, cheesy, herby
- Servings: 1
- Difficulty: Easy
A keto-friendly, gluten-free pizza bowl baked in a ramekin with layers of sausage, pepperoni, vegetables, and cheese over marinara sauce.
A Low Carb Pizza Bowl In One Ramekin
Picture a ramekin with browned Italian sausage, pepperoni, sautéed peppers and onions, two layers of marinara, and a thick cap of mozzarella baked until it’s golden and bubbling at the edges. That’s this crustless pizza bowl.
I make this single serving pizza bowl when I want pizza flavors but don’t want to deal with dough or crust. The whole thing comes together in one skillet and one ramekin, so cleanup is minimal. And because there’s no crust, it’s naturally low-carb and keto-friendly.
The layering is what makes it work. Pepperoni goes down first on a thin bed of marinara, then the sausage and vegetable mixture, then more sauce, then cheese. I tested the ratios until the filling stayed thick and scoopable instead of soupy.
This crustless pizza bowl for one fits a standard 10-ounce ramekin, and you can double it using two ramekins or a 5×5-inch baking dish with the same bake time. Swap in mushrooms, olives, banana peppers, ground beef. It’s a different pizza bowl every time.
If you like this recipe, try our French bread pizza for one, personal pepperoni pizza, pizza quiche for one, and mini Detroit style pizza.
What How To Make A Supreme Pizza Bowl For One
Table of Contents
- Quick Look
- A Low Carb Pizza Bowl In One Ramekin
- What How To Make A Supreme Pizza Bowl For One
- Ingredient Notes
- Recipe Variations
- How To Make A Crustless Pizza Bowl
- Expert Tips
- Troubleshooting
- How To Store A Crustless Pizza Bowl
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
- Crustless Pizza Bowl For One Recipe
Ingredient Notes
If you have any ingredients leftover from this no-crust pizza bowl, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
Olive oil: Used to sauté the sausage and vegetables. Avocado oil works as a substitute.
Ground Italian sausage: The seasoning base for the whole bowl. The blend of fennel, garlic, and red pepper in Italian sausage means you don’t need to add extra spices. Turkey sausage is a leaner option.
Use leftover sausage in tortellini soup for one and zuppa toscana for one.
Onion and green bell pepper: Add texture and a little sweetness when sautéed. Use whatever vegetables you have on hand.
Leftover onion and bell pepper work well in small slow cooker ropa vieja, chicken tacos for one, and pepper steak for one.
Garlic: Adds depth to the sausage and vegetable mixture. One minced clove is enough for a single serving. If you’re short on fresh garlic, use 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder.
Marinara sauce: Divided between two layers in the ramekin, which gives you sauce in every bite instead of just on top. Use your favorite jarred marinara, pizza sauce, or tomato sauce. Our small batch tomato sauce works here too. If you’re keeping this keto, choose a brand with no added sugar.
Extra sauce can go into stuffed shells for one and single serving chicken Parmesan.
Pepperoni: Lines the bottom of the ramekin on top of the first layer of marinara. The pepperoni stays tender underneath the filling and absorbs some of the sauce flavor. Substitute with ham or cooked chicken if you prefer.
Extra pepperoni can go into mini muffuletta.
Shredded mozzarella cheese: Goes on top and melts into a bubbly layer in the oven. Shred your own from a block if you can. Pre-shredded mozzarella is coated with cellulose (an anti-caking starch) that prevents it from melting smoothly. For a dairy-free option, use vegan cheese.
Leftover mozzarella is great in single serving lasagna soup, Italian chopped salad, and mini vegetable lasagna.
Fresh basil (optional): Goes on after baking for a bright, peppery finish. Don’t bake it in the oven or it will turn dark and lose flavor.
Looking for more easy dinner ideas for one? Start here with our 35 favorite single serving dinners.
Recipe Variations
These are tested ways to change up this single serving crustless pizza bowl recipe.
Supreme pizza bowl: Keep the Italian sausage and pepperoni from the base recipe, then add sliced mushrooms, black olives, and extra bell pepper. This is the closest to what you’d order at a pizza restaurant.
Pepperoni pizza bowl: Skip the sausage and vegetables entirely. Layer pepperoni, marinara, and mozzarella. Fewer ingredients, faster prep, and it’s the lowest-carb version of this recipe.
BBQ chicken pizza bowl: Swap the marinara for BBQ sauce and use chopped cooked chicken with red onions instead of sausage. Top with Monterey Jack cheese.
Garden veggie pizza bowl: Replace the meat with sautéed spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, and banana peppers over marinara. A vegetarian version that still has plenty of substance.
Ground beef pizza bowl: Use browned ground beef in place of the Italian sausage. Season it with 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/8 teaspoon onion powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt since ground beef doesn’t have the built-in seasoning that Italian sausage does.
How To Make A Crustless Pizza Bowl
Step-by-step photos and instructions for this single serving pizza bowl. Ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Cook the sausage. Heat olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage and break it into small pieces with a spatula. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and no pink remains.
- Sauté the vegetables. Add the chopped onions, green bell peppers, and garlic to the same skillet. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring often, until the onions turn translucent.
- Drain the grease. Transfer the sausage and vegetables to a paper towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon. This keeps the pizza bowl from getting greasy or soupy at the bottom.
- Layer the sauce and pepperoni. Spoon half the marinara sauce into the bottom of a 10-ounce ramekin, then arrange the pepperoni slices in a single layer on top.
- Add the filling. Spread the sausage and vegetable mixture evenly over the pepperoni.
- Top with sauce and cheese. Spoon the remaining marinara sauce over the filling, then sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the top.
- Bake. Place the ramekin on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
- Rest and serve. Let the pizza bowl cool for 5 minutes before serving. The filling is very hot and will firm up slightly as it rests.
Expert Tips
Drain the sausage well. Excess grease from the sausage will pool at the bottom of the ramekin during baking. Draining on a paper towel-lined plate before assembling prevents a greasy, soupy pizza bowl.
Shred your own mozzarella. Pre-shredded cheese is coated with cellulose to prevent clumping, and it doesn’t melt as smoothly. A block of low-moisture mozzarella, shredded at home, gives you that stretchy, bubbly layer on top.
Choose a sugar-free sauce for keto. Some jarred marinara and pizza sauces have added sugar. Check the label if you’re keeping this low-carb or keto-friendly.
Place the ramekin on a baking sheet. If the sauce bubbles over during baking, the baking sheet catches the drip. It also makes it easier to move the hot ramekin in and out of the oven.
Don’t overfill the ramekin. A 10-ounce ramekin fits this recipe’s portions with about a half inch of space at the top. Packing toppings above the rim leads to overflow and uneven melting.
Troubleshooting
Why is my pizza bowl soupy or greasy?
The sausage wasn’t drained enough before assembling. Italian sausage releases a lot of fat during cooking. Always transfer the cooked sausage and vegetables to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon before layering.
Why didn’t my cheese melt evenly?
The mozzarella was piled in the center instead of spread to the edges. Sprinkle it in an even layer so the heat reaches all of it during the 10-minute bake.
Why did my pizza bowl overflow?
The ramekin was too full or too small. This recipe is portioned for a 10-ounce ramekin. If your ramekin is smaller, scale back the toppings. Always place the ramekin on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any spills.
How To Store A Crustless Pizza Bowl
Refrigerate: Place leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Freeze: Let the pizza bowl cool completely, then cover the ramekin tightly with plastic wrap and foil, or transfer to an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheat in the oven: Bake at 350°F (177°C) for about 10 minutes, or until warmed through and the cheese is bubbling again.
Reheat in the microwave: Heat in 30-second intervals until warmed through. The cheese won’t get as bubbly as the oven method, but it’s faster.
Frequently Asked Questions
A crustless pizza bowl is pizza toppings, sauce, and cheese layered in a ramekin or oven-safe bowl and baked without dough. This single serving version uses Italian sausage, pepperoni, marinara, and mozzarella baked at 350°F for 10 minutes. It’s low-carb, keto-friendly, and gluten-free.
A 10-ounce ramekin is the best size for a single serving crustless pizza bowl. The ingredient amounts in this recipe are portioned specifically for that size. A larger ramekin will spread the layers too thin and you’ll lose the stacked, layered bite.
Yes. To double this recipe, simply double all ingredients and divide the mixture between 10-ounce ramekins or one 5×5-inch baking dish. Bake time stays the same at 350°F for 10 minutes.
This crustless pizza bowl has about 9g total carbohydrates and 2g fiber, which is roughly 7g net carbs per serving. Use a marinara or pizza sauce with no added sugar to keep net carbs low.
Yes, layer the sauce, toppings, and cheese in a microwave-safe 10-ounce and microwave for 60 to 90 seconds until the cheese is melted. The cheese won’t brown or bubble like the oven method, but it works when you need dinner in under 2 minutes.
Yes. Assemble the pizza bowl in an oven-safe 10-ounce ramekin and air fry at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Let it rest for a few minutes before serving.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this crustless pizza bowl recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen, let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and leaving a comment below.
If you take a picture, tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) I’d love to see it!
Crustless Pizza Bowl For One
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 4 ounces ground Italian sausage
- ¼ cup chopped onions
- ¼ cup chopped green bell peppers
- 1 clove garlic -minced
- 2 tablespoons marinara sauce -divided
- 5 slices pepperoni
- ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Optional: fresh basil for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Heat olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage and break it into small pieces with a spatula. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and no pink remains.
- Add the chopped onions, green bell peppers, and garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are translucent.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage and vegetables to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess grease.
- Spoon 1 tablespoon of marinara sauce into the bottom of a 10-ounce ramekin. Arrange the pepperoni slices in a single layer on top of the sauce.
- Spread the sausage and vegetable mixture evenly over the pepperoni.
- Spoon the remaining 1 tablespoon of marinara sauce over the filling, then sprinkle the shredded mozzarella evenly over the top.
- Place the ramekin on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
- Let the pizza bowl cool for 5 minutes before serving. The filling will be very hot.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Joanie I love your recipes as I am a single senior trying to lose weight. But what do you do with leftover sauces that you have to open a can or bottle and only use a small amount? Most cans are 14oz and jars with marinara are 20oz or more, broth is 32 oz, etc.
That’s a great question, and it’s something I put a lot of thought into when creating recipes.
In the pizza bowl post, you’ll see in the ingredient notes that I link to other recipes on the site that use the leftover marinara sauce, so you have easy ways to use it up.
At the bottom of every recipe post, I also include links to additional recipes that use similar ingredients.
And if you ever have something specific left over, you can use the Leftover Ingredient Recipe Finder on the site. Just type in what you have, like marinara or broth, and it will show you recipes that use it.
For anything you don’t use right away, sauces and broth can usually be refrigerated for a few days or frozen in smaller portions for later.
I enjoy these pizza bowls on the weekends not s lot of fuss and mess. I was wondering if a couple of these could be made up and put in the freezer?
Yes, you can freeze them for up to 3 months. To freeze, let the pizza bowls cool completely, then either cover the ramekin tightly with plastic wrap and foil or transfer the contents to an airtight container if you prefer not to freeze the ramekin. When ready to eat, thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the oven or microwave. Glad you’re enjoying them!
What could be used instead of pepperoni? It just doesn’t agree with me.
Use your favorite pizza ingredients. Either add more vegetables or use cooked sausage instead of pepperoni.
Glad I found this recipe! Pizza is my all time favorite food, but the crust isn’t the best for my diabetes. So this crustless version means I can still enjoy my pizza. 🙂
I love that you can put your own likes in it and still have a pizza bowl!
So easy to make! Great taste!
Terrific recipe.