Low Calorie Pizza
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
My low calorie pizza features a golden, chewy crust topped with a homemade pizza sauce and your choice of toppings. Each slice comes in significantly lighter than traditional pizza. It’s an easy option for a more balanced pizza night.
I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve tried just about every lighter pizza variation out there. While some were good, none quite matched the texture and flavor of a classic slice. Traditional pizza can contain 200–300+ calories per slice, depending on the crust and toppings, which adds up quickly. So I went back to my kitchen to develop my own version.
I use my Greek yogurt dough as the base, replacing part of the traditional flour-and-oil dough while still baking up golden and chewy. Paired with a simple sauce and measured toppings, it creates a pizza that’s lighter per slice while still delivering the structure and flavor of any good pizza.
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- The dough is easy to make. Thanks to the magic of self-rising flour, there’s no yeast, kneading, resting, nada.
- The perfect texture. The pizza crust is crispy on the outside and pillowy soft in the center, with a subtle tang from the yogurt.
- Fast. Again, no kneading or rest time means the entire process is quick.
- Customizable. Like any good pizza recipe, you can add any toppings you want. I left a few low-cal, high-protein options below.
Key Ingredients
Here’s what goes into this low calorie pizza crust, along with kitchen notes. Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Self-rising flour. This is one of my favorite ingredients for baking. It’s essentially a combination of all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. When mixed with yogurt, you get an elastic, pliable dough. If you don’t have any on hand, you can easily make your own.
- Non-fat Greek yogurt. To give the dough elasticity. The yogurt bakes into the dough and doesn’t leave a noticeable tang. You can also use plain yogurt, though it will be higher in calories.
- Salt. Even though the self-rising flour has a little salt, we add a pinch more just to balance out the flavor.
- Italian seasoning. Optional, but it adds an Italian flavor to the dough.
For the low-calorie pizza sauce:
- Tomato sauce. Also known as passata (not ketchup). Use one with no added sugar or salt.
- Spices. I’m using garlic, onion powder, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning for flavor.
- Brown sugar substitute. Most pizza sauces have some sugar, so we cut the calories by adding a sprinkle of a brown sugar substitute.
- Toppings. I used part-skim mozzarella cheese, but any fat-free or low-fat cheese works. I also added turkey pepperoni for extra protein.
Topping ideas
Don’t feel obligated to keep your pizza plain. Get creative! Some of my favorite lower-calorie toppings are onions, spinach, mushrooms, olives, or fresh basil.
Proteins like lean ground turkey, chicken sausage, or sliced chicken breast will help you feel fuller for longer.
How to make low calorie pizza
Step 1- Prep. Preheat the oven and line a pizza pan with parchment paper. Whisk together the tomato sauce ingredients.
Step 2- Make the dough. Combine the dough ingredients in a bowl until smooth.
Step 3- Shape. Transfer the dough ball to a floured kitchen surface and roll it to about 10 inches wide. Place it on the prepared pan.
Step 4- Assemble. Pour the sauce over the crust, and add half the cheese and all of the pepperoni. Top with the remaining cheese.
Step 5- Bake. Bake until the cheese melts and the crust is golden. Let it cool briefly before slicing.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Use a stand mixer (optional). While I prefer mixing the dough by hand, a stand mixer helps incorporate the yogurt evenly and create a smoother texture.
- Consider the pan. For a thicker, crispier crust, bake in a preheated cast iron skillet. For a thinner crust, use a pizza pan or sheet tray.
- Lightly oil sticky dough. Depending on the yogurt, sometimes the dough can be tacky. If you’re having difficulty stretching it to fit the pizza pan, lightly coat it with olive oil to make it easier to work with.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
To freeze: Place leftover slices in a ziplock bag and store them in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Reheating: Microwave slices for 20-30 seconds or warm in a preheated oven. I actually like to reheat slices on a hot skillet until the edges are hot and crispy- it tastes like it’s fresh out of the oven.
Frequently asked questions
Greek yogurt dough replaces part of the traditional oil-heavy pizza structure. Using non-fat yogurt and self-rising flour reduces the amount of added fat while creating a chewy crust.
Yes, you can. Use part-skim or fat-free mozzarella cheese (as I’ve done) and add more vegetable toppings. You can also roll the dough to 12 inches instead of 10, then slice it into 10 pieces.
While the crust is slightly lighter than a traditional yeast-and-oil dough, it still bakes up golden and chewy.
✅ Nutrition reviewed
Nutrition information is calculated using weighed ingredients and analyzed by our in-house registered dietitian. Values are estimates and may vary depending on specific brands, ingredient substitutions, and portion sizes. For best accuracy, we recommend weighing ingredients (especially flour) where possible.
Low Calorie Pizza
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup self rising flour 80g
- 2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt 160g, non-fat
- 1/4 teaspoon salt 1.5g
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasonings 1g
For the low calorie pizza sauce
- 1/4 cup tomato sauce 60g
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning 0.5g
- 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar substitute 2g
- 1/4 teaspoon salt 1.5g
For the low calorie toppings
- 1/2 cup fat free mozzarella cheese 56g, divided
- 1/4 cup Pepperoni 30g, reduced fat or Turkey pepperoni
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Line a large baking sheet or pizza tray with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, add the flour and yogurt and mix until combined. Add the salt and Italian seasonings and shape into a smooth ball of dough.
- Lightly flour a kitchen surface. Transfer the ball of dough onto the sheet of parchment paper. Use a rolling pin to roll it out to 10 inches wide. Transfer the dough onto the lined sheet or tray.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients until smooth.
- Spread the sauce over the pizza crust. Add half the shredded cheese, followed by the pepperoni, then the remaining cheese.
- Transfer the pizza into the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the crust is golden. Remove the pizza from the oven and slice into eight slices.
Notes
- Nutritional information: Calories listed reflect the crust and sauce only. When made with the listed cheese and pepperoni toppings, each slice contains approximately 83 calories. A full 10-inch pizza (no toppings) is 440 calories.
- Pizza weight: Each slice without toppings weighs approximately 1.2 ounces (35g). With the cheese and pepperoni, each slice will be 1.55 ounces (44g).
- Leftovers: Keep refrigerated for 5 days or frozen in a ziploc bag for 2 months.
Nutrition
More lower calorie recipes to try
I love a batch of these low calorie chips with salsa or guacamole for a savory snack.
Low calorie cereal topped with almond milk is my current favorite breakfast.
Chewy, doughy low calorie bagels that don’t need any yeast or proofing time.
Adding more veggies for bulk makes this low calorie pasta an ideal dinner.
If you want more healthy pizza recipes, Try my protein pizza, eggplant pizza, cottage cheese pizza crust, or cloud bread pizza.
Originally published December 2021. Updated to improve measurement accuracy and provide revised nutrition estimates.
Arman, love love this, have made it many times and also your cast iron pizza. How wonderful to find a pizza recipe that is not fattening and not to mention so so easy to make.
Thank you for all your wonderful recipes. I never tire of trying them out.
Great recipe ! Perfect for my diet , tastes great . I will make a few changes when I make it next , I will increase the recipe by another 1/2 cook the crust first & not use parchment paper on the pizza pan . Instead I will spray the pan & roll the dough out on it with sprayed parchment paper over the dough when rolling it out . I used turkey Pepperoni & fat free Mozzarella , came to only 265 calories for 1/2 the pizza !
When you say tomato sauce do you mean ketchup
Hi Nicola! Sorry, no not tomato ketchup. It’s like unsweetened tomato sauce (sometimes called Passata in Aus/UK).
What is actually brown sugar substitute? Did you mean erytrit or something?
swerve makes brown sugar substitutes. you can find it at Walmart or target
Yesterday I invited my friends for dinner and prepared them this recipe. They couldnt believe. They were so happy.
Just made this for dinner it is goddess meal thank you so much!!
Will this make a 12 inch pizza? 🙂
Hi Rose, yes it will, but you’ll need to roll it super thin. It’s designed to be 10 inches, but I have rolled it 12 inches before (for the Gozney, haha!).
best protein pizza recipe EVER!
I read once similar recipe. Really need to try. Using Greek Youghurt for pizza must be game changer.
I don’t understand how the whole thing is under 400 calories. 1 cup of self rising flour is 420 calories and 88 carbs. Then you factor in the Greek yogurt, another 112 calories, then the cheese another 100 calories or so. That’s not even including any toppings lol don’t eat this if you’re trying to lose weight. It’s inaccurate.
Hi Ashley- Totally get where you are coming from- I’ve recently re-tested the whole recipe to include metric measurements for optimal accuracy. Our in-house dietitian also calculated the nutritional breakdown. The recipe calls for 2/3 cup self-rising flour, which is less than 420 calories.
With the updated calculations (which always specified it was for the crust and sauce only), each slice is 55 calories and the entire pizza with sauce is 440 calories. There was a minor inaccuracy which has been amended. We’ve also included the approximate weight of the dough and sauce once baked.
Hope this helps!
Wait pizza crust with Greek yoghurt? Amazing. Really need to give it a shot.
This Low calorie pizza was a hit! So fast and easy to make. Super yummy and hit the spot. Enough to share with the family!
What did I do wrong? Made ckicken alfredo pizza using this crust. I knew to use lots of flour when rolling it due to sticky, which I did. I put parchment on a pan & put the rolled dough on it, added toppings, cooked it as directed… and it stuck BAD to the paper & center still wasnt done after 6-7 minutes longer. Help
Hmmm it sounds like its the parchment paper G Spen. I’ve had issues before with cheaper parchment paper than even after greasing, it stuck to it. I do recommend getting a high quality one, even if its a little pricier.
Made this last night and tasted great however I don’t understand how the whole pizza is less than 500 calories when the flour itself is more than 500?
Hi Oona- What nutritional calculator are you using for the flour? We’ve used myfitnesspal and USDA food calculator. Our in-house dietitian also did a thorough calculation, and the flour comes out to 290 calories (an average of 287-300 calories using four calculators).
I’ve broken down ingredients by weight (metric) and also calculated the weight of the cooked pizza, too.
The pizza was grate added some chicken poppers made for 24 servings but could of made less as the tray wasnt big enough so we made 12 slices, but love it great recipe better than takeaway! Not that hard to make although idk what is wrong with my cups but on this and bagel recipe the dough was too moist and super sticky when added the amount i should only after adding my flour became proper bready texture.