Mini Eggplant Pepperoni Pizza Recipe (Keto-Friendly)

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If you love pizza but are trying to stay keto, this easy pepperoni eggplant pizza recipe is for you! It's only a few ingredients and comes together quickly, so you can have a delicious low-carb pizza any night of the week. It's packed with flavor thanks to the pepperoni and melty cheese.

eggplant pizza bites with cheese on top sitting on teal plate

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Pepperoni Eggplant Pizza Recipe
Ingredients
Handy Kitchen Tools
How to Make Eggplant Pizza
Frequently Asked Questions
What Other Toppings Go on Keto Pizza?
More Easy Pizza Recipes
📖 Recipe

Pepperoni Eggplant Pizza Recipe

This keto-friendly pizza is a great way to use eggplant in your menu. Whether or not you need a lower carbohydrate meal, this is the perfect solution when you are craving pizza. It’s low in carbs and high in flavor, so you can indulge without feeling guilty.

Pizza is typically high in carbs, but that doesn't mean you can find a way around that. Using eggplant as the crust of this pizza takes away the bad carbs from refined white flour and gives you a healthy alternative. Plus this turns it into a bite-sized snack or meal that is easy to share and customize for your own pizza topping preferences.

If you want something for the kids to enjoy that isn't keto, you might also want to try out these simple little bagel pizza bites instead! Just as fast and easy to make, but with a few more carbs.

white plate of eggplant pizza bites with sliced tomato and cheese on arugula

Ingredients

1 large Italian eggplant
1 tablespoon salt
8 ounces tomato paste (226 g)
2 teaspoons dried basil
3 ounces parmesan cheese (80 g)
3 ounces shredded mozzarella (80 g)
8 slices pepperoni

black baking sheet with eggplant pizza rounds on top of parchment paper

Handy Kitchen Tools

oval teal plate with eggplant pizza bites on wood table

How to Make Eggplant Pizza

Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and setting it aside, then preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.

Wash and pat dry the eggplant, then cut off both ends and slice it into rounds. I usually make them ½" thick and get 6 to 8 rounds per eggplant. For a crispier base, you can cut them thinner, but they tend to fall apart and not hold up to the toppings well.

Lay the eggplant rounds onto the lined baking sheet then sprinkle with salt.

hand adding salt to top of eggplant on baking sheet

Let the eggplant stand for 5 to 10 minutes until the salt releases any excess water, then pat the tops dry with a paper towel.

patting eggplant rounds with paper towel

While you wait for the eggplant, mix together your sauce with tomato paste, basil, and parmesan.

hand adding basil to bowl of cheese and sauce

Add salt or other seasonings if desired at this point.

Once you dry the eggplant, spread the sauce over the top of each round.

hand spooning sauce onto eggplant rounds

Then add pepperoni or any other toppings you prefer.

hand putting pepperoni on top of eggplant round

Sprinkle the top with cheese.

hand sprinkling cheese on top of eggplant pizza

Bake the eggplant rounds for 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese has melted and the eggplant is cooked through.

Serve hot with additional dipping sauce if desired.

bite of eggplant pizza bite on fork above white plate

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I Need to Peel the Eggplant Before Cooking?

You do not need to peel the eggplant before you cook it. The skin will soften and will not be difficult to eat. As a bonus, the skin has more fiber and nutrients which just adds to the benefit of the eggplant in your diet.

Do I Need to Cook The Eggplant Slices Before Topping?

For this recipe, I did not cook them first. However, if you want a softer eggplant and a bit crisper base, you can cook them long enough to soften before topping. I would recommend no more than 10 minutes, then reduce your bake time after topping to 8 to 10 minutes.

Can I Freeze Keto Eggplant Pizza?

You do not want to freeze this keto eggplant pizza. When you freeze the eggplant, it will get mushy and will not hold up well. All of it together just makes for an unappealing meal.

You can make the keto pizza ahead of time by making the eggplant and baking it until it is ready. If you cook just the eggplant ahead of time, just let it cool and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days until you are ready to top and serve.

Top as you normally would and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until the toppings are heated through and the cheese has melted. You can also cook completely and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before serving. Just pop them into the oven on higher heat for a few minutes to heat through before serving. I do not recommend reheating in the microwave as the result will be a soggy base.

square white plate on table holding pizz bites and sliced mozzarella and tomato

What Other Toppings Go on Keto Pizza?

If you want something different than the basic pepperoni this recipe is made of, you can easily adjust your pizza with other toppings. Below are a few ideas that work great for this and can easily add different flavors you will love.

Any low-sugar or sugar-free pizza or pasta sauce.
Pepperoni, salami, ham, Italian sausage, or hamburger.
Bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, or jalapeonos.
Mozzarella, Parmesan, feta, goat cheese, cheddar, Colby, Fontina, or even Gouda cheeses.

Just remember that no matter what you top the pizza with, if you are looking for something keto and low-carb friendly, you'll want to check the carb and sugar count before adding to the pizza.

teal plate with three eggplant pizza rounds on herbs

More Easy Pizza Recipes

If you want more pizza recipes, below are some great ideas that are flavorful and easy to prepare. While they aren't keto-friendly like this one, they can be adjusted with different doughs and crusts if needed! Make sure that you bookmark, print out the recipe, or pin to Pinterest to make it soon!

📖 Recipe

Yield: 4

Mini Eggplant Pepperoni Pizza Recipe (Keto-Friendly)

A tasty mini pepperoni eggplant pizza recipe is a fast and easy meal that is keto and low-carb friendly! Easy to customize!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 10 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

1 large Italian eggplant
1 tablespoon salt
8 ounces tomato paste (226 g)
2 teaspoons dried basil
3 ounces parmesan cheese (80 g)
3 ounces shredded mozzarella (80 g)
8 slices pepperoni

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut the ends off of the eggplant then slice into ½" thick rounds.
Place the eggplant rounds onto the baking sheet and sprinkle the tops generously with salt.
Let them sit for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the eggplant to release the excess water.
Use a paper towel to pat off the tops of the eggplant rounds.
In a small bowl, mix together the tomato paste, basil, parmesan, and a pinch of salt to taste.
Spread the sauce over the sliced eggplant rounds.
Place a slice or two of pepperoni on top of each eggplant round.
Then sprinkle the tops with cheese.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the rounds are cooked through and beginning to crisp and the cheese is melted.