High-Protein Pizza

Name: High-Protein Pizza
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients: 1.5 cups cottage cheese (full-fat or 4%); 1.5 cups self-rising flour; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 cup marinara sauce; 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella; Toppings of choice: sliced bell pepper, red onion, mushrooms, or turkey pepperoni; 1 teaspoon dried oregano

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22g Protein

365 Calories

2g Fiber

Per serving (1 slice (1/4 of the pizza))

How I calculate this → Protein calculator →

6g of protein per 100 calories, more than 5 of the other 27 dinner recipes here.

I skip yeast and rise time entirely here. The crust is just blended cottage cheese and self-rising flour, worked into a dough by hand and baked before it ever sees toppings. It comes out crisp at the edges, not doughy in the middle, which is the part regular high-protein crusts usually get wrong. I've had the best results keeping the toppings fairly light. The crust holds up well, but piling on a lot of sauce and wet toppings works against the crisp texture that makes this version good in the first place.

Why you'll love this

22g of protein per serving from a cottage cheese crust, no yeast or rise time
Par-baking the crust first is what keeps the middle from going soggy
Mix, bake, and top: no proofing to plan around

Vegetarian Cottage Cheese

Recipe

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Prep 15 min

Cook 20 min

Total 35 min

Serves 4 servings (1 slice (1/4 of the pizza))

Ingredients

1.5 cups cottage cheese (full-fat or 4%)
1.5 cups self-rising flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup marinara sauce
1.5 cups shredded mozzarella
Toppings of choice: sliced bell pepper, red onion, mushrooms, or turkey pepperoni
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet or pizza pan with parchment paper.
Blend the cottage cheese in a blender or food processor until completely smooth, with no visible curds, about 30 seconds.
In a large bowl, stir the blended cottage cheese, self-rising flour, and salt together until a shaggy dough forms. Finish bringing it together with your hands.
Turn the dough out onto the parchment and press or roll it into a round or rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.
Par-bake the crust for 12 to 15 minutes, until it's set and lightly golden at the edges.
Remove from the oven, spread with marinara, top with mozzarella and your chosen toppings, and sprinkle with oregano.
Return to the oven for another 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

Equipment

Baking sheet or pizza stone
Blender or food processor

Notes

I blend the cottage cheese thoroughly before mixing it into the dough. Any curds left whole turn into odd pockets in the baked crust instead of disappearing into it.
I par-bake the crust before adding toppings. Skipping that step is the main reason a cottage cheese crust ends up soggy in the middle instead of crisp at the edges.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories	365
Protein	22g
Carbs	43g
Fat	11g
Fiber	2g

Where these numbers come from

I calculate every figure above from USDA FoodData Central, ingredient by ingredient, then divide by the servings the recipe makes. Each FDC number links to the exact USDA entry I used. How I calculate nutrition

Cottage cheese: FDC #172179 (Cheese, cottage, creamed, 4%), 1.5 cups small curd = 337.5g (FDC: 1 cup small curd = 225g).
Self-rising flour: FDC #168895 (Wheat flour, white, all-purpose, self-rising, enriched), 1.5 cups = 187.5g (FDC: 1 cup = 125g).
Marinara: FDC #171192 (Sauce, pasta, spaghetti/marinara, ready-to-serve), 1/2 cup = 132g.
Mozzarella: FDC #170900 (Cheese, mozzarella, low moisture, part-skim, shredded), 1.5 cups = 129g (FDC: 1 cup = 86g).
Oregano: FDC #171328, 1 tsp = 1g.
Batch totals: 88.4g protein, 1,455 kcal, 43.9g fat, 171.4g carb, 7.9g fiber; divided by 4. Toppings not counted.

Storage

Refrigerate leftover slices in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a hot oven or skillet rather than the microwave to keep the crust from turning soft.

FAQ

Can I make the crust ahead of time?

Yes. Par-bake it, let it cool completely, then refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for a couple of months. Add toppings and finish baking straight from cold.

Can I use low-fat cottage cheese instead of full-fat?

Yes, it works, though full-fat gives a richer flavor and a slightly better texture once baked. Low-fat is a fine swap if that’s what’s in the fridge.

Why did my crust turn out gummy in the middle?

Almost always an under-baked par-bake step. Give the crust the full 12 to 15 minutes before adding sauce and toppings, even if the edges look done sooner.

Looking for more vegetarian high-protein meals: the high-protein mac and cheese uses a similar cottage-cheese-forward approach in a completely different direction.

The crust is built on cottage cheese, and Is Cottage Cheese High in Protein? covers why it doesn’t always get credit as a protein source.

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