Healthy Pizza Bowl

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If you love pizza night but want something lighter, my healthy pizza bowl is the perfect solution. It has all the flavors of your favorite pizza: gooey cheese, tangy marinara, and savory toppings – just without the crust! Ready in about 20 minutes, it’s a quick, wholesome dinner that’s super satisfying every time I make it.

I first got the idea for this recipe when I saw crustless pizza bowls trending online, but I wanted to give mine a healthier twist.

Instead of loading it with just cheese and meat, I added nutrient-rich veggies and fresh ingredients to make it something I could feel good about serving my family. The result is a customizable, veggie-forward meal that even my kids devour! And, for those of you who really just need a crust, check out my healthy pizza crust that you can use as a base!

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🥘 Ingredients

My recipe is built around simple, wholesome ingredients that bring all the flavor of pizza, without the crust. Here’s what I use and why:

🔪 How To Make

This recipe comes together quickly and easily, you don’t need to roll out dough or preheat a pizza stone. Just sauté, layer, and bake! Here’s how I make it:

Preheat Oven & Sauté Veggies: I start by preheating the oven to 350°F (180°C) so it’s ready once everything is assembled. In a skillet, I heat the olive oil over medium heat, then sauté the red pepper, onion, and mushrooms until they’re soft and starting to caramelize, about 5–7 minutes. Once the veggies are tender, I stir in the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper and cook for another minute.

Layer Ingredients: I place four ramekins (or any small oven-safe bowls) on a baking sheet to make moving them in and out of the oven easier. Then I start layering! First, I add a spoonful of marinara sauce, then a scoop of the cooked veggie mixture, then a handful of baby spinach and a few sliced olives.

Finish Layering: Then I add another spoonful of sauce; and finally, a generous layer of shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bake & Serve: I transfer the tray to the oven and bake for 5–10 minutes, just until the cheese is fully melted and starting to brown on top. I let them cool for a few minutes before serving warm!

📖 Variations

This recipe is super flexible and perfect for using what you already have on hand. Whether you’re craving something veggie-packed, dairy-free, low-carb, or higher in protein, I’ve got you covered. Here are a few ideas to get started:

• Different Toppings: Feel free to use your favorite pizza toppings! Green bell pepper, black olives, spinach, mushrooms, onions, pineapple, artichoke hearts, green peppers, and tomatoes all taste great in this recipe. If you need more inspiration, try any of my healthy pizza topping ideas!
• Cheese: Change things up and add cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, goat cheese, or feta! You can also use dairy-free cheese to keep things vegan.
• Add Protein: To keep this plant based, I recommend adding crumbled tofu, chickpeas, white beans, or vegan sausage. If you want to add meat, ground beef, Italian sausage meat, pepperoni slices, shredded chicken, Canadian bacon, or ham all work.
• Make It A Casserole: Instead of individual bowls, layer everything in an 8×8 or 9×13 baking dish and bake until bubbly. This is a great option for serving a crowd or batch-prepping meals.
• Lower Carb: My recipe is naturally low in carbs (each bowl has 6 grams of total carbs with only 4 grams of net carbs), but you can lower the carbs further by using a sugar-free marinara sauce, skipping olives and tomatoes, and using low-carb veggies like cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, kale and Brussels sprouts!

🍽 Serving Suggestions

My healthy pizza bowls are satisfying on their own, but I love pairing them with a simple side to make the meal feel more complete, especially if I’m serving them for dinner or feeding my whole family! Here are a few of my favorite sides to serve this with:

• Salads: My beet and feta salad or kale salad are both light enough to complement this main really well!
• Snackables: Pizza and breadsticks is a classic combination, so sometimes I’ll serve these bowls with my vegan garlic bread, my vegan dinner rolls, or for a lower carb option, my garlic parmesan kale chips!

🧊 Storage Directions

My pizza bowls are great for meal prep or saving leftovers, and they reheat so well, so nothing goes to waste.

Make Ahead: If I’m prepping in advance, I layer the bowls with sauce, veggies, and cheese (uncooked), then cover them and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. When I’m ready to eat, I just bake as directed. Super convenient for busy nights!

Storing Leftovers: Once baked, leftovers can be cooled and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I usually just keep them in the ramekins, covered tightly with foil or a lid if they fit. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe as it gets a little soggy when reheated from frozen.

Reheating: To reheat from the fridge, I pop them in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted again. You can also microwave them in short bursts (about 1–2 minutes), but I prefer the oven because the texture turns out better.

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