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Spaghetti squash pizza crust will hook you after the first bite! It's a healthy, low-carb, gluten-free, and delicious base for your favorite pizza toppings.
Are you a fan of grain-free, vegetable crusts that masquerade as pizza? We are! Done right, these alternative pizza crusts are not just healthier than a traditional pizza but also very tasty.
But pizza crust made of spaghetti squash may be the recipe that wins over the entire family. The flavor is almost buttery and more subtle than cauliflower pizza bites.
And the crispy crust is perfectly suited for any topping combinations you dream up, from Margherita pizza to meat-lover versions.
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Ingredients
You'll need just a few ingredients to make spaghetti squash pizza crust:
- Spaghetti squash - cooked and strands removed. See the section below on how to easily cut and cook this squash.
- Mozzarella cheese - Mozzarella cheese is mild and does not take over the flavor. Other shredded cheeses, such as Monterey Jack or Colby Jack, can be used instead but will change the flavor profile too.
- Egg is used as a binder.
- Oregano and garlic powder are used to flavor the crust.
How to Cook Spaghetti Squash
Cutting spaghetti squash in half is the biggest stumbling block for this and any other recipe that uses this vegetable. But it shouldn't be!
Bake Whole in the Oven or a Slow Cooker
The easiest method is to cook spaghetti squash whole in the oven or a slow cooker. Here's a recap of the process:
- Poke 8-10 holes in the outer surface of the squash.
- Place squash in a slow cooker or on a baking sheet in an oven preheated to 425 °F.
- Cook squash until the outer surface is soft to the touch and a knife can be inserted without much effort.
- Slow Cooker: 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low.
- Oven: 30 minutes, rolling over halfway through.
- Allow spaghetti squash to cool for about 10 minutes and carefully remove to a cutting board using oven mitts or a towel. It will easily break apart.
- Cut in half and remove seeds.
Cut in Half and Roast
Roasting spaghetti squash in the oven with the flesh exposed deepens the flavor. If you go this route, soften spaghetti squash in the microwave first, so it's easy to cut in half.
- To soften spaghetti squash:
- Poke 8-10 holes in the outer surface of the squash with a knife to allow steam to escape.
- Place squash on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for about 2 minutes, rotate, and microwave for up to 2 minutes more.
- Remove from microwave, cut the squash in half and remove seeds.
- Brush the inside with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Place squash halves, cut-side down, on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake for about 40 minutes at 375 °F.
There's no getting around the fact that it takes some time to cook spaghetti squash. But, it's hands-off cook time AND you can prepare squash 1-2 days in advance.
Directions with Pictures
Follow these steps to make the spaghetti squash pizza crust once you've cooked and removed the strands from the gourd:
It's very important to remove as much liquid as possible from the spaghetti squash strands to have a firm, crisp crust. This recipe starts with about 4 cups of cooked spaghetti squash. There will be approximately 1 ½ cups once the liquid is removed!
- Scrape strands from the skin with a fork and place them in a strainer.
- Place a bowl on the spaghetti squash, press down, and allow the liquid to drain. Fold the strands into the middle of the strainer and repeat.
- Place the strands on a clean dish cloth and twist to remove any remaining liquid. When I skip this step, it's never quite as crispy!
- Break up the compressed spaghetti squash strands. Mix with egg, mozzarella cheese, oregano, and garlic powder.
- Shape and flatten the dough so that it is about ¼ inch thick. Place dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray.
- We found that smaller, personal-sized pizzas were easy to work with. However, the same process can be used for a large round or free-form pizza.
- Bake in a 400 °F oven for about 15 minutes or until the crust is firm and begins to crisp on the edges.
- Add sauce and/or toppings, if desired. It's not required. It's that good!
- Return pizza to the oven for about 5 more minutes or until the ingredients are heated, and the cheese has melted.
Toppings Ideas
The topping choices for spaghetti squash pizza crust are endless. The pizzas we made had these combinations:
- Sliced tomato, fresh basil topped, and mozzarella cheese.
- Spaghetti sauce topped with thinly sliced onion and mushroom.
Use this list to mix and match sauces, cheeses, and toppings and create the ultimate pizza pie.
- Marinara
- Alfredo sauce
- Pesto
- BBQ sauce
- Black olives
- Vegetables such as spinach, mushrooms, peppers, and onions. Note that heavier ingredients such as broccoli, zucchini, and cauliflower should be cooked first.
- Cheeses including ricotta, Parmesan, and goat cheese.
- Meats such as pepperoni, sausage, hamburger, and tofu.
Can you freeze spaghetti squash pizza crust?
Prepared and cooked crusts CAN be successfully frozen. Place them in a ziplock bag, remove excess air, and store them in the freezer for up to 2 months.
When ready to enjoy the pizza, remove the crusts to the refrigerator and defrost overnight. The next day cook them in the oven as you usually would with pizza toppings. We don't recommend microwaving because the crust will become soggy.
More Amazing Spaghetti Squash Recipes
Would you like more easy, healthy, carb-conscious recipes?
📋 Recipe
Spaghetti Squash Pizza Crust Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked spaghetti squash will reduce to 1 ½ cups; see notes for suggested methods for cooking spaghetti squash
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
Remove Liquid from Spaghetti Squash
- Place strands in a strainer, place a clean bowl on top, press down, and allow the liquid to drain. Fold the strands into the middle of the strainer and repeat.
- Remove strands from the strainer to a clean dish cloth and twist to remove any remaining liquid. The amount of squash will be significantly less. But, the more liquid removed, the crispier and firmer the crust will be.
Prepare Crust
- Preheat the oven to 375 °F.
- Add spaghetti squash strands, mozzarella cheese, egg, oregano, and garlic powder to a bowl and mix to combine.
- Shape and flatten the dough so that it is about ¼ inch thick. We found that smaller, personal-sized pizzas were easy to work with. However, the same process can be used for a large round or free-form pizza.
- Place dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray.
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until crusts are firm and edges start to brown.
- The pizza crust is delicious without any toppings, or it can be frozen after it cools.
Finish Pizza with Toppings
- Remove from oven and top with desired ingredients. Return to oven and cook for about 5-7 minutes more or until cheese has melted.
Notes
- Poke 8-10 holes in the outer surface of the squash.
- Place squash in a slow cooker or on a baking sheet in an oven preheated to 425 °F.
- Cook squash until the outer surface is soft to the touch and a knife can be inserted without much effort.
- Slow Cooker: 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 hour on low.
- Oven: 30 minutes, rolling over halfway through.
- Allow spaghetti squash to cool for about 10 minutes and carefully remove to a cutting board using oven mitts or a towel. It will easily break apart.
- Cut in half and remove seeds.
- To soften spaghetti squash:
- Poke 8-10 holes in the outer surface of the squash with a knife to allow steam to escape.
- Place squash on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for about 2 minutes, turn and microwave for up to 2 minutes more.
- Remove from microwave, cut the squash in half and remove seeds.
- Brush the inside with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Place squash halves, cut-side down, on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake for about 40 minutes at 375 °F.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on 11/20/17 and was updated to improve the reader experience.
Judith
I made this recipe and it turned out really well! I have not like spaghetti squash in the past, but this was delicious and held together great. The pizza pieces could be picked up, and though I did a plain pizza just with sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan as topping this time I am sure the crust could hold up to more. I cooked the squash and got the moisture out one day, refrigerated it of course, then made the actual crust several days later. Seemed like I had more flesh, so added more cheese and another egg, then had to bake the crusts longer. It may be that the squash flesh wasn't as dry as could be but it was as dry as my somewhat arthritic hands could make it. I totally preferred this crust to cauliflower ones I have tried. Thank you!
Marjory Pilley
Thanks so much for your feedback and tips for adjusting for extra spaghetti squash strands. I'm thrilled that you liked it!
Claire
Made this for dinner last night and added fresh garlic. We had it with sausage, caramelized onions and cheese. If was not as crispy as I thought it would be but very, very tasty. May need to flatten better next time. Thanks for recipe.
Marjory Pilley
Love the topping combinations!
Herblady
I've been using Daiya brand cheese substitutes. They work very well in recipes and are available in cream cheese spread and also provolone slices. It's so wonderful to be able to have pizza again!
Marjory Pilley
Thanks for the tip!
RJBender
Can you use cheese cloth to squeeze out the excess liquid if you don't have a strainer (as I don't?)
Marjory
Absolutely!
Sara
My daughter can’t have cheese. Do you have the cheese in the recipe for flavor or for texture of the crust? Do you think it can be skipped? Thx.
Marjory
Hi! It does add flavor but adds a little bulk as well. Nutritional Yeast flakes would be a good dairy substitution. I do think it would work, but would likely taste more like an egg dish. 🙂
Karen
Made this last night and it was very good. It's definitely important to get as much liquid out as possible but will be making this again. Thanks for the recipe
Marjory
Thanks for your comment! I hope the tip for getting excess liquid out helped!