Healthy Homemade Pizza Pockets – an easy recipe for making easy and simple homemade hot pockets. No fake ingredients, just real food, like my homemade pizza sauce!
Transport yourself back to the good old days when you’d sink your teeth into a piping-hot pizza pocket with this amazing recipe. However, these hot pockets are a bit different from the original ones.
These hot pockets are the homemade version, which means they’re free of all the artificial ingredients and preservatives we aren’t nostalgic for.
But the good news is that these easy homemade pizza pockets taste even better than store-bought and will be a quick hit with the whole family!
WHY WE LOVE HOMEMADE PIZZA POCKETS
There are several bonuses to these delicious pizza pockets first of all because you know EXACTLY what they’re made of! Homemade Dough, Homemade Sauce, and all your favorite toppings. This makes them SO MUCH healthier than the version with the silly jingle.
You can customize them to your favorite flavor. You can use all kinds of meat, from steak & cheddar, ham & Swiss, turkey & provolone, Carnitas & pepper jack. Or, go meatless with mushrooms and Swiss fajita flavors like peppers, onions & tomatoes.
They can be made in different sizes, too. Big ones for the big kids, smaller ones for smaller hands.
Plus If you’re already making pizza for dinner one night, there’s no real extra work. Simply double your dough, and make pizza pockets for the freezer! Even if you’re not making pizza, they’re still REALLY easy to make.
POCKET PIZZA INGREDIENTS
- Pizza dough: water + yeast + sugar + flour + salt
- Pizza sauce: tomatoes + basil + salt + pepper
- Favorite Pizza Toppings: fresh mozzarella cheese, pepperoni slices, bacon, Parmesan cheese, ham & Swiss cheese, turkey & cheddar, mini-meatballs, green pepper, and onion, Italian Seasoning, oregano, etc.
A NOTE ON PIZZA POCKET INGREDIENTS
My pizza dough recipe is SUPER easy to follow. I always make a 3 or 4x batch and freeze extras for quick pizza nights later on. My family LOVE homemade pepperoni pizza!
We also make our own sauce. I use my high-powered blender to make the best sauce ever. I’ll also make this in big batches and freeze portions for pizza night.
Depending on your preferred toppings, you could omit the pizza sauce and use olive oil, Pesto, or Alfredo Sauce!
Fresh mozzarella cheese is a must in our house. Shredded mozzarella or any other type of cheese works too!
Some recipes call for an egg wash on top. I don’t find that it is necessary.
PIZZA POCKET RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1: Preheat oven to 450F.
Step 2: On a lightly floured surface, divide the pizza dough into two portions. Then divide one portion into two equal portions. Again, divide each portion into two equal portions. Repeat with the remaining halves so that there are 16 equal pieces from the single pizza dough batch.
Step 3: Working with one small piece of dough at a time, use a rolling pin or pat out into a rectangle that’s approximately 3″x6″. (The measurement doesn’t have to be exact. Adjust to fit the size of the hands that will be holding it.)
Step 4: Measure 2-3 Tbsp of sauce onto one side of the rectangle and spread around with a spoon, leaving a ¾“ gap around the edges.
Step 5: Place 1-2 slices of cheese on top. Add remaining toppings, taking care not to overfill.
Step 6: Gently fold over the empty dough over the toppings and pinch the top and bottom together to form a seal.
Step 7: Cut a small slit on the top or use fork poke holes to allow air to escape during baking.
Step 8: Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
Step 9: Bake on a pizza stone, or on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 17-22 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
Step 10: Allow to cool slightly before enjoying.
Don’t skip the cooling part! The sauce gets very hot in the middle.
STORING HOMEMADE HOT POCKETS
After the pizza pockets have cooled, wrap them individually with aluminum foil and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
To prevent them from getting lost in the freezer, label the flavor of each hot pocket with a permanent marker, and store all the hot pockets in a gallon freezer bag or airtight container.
Let thaw completely before reheating in an oven or toaster oven.
FAQs
Can I use store-bought pizza dough for homemade pizza pockets?
Absolutely! If you’re short on time or prefer convenience, pre-made pizza dough works perfectly for making pizza pockets. Just make sure to let it come to room temperature before working with it. And remember to get pizza dough, not pizza crust.
Can I use marinara sauce instead of pizza sauce?
Yes! You can use a Homemade Marinara Sauce or buy store-bought. Just check the ingredients if you’re trying to find sauce without added sugar.
Can I make hot pockets in an air fryer?
Yes! If you have an air fryer or a pie iron, you can make hot pockets without using an oven. Just adjust the cooking time accordingly, following the manufacturer’s instructions for your specific appliance.
Can I make hot pockets with a different type of dough?
Yes, you can experiment with different types of dough. Crescent roll pizza sounds delicious! Homemade Bread Dough, puff pastry, or Pita Pockets can be used as alternatives to traditional pizza crusts for a unique twist on your hot pockets.
What are the ingredients in pizza pockets?
The basic ingredients in a pizza pocket are pizza dough, sauce, and cheese. Beyond that, you can add whatever toppings you love to a pizza pocket.
HOMEMADE PIZZA POCKETS RECIPE
No matter whether you’re trying to relive your college days or need tastier after-school snack ideas, this great recipe is for you! With simple ingredients like Homemade Pizza Dough, Pizza Sauce, melted cheese, and a crispy crust, this recipe will satisfy your pizza cravings with every gooey bite. If you tried this recipe, let me know in the comments!
MORE TASTY PIZZA RECIPES
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Pizza Pockets
Healthy Homemade Pizza Pockets – an easy recipe for making easy and simple homemade hot pockets. No fake ingredients, just real food, like my homemade pizza sauce!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 42 minutes
- Yield: 16 1x
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 batch homemade pizza dough
- 1 batch homemade pizza sauce
- Toppings: fresh mozzarella and pepperoni, ham & Swiss cheese, turkey & cheddar, mini-meatballs, etc.**
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450F.
- Divide the pizza dough into two portions. Then divide one portion into two equal portions. Again, divide each portion into two equal portions. Repeat with the remaining halves so that there are 16 equal pieces altogether from the single batch of pizza dough.
- Working with one small piece of dough at a time, roll or pat it out into a rectangle that’s approximately 3″x6″. (The measurement doesn’t have to be exact. Adjust to fit the size of the hands that will be holding it.)
- Measure 2-3 Tbsp of sauce onto one side of the rectangle, leaving a ¾” gap around the edges.
- Place 1-2 slices of cheese on top.
- Add remaining toppings, taking care not to overfill.
- Gently fold over the empty dough over the toppings and pinch the top and bottom together to form a seal.
- Cut a small slit on the top to allow air to escape during baking.
- Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
- Bake on a pizza stone, or on a cookie sheet for 17-22 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
- Allow to cool slightly before enjoying.
Notes
- You’ll need just a small portion of toppings for each hot pocket, so feel free to mix and match with what you have in the house. As an estimate, each 3″x6″ hot pocket will use 1 slice of fresh mozzarella and 2-3 pepperonis quartered.
Pizza Pockets
Healthy Homemade Pizza Pockets - an easy recipe for making easy and simple homemade hot pockets. No fake ingredients, just real food, like my homemade pizza sauce!
Type: Main Meals
Cuisine: American
Keywords: pizza pockets
Recipe Yield: 16
Preparation Time: 0020
Cooking Time: 0022
Total Time: 0042
Recipe Ingredients:
- pizza dough
- pizza sauce
- mozzarella
- pepperoni
- ham
- swiss cheese
Recipe Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 450F. 2. Divide the pizza dough into two portions. Then divide one portion into two equal portions. Again, divide each portion into two equal portions. Repeat with the remaining halves so that there are 16 equal pieces altogether from the single batch of pizza dough. 3. Working with one small piece of dough at a time, roll or pat it out into a rectangle that's approximately 3"x6". (The measurement doesn't have to be exact. Adjust to fit the size of the hands that will be holding it.) 4. Measure 2-3 Tbsp of sauce onto one side of the rectangle, leaving a ¾" gap around the edges. 5. Place 1-2 slices of cheese on top. 6. Add remaining toppings, taking care not to overfill. 7. Gently fold over the empty dough over the toppings and pinch the top and bottom together to form a seal. 8. Cut a small slit on the top to allow air to escape during baking. 9. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. 10. Bake on a pizza stone, or on a cookie sheet for 17-22 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. 11. Allow to cool slightly before enjoying.
5
Just wondering if you have made these with Einkorn flour or gluten free flour.
Thanks
Hello Dana,
This recipe hasn’t been tested with either flour. If you try it, let us know how it turns out! 🙂
This is nice, but I found even an easier recipe for dough for this and tastes as nice.
1 cup natural yogurt full fat/low fat/no fat, whatever is cheaper and available to you,
about 1.5-2 cups self-raising flour,
1.5 tsp salt
Mix it all with your hand until the consistency which you can roll it out, without the dough being too hard or too sticky. Then follow your recipe. This makes it super quick, as there is no yeast/waiting time involved. I tried to make pizza with the same dough, it tasted wonderful and super quick
I noticed that you’ve linked to the this recipe in a number of packed lunch posts. Do you pack them cold for your kids?
Hi Natalie, Yes, Tiffany packs these cold. She doesn’t do hot lunches!
I can’t find the Tomato Sauce recipe, either here or on the link it’s supposed to go to.
Here’s my pizza sauce recipe, Korinne – https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/easy-homemade-pizza-sauce-recipe/. I’ll update the links here!
Could you use premade pizza crust like the Pillsbury in a can?
Thank you
You probably could Chelsea, but I haven’t tried it. Homemade is just too easy!