Homemade Pizza Pockets
Get creative with your favorite toppings in these Pizza Pockets for an easy kid-approved lunch. Throw the extras in the freezer for a quick lunch on the go any day.
I love the convenience of hot pockets, but I can’t stand the chemical taste and all the preservatives in them.
In order to offer my family a healthier option & still get that quick snack/lunch, I came up with a simple homemade hot pocket recipe.
Homemade hot pockets are surprisingly simple to make, quick and budget-friendly! I can whip up a large batch of these pizza pockets, customized to the favorite flavors of my family, for less than a few boxes of Hot Pockets at the store.
You don't need to proof the dough, so no waiting around, and they freeze wonderfully.
Homemade Pizza Pockets
Ingredients for Recipe
- Active dry yeast
- Sugar
- Warm water
- Flour
- Olive Oil
- Salt
- Sauce
- Toppings
- Shredded cheese
How to Make Homemade Pizza Pockets
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray cookie sheet or pizza pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a medium bowl dissolve active dry yeast in warm water along with sugar. Let stand for 8-10 minutes.
Stir in flour, salt and oil slowly. Beat until smooth. If you have a standup mixer this is the perfect time to use the bread hook available. If not simply mixing by hand until forms a dough (somewhat sticky) works just fine. Set aside and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Dust a clean flat surface with flour and pat dough out until ¼ inch thick. Approximately 14”x 12”.
Cut into 4 strips and each strip cut into 4 rectangles. Total 12 “pockets” will be created from this dough.
On each rectangle of dough, leave a teaspoon or two of sauce, preferred toppings and cheese. Try to keep toppings centered in dough.
Fold dough over from both sides meeting in middle and pinch along sides to seal. If dough is sticky, may need to use a spatula or flat knife to slide under pocket to lift and place on baking sheet.
Bake pockets for 7-10 minutes at 375 degrees or until golden brown on top.
Serve hot or allow to cool and place in labeled freezer bags to freeze for future use.
Pizza Pocket Topping Ideas
- Italian sausage
- Pepperoni
- Peppers & onions
- Mushrooms
- Ham
- Black olives
- Ground meat
- Any of your other favorite pizza toppings
Note: If using ground meat, make sure to drain any excess oil very well to prevent soggy bottom on pockets.
Make up a large batch of these Homemade Hot Pockets when you have time & throw them in the freezer so the kids can use one for a quick snack without worrying about all the extra ingredients in store-bought ones.
We've used Italian sausage, pepperoni, cheese, bell pepper, onion, and black olives. You may also use cooked and seasoned ground beef, all veggies or just cheese and sauce. These are very adaptable to your family preferences.
You could also use this dough as a base to recreate some of your other favorite hot pocket flavors, like ham and cheese, or even some of the breakfast versions, like sausage, egg and cheese.
With these homemade Pizza Pockets, the possibilities are endless. The kids love to make these because I let them choose their own toppings to include, so they get their own personalized pizza pocket for dinner.
These copycat Hot Pockets are right up there with these Bean Burritos as their favorite grab-and-go lunch or snack too.
How To Store Homemade Pizza Pockets
You can store these hot pockets in the fridge for up to 2 days but for best results, I like to freeze them. Allow them to cool completely then place them in a freezer bag. Store for up to 3 months.
Ingredients
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 ½ cups flour sifted
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- sauce
- toppings
- shredded cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray cookie sheet or pizza pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl dissolve active dry yeast in warm water along with sugar. Let stand for 8-10 minutes.
- Stir in flour, salt and oil slowly. Beat until smooth. If you have a standup mixer this is the perfect time to use the bread hook available. If not simply mixing by hand until forms a dough (somewhat sticky) works just fine. Set aside and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
- Dust a clean flat surface with flour and pat dough out until ¼ inch thick. Approximately 14”x 12”.
- Cut into 4 strips and each strip cut into 4 rectangles. Total 12 “pockets” will be created from this dough.
- On each rectangle of dough, leave a teaspoon or two of sauce, preferred toppings and cheese. Try to keep toppings centered in dough.
- Fold dough over from both sides meeting in middle and pinch along sides to seal. If dough is sticky, may need to use a spatula or flat knife to slide under pocket to lift and place on baking sheet.
- Bake pockets for 7-10 minutes at 375 degrees or until golden brown on top.
- Serve hot or allow to cool and place in labeled freezer bags to freeze for future use.
