Homemade Pizza Pockets are the easy homemade version of your kid’s favorite food. They are quick to make using pre-made pizza dough and your favorite fillings! Ready in just 20 minutes, and offer a fun way to get the kids more involved in the kitchen!
Pizza Pocket
Pizza pockets are made using a pre-made pizza crust that’s cut into squares, then filled with pizza sauce, cheese, and your favorite toppings, like pepperoni (you can even sneak in some veggies).
They are folded and baked to perfection. No need to stock your freezer with the store-bought version anymore. These are easy to make homemade and much more delicious! They make a great appetizer too!
These homemade pizza pockets are one of my favorite pizza variations. They are always a slam dunk with the kids, and we can all make them however we like them, by adding in different toppings. Plus, they are really fun to get the kids help with. They get so excited to make these!
Why we love this Pizza Pocket Recipe
- Super easy homemade version of a kid favorite
- Kid-friendly and approved
- Fun way to get the kids and friends involved in the kitchen
- Versatile, this recipe can be made many different ways
- Quick recipe, ready in 20 minutes
- Short shopping list of ingredients
- Delicious reheated as leftovers
- Perfect for a busy weeknight
Pizza Pocket Ingredients
- Pre-made pizza crust
- Pizza sauce
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Mini pepperoni slices
- Olive oil
- Italian seasoning
- Any other of your favorite pizza toppings
PRO-TIP: No matter what type of pizza toppings you choose to use in your filling, be sure not to overfill the pizza pockets. This can cause a mess, and make them hard to close!
Pizza Pocket Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- SAUCE: You are welcome to use any brand of pizza sauce that you like! If you have a delicious homemade recipe, you could go with that as well.
- TOPPINGS: There is no end to the toppings you can put inside your pizza pockets. I use pepperoni because that is my kids’ favorite. If you want to make these more ‘adult-ish’ you could totally add in veggies like mushrooms, onions, peppers, or olives! You can also make plain cheese for the picky eaters.
- WHITE SAUCE VARIATION: A delicious variation is to use alfredo, ranch, or garlic butter in place of the red sauce to make a “white” pizza pocket. You could even make a chicken alfredo pizza pocket and add chicken, broccoli, and cheese inside.
- BBQ CHICKEN PIZZA POCKETS: One of our favorite pizza pockets are BBQ Chicken Pizza Pockets. We mix some BBQ sauce in with the pizza sauce, add cheese, diced chicken, onion and bacon bits! Delicious!
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How to Make Pizza Pockets
While pizza pockets are typically a go-to store-bought freezer item, you are going to be shocked at how easy they are to make homemade. And how much better they taste because they are fresh and not frozen!
Flatten the dough with a rolling pin and cut slices the long way down the center. Then, slice each half into 3 pieces.
PRO-TIP: When you first unroll the package of pizza dough, it helps to put it on top of the parchment paper with a dusting of flour, that way if the dough gets sticky, it won’t be so hard to manage.
Spread pizza sauce off-center on each piece of dough and sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the sauce. Add mini pepperonis on top of the cheese.
Fold the tops of the pizzas, using a fork to press the edges closed.
PRO-TIP: When putting sauce and toppings on the pizza dough, I’ve found that it helps to picture the dough as 2 back-to-back triangles. You are putting the sauce over 1 of the triangles. The other triangle will be folded over to make the top.
Be sure to not spread the pizza sauce too close to the edges, or the sauce will leak out and cause a problem sealing the edges.
Lightly baste with olive oil and sprinkle with the Italian seasoning.
Bake for 10-13 minutes at 400 degrees.
How to Serve This Pizza Pockets Recipe
While my kids would be more than happy with just the pizza pockets and nothing else, us adults tend to like a side dish.
I love making a big hearty salad serve alongside. Sometimes I will also make this Cheesy Pull Apart Garlic Bread as an appetizer.
Storing and Reheating This Pizza Pockets Recipe
If you don’t want to go to the hassle of heating the oven, you can also pop them in the microwave to reheat as well. But, I will say, we rarely have leftovers when it comes to these at our house!
Pizza Pocket FAQs
While they should be eaten in moderation, our homemade version is a healthier option than the store-bought version.
The store bought version is a croissant crust, while ours uses a pizza crust.
It can be classified as a calzone or a turnover.
Pizza pockets are way better in the oven. You will get a crispier crust.
Other Easy Kid Friendly Dinners
Potato Chip Chicken Tenders|Taco Pie |Taco Sticks |Muffin Pan Meatloaf |Chili Cornbread Casserole |Taco Spaghetti | Puffy Tacos | Pizza Quesadillas | Pizza Sliders | Homemade Hot Pockets
Homemade Hot Pockets
Ingredients
- 11 ounce tube pre-made pizza crust
- 2 tsp all-purpose flour (optional)
- ⅔ cup of your favorite pizza sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup mini pepperoni slices
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp italian seasoning for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400*.
- Measure out enough parchment paper to line a standard baking sheet.
- Open and unroll the pre-made pizza crust. Using the parchment paper, a rolling pin (and a dusting of flour if the dough is too sticky) lightly flatten the dough.
- Using a pizza cutter, evenly slice long ways down the center of the pizza dough. Then slice each half into 3 pieces. This will give you 6 pieces of pizza dough.
- Spread 1 ½-2 tablespoons of the pizza sauce off center of the dough. (It may help to picture the dough as 2 back-to-back triangles. You are putting the sauce over 1 of the triangles. The other triangle will be folded over to make the top) Be sure to not spread too close to the edges, or the sauce will leak out and cause a problem sealing the edges.
- Sprinkle 2 – 2 ½ tablespoons of mozzarella cheese over the sauce.
- Lay the mini pepperoni over the top of the cheese.
- Carefully fold the tops of the pizzas. Using a fork, press the edges closed.
- Using a pastry brush, lightly baste the olive oil over the tops of the pizzas.
- Lightly sprinkle the italian seasoning over the tops of the pizzas.
- Bake for 10-13 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
Jenn’s Notes
Tips
- When you first unroll the package of pizza dough, it helps to put it on top of the parchment paper with a dusting of flour, that way if the dough gets sticky, it won’t be so hard to manage.
- When putting sauce and toppings on the pizza dough, I’ve found that it helps to picture the dough as 2 back-to-back triangles. You are putting the sauce over 1 of the triangles. The other triangle will be folded over to make the top.
- Be sure to not spread the pizza sauce too close to the edges, or the sauce will leak out and cause a problem sealing the edges.
- No matter what type of pizza toppings you choose to use in your filling, be sure not to overfill the pizza pockets. This can cause a mess, and make them hard to close!
How do you make a ranch sauce? It would be a big deal in my house.
the cheese seems to run out on mine even though i seal them well
HI JENN, JUST A QUICK QUESTION, I WANT TO MAKE THESE FOR MY FAMILY SOON. THEY ALL LIKE ITALIAN SAUSAGE. DO I PRE-COOK THE SAUSAGE THEN ADD IT? THANK YOU. I REALLY ENJOY ALL OF YOUR RECIPES. DORIS
Hey Doris! Yes, if you use sausage, I would prepare it first and then add it! Should be yummy! Let me know what you think!!