Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Homemade hot pockets are a delicious alternative to traditional pizza and they are a fun surprise in lunch boxes. Customize the hot pockets with different sauce, cheese, and fillings. The recipe is easy enough that kids can help, too!
How long it takes: 15 minutes of prep, plus 15 minutes to bake
Equipment you’ll need: baking sheet, pastry brush
Servings: 8
I haven’t actually had a real Hot Pocket since middle school, so I can’t promise these homemade hot pockets are a perfect copycat. I can promise that you don’t have to put them in a creepy silver and cardboard tube in the microwave.
Kid-Pleasing Pizza recipe
This homemade hot pockets recipe was created with my kids in mind. They love all things pizza (what kid doesn’t?) and I wanted a recipe that we could prepare together.
Now, “homemade” is being used loosely here. We’ll just clear the air before anyone gets too riled up. To keep this recipe easy, kid-friendly, and with a short ingredient list, I use store-bought pizza dough and pizza sauce.
These homemade hot pockets are like a handheld calzone, portable, filling, and delicious!
Homemade Hot Pockets
Fun to make with your kids. Get them involved in rolling out the dough and pressing together the edges with a fork. And, of course, they’ll love being able to choose their own fillings. (Also fun to make with the kids are these air fryer bagel bites or air fryer hand pies.)
Guaranteed winner. Even picky eaters can’t refuse pizza! Like my stuffed pizza bites, pizza pasta ( a dinner winner made in one pan!), and English muffin pizzas, homemade hot pockets will be a hit with everyone in the family.
An easy lunch or snack. Homemade is often short for “requires a whole heck of a lot of work.” Not the case here, friends! Just 15 minutes of prep and a short list of ingredients, then the oven does all the rest.
Customizable. Since you’re DIYing it, you can fill these up with just about anything! The recipe is written for a pepperoni pizza hot pocket but keep reading for lots of ways to change it up.
Ingredient Notes
- Store-Bought Pizza Dough: Use a ball of dough, canned dough, or if you’re feeling ambitious, a batch of homemade pizza dough.
- Pizza Sauce: Choose whatever you like to use on your pizza. Marinara or another pasta sauce will also work. Homemade hot pockets are no time for pizza purism!
- Shredded Mozzarella Cheese: A shredded Italian cheese blend also works well in this recipe.
- Mini Pepperoni: Can’t find mini pepperoni? Regular pepperoni is fine, just roughly chop it for the recipe.
- Egg: The tops of the hot pockets are brushed with a lightly beaten egg which helps the toppings stick and gives a nice golden brown surface.
- Toppings: You can sprinkle the crust with grated Parmesan cheese, dried Italian seasoning, oregano, or garlic salt after adding the egg wash, or leave them plain.
How to make Hot Pockets
Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Divide the pizza dough into 8 equal portions. Roll one piece of dough into a four to five inch square or round.
Spread 2 teaspoons of sauce in the middle, then add 2 tablespoons cheese and 1 tablespoon pepperoni on top. It’s tempting to really pile on the cheese and meat but you’ll find it’s better to limit the filling in order to prevent oozing as they bake.
Carefully fold the dough into a pocket and crimp the edges together with a fork. They doesn’t have to look perfect, like mass-produced Hot Pockets. These are homestyle!
Place the finished homemade hot pocket on the prepared baking sheet, then repeat with the remaining dough and fillings.
Brush the top of each hot pocket with beaten egg. Sprinkle on any toppings you’re using, then bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown.
Fillings for Hot Pockets
- Ham and cheese hot pockets: Omit the pizza sauce and use ½ cup finely diced cooked ham (or leftover crockpot ham!) in place of the pepperoni and 1 cup cheddar cheese (or any cheese you like) in place of mozzarella cheese.
- Veggie pizza hot pockets: Add sautéed mushrooms, thinly sliced red onion and bell peppers, finely chopped broccoli, sliced black olives, and any other veggies you like on your pizza! Watery vegetables (like mushrooms and broccoli) should be cooked first to release some of the liquid before stuffing them into a hot pocket.
- Meat lovers’ hot pockets: Use a combination of pepperoni, cooked crumbled bacon (or bacon bits) and sausage.
- Meatballs and mozzarella hot pockets: Swap leftover meatballs, chopped into small pieces, for the pepperoni.
- Chicken bacon ranch: Use shredded chicken, ranch dressing, and cooked bacon.
- Buffalo chicken: Instead of pizza toppings, stuff the hot pockets with a spoonful of crockpot Buffalo chicken and serve with ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing for dipping.
- Breakfast hot pockets: Fill the hot pockets with scrambled eggs, shredded cheddar cheese, and cooked bacon or breakfast sausage.
Air Fryer Hot Pockets
Cook these hot pockets in the air fryer until they’re golden on the outside and the dough is cooked through, or about 10 minutes at 350ºF.
Troubleshooting
If your dough is shrinking while rolling: Sometimes pizza dough will shrink back after you roll it out because the gluten is too elastic. If this is happening to you, let the dough rest at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes to let the gluten settle down, and then try again.
Filling is oozing out: This does tend to happen and while it won’t affect the taste of the hot pockets, we understand it can be frustrating. Make sure to press the edges together very well with a fork. We tried poking holes in the top to let the air escape but found it mostly let the filling escape, so the best way to combat that is to really make sure that seal is tight.
Make ahead: Bake the hot pockets as directed. Once they’re completely cool, wrap them individually in plastic wrap or foil and place them in a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze for up to 1 month.
Reheat: Reheating the hot pockets in the oven is preferred. Unwrap a frozen hot pocket and place on a baking sheet (line with foil for easy clean-up). Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until heated through. You can microwave them which gets the job done, but the crust tends to get tough. Unwrap and cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave from frozen for 1 minute, 20 seconds.
Free Meal Plan
Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at Meal Plan #61. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. We add a new meal plan weekly.
More Pizza Recipes
Homemade Hot Pockets
Ingredients
- 16 oz. ball pizza dough, thawed if frozen (store-bought or homemade)
- ½ cup pizza sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup mini pepperoni (or chopped pepperoni)
- 1 large egg, beaten
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Divide pizza dough into 8 equal portions.16 oz. ball pizza dough, thawed if frozen
- Roll one portion into a 4- to 5-inch square or round. In the center, place 2 teaspoons of sauce, 2 tablespoons cheese, and 1 tablespoon pepperoni. Carefully fold over and press edges together with a fork. Place on prepared baking sheet.½ cup pizza sauce, 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, ½ cup mini pepperoni
- Repeat with remaining pizza dough until you have 8 pepperoni pizza pockets.
- Brush the top of each hot pocket with beaten egg. If desired, sprinkle tops with grated Parmesan cheese, dried Italian seasoning, oregano, garlic salt, or whatever you like.1 large egg, beaten
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.
Notes
- Homemade options: Make homemade pizza dough, if you prefer. Try homemade pizza sauce, too.
- Ham and cheese hot pocket: Omit the pizza sauce. Substitute ½ cup finely diced cooked ham and 1 cup cheddar cheese for the pepperoni and mozzarella.
- Flavor ideas: Try red onion, bell peppers, mushrooms, finely chopped broccoli, ground sausage, chicken, or bacon. Meat should be fully cooked before adding to hot pocket. Mushrooms should be sautéed first so they don’t make the hot pockets soggy. See the post above for more flavor ideas.
- Freezing instructions: Bake as directed. Once hot pockets are full cooled, wrap individually in plastic wrap or foil and place in a freezer safe container or bag. Freeze for up to 1 month.
- Reheating from frozen (2 methods): Place frozen hot pocket on baking sheet in preheated oven (350ºF ). Bake for 20 minutes. To microwave, wrap frozen hot pocket with damp paper towel; microwave for 1 minute, 20 seconds.
- Recipe revised 8/2023.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
My kids love these. Super easy to make ahead for lunches. Any tips to get a really good seal on the edges to prevent filling from leaking out?
So glad to hear it! The best method we found was just ot press them with a fork. It’s not perfect, but there isn’t a perfect solution unfortunately.
I love hot pockets and will make them! Just different ingredients like beef, chicken or pork. May even try some turkey.
Those all sound delicious!
These were great! My kiddos loved them. I went a little extra and added an egg wash to make the crust browned and crispy. Will be making these again.
So glad to hear they were a hit! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
This site gave my phone cancer
Oh my! I’ve never heard of a website causing cancer…actually I’ve never heard of a phone getting cancer. Sounds bad! I hope the radiation and chemo go okay…they might cause more damage to your phone, actually. ;)
Agreed. I came for the recipe, not the novel of one winter day my great aunt blah blah blah.
Needs a “skip to recipe” link
There is a jump to recipe button at the top of every single post. :)
what a lovely response
Cam these be frozen to eat later? I am currently meal prepping for my 2nd child delivery in november and want to make these as an easy one hand snack. If I were to freeze should I leave slightly underbanked and finish the baking process upon reheating to eat or should I prepare them fully and then freeze?
So smart to think of one hand snacks! I haven’t tried freezing these, but I think it would possibly work. I’d probably bake them all the way and then just reheat in the microwave or toaster oven.
I will be making these very soon! They look delicious and easy to make which is a plus! Thank you!
I hope you love them!
My kids would devour these easy pizza pockets. Heck, they could make them too. I love how simple they are to make. Aren’t those seasoned tomatoes the best? Perfect for adding flavor to those dishes that call for tomatoes. And how fun that you pureed it and made sauce. Genius!!!