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Homemade Hot Pockets have a seasoned crust filled with gooey cheese, pepperoni and sausage. They’re easy to make, perfectly portable, and taste so much better than anything from the freezer aisle!
Why You’ll Love Homemade Hot Pockets
- Perfectly Portable! These are great on-the-go pizza pockets!
- Customizable! Add veggies, skip the pepperoni, add some spice…the options are endless!
- So Nostalgic! These are a total throwback…and even tastier than the Hot Pockets you remember!
- Gets the Kids Involved! Kids love helping pinch these little filled pockets together.
Ingredients Needed
- Bread Dough – I like to use a 1 pound loaf of Rhodes frozen bread dough. You can either thaw it in the fridge or on the counter (the quicker option).
- Meat – I use 1/2 pound of ground Italian sausage and 3 ounces of pepperoni. More variations below.
- Cheeses – Mozzarella for the filling and grated parmesan for the topping.
- Pizza Sauce – You can use extra for dipping, if you’d like!
- Egg Wash – An egg + water…helps make the beautiful shiny golden brown topping and helps the parmesan and seasoning stick!
- Italian Seasoning – A little added flavor and color!
How to Make Homemade Hot Pockets
Prepare the Filling
For the filling, you’ll cook some ground Italian sausage and chop up some pepperoni. You don’t have to chop up the pepperoni, but I find that it’s easier to eat that way.
Then, in a large bowl, you’ll stir together the meats, pizza sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese.
Pro Tip!
Shred your own mozzarella cheese instead of using a bag of shredded cheese if you have time. The bags of shredded cheese have an anti-caking agent added and tends to decrease the “ooey gooey-ness” of the cheese! Shredding a block of cheese will give you that delicious melty, creamy cheese you want!
Time for Assembly!
Now that the filling is ready, you need to prepare the dough. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a large rectangle (about 12×15 inches). If the dough is really sticky, you can sprinkle a little flour on your surface if needed. Cut the large rectangle into 6 pieces.
Divide the filling between the six pieces of dough. It will seem like a lot of filling, but we’ll make it work!! Next, grab the two long sides of the dough and have them meet in the center; pinch them to close. Then, pinch the ends together. To ensure you’re sealing the dough well, press the seam between your thumb and first finger. For the ends, you can use a fork to press together.
Place the pockets on a lined baking sheet, making sure the seam is on the bottom.
Brush the pockets with egg wash (a simple mixture of water and an egg whisked together) and then sprinkle with parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. Use a sharp knife to cut a few slits into the tops and bake in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes. The tops will be golden brown and you might see a little cheese bubbling through the top slits.
Remove from the oven and be sure to give them at least 5-10 minutes to cool before diving in! Just like the “real” Hot Pockets, the insides are like molten lava and take a minute to cool off….just trust me on this!
Storage Instructions
- In the Fridge – Let cool completely then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- In the Freezer – Again, be sure to let them cool completely after baking. Then, wrap each one individually with plastic wrap or foil then place in a resealable freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
How to Heat A Frozen Hot Pocket
- In the Microwave – Remove it from the freezer bag and/or plastic wrap it’s in. Then, wrap the hot pocket loosely with a damp paper towel and place it on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 – 2 minutes. Check to see if the filling is hot and add additional time as needed.
- In the Air Fryer – Remove it from the freezer bag and/or plastic wrap it’s in. Place in the air fryer basket and cook at 350F for 10-14 minutes. Note that air fryers vary and some may take longer than others.
- In the Oven – Remove it from the freezer bag and/or plastic wrap it’s in and place on a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 350F and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until heated through.
Homemade Hot Pocket Flavor Variations
- Add Veggies! Add diced green peppers, red peppers, sautéed mushrooms, diced onions, etc! Keep the meat or make it vegetarian and skip it.
- Change up the Meat! Try diced ham, ground beef, ground pork, etc! Basically anything that would be good on pizza, is great in a Hot Pocket!
- Make it Breakfast Style! Use cheddar cheese, cheese sauce (instead of pizza sauce), scrambled eggs and cooked sausage or bacon!
Other Portable Meal Ideas
Homemade Hot Pockets
Equipment
- 1 Sheet Pan
Ingredients
- 8 ounces ground Italian sausage
- 3 ounces sliced pepperoni
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup pizza sauce
- 1 pound bread dough thawed
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Add the sausage to a skillet over medium heat, using a spatula to crumble it until fully cooked.8 ounces ground Italian sausage
- Add the sausage to a mixing bowl.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the pepperoni into smaller pieces. This is optional, but I like that it helps distribute the pepperoni throughout the Hot Pocket better.3 ounces sliced pepperoni
- Add the pepperoni, cheese and pizza sauce to the bowl with the sausage and mix well.1/2 cup pizza sauce, 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Place the bread dough onto a clean surface and roll it into a large rectangle (about 15 inches by 12 inches).1 pound bread dough
- Cut the dough into 6 even rectangles.
- Divide the filling between the 6 pieces of dough.
- Fold the long edges of the dough up and over the filling and pinch the two sides together; transfer to the baking sheet seam-side down; repeat with all 6 pieces of dough.
- Whisk together the egg and water to create an egg wash.1 egg, 1 tablespoon water
- Brush the egg wash over the tops of the hot pockets then sprinkle with parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning.2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Use a sharp knife to cut a few slits into the top of the hot pocket to release steam during baking.
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.
- Let cool for 5-10 minutes before enjoying.
At what temp do u prebake these?
Hi Laura – You’ll preheat the oven, then just bake the hot pockets once! ~Kelsey