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Homemade Hot Pockets are a perfect lunch or snack on the go. Hot pockets are a classic childhood snack of pizza-like dough wrapped around a warm, often cheesy filling. Save time and money by making a big batch and freezing them for later.
Homemade Hot Pockets
I filled these with pepperoni, mozzarella, and cheddar to mimic the flavors of a pepperoni pizza, but you can find hot pockets with all sorts of fillings. Feel free to get creative.
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Ingredients:
You probably already have a lot of what it takes to make these homemade hot pockets in your kitchen. Here’s a shopping list for you. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below for precise measurements.
Short on time? You can use store-bought pizza dough instead of making homemade dough.
- Warm water
- Granulated sugar
- Active dry yeast
- Olive oil
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Pizza sauce – Marinara will also do the trick.
- Pepperoni – Feel free to use diced ham instead.
- Shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese – You could use a different cheese/cheeses here if you’d like. Pepper Jack or Muenster would be fun. So would provolone and/or parmesan.
Supplies:
Take a quick inventory of your kitchen and make sure you have the following supplies before you get started.
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowl
- Rubber spatula
- Flat work surface
- Rolling pin
Instructions:
Activate the yeast. Mix together the water, yeast, and sugar and set aside for 5 minutes. During this time, the yeast will activate. You will know it is ready when you see a frothy, almost bubbly film develop on the top of the mixture.
Make the dough. Using a rubber spatula, stir the olive oil into the activated yeast mixture followed by 2 1/4 cups of flour and the salt. Keep stirring until the mixture forms into a sticky doughball. You can add more flour to help it come together if needed but sticky is good here.
Knead. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth. You can add up to ½ cup extra flour if needed until it’s no longer sticky.
Rise. Grease a mixing bowl and add the dough to the bowl. Cover and let the dough rise until doubled in size. This only takes about 30 minutes unless your room is very cold. To speed up the process you can place the bowl in a warm location.
Prep. Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Form pockets. Take a handful of dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll it out into a circle (it should be about the size of your hand). Repeat with the remaining dough.
Fill the pockets. Spread pizza sauce over each circle and load with pepperoni, mozzarella, and cheddar cheese. Fold the dough over itself to make half moons and pinch the edges together. Be careful not to over-fill the hot pockets, otherwise, they won’t close.
Bake. Arrange the pockets on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly brown on top.
Additional Filling Options
I love a classic pepperoni and cheese hot pocket but you don’t have to stop there. These hot pockets are the perfect canvas for experimentation. Here are a couple of other fun filling ideas to get you inspired.
- Ham and cheese
- Broccoli and cheese (I like cheddar here)
- Buffalo chicken with provolone
- Chicken, bacon, and ranch with cheddar cheese
- Philly cheesesteak
- Mini meatballs and mozzarella
Freezer Recipe
This is a great make-ahead recipe. There are a couple of ways to go about it. Allow me to walk you through each:
From start to finish. After baking the hot pockets, allow them to cool to room temperature. Next, arrange them on a baking sheet and transfer them to the freezer for a couple of hours. Once firm, load the hot pockets into a freezer bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to enjoy, bake them at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.
Freeze before baking. Assemble the hot pockets and arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Instead of baking them, pop them in the freezer for a couple of hours to firm up. Once firm, load them into a freezer bag. You can store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, bake the hot pockets just as you normally would. Just tack on a few extra minutes.
Just the dough. You can make the dough ahead of time if you’d like. Once doubled in size, transfer it to a freezer bag and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to make hot pockets, allow the dough to thaw in the fridge and then roll it out just as you normally would.
More Lunch and Snack Recipes
Homemade Hot Pockets Recipe
Homemade Hot Pockets
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowl
- Rubber spatula
- Flat work surface
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting the surface
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup pizza sauce
- ½ cup pepperoni, quartered
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Activate the yeast. Mix together the water, yeast, and sugar and set aside for 5 minutes. During this time, the yeast will activate. You will know it is ready when you see a frothy, almost bubbly film develop on the top of the mixture.
- Make the dough. Using a rubber spatula, stir the olive oil into the activated yeast mixture followed by 2 1/4 cups of flour and the salt. Keep stirring until the mixture forms into a sticky doughball. You can add more flour to help it come together if needed but sticky is good here.
- Knead. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead until smooth. You can add up to ½ cup extra flour if needed until it's no longer sticky.
- Rise. Grease a mixing bowl and add the dough to the bowl. Cover and let the dough rise until doubled in size. This only takes about 30 minutes unless your room is very cold. To speed up the process you can place the bowl in a warm location.
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Form pockets. Take a handful of dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll it out into a circle (it should be about the size of your hand). Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Fill the pockets. Spread pizza sauce over each circle and load with pepperoni, mozzarella, and cheddar cheese. Fold the dough over itself to make half moons and pinch the edges together. Be careful not to over-fill the hot pockets, otherwise, they won’t close.
- Bake. Arrange the pockets on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly brown on top.
Notes
- Refrigerator. Once the hot pockets have cooled to room temperature, seal them in an airtight container. You can store them in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer. Pop the fully cooled hot pockets in the freezer for a couple of hours to firm up before loading them into a freezer bag. You can store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To reheat. Arrange the leftovers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350°F for 10-15 minutes or until warm. If reheating from frozen, give them 15-20 minutes. Alternatively, microwave leftover hot pockets in 30-second intervals until heated through.
I’ve made these so many times. They’re delicious. Can I double the recipe?