Vegan pizza pockets are fairly easy to make. The homemade marinara sauce and endless filling options will have everyone coming back for more. Enjoy them as a game-day snack, party appetizer, or weekend family meal.
Vegan pizza pockets are always a hit with my family. They've named these 'the BEST pizza pockets ever!!'
And I have to agree with them!
These tasty little handheld pizzas are perfect with your favorite salad topped with BBQ ranch, a bowl of soup, macaroni salad, or potato salad.
What goes inside vegan pizza pockets?
The filling options are endless for these 'mini calzones'.
I usually base the pizza filling around bell peppers and onions. From there I'll see what other veggies I have on hand. Feel free to do the same.
Try adding olives for saltiness, maybe pineapple for sweet or jalapeños for spicy. Broccoli, spinach and artichoke hearts are all delicious ideas as well.
So, get creative with the pizza filling!
How to assemble the pockets
- Once your dough has doubled in size, place it on a floured work surface.
- Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces.
- Form each section of dough into a ball.
- Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough ball. Add the marinara sauce and fillings to half of the rolled dough. Leave an edge to fold closed.
- Fold the empty side of the dough over your toppings and roll/fold the edges closed. (You may need to fold it about 2-3 times to make sure they are sealed)
- Place each pizza pocket on your baking sheet and brush the tops with oil. Sprinkle with parmesan.
- Bake at 415º for 20-25 min.
Marinara sauce
I consider the marinara sauce to be the foundation for a delicious vegan pizza. In other words, to have the perfect pizza, you need to have the perfect sauce.
My homemade marinara sauce complements any pizza filling. You can use the marinara recipe included in the recipe, or try my recently perfected homemade marinara sauce.
Both marinara recipes also double as a dip for the pockets, breadsticks, zucchini fries, or even pretzel bites.
Tip: The marinara sauce recipes make extra. Store any extra sauce in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to 7 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Can I freeze pizza pockets?
Yes!
They freeze exceptionally well. So well, in fact, I'll usually double the recipe.
One batch is usually devoured by the family right away. The other batch I'll freeze so my daughter can easily reheat them later.
To freeze
Skip the oil and parmesan toppings and bake for only 8-10 min. Let cool completely, then wrap in parchment paper and store in an airtight container in the freezer. To reheat, pre-heat your oven to 375º. Place the vegan pizza pockets on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush each pocket with oil and top with parmesan. Bake for 15-20 min or until heated thoroughly.
We'd love to hear from you!
If you enjoyed this vegan recipe, please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card and share your thoughts in the comments below.
Also, if you snap a photo be sure to share it with us! We love to see your creations!! You can find us on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.
See ya there!
Recipe
Vegan Pizza Pockets
Ingredients
Pizza Dough
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup warm water
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar, coconut sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
- ¼ teaspoon Himilayan pink salt
- 1 teaspoon refined coconut oil, melted
Veggies and Filling
- 1 8-ounce package mushrooms
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 1 can of olives, sliced
- Marinara sauce, or recipe below
- Cashew parmesan, or your favorite vegan cheese shreds
Marinara Sauce
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil, for sautéing
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 full teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ full teaspoon dried basil
- ½ full teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ full teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon granulated sugar, or coconut sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
- 1 small bay leaf
Instructions
Pizza Pocket Dough
- Add the warm water and sugar to a large bowl and mix. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let sit for about 10 min, or until the yeast is foamy and active.
- Once the yeast is active, mix in the salt and oil.
- Now add 1 cup of flour to your bowl and mix well. Add in the remaining flour, in ½ cup increments at a time. Mix until a slightly sticky dough ball forms.
- Take the dough out of the bowl and knead on a floured surface for 5-7 min. (You can skip this step and add everything to your stand mixer)
- Oil your bowl and the dough ball. Place the dough into the bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel.
- Place the bowl in a warm spot to rise for 40 minutes.
- While the dough rises, prep the sauce and veggies.
Marinara Sauce
- Add the oil, onion, and garlic to a saucepan and sauté over medium-low heat, until translucent.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Turn the heat to low, cover and let simmer for about 15-20 min.
- If needed, add water to achieve desired consistency. I prefer the sauce thicker for the pockets to prevent leakage, but for dipping, I add a bit of water. You can also blend it for a smooth dipping sauce.
Veggies
- In a medium saucepan, sauté the mushrooms until they have released their moisture and are tender. Be sure to drain any excess liquid before adding to your pockets.
- In a separate pan, cook the onions and bell peppers until they are soft but still have a slight crunch.
Assemble the Pockets
- Preheat your oven to 415ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Once your dough has doubled in size, place it on a clean surface and cut it into 8 equal pieces. (I use a knife and cut the dough like a pizza into 8 triangles)
- Form each dough piece into a ball.
- Use a rolling pin to roll out one of the dough balls.
- Add the marinara sauce and a portion of filling to half of the rolled out dough. Leave an edge to be folded closed and brush it with a bit of water.
- Fold the empty side of the dough over your toppings and roll/fold the edges closed. (You may need to fold it about 2-3 times to make sure they are sealed)
- Place each pizza pocket on your baking sheet as they are done. Brush the tops with oil and sprinkle with parmesan.
- Bake at 415ºF for 20-25 min.
- Cut the pizza pockets in half and allow them to cool slightly before devouring.
Nutrition
**Nutritional info is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients I used and for convenience and as a courtesy only.**
Fran
Do I reheat from frozen or defrost? These are delicious.
Where you get your protein
Either will work! I usually pop ‘em in the oven frozen.
Brandalynn
Made these for dinner last night and they were delicious, especially that marinara! Everyone from the 1 year old to the picky 4 year old to the non-vegan brother-in-law loved them and asked for more. And it was almost no extra work to double the batch and freeze the extras as per your advice, making it a pinch to have a quick, no fuss, healthy and amazing dinner in our future, which I am SO looking forward to! The only changes we made were to add spinach and sub the olives, (since my husband isn't an olive fan) for artichoke hearts. Thank you for this brilliant recipe!
Where you get your protein
Thank you for the wonderful feedback Brandalaynn! I'm so glad EVERYONE enjoyed the recipe!! :)
Sheri
You can make sausage pizza by cooking up your sausage patty recipe and then crumble. Bbq soy curls make bbq chicken pizza.
Cin Fagan
These look amazing! Thanks for this post. Can I substitute a different oil for the coconut oil?
Where you get your protein!
Sure! You can use any oil you'd like.
Christina
Has anybody tried this with gluten free flour?
Lisa
Hi...I can't wait to try these. One question - how wide should i roll out the dough circles?
Where you get your protein!
Hi Lisa! I roll them out to about a 5-6 inch width. I just noticed the dough processing shots weren't viewable in the recipe. It's fixed now. Hopefully the images are able to provide a bit more guidance. Enjoy! :)
Ashley
These look sooo good Marlena! Love all the veggie options and love that the freeze well.
Where you get your protein!
Thank you Ashley! I love being able to grab one from the freezer for a quick lunch!
Ashley
Hello, how much calories does it have per pizza pocket? When I searched it said 36 calories but it seems a bit too good to be true lol
Estela
Hi kelly! Thank you do much for sharing this recipe.It's very creative and delicious!
Claire
OH MY GOSH!! Thank you so much for this recipe!
I made these for dinner tonight, and stuffed them with mushrooms and zucchini (as well as other vegetables). I never thought that my 12 year old son would eat them, as he tasted mushrooms and zucchini once when he was about a year old and has refused to eat ANYTHING that even LOOKED like it had those ingredients in.
To my surprise, he ate 2 of them, and declared them his new favourite food!
My 16 year old also devoured them within minutes!
Definitely making these again!!
Where you get your protein!
That is amazing news, Claire! I'm so thrilled your son ate mushrooms and zucchini and actually liked them! Thank you so much for the wonderful message! :)
Melodie
A tutorial video would be great for this recipe! I would love to see how you roll out and shape the dough. Just an idea. :)
Where you get your protein!
Hi, Melodie! Thank you so much for your feedback! I've actually been considering including a tutorial video with my recipes. You've encouraged me to look further into it and I think they will be implemented in the future. In the meantime, I included a collage (in the instructions section) on my process of rolling and shaping the dough. I hope it helps!
Kelly
Hi, how many servings does this batch make? Thanks!
Where you get your protein!
Hi Kelly! I would suggest the serving size to be about 4. One batch makes 8 pizza pockets and I can easily devour 2. Hope that helps! :)