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    Home » Kid Friendly » Cheese Pizza Pops

    How to make Vegetarian Pizza Poppers

    Published: Dec 15, 2017 · Modified: Oct 13, 2020 by Pavani · 10 Comments

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    These Pizza Pops are stuffed with cheese and marinara sauce. They are very cheesy and addictive. Perfect after-school snack for the kids.

    White plate with a stack of cheese pizza pops

    We love pizza in our home and I try to make it quite it often. Sometimes I just want to make something simple instead of a whole pie. These vegetarian pizza poppers fit the bill perfectly.

    Cheese Pizza Pops are bite sized pizza or maybe you can call them mini size cheese calzones. Frozen ones are quite popular here in the US, especially Annie's pizza poppers.

    But, there is absolutely no need to buy pizza pockets because they are very easy to make at home. You can actually customize the fillings and make with these with your favorite pizza toppings.

    These are perfect after school snack for the kids and also great as appetizers at parties. They can be made ahead of time and freeze beautifully.

    Hands holding cheesy pizza poppers

    Ingredients

    Most of the ingredients needed for this recipe are pantry and refrigerator staples. Here is what you need:

    Pizza dough - either store bought or homemade would work. I have included an easy recipe to make your own dough. Here's what you need to make it: flour, instant yeast, sugar, salt, olive oil and water.

    Ingredients needed to make the dough for the recipe - details in the recipe card

    I use a combination of all purpose flour and whole wheat flour. But feel free to make it entirely with all purpose flour.

    Tomato sauce - again feel free to use this homemade 3 ingredient marinara sauce or store bought pizza sauce.

    Cheese - grated mozzarella or cheddar or any good melting cheese would work here.

    Ingredients needd

    Instructions

    Start by making the pizza dough. Combine flour, yeast, salt, sugar, olive oil and water in a mixing bowl. Mix and knead to make a smooth, pliable dough. Takes about 10 minutes by hand and 7~8 minutes on a stand mixer.

    Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover and set aside for about 1½~2 hours.

    Step by step photos showing the making of dough

    In the meantime, make the pizza filling - combine pizza sauce and grated cheese, mix well and set aside.

    Bowl with Tomato sauce and grated cheese mixed in

    Preheat the oven to 500°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

    Gently deflate the dough and divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ¼" thick rectangle that is 4" wide and 14~16" long.

    Down one side of the dough, place about 1tsp of the filling about 1" apart. Fold the dough over the filling and pinch it close. Cut the dough around the filling and pinch all the seams shut. Repeat with the remaining dough.

    Pizza dough rolled out into a log and topped with cheese filling

    Place the pizza pops on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.

    Pizza poppers brushed with oil and sprinkled with salt

    Bake for 8~10 minutes or until the pizza pops are golden and baked. Remove from the oven and serve hot with more sauce for dipping. Enjoy!!

    Hand holding popper being dipped in marinara sauce

    Tips

    • To make these for a crowd, double or triple the quantities to make pizza dough.
    • Some delicious filling ideas:
      • steamed broccoli, chopped
      • chopped spinach
      • crumbled vegetarian sausage
      • lightly sauteed onions, peppers
    • Make sure not to overfill the pizza pockets. Less is more in this case.
    • Store leftover baked pizza pops in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Warm in the microwave before serving.
    • To make these ahead of time, freeze unbaked poppers in a ziploc bag for upto 3 months.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can Pizza poppers be made Vegan?

    Yes, this recipe can easily be made vegan. Simply use vegan grated cheese in the recipe and you are good to go.

    Can cheese pops be made ahead of time?

    Yes, assemble the poppers and freeze them until frozen. Place them in a ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen for an extra 2~3 minutes or until golden brown.

    More kid friendly recipes to try

    • Cheese pizza stuffed sandwich
    • Pizza dough with semolina
    • No yeast thin crispy pizza crust
    • Lahmacun
    • Turkish Pide
    • Detroit style cheese pizza
    Pizza pops
    White plate with pizza poppers

    Cheese Pizza Pops

    Easy to make Pizza Pops recipe with cheese filling. These bite sized poppers are just perfect for after-school snack for the kids.
    Author: Pavani
    Print Pin Rate
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time: 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 10 minutes mins
    Rising Time:: 2 hours hrs
    Total Time: 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
    Course: Appetizer, Snack
    Cuisine: American, Italian
    Servings: 12 Servings

    Ingredients

    For the Pizza Dough:

    • 1¼ cups all purpose flour
    • ¼ cup Wholewheat flour
    • 1 tsp Instant Yeast
    • ½ tsp sugar
    • ¼ salt salt
    • 2 tsp olive oil
    • ½ cup Luke Warm Water

    For the Filling:

    • ½ cup Pizza Sauce (homemade or storebought)
    • 1 cups mozzarella cheese
    • 1 tbsp olive oil
    • To taste kosher salt, for sprinkling
    Get Recipe Ingredients

    Instructions

    For the Pizza Dough:

    • Combine flours, instant yeast, salt, sugar, olive oil and water in a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix and knead to form a smooth, pliable dough. Takes about 10 minutes by hand and 7~8 minutes on a stand mixer.
    • Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover and set aside for about 1½~2 hours.

    Make the Filling:

    • In a mixing bowl, combine pizza sauce and grated cheese. Mix well to combine.

    Make Pizza Pops:

    • Preheat the oven to 500°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    • Gently deflate the dough and divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ¼" thick rectangle that is 4" wide and 14~16" long.
    • Down one side of the dough, place about 1tsp of the filling about 1" apart. Fold the dough over the filling and pinch it close. Cut the dough around the filling and pinch all the seams shut. Repeat with the remaining dough.
    • Place the pizza pops on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the tops with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.
    • Bake for 8~10 minutes or until the pizza pops are golden and baked. Remove from the oven and serve hot. Enjoy!!

    Notes

    • Use 100% all-purpose flour to make the recipe.
    • To make these for a crowd, double or triple the quantities to make pizza dough.
    • Some delicious filling ideas:
      • steamed broccoli, chopped
      • chopped spinach
      • crumbled vegetarian sausage
      • lightly sauteed onions, peppers
    • Make sure not to overfill the pizza pockets. Less is more in this case.
    • Store leftover baked pizza pops in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Warm in the microwave before serving.
    • To make these ahead of time, freeze unbaked poppers in a ziploc bag for upto 3 months.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 168kcal
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cooks_hideout or tag #cookshideout!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Srivalli Jetti

      December 15, 2017 at 7:49 am

      Wow those pops look so sinful pavani, how I wish you took this theme for more days..hehehe..:)..

      Reply
    2. Priya Suresh

      December 15, 2017 at 12:42 pm

      Those pillowy cheesy pizza pops are just irresistible, am sure these pops are definitely a crowd pleaser.

      Reply
    3. Abhishek Verma

      December 16, 2017 at 5:48 am

      Hello Mam,
      Thanks for sharing this Yummy! recipe with us.
      My Mom Loved this, when I made this for her.
      Thanks a lot.

      Reply
    4. Rafeeda - The Big Sweet Tooth

      December 18, 2017 at 2:19 am

      Wow! These are so good for chai time on cozy winter evenings... I love the bowl in which you have put the sauce, looks pretty...

      Reply
      • cookshideout

        December 18, 2017 at 8:03 am

        Thank you Rafeeda 🙂

        Reply
    5. Vaishali

      December 18, 2017 at 1:19 am

      Beautiful pick for the theme , and I am drooling over these pops . Seriously they are very tempting , now I don’t feel like having roti sabzi for lunch .

      Reply
    6. SgFood.sg

      December 19, 2017 at 12:16 am

      Recipe looks promising. I would add other fillings inside, eg. ham or diced chicken. Thanks for sharing. Will try this soon.

      Reply
    7. Sapana

      December 19, 2017 at 6:20 pm

      I love cheese pizza pops and yours looks so tasty and very inviting.

      Reply
    8. Chef Mireille

      December 31, 2017 at 1:32 am

      these look awesome - great for parties too!

      Reply
    9. Priya Srinivasan

      January 18, 2018 at 2:44 pm

      aww this is awesome! love how quick it gets done!! i m definitely making this for our pizza night!!! 🙂

      Reply

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    106 shares