Healthier Pizza Pockets (Gluten Free)
Going to be snacking on these Healthier Pizza Pockets all weekend! And I would highly recommend that you do the same. Who else remembers those after school toaster oven delicacies?! Well, these are a revamped version of those. Made using a paleo friendly pizza mix, these pizza pockets are grain and gluten free, and honestly, I like them better than the originals.
We didn’t have the OG pizza pockets in our house much growing up, so they were always a special treat whenever I went over to a friend’s house who happened to have them stocked up in the freezer. This healthier homemade version is also such a treat. Stuffed with spicy pizza sauce, melty cheese, turkey pepperoni, and fresh basil, these pockets are elevated and so delicious. Not to mention, this recipe is incredibly easy to make. Okay, maybe not quiiiite whip-out-of-the-freezer-and-toast-them easy, but it’s definitely worth the extra couple of steps.
For the Pizza Dough…
I use Simple Mills Almond Flour Pizza Dough mix because it’s sooo quick and easy to whip together, and it’s also hella good. If you haven’t tried it, well, now’s the time! I also like that it’s made using all real, wholesome ingredients that I recognize, so I know my pizza pockets are going to turn out healthy and tasty. You could opt for other grain-free pizza mixes for the dough, but this is just the one I used when making this recipe!
These pizza pockets are the perfect appetizer to throw together for when friends are over to watch a game (or just hang!) or prep them for the week and pop them in the toaster oven to warm up as an after school snack. Serve them up hot with a side of extra pizza sauce for dipping. So good.
If you do make these Healthier Pizza Pockets, be sure to comment below and/or tag me on Instagram and let me know how you like them! I really love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks for stopping by!
Take care xx
Slim
Healthier Pizza Pockets (Grain + Gluten Free)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Serves: 5 (makes 10 pockets)
Ingredients
1 Box Simple Mills Almond Flour Pizza Dough Mix + ingredients it requires:
2 tbsp olive oil + more for your hands and surface
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
⅓ cup water + extra if needed
¼ cup spicy pizza sauce + ⅓ cup for serving
¼ cup shredded mozzarella
10 turkey pepperonis (I like to use Applegate Uncured Turkey Pepperonis)
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
1 egg
1 tbsp water
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350℉ and grease a baking sheet with olive oil. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, following the instructions on the pizza mix box, whisk together 2 tbsp of the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and ⅓ cup of water. Then add in the pizza mix and stir until a dough has formed. Add up to an additional 2 tbsp of water if the dough is too crumbly.
Grease your hands and a surface with olive oil. Form the dough into a ball and then place a piece of parchment paper on top (to help prevent sticking) and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a large ~1ft square. Dough should be about 1/8th of an inch thick. Using a pizza cutter, cut off any rough, uneven edges to make a straight edged square. Save the cut off pieces, form them into a ball and roll out again to form a smaller square.
Using the pizza cutter, slice 16 even squares into the dough (the larger square) and 4 even squares in the smaller one.
Place ~1 tsp of sauce, ~1 tsp of cheese, 1 pepperoni, and a sprinkle of basil onto half of the squares. Carefully peel off the other half of dough squares and place one on top of each square with toppings on it. Gently press a fork around the edges of the squares to seal them together. Transfer to the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the egg wash by whisking together the egg and 1 tbsp of water.
After 15 minutes, remove the pizza pockets, brush with the egg wash, and place back in the oven for an additional 10 minutes, or until golden brown and firm to the touch.
Let cool for a few minutes and then serve with a side of extra pizza sauce for dipping!
