Puff Pastry Pizza Pockets

Puff Pastry Pizza Pockets are a family favorite recipe! Buttery puff pastry filled with Italian sausage, mushrooms and cheese make the most delicious appetizers!

Of course, we love all things pizza! From homemade BBQ Chicken Pizza to these Pepperoni Pizza Totchos…we’ll take all the pizza vibes we can get!

Puff pastry pizza pockets filled with sausage, mushrooms and cheese

How To Make Puff Pastry Pizza Pockets

Ok, so these Puff Pastry Pizza Pockets do take a little bit of work, but we promise you that they are worth it. Anything that needs to be stuffed into a dough or puff pastry you know is going to take a minute to put together.

But in the end, when these crispy, buttery, cheesy pizza pockets come out of the oven, you’ll forget all about it.

Start by making a filling with Italian sausage, chopped mushrooms, pizza sauce and cheese. Of course, we started with a little onion and garlic, can’t have a pizza-flavored appetizer without some garlic and onions…

Italian sausage filling for puff pastry appetizers

Where Do I Buy Puff Pastry?

Right in the freezer section at your grocery store. It only takes about 30 minutes to thaw, so it’s a great ingredient to have on hand. Pro tip: thaw the puff pastry for about 20 minutes, then gently unfold the layers to make it flat and let it thaw the rest of the way. This way the layers won’t stick together when they are completely thawed out.

There are usually two sheets of puff pastry per package, so we’re looking for two packages here to have four sheets total. These Puff Pastry Pizza Pockets make a lot, so if you’re having a crowd over to watch the game or for happy hour, this is the appetizer recipe you need.

Sausage and cheese filling on puff pastry squares

Roll each sheet out until you have a 12″ x 12″ square. Just a little bit larger than they are originally. Now cut each square into 3 long strips, and then each strip into 3 squares. You’ll end up with 9 squares per sheet of puff pastry, ending up with 36 pizza pockets when you’re finished.

Of course, you can easily halve this recipe if you want to, but let me tell you, these will be gone in a flash. Whether you’re serving them for a fun dinner or for appetizers, leftovers usually aren’t a problem.

Also, these Puff Pastry Pizza Pockets freeze wonderfully, so you can make them ahead and save them for another night!

Mozzarella cheese and an Italian sausage filling on a puff pastry square

Now get that Italian sausage filling onto each square and top it with shredded mozzarella cheese. Try not to overstuff these guys, or the filling will ooze out when baking. Not that that’s a huge problem either, we sure do love oozy cheese.

Brush two sides of each square with egg wash and then fold over to form a triangle like you see here. Brush the tops with more egg wash and then sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and fresh black pepper.

Puff pastry triangles filled with a sausage pizza filling

Bake these pizza pockets for about 12 minutes at 425 degrees until they are a light golden brown color. If you’re looking for a crispier top then pop them under the broiler for a few minutes after cooking.

How Do You Serve These Puff Pastry Appetizers?

Just add some good quality grated parmesan cheese on top and a dish of warm marinara or pizza sauce on the side for dipping. Honestly, these pizza pockets are super tasty all on their own but people do like a dip.

Puff Pastry Pizza Pockets on a black plate with sauce

What Other Ingredients Can I Swap Out In The Filling?

Italian sausage, mushrooms, pizza sauce and cheese were the original ingredients and we love these appetizers just like this! But if you want to try swapping things around, we’ve got some ideas for you!

Instead Of Italian Sausage:

  • Ground beef
  • Ground pork
  • Shredded Chicken
  • Beyond Beef (for a meatless option)

Instead Of Or In Addition To Mushrooms:

  • Chopped broccoli
  • Spinach
  • Pepperoni
  • Diced bell peppers
  • Black olives
Puff Pastry Pizza Pockets with dipping sauce for appetizers

Can You Freeze These Pizza Pockets?

Definitely! We talked about that above, but yes, you can make these babies ahead of time and freeze them for later! Just follow the instructions in the recipe card for more details.

Puff Pastry Pizza Pockets cut in half on a plate with sauce

Looking For More Appetizer Recipes?

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Puff Pastry Pizza Pockets on a black plate with sauce

Puff Pastry Pizza Pockets

  • Author: Dan
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 24 minutes
  • Total Time: 49 minutes
  • Yield: 36 1x

Make these Puff Pastry Pizza Pockets for your next party! You can actually make these pizza pockets for appetizers or for a fun dinner instead of ordering pizza!

Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 packages frozen puff pastry sheets, defrosted (4 sheets total)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3/4 cup diced onion
  • 1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
  • 8 ounces mushrooms, stems removed and chopped into a small dice
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Fresh black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup pizza sauce (plus more for serving)
  • 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of water

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Add the oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and onion, breaking up the sausage into small crumbles as it cooks. Once the sausage is cooked through, add the chopped mushrooms and garlic. Season with the Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Stir in the pizza sauce, taste for seasonings and remove from the heat.
  4. Add a little flour to board. Place a sheet of puff pastry on the board and roll out into a to a 12″ x 12′ square. Cut the square into 3 vertical strips and then each strip into 3 squares, making 12 squares total from each sheet.
  5. Fill each square with 1 tablespoon of the sausage filling and then top with a heaping tablespoon of mozzarella cheese.
  6. Brush 2 sides of each square with the egg wash. The egg wash won’t stick to egg wash, so you’ll be folding over the 2 sides with egg wash to meet the 2 sides without egg wash to form a triangle. Make sure to tuck the filling inside the triangle before sealing the edges. Use a fork to seal the edges all around the triangle and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat until you have 18 puff pastry pockets. (You’ll need two baking sheets to cook these, 9 on each sheet).
  7. Brush the tops of the puff pastry pockets with egg wash and then sprinkle with the grated parmesan cheese. We like to add fresh black pepper also, but that is optional.
  8. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until slightly golden brown. While the puff pastry pockets are baking you can grab the other 2 sheets of puff pastry and make the rest of the pizza pockets. Let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a platter with a spatula. Serve with warmed pizza sauce for dipping, if desired.

Recipe Notes

  • This recipe can easily be cut in half, or you can make the puff pastry pockets and freeze them for later. To reheat from frozen: place frozen puff pastry pockets on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes in a 400 degree oven. If the tops start to get brown, you can cover them with foil.
  • If you want a crispier, more brown puff pastry pocket you can place them under the broiler for a couple of minutes after cooking.
  • Category: Appetizers
  • Method: Stove Top / Oven
  • Cuisine: American

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