These homemade hot pockets are a delicious copycat version of the store-bought convenience food. Filled with eggs, cheese, sausage and peppers, you’ll love this quick breakfast option that freezes incredibly well!
I did not grow up in the cool house in terms of food. Things like Pop Tarts, Bagel Bites, Dunakroos, that cool cheese dip with the red spatula thing and most certainly, Hot Pockets were not something my mom ever purchased.
That’s what our friends’ houses were for.
Obviously, I’m grateful for my mom’s discretion now, but back in my school days it was just another thing to add to the list of how uncool my parents were.
Creating this homemade version of hot pockets is my act of adult rebellion. The store-bought version of breakfast hot pockets are filled with ham, cheese and eggs. My version makes them a little bit more fitting for adult palates but also basic enough for kids to still enjoy.
You can also feel good about eating these hot pockets by avoiding the laundry list of weird ingredients that most processed frozen foods contain. They also freeze well like the original and heat up in just minutes.
Homemade hot pocket ingredients
Hot pockets can be made two ways — with puff pastry or pizza dough. For this breakfast variation, we’re using puff pastry. Here’s what you’ll need to make them:
- Two sheets of puff pastry
- Butter
- Breakfast sausage — you can use pork or chicken links, we used chicken breakfast sausage for this recipe as it’s a bit leaner and the puff pastry already has plenty of richness in it.
- Red bell pepper
- Red onion
- Eggs
- Cheddar cheese
- Green onion
The possibilities are endless, however, depending on what you like in your breakfast. Switch up the vegetables to anything you like keeping the amounts similar. Chopped mushrooms, broccoli or baby greens would all cook well into the egg and cheese scramble that fills each hot pocket.
Other delicious additions to customize these would be any spices or herbs of your choosing. Things like garlic powder, basil, rosemary, etc. would be great.
Instead of breakfast sausage, ground chicken, ground turkey or Canadian bacon can also be substituted. Like our mini ham and cheese breakfast pies, copycat breakfast hot pockets are a great use for leftover ham.
How to make homemade breakfast hot pockets
Start by preheating the oven to 425°F and greasing a baking sheet.
Make the hot pocket filling by adding the butter to a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Once hot, add the onions and peppers and chicken sausage and sauté until heated through and the vegetables are just starting to soften.
Beat six of the eggs in a bowl then pour into the skillet. Add the grated cheddar cheese and stir the mixture until the eggs are scrambled using a spatula. Once cooked, remove from heat and let cool.
Unfold one sheet of the thawed puff pastry and cut it lengthwise into three even sections. Then cut across the center of these sections to create six even rectangles of puff pastry. Place these pieces of puff pastry on a parchment lined baking sheet and refrigerate.
Lightly flour the countertop and unfold the other piece of thawed puff pastry. Use a rolling pin to lightly roll out the pastry until it’s about four inches wider and longer than it’s original size. Cut this puff pastry into six rectangles just as you did the previous sheet.
Remove the puff pastry from the refrigerator. Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl then brush these pieces lightly with the egg wash.
Spoon the hot pocket filling evenly on top of the puff pastry with the egg wash. Top each one with a bit of chopped green onion.
Lay one of the larger pieces of puff pastry on top of the base rectangle with the filling and crimp the edges together with the tines of a fork to seal the two pieces together. Repeat this process with all remaining puff pastry.
Brush the tops of each prepared hot pocket with the remaining egg wash. Make two or three slashes with a knife on top of each one then transfer to the oven to bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
Once baked, remove from the oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Can I freeze hot pockets?
Yes! Just like store-bought hot pockets, this homemade recipe can be frozen and then reheated when you want to eat them.
Make sure to let the hot pockets cool completely once baked. When they’re cool, wrap in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil to tightly seal.
Once wrapped in freezer paper or an airtight freezer proof bag, these breakfast hot pockets will keep for up to 3 months.
How to reheat homemade hot pockets
A toaster oven is the best method for reheating the hot pockets. Because these are made with puff pastry, the toaster oven keeps them crispier than the microwave. You can use a microwave if you choose but they’ll be a bit soggier once reheated.
The air fryer or regular oven are also great options for reheating and maintaining a crispy texture.
Using this method to make regular hot pockets
If you want to make the original hot pocket recipe you can definitely do that too. For the pizza hot pocket recipe, I like to swap the puff pastry for either homemade pizza dough or store-bought pizza dough.
Roll out the dough in a similar manner as the puff pastry directions. The filling ingredients you’ll need for the pizza hot pockets are:
- pizza sauce
- grated mozzarella cheese
- pepperoni slices
Since none of the ingredients need to be precooked, you can just spoon the sauce onto the base then top with pepperoni and cheese. Close the hot pocket up the same way as stated for the puff pastry and brush with an egg wash before baking.
Feel free to add in any of your favorite pizza toppings to make it exactly what you want.
These hot pockets can be frozen and reheated just like the breakfast variety.
Why you’ll love this copycat recipe
Hot pockets are the ultimate grab and go food but there’s a lot more than convenience that makes this homemade version great.
- Kids love these! Their handheld size and customizable filling are things kids will jump on whether they’re a toddler or teen.
- You control the ingredients. Whether you’re enjoying them yourself or giving them to a child, knowing the ingredients in this copycat version are far superior to the store-bought kind will give you peace of mind.
- Breakfast or dinner! Because of their versatility, these can be eaten for breakfast or an easy dinner.
- Great for batch cooking. If meal prep is your thing, making a double batch of these is a great way to stock up the freezer for when you need something quick and easy the most. Your future self will thank you.
- They’re better than fast food. If you’re in a rush, there’s a high probability that the fast food drive-thru sounds appealing. With a batch of these in the freezer that you can run out the door with, you save yourself money and ingesting extra calories and horrible ingredients.
More recipes like this to try
If you love doughy bread recipes with a surprise stuffing, these pizza hummus stuffed pretzels are a must-try.
This easy breakfast quesadilla uses many of the same ingredients as this homemade hot pocket recipe without the fuss of puff pastry.
Apple hand pies are another wonderful use of puff pastry and making a complicated pie dessert much easier and more accessible.
Homemade Hot Pockets
Ingredients
- 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 breakfast chicken sausage links, chopped
- 1 red pepper, finely chopped
- 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
- 7 eggs
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1 green onion, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees and grease a baking sheet.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat saute peppers, onion and sausage with the butter for about 5 minutes until peppers are softened and sausage is heated through.
- Beat 6 of the eggs in a bowl then pour into the skillet. Scatter the cheddar cheese on top and scramble into the chicken sausage mixture using a spatula. Once eggs are cooked (about 1-2 minutes) remove from heat, transfer the eggs to a plate and refrigerate to cool.
- Unfold one sheet of the puff pastry and cut into 3 even sections lengthwise. Then cut across in the center to create 6 even rectangles. Place the rectangles of puff pastry onto a parchment lined baking sheet and transfer to the refrigerator.
- Lightly flour your countertop or work surface. Unfold the other sheet of puff pastry and roll it out until it's about 4" wider and longer than its original size. Cut into 6 rectangles in the same way you did with the first sheet of puff pastry.
- Remove the baking sheet of puff pastry rectangles from the fridge. Beat the remaining egg then brush these refrigerated puff pastry rectangles lightly with the egg wash.
- Divide the egg mixture evenly on top of the puff pastry rectangles with the egg wash. Sprinkle the chopped green onions on top.
- Lay one of the larger puff pastry rectangles on top of the base rectangle with the filling and crimp the edges using the tines of a fork to seal around the enter perimeter of each hot pocket. Repeat for each rectangle.
- Brush the tops of each breakfast hot pocket with the remaining egg wash, make 2 or 3 slashes through the top of the puff pastry then transfer to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the pastries cool for at least 10 minutes before eating.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
So delicious and cheesy! I used pork sausage because that’s the only one I had. I’ll try this again with other meat for the filling!
The filling was so good! I used my own pastry recipe. They were flaky which was a great combination with the delicious filling!
These hot pockets turned out perfectly! My hope was to freeze them for easy breakfast during the week but my family ATE THE ENTIRE BATCH as soon as they were done! haha, lesson learned, double or triple batch! Thanks for a great recipe
So happy that I found this recipe! Tried this one out for breakfast and they were so delicious! Will have to try making the pizza hot pocket recipe next. Thanks for the recipe!
These breakfast hot pockets are delicious! I made them for quick mornings, and the kids enjoyed them. I am so gonna make this again.
My daughter made homemade pop tarts with jam when our alma mater played in the Pop Tart Bowl this winter, so the image of this savory option immediately caught my eye. We decided to try these on Sunday morning, switching up the filling ingredients to accommodate various food allergy and taste preferences, and they were soooo yummy! We ended up freezing a bag for each of our houses, and now we have a stash to pop into the microwave/toaster or air fryer for a filling breakfast on the go.
Can you use a pita pocket or something similar instead and will that freeze also?
Haven’t tried it but I assume you could!
Great idea for busy days! I had them last week, and they were yummy and gave me back some minutes from my busy morning.
Okay, this is genius!! I am definitely making these in the next few weeks in preparation for the baby. Thanks so much for the recipe :)
These breakfast pockets are a great way to start the day. Perfect for on the go.