When talking about Freezer Pizza, it’s important to recognize that pizza is the undisputed champion of crowd-pleasing foods. No matter how much people disagree about toppings, crusts, or the best regional recipes, everyone agrees that pizza is the best!
For some people, the only way to improve on pizza is to make it easier to get pizza. And that’s where this recipe for Freezer Pizza comes in. It’s great pizza – only easier and faster.
My family enjoys any form of pizza, as long as it’s pizza. It doesn’t have to be fancy – but fancy is fine. It doesn’t have to be basic – but basic is great, too. Homemade, takeout, delivery, at a restaurant, or frozen… It’s all good! Witnessing my family’s pizza love first-hand got me thinking: Could I take a classic food and make it healthier, easier, and more economical? Yes, I could! And that’s where this recipe was born.
This recipe for how to freeze homemade pizza is simple, with lots of room for artistic expression. Customize the sauce, the cheese, and the toppings however you like. The only rule is that it needs to be delicious. If there’s something you like to eat and you want to turn it into a pizza topping, I say, “Go for it!” After all, creativity is what brought us Hawaiian pizza, white pizza, and pizza with balsamic and arugula.
INGREDIENTS – WHAT YOU NEED
Freezer Pizza is made with pizza sauce, pizza dough, mozzarella cheese, and toppings.
HOW TO MAKE FREEZER PIZZA
MAKE IT NOW
***This recipe calls for already-made pizza dough. Purchase pre-made dough, or use a trusted recipe like this one.***
Place a pizza stone into the oven and preheat it to 500 degrees on the middle rack for 30 minutes. (If you don’t have a pizza stone, just cook the pizza directly on the oven rack).
Stretch dough or use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a circle (12-14 inches, depending on how thick you want your pizza crust).
Transfer the dough to a piece of parchment a little bigger than your pizza. Gently poke pizza all over with the tines of a fork to avoid bubbles.
Top with pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings.
BAKE IT NOW
Slide the pizza off the parchment paper and onto the preheated pizza stone. You might want to wear oven mitts during this step because 500 degrees is hot!
Bake pizzas one at a time for 8-10 minutes or until the crust turns golden, the toppings are hot, and the cheese is melted.
Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
MAKE AND FREEZE IT
You can do this in two ways: Freezing the dough or freezing the entire pizza.
FREEZING THE DOUGH
Divide the unrisen dough into two halves, then place each half into its own gallon-sized freezer bag (coat the inside of each bag beforehand with a tablespoon of olive oil.
Seal bags, remove as much air as possible, and freeze for up to 3 months.
To thaw and cook, place a bag of frozen dough on the counter for 2-3 hours. The dough will thaw and rise until doubled in size.
Follow the shaping and baking directions in making it now.
FREEZING THE ENTIRE PIZZA
Slide the rolled-out pizza dough on the parchment paper onto the preheated pizza stone.
Bake pizza for 3-5 minutes at 425 degrees.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Top with pizza sauce and cheese, and toppings.
Flash freeze pizzas by placing them on a baking sheet and add to the freezer, uncovered, for at least 2 hours or until frozen solid.
Remove freezer pizzas from the freezer, and wrap each tightly with plastic wrap.
Wrap with aluminum foil.
Label each pizza with flavor, oven temperature, and time.
Pop them back in the freezer and freeze them for up to 3 months!
When you’re ready to bake a DIY freezer pizza, place it on your 425 degrees preheated pizza stone or pan, and place them in the oven for 13-20 minutes until the crust starts to get golden, the toppings are hot, and the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE FROZEN PIZZA BETTER?
Pizza isn’t fussy. Dough, sauce, toppings, and you’re in business. But there are a few tweaks and upgrades you can make. A thin layer of olive oil across the top of the dough (before you add the pizza sauce) adds a little richness to the flavor.
Pizzerias commonly rub cornmeal to the bottom of the pizza dough to keep the pizza from sticking to the cooking surface. You won’t need to do this if your pizza stone is thoroughly preheated, but you might like to do it for that familiar taste and texture.
Before cooking, a few sprinkles of oregano and table salt add a little authenticity to the flavor. And stepping up to a higher quality cheese isn’t necessary, but it could be a difference-maker for aspiring gourmets. There’s almost no wrong way to make pizza. If you and your family love it, then you’ve made it right!
Some other outstanding pizza-related recipes include Oh-so-Easy Mini Naan Pizzas and Easy Keto Chaffle Recipe.
WHAT ARE GOOD TOPPINGS FOR FROZEN PIZZA?
I put freezer pizza toppings into 3 categories: Meats, Veggies, and Special. Meat toppings include classics like pepperoni, sausage, ground beef, and sliced meatball. But some of the tastiest pizzas I’ve had were topped with BBQ chicken breast, bacon, and ham. Popular veggie toppings are bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms. The Special category might include anything from pineapple to artichoke hearts to Feta cheese.
IS FROZEN PIZZA VEGAN?
The only non-vegan part of a basic cheese pizza is the cheese. If you’d like to make a vegan version, substitute the dairy cheese with a vegan version. Then top your pizza with fresh veggies and plant-based items.
DO I HAVE TO COOK PIZZA ON A PIZZA STONE?
The short answer is no. But you may want to. The purpose of a pizza stone is to help regulate the cooking temperature. A preheated oven immediately loses heat when you open the door to slide in your pizza. This is partly due to the cooler kitchen air that enters the oven and partly because you’re inserting cold (or frozen) food. A pizza stone absorbs heat as the oven is preheating and radiates it during the cooking process. As the oven temperature fluctuates, your pizza continues cooking at a constant temperature. You don’t have to use a pizza stone, but it’s a small luxury you’ll come to appreciate.
CAN I BAKE THE HOMEMADE FREEZER PIZZA ON THE PARCHMENT PAPER?
Rather than attempting to slide the pizza onto your pizza stone, you might be tempted to simply lift the pizza by the sides of the parchment paper and transfer the whole thing onto the pizza stone. Some parchment papers are rated for cooking temperatures as high as 500 degrees Fahrenheit – but not all brands. Proceed with caution on this one.
CAN I MAKE FROZEN PIZZA IN A PIZZA OVEN?
Home pizza ovens have surged in popularity over the past couple of years. Wood-fired, gas, and electric models have made it easier than ever to replicate the cooking process of your favorite pizza restaurant. If you happen to own a pizza oven, it’s a great way to cook Freezer Pizza. You’ll want to keep an eye on your cooking times, as these ovens cook at about twice the temperature of your kitchen oven.
PRO TIPS/RECIPE NOTES
You will notice different cooking temperatures in this recipe, depending on whether you’re cooking a fresh or frozen pizza. This is not a typo!
If you are making homemade frozen pizza dough just one day ahead, add dough to an oiled bowl, cover it, and place it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. The easiest way to oil a bowl is to pour in a teaspoon of olive oil and lightly rub the entire inside surface with a paper towel or basting brush. Then on the following day, bring the dough out of the fridge, and let it come to room temperature before shaping it.
Caution is required when transferring the uncooked pizza into the oven. If you’re uncomfortable sliding it off the parchment paper, you might consider using a wooden cutting board to shuffle the pizza into the oven. A pair of BBQ tongs can be helpful to guide the pizza. The cutting board/tongs technique is also helpful when removing the pizza from the oven.
Let your creativity flow with this recipe. BBQ sauce instead of pizza sauce? Sure! Smoked Gouda cheese with Romano shavings? Definitely! Buffalo sauce with chopped celery and diced, breaded chicken breast? Indeed!
WHAT OTHER PIZZA-RELATED RECIPES CAN YOU MAKE?
- Make these delicious Pizza Pinwheel Bites
- Prepare this Easy Pepperoni Pizza Dip Appetizer
- Create this 4 Ingredient Pizza Pocket Recipe
- Make this yummy Cheesy Pizza Tortellini Pizza Bake Meal
- Serve this Perfect Grilled Hawaiian BBQ Pizza
- Make these Homemade Hot Pockets
The next time you prepare Freezer Pizza, I would love to see them! Snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #happymoneysaver and tagging me @happymoneysaver!
Homemade Freezer Pizza
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup pizza sauce per pizza
- 1 pizza dough
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese per pizza
- toppings pepperoni, sliced meatballs, green peppers, or pineapple
Instructions
Make it Now
- Place a pizza stone into the oven and preheat it to 500 degrees on the middle rack for 30 minutes. (If you don’t have a pizza stone, just cook the pizza directly on the oven rack).
- Stretch dough or use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a circle (12-14 inches depending on how thick you want your pizza crust).
- Transfer dough to a piece of parchment a little bigger than your pizza. Gently poke pizza all over with tines of a fork to avoid bubbles.
- Top with pizza sauce and cheese and toppings.
Bake It Now
- Slide pizza off the parchment paper and onto preheated pizza stone. You might want to wear oven mitts during this step because 500 degrees is hot!
- Bake pizzas one at a time for 8-10 minutes or until crust starts to turn golden, toppings are hot, and cheese is melted.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Make It and Freeze It
- You can do this two ways: Freezing the dough, or freezing the entire pizza.
Freeze the Dough
- Divide the unrisen dough into two halves, then place each half into its own gallon sized freezer bag (coat the inside of each bag beforehand with a tablespoon of olive oil.
- Seal bags, removing as much air as possible and freeze up to 3 months.
- To thaw and cook, place a bag of frozen dough on the counter for 2-3 hours. Dough will thaw and rise until doubled in size.
- Follow shaping and baking directions in make it now.
Freezing the Entire Pizza
- Slide the rolled-out pizza dough on the parchment paper onto preheated pizza stone.
- Bake for 3-5 minutes at 425 degrees.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes.
- Top with pizza sauce and cheese and toppings.
- Flash freeze pizzas by placing on a baking sheet and add to freezer, uncovered, for at least 2 hours, or until frozen solid.
- Remove pizzas from freezer, and wrap each tightly with plastic wrap, then wrap with aluminum foil.
- Label each pizza with flavor, oven temperature, and time.
- Pop them back in the freezer and freeze for up to 3 months!
- When you’re ready to bake a DIY frozen pizza, place it on your 425 degrees preheated pizza stone or pan, and place them in the oven for 13-20 minutes, until crust starts to get golden, toppings are hot and cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was first posted on September 21st, 2015 but was updated with new photos and better-detailed instructions on October 27th, 2022.
Have you had issues with your pizza stone cracking, placing a frozen pizza on the preheated stone?
No, I haven’t had any problems.
If I use canned mushrooms vs. fresh mushrooms for preparation before freezing, will that work? My assumption is “yes”, because they have already been preserved.
yes!
I just made this and it was the delicious Freezer Meal Pizza ever! Thank you for the awesome recipe. Can’t wait to make more them.
Did you ever do a cost break down of how much it was to make at home compared to store bought?
I am curious if you can use other sources like peanut, or caramelized onions? Would it freezer well?
Peanut or caramelized onions should freeze just fine! 🙂