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I came up with the idea for Homemade Frozen Pizza while stocking my sister’s freezer after she had a baby—and honestly, it’s such a win. I wish I had done this when my kids were younger! It would’ve made pizza night (or just a quick dinner on a hectic day) so much easier.
This guide will walk you through how to make frozen pizzas so you can pull one out and bake it whenever you need an easy dinner. It’s make-ahead friendly, freezer-ready, and the perfect way to use up extra pizza dough. Two pizza nights for the effort of one! Stock your freezer for busy weeknights—or gift one to a new parent who could use a break.
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Why This Works
Par-baking the crust sets the structure of the dough without fully browning it, so it holds up well in the freezer and bakes up crisp and fresh later. It’s a simple make-ahead method that helps you prep pizza in advance without much sacrificing of flavor or texture. I also use this par-baking method to make rolls ahead of time with good results.
What You Need to Make Frozen Pizzas
- Disposable Pizza Pans: I use 12-inch disposable pans for easy take-and-bake pizzas. They’re great for stocking the freezer or gifting a meal—no dishes to return!
- Plastic Wrap: Wrap the entire pizza (pan and all) tightly to prevent freezer burn. One good roll of plastic wrap goes a long way here.
- Baking Instructions: Add a sticky note with the date or use my free printable freezer label to jot down baking directions. Frozen pizzas keep well for 2–3 months when wrapped properly.
Pizza Dough Recipes
You can make homemade frozen pizza with just about any pizza dough. Mix the dough and let it rise fully before shaping. Here are a few of my favorite pizza dough recipes:
- Homemade Pizza Dough: A classic, easy-to-make dough perfect for family pizza night.
- Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough: Great way to use up sourdough discard and still get a flavorful, chewy crust.
- Sourdough Pizza Dough: No commercial yeast, just your starter. (Find this recipe in The Beginner’s Guide to Sourdough.)
Note: If using dough that’s been refrigerated overnight, let it rest at room temperature for 1–2 hours before shaping.
How to Make Frozen Pizza
Mix the Dough, Rise, Shape into Pizzas
Step 1: Mix the Dough and Let it Rise. Prepare your dough and let it rise according to the recipe instructions. (Image 1 & 2).
Step 2: Shape the risen dough into balls. Once risen, divide the dough into balls. If using my homemade or sourdough discard pizza dough, shape into 3 dough balls—each about 450–475 grams (Image 3).
Step 3: Stretch the dough into pizza pan. Place a dough ball onto each 12-inch pizza pan (Image 4) and let it rest for 5–10 minutes to relax the gluten. Then use a rolling pin to flatten slightly (Image 5), followed by stretching the dough with your hands (Image 6). Finish by pressing the dough into the edges of the pan with your fingertips (Image 7). Don’t worry if it tears—just patch it up and keep going until the dough evenly fills the pan (Image 8).
ParBake the Pizza Dough
Step 4: Parbake Pizza Dough. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Once the oven is preheated, par-bake the pizza dough for about 5-7 minutes. When you pull the pizza out of the oven, the top should still look pale (Image 9), while the bottom will be lightly baked and set (Image 10). This method of par-baking sets the crust, but doesn’t finish the bake with browning the dough. This step sets the crust without fully browning it, so it bakes up perfectly later.
Cool, Top and Wrap Pizzas
Step 5: Cool and Top Pizzas. Once the crust is par-baked, remove it from the oven and let it cool completely. If you’re using disposable pans, this won’t take long—they cool quick. Top with your favorite pizza sauce, shredded cheese, and any toppings you like – see note (Image 11).
Amy’s Tip: I like to save any veggies and add them on right before baking the pizza because some vegetables can get a little bit soggy if frozen. Toppings that I’ve tried that do freeze well are: cooked meats, cheese, olives and canned pineapple.
Step 6: Wrap and Freeze. Place the pizza in the center of a long sheet of plastic wrap and fold it over to cover. Then rotate the pizza and wrap it again the other direction for a tight seal (Image 12). Add a sticky note or the freezer pizza printable with the date on the pizza and transfer to the freezer.
Frozen pizzas will last up to 2–3 months if tightly wrapped. For best flavor and texture, use within 6–8 weeks.
How to Bake Frozen Pizza
This works perfectly for your homemade par-baked pizzas—and even most store-bought ones (just double-check the packaging for specifics).
- Crispy Crust: Place the frozen pizza directly on a preheated pizza stone. Bake in a 400ºF oven for 15–20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden and crisp.
- Soft Crust: Leave the pizza in the baking tin and place it directly in a 400ºF oven. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until fully heated through with a softer crust.
- In-Between Texture: Set the pizza (still in the tin) on top of a preheated baking stone or steel. Bake at 400ºF for 15–20 minutes. This gives you a crisp base with a soft center.
My Best Tip – For a soft, fluffy crust with just the right crisp on the bottom, let the frozen pizza thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking. Preheat your oven to 450ºF and bake on a pizza stone for 10–12 minutes. The result? A chewy, fluffy interior with lightly crisp edges—so good.
Free Pizza Baking Printable
Amy’s Recipe Tip
If you’re already making pizza for dinner, double the dough and prep one or two extras for the freezer. It’s barely any extra effort and is one of my favorite ways to cut down on meal prep time!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can! Pizza dough freezes well. Just keep in mind that if the dough has been in the freezer for a while, the yeast may weaken over time. To help with this, either use the dough soon after freezing—or add a little extra instant yeast when mixing the dough to give it a boost. For sourdough versions, use within a week for best results.
Yes! You can use your favorite whole wheat pizza dough recipe and par-bake the crust following the same method. It works well for any pizza dough.
No, you don’t have to—but they make the pizzas easier to freeze, store, and gift without worrying about getting your pan back.
Popular Pizza Recipes
If you’ve tried Making Frozen Pizza or any other recipe on my website leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Happy Baking!
How to Make Frozen Pizza (Step-by-Step)
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Equipment
- plastic wrap
Ingredients
- pizza dough
- pizza sauce
- desired toppings, see recipe note
Instructions
- Make the Dough: Prepare your favorite pizza dough. I often use my sourdough discard pizza dough or homemade pizza dough recipe which both make about three 12-inch frozen pizzas.
- Shape the Dough: Once the dough is ready to be shaped into dough balls (according to recipe directions), divide the dough into equal sections, about 450 grams each. Shape into balls and let the dough rest for about 10-20 minutes. Roll out and press into a 12-inch disposable pizza pan.
- Par-Bake the Crusts: Preheat oven to 425ºF. Par-bake each crust for 5–7 minutes until baked through on the bottom but still pale.
- Cool and Add Toppings: Let the par-baked crusts cool completely. Add sauce, cheese, and your favorite toppings. Note: Cooked meat and cheese freeze well as toppings. Some vegetables do not – add those on right before baking the pizzas.
- Wrap and Freeze: Wrap each pizza in two layers of plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 2–3 months.
- Bake from Frozen: Preheat the oven to 400ºF. When you're ready to bake the pizzas, take them out of the freezer and unwrap. Bake depending on what type of pizza crust you prefer:Crispy Crust: Take out of the pizza pan and bake directly on a pizza stone at 400ºF for 15–20 min.Softer Crust: Bake in the disposable pan at 400ºF for 15–20 min.Best of Both: Bake in the disposable pan on top of a pizza stone at 400ºF.If you have the time, let the pizza thaw for about 30 minutes before baking in the disposable pan on a pizza stone/steel for an even fluffier and slightly crispy crust. Bake at 450ºF for 10-12 minutes browned and baked through.
When using the sourdough pizza recipe do you skip the second rise and go right to spreading the dough in the pan to freeze?
If making it into frozen pizza, you would shape/spread the dough into the pan once the dough has fully risen (at the point you would typically bake it fresh). Then you would par-bake as described in the recipe.
Do you par bake on a pizza stone?
I par bake in the pan that I’m going to store the pizza in. I like to use these disposable pizza pans. I par-bake in those disposable pans, then let it cool, top, wrap in plastic wrap, and stick in the freezer.
Curious if you’ve tried reusable pizza pans? I’m not crazy about one time use products so would love to find another alternative that could go from prep, to freezer to oven. Thanks, Amy! Your recipes are always so fantastic!
You can definitely use reusable pans! When I make these, I’m usually making so many so that I can fill my freezer with them, and I don’t have that many reusable pans, so it isn’t really an option for me, but if that works for you then go for it!
If I don’t have the disposable pans can I just par bake on my pizza stone? Would I still do it at the 400 temp? I usually bake my pizzas at a higher temp than that but I don’t usually par bake. I’m looking at par baking some crusts to make it easier to bake a bunch of pizzas this weekend for a family gathering. Thanks!
You can do that—The disposable pans make it easier to prep a bunch of pizzas, especially if they are going to be wrapped up and stored in the freezer, but if you have another way of wrapping and storing them in the freezer, then that is fine too! Happy Baking!
Thank you! I do plan to get the disposable pans, but I live in Alaska so shipping is not so fast up here. 😊 Thanks so much for the response!
Your recipes are amazing. This turned out so good. So handy.
Thankyou!
So glad you loved this recipe! Thanks for sharing.
My crusts stuck to my pizza pan after par-baking. Any idea why that happened or recommendations to prevent this happening next time? Thanks!!
Hmm…I haven’t had that happen. I would probably use some parchment paper if it happens again. I’m sorry that happened to you!
Amy! I LOVE your recipes. I use them all! Question though, it may be silly… But! Can I just make the pizza crusts and freeze them with no toppings?
Yes! You can do that.
These look so good
I have a pizza pan that is metal(pampered chef) I just got it and would like to kn can I use it to bake these crusts and how do I freeze them. ( I didn’t buy the disposable pans yet, but I plan too. )hope my question makes some sense.
Yes, you can use it to bake them. Just remove the par-baked crust from the pan, let them cool and wrap to freeze.
My kids love this and I love how easy it is to use up my leftover pizza dough!