Quick and Easy Small-Batch Pizza Uncrustables

If you love the convenience of store-bought Uncrustables but want something fresher, cheesier, and made exactly the way you like it, you're going to fall for these Small-Batch Pizza Uncrustables. Think golden, buttery bread filled with melty mozzarella, zesty pizza sauce, and mini pepperoni, perfectly sealed and crisped in the air fryer or baked in the oven. This easy recipe makes just four uncrustables, so it's ideal for lunch, after-school snacks, or stocking the freezer without waste.

To make small-batch pizza Uncrustables, fill soft white bread with mozzarella, pizza sauce, and mini pepperoni, leaving a border for sealing. Press with a sandwich sealer, brush with melted butter, sprinkle with Parmesan, and cook in the air fryer at 400°F for 7 to 8 minutes, flipping halfway, or bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes.

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• Ingredients & Equipment: Here's What You'll Need
• Making the Uncrustables: Step-by-Step
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Recipe Tips and Variations
• Chula's Test Kitchen
• Other Yummy Snacks
• Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Perfectly Sized Batch: Makes just four Uncrustables, so there's no waste.

• Fresher & More Flavorful: Real mozzarella, quality pepperoni, and your favorite pizza sauce.

• Freezer-friendly: Make ahead and store in the freezer for quick lunches or snacks.

• Air Fryer or Oven - You Choose: Crisp edges and melty cheese, no matter what your preferred cooking method is.

• Kid & Adult Approved: Perfect for lunchboxes, game day snacks, or late-night cravings.

Ingredients & Equipment: Here's What You'll Need

• The Bread: I tried a number of different types of bread for these Uncrustables: Pepperidge Farm Very Thin White Bread, Pepperidge Farm White Bread, Wonderbread, Walmart Brand Bread, Dave's White Bread, and Sara Lee Delightful White Bread. The only one that consistently worked was Sara Lee Delightful. The others either tore or didn't seal well.

• The Cheeses: I shredded my own low-moisture mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese for maximum melty goodness and flavor.

• The Pepperoni: I used mini pepperoni. I wanted the flavor without the bulk of regular pepperoni. Had I used regular pepperoni, however, I would have cut it into smaller pieces.

• The Pizza Sauce: I used store-bought pizza sauce, but you could use your favorite, either store-bought or homemade.

• The Sandwich Maker: I experimented with three different Uncrustables sandwich makers. One was a fairly old Pampered Chef plunger-style sandwich maker. When the plunger kept getting stuck, I ordered another plunger-style sandwich maker, but it didn't work any better. The one that did work, shown in the picture, worked consistently well.

Making the Uncrustables: Step-by-Step

1. Flatten Bread: First, slightly flatten the bread with a rolling pin or your hand. This helps the uncrustable to seal and also helps to reduce the bulk.

2. Layer Ingredients: Layer the ingredients on one of the pieces of bread as follows: ½ teaspoon of pizza sauce, 1 tablespoon of shredded mozzarella, 8 or 9 mini pepperoni, ½ teaspoon of pizza sauce, and 1 tablespoon of shredded mozzarella. Leave a ½ to 1 inch border around the edges for sealing.

3. Seal the Uncrustable: Top with the second slice of bread and use a sandwich cutter/sealer to press firmly, removing the crust and sealing the edges.

4. Brush & Top: Brush one side with melted butter and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan.

5. Cook in the Air Fryer: Preheat to 400°F for 3-5 minutes. Place Uncrustables butter-side up on parchment and cook for 4 minutes. Flip, brush the other side with butter, sprinkle with Parmesan, and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes until golden. My air fryer, the Ninja Crispi, can only hold two Uncrustables at a time. Because the Uncrustables were pretty light, the parchment blew around quite a bit. However, this didn't impact the overall cooking.

6. Serve or Store: Serve immediately for the ultimate cheese pull, or cool and freeze for later.

Whether you're making them for kids, meal prepping for the week, or just craving a crispy, cheesy snack, these Small-Batch Pizza Uncrustables deliver all the comfort of pizza in a portable, freezer-friendly package. Once you taste them, you may never go back to store-bought again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Recipe Tips and Variations

• Filling Balance? Don't be tempted to overfill the Uncrustables. They'll likely tear or fail to seal properly.

• No Air Fryer? No problem - use the oven. Place the Uncrustables on a parchment or nonstick aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 375°F for 10 to 12 minutes, flipping halfway.

• Want to freeze? Assemble, seal, and freeze in a single layer on a tray. Then transfer to a freezer Ziploc bag. Cook frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the cook time.

• Cheese Options? Consider swapping mozzarella for provolone, Monterey Jack, or Colby Jack. Skip the pizza sauce and pepperoni for delicious grilled cheese Uncrustables.

• How to serve? Serve warm with marinara or extra pizza sauce for dipping. Pair with a side salad or fruit for a balanced lunch.

• Back to school? Pack in lunchboxes with a cold pack or send frozen to thaw by lunchtime.

Chula's Test Kitchen

This recipe came together after a lot of trial, error, and delicious taste-testing! I experimented with:

• Breads - The clear winner was Sara Lee Delightful White for its softness and perfect seal.

• Filling Technique - Slightly flattening the bread with a rolling pin gave a cleaner press and better seal.

• Layering - 1 tablespoon mozzarella → ½ teaspoon pizza sauce → single layer of mini pepperoni → ½ teaspoon pizza sauce → 1 tablespoon mozzarella, leaving a ½-1-inch border for sealing.

• Cutters - My favorite tool was this sandwich cutter/sealer, which outperformed plunger-style sealers. It also works great for peanut butter and jelly Uncrustables and Nutella Uncrustables!

• Finishing Touches - Brushing each side with melted butter and sprinkling Parmesan halfway through cooking added irresistible flavor.

• Cheese Pull Shots - Resting the Uncrustable for 30-60 seconds before cutting helped maximize the melty stretch.

After multiple rounds, I found the perfect balance of crispy edges, gooey cheese, and a filling ratio that stays neatly inside the seal. The result? A snack-worthy and freezer-friendly uncrustable that everyone will love!f

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