We will show you how to cook Crock pot pizza with refrigerated pizza dough for a fun dinner recipe idea your kids can help you with. Deep dish crust like our Slow Cooker Pizza Casserole but more traditional ingredients.
I really wasn’t quite sure how cooking pizza in a slow cooker was going to turn out, but I thought I would give it a whirl. Here is how you too can give this family favorite a whirl too! It’s one of our best crock pot recipes.
It is quite easy using homemade or refrigerated dough. You use all the same ingredients as if you were baking it another way. To make things easy we stick with spaghetti sauce, mozzarella and pepperoni of course.
I was shocked at how well this out of the box idea turned out! Others said they had cooked it this way before but I was a bit skeptical. I wasn’t sure that a pizza cooked in my slow cooker would actually work, but it did.
I know….it sounds crazy, and kinda’ like “why would you do that”? But, I love anything that can be cooked in the crockpot because it saves me tons of time. Even if I am home I would rather slap the ingredients for pizza in there and let it do it’s thing while I am working or cleaning. I have much better things to do with my time!
We also live in an area where it reaches over 100 degrees during the summer often and there is NO way I am turning on my oven then. That’s when I exclusively use my slow cooker and started making Instant Pot pizza pasta. Both were hits in our house for dinner.
How Long to Cook Slow Cooker Pizza
1.5 hours is how long it took to get the thickest dough for the crust cooked all the way thru. That is what you are looking for. Once that is done you will know that the bottom is done too. The edges are thickest because when rolled out it won’t fit since it is in a rectangle. You’ll need to fold it all the way around like you see below to fit.
Ingredient Notes
This essentially turns out like a deep dish pizza. The refrigerated pizza dough crust is nice and thick and does cook all the way through. You could use homemade dough instead but most of the time I am looking for easy and quick meals.
I will use a jar of spaghetti sauce to, once again, make the preparations easier and faster. You could buy pizza sauce but honestly that is typically twice as expensive and doesn’t have as much flavor.
As for the toppings go for it!! You literally could add anything to the top you normally would, in small pieces.
On busy days I set out paper plates and paper towels so it is super easy cleanup once we’re done too. 😉
How to Cook Pizza in Slow Cooker
So get out a tube of refrigerated dough, un roll it and put it into the bottom of your crockpot AFTER you spray the heck out of it with non stick spray. 😉 Then just fold the sides over so it makes an oval and you’ll have a thicker crust. Spread pizza sauce (spaghetti sauce is what we use) on top.
Add your cheese and favorite pizza toppings. Put the lid on and cook on low for 1.5 hours – 1 hr. 45 minutes. Take the lid off and cook for about 10-15 more minutes so steam doesn’t build up and it can brown slightly (won’t get as brown as it would in the oven).
Tip – Low setting is best for this, medium high heat will cause bottom to get too brown without cooking the dough in the middle.
How to Lift Pizza out of Slow Cooker
To get it out I took the inside of the inner pot out. I held it on it’s side (with a pot holder) and used a spatula to get under one end and slide it out. That is why you need the non stick spray.
Or easier yet just let it cool with the lid off for about 20 minutes and lift it out with a spatula like you see here. It was really good. I used my larger crockpot and it fed 3 or 4 of us with a side of salad.
Crock Pot Pizza Recipe
Equipment
- 1 slow cooker
Ingredients
- 1 tube pizza dough, refrigerated roll
- 1.5 cup spaghetti sauce
- 2 cup mozzarella cheese
- 10 large pepperoni, and any other pizza toppings you want
Instructions
- Spray the inside of your crockpot with non stick spray, spray it well!
- Unroll your refrigerated pizza dough and put it on the bottom stretching it so it covers the bottom but doesn’t have any holes. Roll the sides down so they create a thicker crust around the edges and hold filling in.
- Add sauce, cheese and toppings.
- Cover your slow cooker and set to low for 1.5 hrs. or until outside dough is cooked and cheese is melted.
- Take lid off, turn off, and allow to cool a bit so it stays in one piece before attempting to slide it out of the crockpot and cutting it.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to reheat leftover pizza
If you have leftovers, here’s how to reheat pizza in an air fryer instructions. You can put a frozen pizza in air fryer if the basket is large enough. Set to 400 degrees for just a few minutes should do it.
- Pop it under your broiler on a baking sheet for 3-4 minutes.
- Use a blow torch….just kidding. 😉 Just making sure you’re paying attention and actually reading my post here. lol
Other easy Crockpot recipes you’ll love
Our most popular on The Typical Mom is this 5 ingredient crockpot chili recipe we make on a weekly basis. Crockpot crack chicken is simple and droolworthy.
- Let’s round this out with our popular crockpot hamburger helper recipe that everyone loves.
- You should try our Traeger pizza too if you have a smoker at home. Here’s a video showing how we make slow cooker pizza Below is a printable recipe with nutrition facts listed such as calories and saturated fat content….but just enjoy!
How can you cook pizza without an oven?
This and our Instant Pot pizza made in a springform pan have been our favorite out of the box ideas. Both have been a hit when it is so hot that baking in the oven just isn’t an option. You can actually put it on a sheet pan and on the grill too over indirect heat, covered until it is browned as well. Try them all!
I mean who has one of these, not many. You can of course use your oven, make Air Fryer Pizza to keep it crispy or use this method!! Then you start to think of ways to use the same ingredients but in a different form, like pizza muffins.
Can you cook this on high? If so how long to you think?
Pizza in the crockpot!?!?! This was so good!!!
Glad it was a hit
One of my favorites for busy weeknights. I love that it’s so simple and that my family devours it without complaint!
Always a huge plus
What if you put cheese sticks around the edges and folded the dough over to create stuffed crust. 😋
This is a potential game-changer. I never would have thought of this, but it looks great!
What a fun and delicious idea!
Looks like I will have to try this! Looks perfect when cooking for 2. Thanks for posting.
Yes!! Lemme know what you think.