This homemade pizza rolls recipe makes the snack of your dreams and is kid-approved. The dough is fluffy and stuffed with cheese, pepperoni, and marinara sauce — perfect!
I know I’m not the first one to ever come up with a homemade pizza rolls recipe, but I simply have to share my method. I started making these over 15 years ago when my boys were little toddlers. I’ve never been a fan of the “messy-eating” stage, and when it came to the boys eating pizza — it was definitely messy. So, to fix that problem, I opted to offer then pizza rolls instead. No more mess!
These homemade pizza rolls are a cheesy, pepperoni-filled treat that have been adored by my boys when they were toddlers, young kids, and even now as teenagers. I mean, who doesn’t like pizza! They’re super easy to make and great for a quick snack to grab and go. They also reheat amazingly, making them perfect for meal prepping or popping into your work lunch.
Hot tip: You’ll need either store-bought (Trader Joe’s or Publix have great ones) or homemade pizza dough for this pizza roll recipe. For homemade, I alternate between overnight pizza dough or classic pizza dough.
How to Make Pizza Rolls
If I’m honest, this “recipe” is not as much of a recipe as much as it is a “method.” That means there’s virtually no way to mess it up!
- Prepare the filling: Dice the pepperoni into tiny pieces and grate the cheese.
- Roll the dough out: Depending on how much dough you have, divide it into 1-3 balls. Roll each ball into a thin round shape and cut it into six triangular pieces. Pop on some marinara/pizza sauce, followed by pepperoni bites and shredded cheese.
- Roll the pizza: Fold in the outside corners of the triangles, sealing the edges as you go. Repeat by folding over the center and sealing the filling inside. Roll into a burrito shape.
- Let the dough rise: Place the pizza rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover the rolls with a kitchen towel and let them rise for at least 30 minutes.
- Bake the pizza rolls: Bake the pizza rolls at 400°F for 20 minutes until they are golden brown. Dig in and enjoy while the cheese is still melty!
Here’s another “rolling method”: A quicker way to “roll” the pizza rolls is cinnamon-roll style. Roll the dough into a rectangle, then spread the filling over the entire surface. Roll the pizza (and filling) into a log, then slice into 1-inch rounds before baking.
Tips & Variations for the Easiest Pizza Rolls
Here are a few helpful tips to help you get the fluffiest, perfectly cooked pizza rolls just the way you like them!
- Substitute with crescent dough (optional): In a pinch, use Pillsbury crescent dough if you don’t want to make homemade pizza dough or can’t find any in the supermarket.
- Swap in your favorite pizza roll ingredients: Feel free to swap in any pizza ingredients you love best. Mozzarella cheese, caramelized onions, sausage, bacon, ham, olives, pesto, spinach, mushrooms, pineapple, bell peppers, and so many other goodies work great!
- Avoid overstuffing the pizza rolls: Whatever you do, avoid putting too much filling into each roll. Too much filling causes the rolls to come apart while baking — plus they’re very difficult to roll!
- Spread out the rolls evenly: The rolls will expand a bit while baking, so leave enough room between each one on the baking sheet!
Hot tip: Mix ¼ cup of melted butter with garlic powder, fresh basil, salt, and pepper. Brush the garlic butter on the pizza rolls right after they come out of the oven and sprinkle them with Parmesan cheese for over-the-top flavor.
Storing & Reheating Pizza Rolls
I always made tons of extra rolls to keep in the freezer so I always had something to quickly heat up and take on the go. Here’s how I store mine.
- Refrigerator: To store for up to five days, place cooked rolls in the fridge in an airtight container.
- Freezer: To freeze cooked pizza rolls, allow them to completely cool first. Assemble them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and pop the sheet in the freezer until they are completely frozen. Transfer them to a freezer bag.
- Reheating: To reheat from the fridge, place them in the oven for a few minutes to warm up the filling and stay crispy on the outside. Or, zap them in the microwave for a quicker option (but less crispy/a little more soggy). To reheat from frozen, place frozen rolls into the oven for about 10 minutes at 425°F.
Serving suggestion: Pizza rolls can easily be an appetizer or a meal on their own. For a full meal, serve them with Caesar salad or a garden salad. As an appetizer, dip them into Alfredo sauce or marinara sauce.
More Pizza Recipes
- Margherita Flatbread Pizza – 5-minute tomato, mozzarella, & basil pizza
- Mushroom Flatbread Pizza – Mushroom & goat cheese yumminess
- The Perfect Pizza – Classic homemade pepperoni pizza
- Air Fryer Calzones – Pepperoni and cheese pizza pockets
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pizza dough homemade or store bought
- 2 cups Mexican cheese
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 1 cup pepperoni
Instructions
- Dice the pepperoni into tiny pieces and grate the cheese if necessary.
- Divide your dough into 1-3 balls. Then, roll each ball into a thin round shape and cut it into six triangular pieces. Place the sauce towards the bottom side of each dough triangle and top it off with some pepperoni pieces and grated cheese.
- Fold in the outside corners of the triangular dough piece, simultaneously pinching to seal the edges. Repeat by folding over the center and sealing the filling inside. Finally, roll the piece into a burrito shape.
- Assemble the pizza rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover the rolls with a kitchen towel and let them rise for at least 30 minutes. Bake the pizza rolls at 400°F for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Hi there! My family loves this recipe. Any advice on how to keep the cheese from oozing out of the roll?
Hi Brenda- which technique are you following when filling the rolls? If you follow the first method (rolling out dough into a large circle, cutting into smaller triangles and then rolling each one up individually) I think you'll have less cheese oozing out.
Thank you for replying! I’ve been doing the triangle ones. Maybe I rolled my dough too thinly?
Hi Brenda- perhaps! Make sure you pinch to seal any openings you see in the dough as well.
why would you put Mexican cheese in a pizza roll?
Hi Rick, you can use mozzarella if you'd prefer. They are amazing, let me know what you decide to use.
I am getting ready to take my dough from the fridge. You don't say if you divide into 2, 3 or 4 portions before rolling out to make the pizza rolls or the approximate diameter of each round before cutting. If I missed it I'm sorry.
I would roll out the dough to 10 inches in diameter. But you can’t really mess up this recipe. It depends on your preference.
I used your overnight pizza dough vs the one I normally use. Very sticky dough. Including the original flour (I used unbleached white for the dough and whole white wheat for kneading), I probably used 5 1/2-6 cups total flour! I think I may have accidentally filled my 4 c Pyrex measuring cup to the 2 3/4 line vs 1 3/4 with water LOL!! In the end, nice dough. To my flour I added Italian seasoning and minced garlic as I normally dough. Kinda did a hybrid pizza dough though...adding a little extra yeast. The plan is to rise 1 hour on counter, punch down and let rise the rest of the day in the fridge before bringing back out to come to room temp this evening before shaping. I sometimes add vital wheat gluten when I don't have bread flour, but not this time. I make pizza hot pockets, etc., never thought of pizza rolls until today. We can't wait to try!
Vera, lots of great info, thank you for sharing. I know it will be helpful for many. Hope you love the pizza rolls.
We loved them. Making more tonight and I really didn't measure out the rounds. I could have use my scale, but what the heck? LOL Big or small rolls, who cares!?
I totally agree with you. When I get boys involved, the rounds are all kinds of sizes. 🙂 Gald you enjoyed them!
I like to make bread sticks bout 1 inch in diameter bout 9 inches long ,,,make shape. add chunks of Italian sausage thumb nail size let rise then bake Marinara sauce for dipping. Yummmm maybe a little red wine to go along
I love this idea and I bet it is delicious with wine! Thank you for sharing!
This is such a great idea! We love anything pizza flavored! The kids will go crazy!
Hey Suzy, yes, my boys love it as well.
My kids love pizza rolls! They could eat them every day, if I let them! Of course, homemade is so much better. They would love to help make these & eat them!
Kristyn, yes my kids love them too.:)
Tried these the other night and they were delicious! I may be a little biased, because I am obsessed with pizza rolls but I just loved this recipe! Will be making again!
Hey Katie, Thank you for sharing your feedback. I am so glad you loved the recipe.
Tried these the other night and they were delicious! I may be a little biased, because I am obsessed with pizza rolls but I just loved this recipe!