These easy 4-ingredient pizza pinwheels are made with crescent roll dough, pizza sauce, melty cheese, and toppings of your choice!
Why this recipe works
Pizza pinwheels, or pizza roll ups as some may call them, are super easy to make and come together quickly using crescent roll dough. They’re the perfect appetizer for parties and even make a kid-approved dinner that you can throw together on a weeknight.
We’ve stuffed our pizza pinwheels with pepperoni and mozzarella cheese, but you can customize them with just about any typical pizza topping you want.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
DOUGH – Crescent roll dough makes these pizza pinwheels incredibly easy.
SAUCE – Store-bought pizza sauce keeps this recipe nice and simple, but homemade pizza sauce is always a great option.
CHEESE – Mozzarella is the obvious choice when it comes to anything pizza related, but you can certainly substitute with your favorite shredded cheese!
How to Make Pizza Pinwheels
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Roll out crescent dough on parchment paper and cut it to fit on a baking sheet (you will transfer it later to the baking sheet). Pinch the holes together to seal into a rectangle.
- Spread the pizza sauce evenly onto the dough, leaving a ¾ to 1-inch gap along 1 long edge of the dough for an easier seal.
- Add half the mozzarella, chopped pepperoni, then the remaining mozzarella.
- Begin rolling from the side where the toppings meet the edge and roll tightly.
- Cut into 12 equally sized rolls and spread out on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until light golden.
- Serve with freshly chopped parsley, dipped into marinara sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
You can add diced bell peppers, mushrooms, cubed ham, onions, cooked ground sausage, diced jalapenos, or just about any kind of topping you want. However, don’t overload the pinwheels too much or they won’t cook evenly in the oven. Be sure to chop all ingredients small so you can roll the pinwheels easily.
Pizza pinwheels are best enjoyed right away, but if you have leftovers you can store them in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350F oven or air fryer.
Yes, you can freeze the baked and fully cooled pinwheels for up to 3 months in an air-tight container or large ziptop bag. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the oven until warmed through, about 5-10 minutes.
You can bake and fully cool the pinwheels a day in advance and store them in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator. However, I wouldn’t recommend preparing and storing unbaked pizza pinwheels ahead of time as the sauce will cause the dough to become soggy.
Serving Suggestions
Serve pizza pinwheels garnished with parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley with a side of marinara, ranch, or garlic butter sauce.
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Pizza Pinwheels
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 8 ounces refrigerated crescent rolls 1 tube
- ½ cup pizza sauce
- 8 slices pepperoni chopped into quarters
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese divided
- fresh chopped parsley optional as garnish
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- You can add diced bell peppers, mushrooms, cubed ham, onions, cooked ground sausage, diced jalapenos, or just about any kind of topping you want. However, don’t overload the pinwheels too much or they won’t cook evenly in the oven. Be sure to chop all ingredients small so you can roll the pinwheels easily.
- Store-bought pizza sauce keeps this recipe nice and simple, but homemade pizza sauce is always a great choice.
- Mozzarella is the obvious choice when it comes to anything pizza related, but you can certainly substitute with your favorite shredded cheese!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Roll out crescent dough on parchment paper and cut it to fit on a baking sheet (you will transfer it later to the baking sheet). Pinch the holes together to seal into a rectangle.
- Spread the pizza sauce evenly onto the dough, leaving a ¾ to 1 inch gap along 1 long edge of the dough for an easier seal.
- Add half the mozzarella, chopped pepperoni, then the remaining mozzarella.
- Begin rolling from the side where the toppings meet the edge and roll tightly.
- Cut into 12 equally sized rolls and spread out on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until light golden.
- Serve with freshly chopped parsley, dipped into marinara sauce.
Expert Tips & FAQs
- Storage – Pizza pinwheels are best enjoyed right away, but if you have leftovers you can store them in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350F oven or air fryer.
- Freezing – Yes, you can freeze the baked and fully cooled pinwheels for up to 3 months in an air-tight container or large ziptop bag. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the oven until warmed through, about 5-10 minutes.
- Make Ahead – You can bake and fully cool the pinwheels a day in advance and store them in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator. However, I wouldn’t recommend preparing and storing unbaked pizza pinwheels ahead of time as the sauce will cause the dough to become soggy.
- Serve pizza pinwheels garnished with parmesan cheese and a side of marinara, ranch, or garlic butter sauce.
Nutrition
Kristen Rittmer
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Kathleen S, says
Crescent rolls now come in full sheets, so you don’t even need to pinch the perforated portions! This recipe is yummy!