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These Easy Pizza Pinwheels are the perfect party food or afterschool snack! Extra cheesy, loaded with pepperoni, topped with garlic butter, and served with warm pizza sauce for dipping.
Pizza Pinwheels Might Just Be The Answer To All Your Problems.
Need an after school snack? Pizza Pinwheels.
Impromptu guests? Pizza Pinwheels.
Late night snack attack? Pizza Pinwheels.
We’re pretty obsessed with these pizza rolls, but one day we were sadly out of crescent dough when the craving for pizza rolls struck. We had pizza dough in the fridge though and look what we came up with.
Love the chewiness of the pizza dough paired with the melty goo of the cheese all dotted with spicy pepperoni that’s rolled up and drenched with garlic butter before baking up into crispy, chewy perfection. Whew. I’m hungry just talking about it.
Warm up a little dish of pizza sauce, dunk to your hearts content, and go to bed happy tonight. May I also recommend a dunk in some ranch dressing? Sorry – my Midwestern side is coming out.
Easy homemade pizza recipes are the best. If you enjoy this pinwheel pizza try out our pizza bread or these air fryer pizza bombs too! They’re also quick and easy to prepare.
What is a Pizza Pinwheel?
If you’ve never had a pinwheel before they’re a quick and easy appetizer or snack that is easily made with refrigerated pizza dough from a tube or can.
The ingredients all get rolled up to create a pinwheel, doused in garlic butter, and baked until both a little crispy and a lot gooey and chewy.
These homemade pizza pinwheels are extra cheesy and extra pepperoni-y and are perfect for dipping in warm pizza sauce!
Much like our bacon pinwheels and cream cheese pinwheels, these are pretty simple to make and are so versatile as a party snack, appetizer, late night snack, or quick lunch.
3 Reasons You’ll Love Our Pinwheel Pizza Recipe
- Super quick and easy. When you’re in the mood for pizza but not in the mood to order one or make an entire full sized pizza from scratch, these pizza pinwheels are the perfect option! Ready in just 25 minutes.
- Totally customizable. You can switch things up and use something besides pepperoni. Sausage, bacon, olives, veggies, anything you’d normally use on a pizza works great.
- Perfect for any occasion. Whether you need a party appetizer, after-school snack, or quick dinner solution, these pizza pinwheels with pizza sauce hit the spot every time.
Ingredient Notes:
Pizza Dough – I’m keeping this recipe nice and easy by using a premade pizza dough from the store. We use a tube of Pillsbury pizza dough which you can find in the refrigerated section. You can make your own dough if you’d like, or use any pre-made dough.
Cheese – For these cheesy pinwheel pizzas I’m adding a mixture of shredded mozzarella and shredded Parmesan! Feel free to switch these up with any mixture of cheese you’d like.
Pepperoni – The most popular pizza topping and our favorite. You could use something else here like sausage or veggies, but pepperoni has the advantage of being small and thin. There isn’t a lot of room in the pinwheels so you don’t want to load them up too much with bulky ingredients.
Garlic Butter Sauce – You’ll need some butter, Italian seasoning, garlic salt, and dried parsley.
Pizza Sauce – Use your favorite pizza sauce! We love Rao’s Homemade Pizza Sauce.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Tools Needed:
Serrated Knife: Makes cutting smooth slices of dough so easy. We like this brand for budget-friendly knives that are super sharp.
Half Sheet Pan: These USA Pans are my favorite. No warping!
Microplane Grater: Perfect for zesting a lemon or grating a clove of garlic. We also use it grate parmesan over pasta.
Step by Step Instructions:
Unroll the pizza dough from the tube and sprinkle on the shredded cheeses and some Italian seasoning. Arrange the pepperoni slices over the cheese.
Roll the dough up tightly from the long end, jelly roll style. Slice the dough into 15 equal pinwheels with a serrated knife.
Add some butter to a small bowl and use a microplane grater to grate the garlic onto the butter. Microwave 30 seconds to melt. Stir in the parsley and garlic salt.
Brush the pizza pinwheels with garlic butter and then bake for 14 to 15 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Serve with pizza sauce for dipping!
Troubleshooting Tips
Pinwheels unrolling during baking: Make sure to roll the dough tightly and slice with a sharp serrated knife. If the dough feels too soft, pop it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Soggy bottoms: Save the sauce for dipping. Adding to the pinwheels makes it more likely you’ll get a soggy pinwheel.
Tough or chewy texture: Don’t overbake – they should be golden brown but still tender. Also, let them cool for just a few minutes before serving so the cheese doesn’t burn your mouth but they’re still warm and gooey.
Storage & Freezing
Storing leftovers: Store any leftover pizza pinwheels in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. They’re great cold straight from the fridge or reheated.
Reheating: Warm leftovers in the microwave for 30-60 seconds, or reheat in a 350°F oven for 5-10 minutes to restore some crispiness. You can also use an air fryer at 350°F for 2-3 minutes.
Freezing baked pinwheels: Cool completely, then freeze in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes.
Make-ahead option: You can assemble the pinwheels, slice them, and freeze them unbaked on a baking sheet. Once frozen solid, transfer to a freezer bag. Bake directly from frozen, adding 2-3 extra minutes to the baking time.
More Party Snacks!
- Grape Jelly Meatballs
- Lil Smokies Pigs in a Blanket
- Cold Veggie Pizza
- Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Firecracker Crackers
Pizza Pinwheels
Ingredients
- 1 tube refrigerated pizza dough such as Pillsbury
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- ½ cup shredded parmesan
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ cup pepperoni slices enough to cover the pizza dough
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
- Fresh parsley for garnish
- ½ cup pizza sauce warmed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Unroll the pizza dough onto a clean work surface. Sprinkle with the mozzarella, parmesan, and Italian seasoning. Arrange the pepperoni slices over the cheese in a single layer.
- Roll the dough up tightly from the long end, jelly roll style. Use a serrated knife to slice the dough into 15 equal slices. The length of the roll will vary a bit depending on how much you stretch it as you roll, but slice the pinwheels into about ½ to ¾ inch thick slices and you should end up with around 15 pinwheels.
- Arrange the pinwheels on the prepared baking sheet.
- Add the butter to a small, microwave safe bowl. Use a microplane grater to grate the garlic onto the butter. Microwave for 30 seconds to melt the butter.
- Stir the parsley and garlic salt into the melted butter and brush liberally over the pizza pinwheels.
- Bake for 14-15 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve with warm pizza sauce for dipping.
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