At the risk of sounding a little overzealous, I’m going to make a bold statement here: pizza pinwheels recipe just may be the most delicious and fun to eat recipe you’ll whip up! Appetizer, snack, lunch entree, kids dinner?? Yes, these are all of these things and perfect any time you want an off the charts yummy, neat, little pinwheel of pizza.
What I Love About This Pizza Pinwheels Recipe
They’re easy to make, easy to customize, and are fun to eat. They’re loved by kids and adults alike. They’re great for a snack, an easy lunch, and are the most popular things on the game-day spread. Ready-made pizza dough and sauce make these wonderfully simple to put together!
I like them best with a filling of pepperoni and two different types of cheese sitting on a bed of pizza sauce and Italian seasoning. But, you can change that up however you like. If you’re crazy for pizza like I am, you might also like to try my pizza fries. Who doesn’t love pizza?
How about a few more hearty appetizers to add to your spread? My deviled eggs are a huge reader favorite. Likely because they’re simple to make and extremely yummy! My honey roasted tomato bruschetta is a unique appetizer that people will beg you for the recipes. My curried shrimp in crispy wonton cups is a southern recipe that will turn you into the appetizer king or queen of your neighborhood.
These are my kinda finger food. Let’s get making pinwheels!
Pizza Pinwheels Recipe Notes
Tube Pizza Dough: You know you can get crescent rolls in those fun-to-open tubes, but did you know you can get pizza dough that way too? And the possibilities with tube pizza dough are endless! This is such a handy ingredient to have in your fridge for quick dinners.
Sauce: Do you like a little sauce or a lot of sauce? You’re in charge when you make your own pizza! Though I tend to stick with 3/4 c to start for this recipe, since we’re rolling the dough into pinwheels — if you use too much, the sauce will leak out the sides!
Amount of Cheese: I fill these babies up with a lot of cheese. Some might say too much. I would disagree, of course. Because of the amount I use, some cheese generally oozes out of the pinwheel and bakes up to crispy perfection while still remaining attached to the pinwheel. It doesn’t make for the neatest presentation but I think that crispy cheese is an add yummy bonus. My SIL, Doug, says it’s the best part! You can see in some of my photos.
Mozzarella: You can buy the pre-grated kind, but if you happen to grab a chunk of cheese, the easiest way to grate mozzarella is to let it sit in the freezer for about 15 minutes before you grate it, so it firms up enough that it doesn’t crumble in your grater!
Leave a Border: When you spread your sauce and toppings on the pizza crust, leave at least a 1/2 inch border on the top and both sides of the dough. This helps the pinwheels to seal better.
How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge?
Once cooked and sealed in containers, these will last up to four days. To reheat, just pop in the toaster oven! They’ll get nice and crisp again.
Can You Freeze This Recipe?
Yes! Store in a sealable container or bag and freeze for up to two months. To thaw, just pop into your oven and bake until crisp!
Make Ahead Tips
This recipe whips together so quickly that there really isn’t a way to speed the process along. But! You can make it ahead of time and serve the leftovers within the four day mark.
Serving Recommendations
These pinwheels are made for appetizer spreads! Make sure you have plenty of my bacon wrapped chicken tenders too. Maybe some Mississippi sin dip and hot corn dip, too?
Recipe Variations
I told you we can shake up this recipe for customizable toppings — but there are other fun things we can do too!
- Use crescent rolls. Nix the pizza dough and go straight for crescent rolls with pizza pinwheels crescent rolls!
- Use lavash. Make it a full meal buy using lavash like in rolled sandwiches.
- Use phyllo dough. Get some flaky layers similar to my tiropita.
More Savory Appetizers Recipes
- PF Changs Lettuce Wraps
- Portillos Chopped Salad
- Bacon Wrapped Smokies
- Jalapeno Poppers
- Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
- Air Fryer Crab Rangoon
- Bisquick Sausage Balls
Pizza Pinwheels
Ingredients
- 1 (13-ounce) tube refrigerated pizza dough
- 1 (14-ounce) jar prepared pizza sauce, divided
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/3 cup plus extra for topping grated Parmesan
- 3/4 cup pepperoni, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Lightly flour work surface and a rolling pin. Roll pizza crust into a 12x16 inch rectangle.
- Spread 3/4 cup pizza sauce over pizza crust, leaving a 1-inch border on both sides and top edge. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning evenly over the sauce.
- Sprinkle mozzarella (2 cups) and Parmesan cheese (1/3 cup) evenly over sauce.
- Sprinkle chopped pepperoni (3/4 cup) over cheese.
- Begin rolling tightly upward, away from you, starting at the long side of the crust closest to you.
- Cut the roll into 12 individual pieces, using a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion.
- Arrange the cut rolls evenly, in 3 rows, 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of Parmesan on top of each roll.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until dough is golden.
- Pour the remaining pizza sauce into a microwave-safe dish and warm through. Arrange pizza pinwheels onto a serving platter and serve with warmed pizza sauce.
Fans Also Made:
Nutrition
These pizza pinwheels are the perfect afternoon snack! My family will love them!
Thank you, Catalina! 🙂
These are perfect for little get togethers or movie nights! Looks so delicious and very tasty! So excited to make these!
I agree! Thank you, Beth. Enjoy 🙂
These Pizza Pinwheels are SO GOOD!! Everyone loved them! YUM!
Wow, thank you, Beti! 🙂
My kids will definitely enjoy these Pizza Pinwheels!! I can’t wait to try this recipe!! YUM!
Yay, that’s great news. Thank you so much 🙂
This Pizza Pinwheels looks incredibly delicious!
Thank you, Erin! 🙂 <3
These look amazing and so fun! The kids and I are going to love making them together!
Thank you, Amanda! Enjoy this with your kids 🙂
Oh my.. other fantastic recipe!! I made tonight during the Super Bowl…only downside is I missed a few minutes of the game making a second batch for the family! Seriously I am new to cooking/baking and your recipes are so easy and so much fun to make. Thank you…keep ‘em coming! !
Hi, Mona! Thank you for sharing your great review! It’s so easy to make, right? I’m glad your family loved it. We have some more easy recipes 🙂
We always crave pizza, this is perfect for us!
Yay, enjoy, Nona! 🙂