Pizza Pinwheels

 

These simple Pizza Pinwheels make the perfect appetizer or snack for parties, game day or movie night. They’re made with crescent roll dough, pizza sauce, cheese and your favorite pizza toppings and can be ready in just about 20 minutes flat.

Jump to:

• Easy Pizza Pinwheels with Pepperoni
• Ingredients in Pepperoni Pizza Pinwheels
• How to Make Pizza Pinwheels
• Variations
• Tips and Tricks
• Make-Ahead Pizza Pinwheels
• Pizza Pinwheels Recipe

Easy Pizza Pinwheels with Pepperoni

When you want an appetizer that is homemade but low maintenance these Pizza Pinwheels really hit the spot. Made with just 4 ingredients, they couldn’t be more simple or adaptable.  Serve them up with a little marinara sauce or ranch dressing for dipping and wowza!

We kept this example recipe about as Plain Jane and kid-friendly as you can get, but don’t be afraid to jazz them up a little, too.  We’ve given you plenty of ideas for different sauces, cheeses, and toppings to alter your Pizza Pinwheels depending on the preferences of who you are serving.

Ingredients in Pepperoni Pizza Pinwheels

• Refrigerated Crescent Rolls - this is by far the simplest option. You could also make these with homemade pizza dough if you wanted.
• Pepperoni - for these tiny appetizers, you will want to chop the pepperoni.
• Pizza Sauce - use your favorite pizza or marinara sauce, or even make your own.
• Cheese - this recipe calls for mozzarella, but we will also often use an Italian cheese blend.
• Parsley - chopped fresh parsley is a nice, but optional, garnish to add to the baked pinwheels.

How to Make Pizza Pinwheels

1. Prepare the dough.  Unroll the crescent rolls onto a lightly floured surface and gently press the perforations together to create one large sheet of dough.
2. Add the toppings.  Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the entire sheet of dough, then sprinkle with pepperoni and shredded cheese.
3. Roll and cut.  Starting at the long side, roll the dough up into a long tube, then slice into ¾" slices (you should get between 6-8).  Place the pinwheels cut-side down onto a baking sheet that has been spray with nonstick spray or lined with parchment paper.
4. Bake.  Bake for about 13-17 minutes, or until golden brown on the edges.
5. Serve.  Remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes, then sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.  Enjoy!

Variations

There are unlimited different sauces, cheeses and toppings that you could add to your Pizza Pinwheels.  Pretty much anything you would put on a pizza, you can put into these.  We love Pesto Pinwheels too. Here are a few more ideas to get you started:

Sauce

• Buffalo Sauce
• Pesto
• Sun-dried Tomato Alfredo Sauce
• Ranch
• BBQ Sauce

Cheese

• Pepper Jack
• Parmesan
• Cheddar
• Gruyere
• Monterey Jack

Pizza Toppings

• Meats (ground beef, bacon bits, shredded chicken, ham)
• Vegetables (bell peppers, broccoli, jalapenos, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions)
• Seasoning (fresh basil, fresh or dried oregano, chives, red pepper flakes)

Dips 

• Homemade Pizza Sauce
• Easy Alfredo Sauce
• Sun Dried Tomato Alfredo
• Ranch Dressing
• Mix half alfredo and half Pesto Sauce

Tips and Tricks

• After you roll the dough, try freezing the roll for about 20 minutes before slicing.  It will help the Pizza Pinwheels keep their shape.
• If you want to make these bigger, you can roll from the short side instead. You will just need to adjust the bake time slightly.
• The raw pinwheels freeze great so if you plan on making them ahead of time, you might as well double (or even triple!) the recipe.

Make-Ahead Pizza Pinwheels

If you want to get a head start, you can easily make these ahead of time. Just make, shape, and cut your pinwheels, then freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once frozen, toss them into a freezer bag and store for up to 1 month.

To bake, let them thaw in the fridge overnight and bake as directed. Easy peasy!