We love pizza rolls, so we decided to try our hand at making some, and we are happy to report they turned out great. So we will share how to make homemade pizza rolls so you can enjoy them at home without making a trip to the store.
What are Pizza Rolls?
If you don’t know what pizza rolls are, well, you are in for a treat. Pizza rolls are bite-sized pizzas in a deep-fried crust. You can find them in the grocery store’s frozen section and are the perfect snack when you want a salty, cheesy fried treat.
They are filled with tomato sauce, pepperoni, and mozzarella cheese and fried in a crispy dough. Some popular brands of frozen pizza rolls are Totinos, Kroger, Annies’s, just to name a few. They make a great appetizer or party snack. They’re crunchy, chewy, and cheesy, all of the things you want in a snack.
When making pizza rolls at home, it’s ideal to have a deep frier to get their crispy shell. But even experienced home chefs don’t always have a deep fryer. So for our recipe, you can use a conventional oven toaster oven, or you can even make them in the air fryer.
How to Make Homemade Pizza Rolls
We tried two different variations to make homemade pizza rolls. First, we used traditional pizza dough, and they turned out a bit like fried ravioli. They were crunchy and chewy but not very crispy.
We also tried making homemade pizza rolls using won ton wrappers instead of pizza dough. These turned out very crispy, and they were a bit faster to make since we didn’t have to make and roll out pizza dough.
Traditional Pizza Dough
You will need a couple of tools to make these homemade pizza rolls with pizza dough. First, of course, you need a great pizza dough recipe. And a good rolling pin and pizza cutter. Since these turn out a bit like ravioli, you can use a ravioli cutter or a ravioli stamp, to get the right shape and that fun zigzag shape.
While the pizza dough is resting, you can make some filling. Traditional pizza rolls keep it simple with pepperoni, mozzarella, and a little marinara. But you can use whatever you like. Some possible fillings:
- Spinach and ricotta
- Mushroom and caramelized onions
- Olives and sausage
- Chicken and bbq sauce
Pro Tip: Mix the filling together rather than adding each ingredient. Because adding the ingredients separately, makes them too wet, and they fall apart.
Now you have your dough, tools, and favorite filling, and you can get started. Roll out your dough and cut a piece about the width of a lasagna noodle. Then, take your filling and place little balls of the filling spaced out about an inch from each other.
Then, roll out another piece of dough the same size as the first and lay it on top of the other. Cut the pieces and pinch the seams to make sure they stay closed.
We tried a batch in the toaster oven, a batch in the air fryer, and a batch in the conventional oven. They all turned out great, but the air fryer was the fastest to cook, and the easy clean-up was great.
Wonton Wrapper Pizza Rolls
Wonton wrappers are used to make won tons, egg rolls, and potstickers. They fry up nicely, so we tried them for homemade pizza rolls. Lay each piece out and place the fillings.
Fold the fillings in to make a square. You will need some water to seal the wrappers. Then, either fry in oil in a sauté pan or use an air fryer. Make sure to do them in batches, so they don’t stick together.
These homemade pizza rolls came out crispy and crunchy. It was fun to try something new, and we would definitely do it again. It’s a quick way to make a satisfying snack.
Pizza Roll Variations
There are a few other variations of pizza rolls. They are different from traditional frozen snacks. But they combine all of the pizza goodies in a new form.
Pinwheels
Pizza roll pinwheels are the savory cousin to the sweet cinnamon roll. They are more of a meal than a snack. To make pinwheels roll out your pizza dough in a large rectangle roughly 8 inches by 12 inches. Spread marinara sauce and sprinkle some mozzarella.
Add pepperoni and other favorite fillings. Next, roll the fillings up. You should have a pizza log. Then cut into pieces and place in a baking tray. Bake for 15-20 minutes on 400. They should be bubbling and have a toasted golden hue.
Serve with a side salad, and you have yourself a meal. Trust us. With this recipe, you will be everyone’s favorite home chef.
Pizza Crescent Rolls
Another pizza roll variation uses crescent rolls instead of pizza dough. Crescent rolls have a flakier buttery crust. They are closer to a croissant than pizza dough. They are easy to use and come prerolled, so you just pop open the package, and you are ready to add the filling.
Each crescent roll is a square, but you want to roll them from corner to corner to create the crescent shape. Don’t overfill them because this type of dough can get real soggy real fast.
Dipping Sauces
Homemade pizza rolls need a dipping sauce. The sauce in the filling is fairly minimal to prevent sogginess, so the additional sauce is a great bonus. Of course, you can use a red marinara sauce or try something different.
We recommend:
- Ranch
- Pesto
- BBQ sauce
- Sriracha mayo
- Hot sauce
If you love to burn your face off while enjoying homemade pizza rolls. Check out our pizza and hot sauce guide to find the perfect hot sauce for your palate.
We had fun making these homemade pizza rolls. The next step is to see if we can make a healthier version, but we aren’t sure that’s possible. Maybe some snacks should just be snacks, and we can enjoy them guilt-free. And there’s always plain old pizza toast. Which is also not too healthy.
Do you love pizza rolls? Have you made homemade pizza rolls?
