Pizza Pinwheels

When you can’t decide whether you want pizza or calzones, choose the middle ground and make these cute little pizza pinwheels. They’re extremely simple to make and they freeze well, too. Grab one or two for a snack or make a meal out of them. Dunk them in warm pizza sauce and you can’t go wrong.

Consider this pizza pinwheel recipe a guideline—customize it however you like. The recipe calls for pepperoni, but you can go vegetarian if you prefer. Or, head in the opposite direction and make a supreme meat-lovers version; it’s up to you. No matter what, the result will taste like something you could order from your local pizzeria.

Ingredients for Pizza Pinwheels

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• Mozzarella and ricotta cheeses: Use part-skim for both cheeses; they’re lower in fat but still melt very well. If you have extra ricotta, by the way, you can use it in several ways, including in baking. Try it with one of these ricotta cheese recipes.
• Pepperoni: Dice the pepperoni finely; that will make the rolls easier to slice.
• Parmesan cheese: Parmesan gives the filling that deeper, well-rounded umami flavor.
• Fresh mushrooms, green pepper and onion: Chop these finely; the onion can be a regular white onion and doesn’t need to be sweet.
• Italian seasoning: A pinch of this seasoning is enough to give the filling a nice, light flavor.
• Refrigerated crescent rolls: This dough bakes quickly and is generally easy to seal.
• Pizza sauce: Use store-bought pizza sauce or make your own. Either way, it’s great as a pinwheel dip.

Directions

Step 1: Mix the filling

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Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a bowl, mix the mozzarella, ricotta, pepperoni, Parmesan, mushrooms, green pepper, onion, Italian seasoning and salt.

Editor’s Tip: If you want to make multiple fillings, start by mixing the mozzarella, ricotta, Parmesan, Italian seasoning and salt in a bowl. Divide that mixture among a few bowls (you’ll be making four rolls in Step 3, so we don’t recommend trying to make more than four fillings). Then stir in whatever meats and veggies you’d like to each bowl.

Step 2: Prep the dough

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Pop open the can and unroll the crescent dough. Separate it into four rectangular portions; these will have two triangles each. Pinch the seam between the two triangles to form a sheet of dough with no holes.

Step 3: Roll up the dough

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Spread the cheese mixture on each rectangle, leaving a 1/4-inch margin at the edges. Starting with one of the short sides, roll up one of the rectangles like a jelly roll. Repeat this with the other three rectangles. Pinch the seams on all the rolls to seal them.

Step 4: Slice and bake

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Cut each roll into four slices using a serrated knife. Grease a baking sheet and place the slices flat on the sheet; for the slices cut from the ends of the rolls, place the cut side down. Bake the slices for 12 to 15 minutes until the pinwheels are golden brown. Serve them with warm pizza sauce.

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Pizza Pinwheel Variations

• Change the fillings: These are super easy to customize. Use your favorite pizza toppings as fillings: Try mozzarella, garlic, red onion, other vegetables and even other meats. Or, change up the seasonings; use different ones, or use more or less of the ones in the recipe.
• Use marinara sauce: You don’t have to use pizza sauce for these if you don’t want to. Plain marinara works very well, too.
• Use pizza dough instead: This recipe uses crescent rolls, but you could also try homemade pizza dough or the kind you buy in a tube.

How to Store Pizza Pinwheels

Place cooled pinwheels in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Eat them within three to four days.

When you want to reheat them, either microwave them for about 30 seconds to 1 minute (check them and add more time if necessary), or place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake them for about 15 minutes at 350°.

Can you freeze pizza pinwheels?

Yes! Bake a couple of batches of these pizza pinwheels, then let them cool. Wrap each pinwheel in freezer-safe wrap and place the packets inside a freezer-safe container. You can store these in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge, then reheat as directed above.

Pizza Pinwheel Tips

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Can you use whole pepperoni slices instead of diced pepperoni?

You can, but the pinwheels will be harder to roll up and cut. Thicker slices will obviously make it harder to get that tight roll formation that will hold together while the pinwheels bake. Whole slices will also be another obstacle for the knife to cut through. So, you can definitely use whole pepperoni slices; just be extra careful when you roll up the dough and be prepared to have to cut through more to make the pinwheels.

What’s the easiest way to slice the pinwheels?

Place the rolls in the freezer for 15 minutes or so to let the dough firm up before slicing into pinwheels. That way, your knife won’t tear or smash the rolls as you cut.

How do you make the pinwheels look neat and tidy?

Tightly rolled pinwheels and carefully sealed seams are key to keeping the filling in during baking. You don’t want to tear the dough when rolling, but try to make the rolls as compact as you can with little air inside. Roll them up slowly and keep an eye on the entire length of the roll so that ingredients don’t spill out. When you’ve got the roll rolled, pinch the seam shut all along the length of the roll. If needed, resort to wetting the edge of the dough with a tiny bit of water or egg wash to help the dough stick to itself.