This Pizza Roll recipe is packed with nutrition—and even greens!—but the cheese, and silly spiral shape makes them much more appealing to toddlers and big kids. Plus, you can make them in about 30 minutes and stash them in the fridge or freezer for future meals.
This Pizza Rolls recipe is one of those foods that I like to have on hand for nights when there are activities and commitments since they are so easy to make ahead, warm up, and serve. They’re a classic Friday night dinner and they’re one of my favorite ways to serve greens to kids (if you decide to add the spinach to the filling). They are cheesy and delicious and easy to customize for your family’s preferences.
This recipe is a fun pizza recipe for kids since it takes the classic flavors of pizza and rolls them up into muffin-size pizza rolls that are a little crispy on the outside and tender and cheesy on the inside.
I like to add a little fresh spinach to my Pizza Rolls recipe to amp up the nutrition—especially since I find that my kids don’t care as much about greens when they’re in a recipe that they otherwise love.
These even work as a freezer meal in less than a minute when made and stored frozen. And they can be packed in a kids thermos as a hot lunch idea.
(You may also like Pinwheels recipe, Pizza Pinwheels, Pizza Muffins, and Pizza Bites.)
Table of Contents
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Ingredients You Need
To make these Pizza Rolls, you’ll need to have the following ingredients on hand.
- Whole-wheat pizza dough: You can use homemade dough or a fresh ball of dough from the supermarket. (My Greek Yogurt Pizza Dough works, too.)
- Pizza sauce: I usually use canned pizza sauce since it’s so easy. You can also use spinach pesto if you prefer.
- Spinach: I like to add shredded baby spinach to this recipe. (I sometimes swap in broccoli, too.)
- Mozzarella cheese: Use shredded cheese so it’s easy to distribute evenly on the pizza dough.
- Parmesan cheese: This adds a little extra flavor to this recipe.
TIP: You can use homemade pizza crust and pizza sauce, or use store bought, according to your preference. See the Notes at the bottom of the recipe for all of the info on these homemade Pizza Rolls.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s how to make these Pizza Rolls so you know what to expect. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full information on the amounts and times.
Step 1. Spread the pizza dough out into a rectangle using your hands or a rolling pin. I spread it onto a piece of parchment paper to help prevent it from sticking to the countertop.
Step 2. Layer on the sauce and the chopped spinach (if using). Add the cheeses.
Step 3. Rolling from one long side, roll the dough up into a log. Use the parchment paper to help you roll it up.
Step 4. Slice log into rounds and place into a greased muffin tin. Bake until lightly golden brown.
TIP: Place the dough on parchment when forming it into a rectangle to avoid having it stick to the counter. Then, after baking, let the pizza rolls cool in the pan for a few minutes to allow the cheese to firm up slightly. This will make it easier to remove them from the muffin pan.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use homemade pizza dough, such as this Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough recipe, or a ball of fresh dough from your supermarket.
You can make this recipe with a lot of wilted spinach or just a little fresh and cut up spinach. It’s up to you and it works both ways. You could also try using finely chopped up broccoli or even kale instead of spinach.
These pizza roll ups are a great hot lunch idea or go well with a simple side of roasted veggies and fruit. We sometimes have them for family dinner and I serve a simple salad alongside for us parents and sliced cucumbers for the kids. We all love them.
Yes, just let them cool completely after baking. Then, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer in a zip top bag for up to 3 months. Reheat for 30-60 seconds in the microwave. When serving to younger toddlers, cut up with a knife or a pair of kitchen shears for easy eating.
The best advice I can give for this is to grease your muffin pan well and use a nonstick pan. The older muffin pan I have works a lot less well than the newer nonstick one I have, which doesn’t stick at all when I make these. Then, let them cool in the pan for a few minutes to allow the cheese to firm up slightly before removing from the pan.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this pizza rolls recipe with a salad kit, Caesar Salad, Roasted Frozen Broccoli, or a simple side of diced fruit.
This recipe also works served with warmed marinara sauce or pizza sauce as a dip or served as a snack.
How to Store
Store the cooled Pizza Rolls Recipe in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in a freezer bag with as much air removed as possible in the freezer for up to 6 months. Warm in the microwave for 30-60 seconds or until warmed through.
Dice up the pizza rolls for younger eaters if needed.
Best Tips for Success
- Use whole-wheat dough or fresh store bought dough like the kind they sell at Trader Joe’s.
- Spread the dough out into an even rectangle so there’s (mostly) an even amount of dough in each sliced roll. I find it easiest to do this on a piece of parchment paper to help prevent the dough from sticking to the counter.
- Use store bought pizza sauce or homemade. I like to cook down my Easy Marinara Sauce until it’s thick and spreadable.
- Grease your pan well.
- Let the pizza rolls cool for about 5 minutes in the pan before removing them to give the cheese a chance to firm up a little.
- If the dough on the underside seems undercooked, cover your rolls with foil and bake for an additional 4-6 minutes. (But also know they firm up as they cool a bit.)
- Try my Pesto Pizza Rolls for another flavor option. Or add pepperoni, thinly sliced mushrooms, or cooked and drained Italian sausage.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe if you try it, so please comment below to share!
Favorite Pizza Rolls (with Veggies)
Ingredients
- 13-16 ounces pizza dough (at room temperature)
- ¾ cup pizza sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup baby spinach, roughly cut or chopped (or minced broccoli, optional)
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and grease a muffin tin very well, including around the top of each cup since the cheese may spill out a little.
- Use your hands to stretch the dough into an 11×16-inch rectangle on a piece of parchment paper. (This helps prevent the dough from sticking to the counter. If it's hard to stretch, let it rest for 5 minutes and try again. Sometimes the gluten needs to rest.)
- Spread pizza sauce over the dough to cover, then sprinkle on the spinach, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Starting on one long side, roll the dough up carefully and fairly tightly to enclose the toppings. (It might be a little messy, but it's okay! Use the parchment paper to help you roll.)
- Use a serrated knife to cut into 12 even slices. I start in the center, then make a cut in the center of each piece, and then finish slicing to get the most even results.
- Place each slice into a prepared muffin cup and bake for 22-26 minutes until the dough is baked through, the cheese is melted, and the tops are golden.
- Let cool for 3-5 minutes in the pan to allow the cheese to firm up slightly, then transfer to a wire rack or a plate to serve. (You may need to use a knife around the edges of the pan if the cheese spilled over.)
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge or in a zip-top freezer bag with as much air removed as possible in the freezer for up to 3 months. To serve from frozen, place on a plate and microwave for 30-60 seconds or until warm.
Equipment
- Muffin Tin
Video
Notes
- Homemade Whole Wheat Pizza Dough: Stir 2 teaspoons yeast and 1 teaspoon honey or sugar into 1 cup warm water. Let sit for about 5 minutes or until the yeast has puffed up. Add 2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons olive oil to a medium bowl. Stir in up to ¼ cup more water if needed to make a smooth, sticky (but able to be kneaded) dough. Use your hands to knead about 10 times to bring it together into a large ball. Cover the bowl with a clean towel and let rest for at least one hour and up to 4. Proceed with the recipe.
- Store cooled Pizza Rolls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in a freezer bag with as much air removed as possible in the freezer for up to 6 months. Warm in the microwave for 30-60 seconds or until warmed through.
- Use homemade Whole Wheat Pizza Dough, Greek Yogurt Pizza Dough, or fresh store bought dough like the kind they sell at Trader Joes. This recipe works best if the dough is room temperature, not cold. If the dough is cold, it will be hard to stretch.
- Spread the dough out into an even rectangle so there’s (mostly) an even amount of dough in each sliced roll.
- Use store bought pizza sauce or homemade. I like to cook down my Marinara Sauce until it’s thick and spreadable.
- Let the Pizza Rolls cool for about 5 minutes in the pan before removing them to give the cheese a chance to firm up a little.
Nutrition
This post was first published October 2018.
There are similar variations of this recipe out there, but this is definitely the best one! I love that your food is simple and nutritious, it makes eating well accessible for neurodivergent people like me. After making this recipe as written the first time, I decided to try my own version of a Philly cheese steak roll using this recipe and subbing horseradish sauce, grilled peppers & onions, vegan peppered steak slices, & provolone for the filling. So good!
Tasted great! We added extra marinara for dipping and our almost 2 year old ate 3 of these pizza rolls!
I’ve made these full size and also made them in mini muffin pans to serve as an appetizer (cut dough in half lengthwise before filling and rolling each section). Delicious!
One of the few foods I can count on my kids eating is pizza so when I saw this recipe I knew I had to give it a try. Sooo easy to make and easy to customize based on preferences….some I make with pesto and some with tomato sauce. Thank you for this quick and yummy lunch/ dinner recipe!
Thanks for a great recipe! I used Pillsbury pizza dough from a can and dairy free cheese and they came out great! Reheat well from frozen!
These pizza rolls sound amazing! I would substitute the spinach with fresh basil and add finely chopped mushrooms. Thanks for the inspiration!
Had fun making it together. Dough did not get cooked through despite leaving it in longer and longer. Unable to eat it. Bust of a dinner. Really disappointed. Did anyone else have this problem?
Oh no! What kind of dough did you use?
I cooked mine with tinfoil and cook for longer (like 30+ mins), pull tinfoil off the last 5 or 10 mins to get that golden color. My oven runs hot so things brown up too quickly but don’t cook through-tinfoil (and sometimes a lower baking temp) with longer cook times usually fixes it for me
Delicious! Great for school lunches or a quick dinner!
Great idea for giving pizza night a twist and convincing a stubborn kiddo to try something familiar but new! We loved this and will be adding it to the rotation 🙂
These were so much fun to make! The only issue I had was that the cheese melted to the bottom and when it cooled, there was no cheese left inside. Do you have any recommendations on how to prevent this from happening?
In my experience, if you let them cool a bit in the pan, the cheese sort of stays put (or at least can’t get all the way out) since it firms up as it cools. Did it all come out the bottom before you took them out of the pan?
Thoughts on use of other veggies… I was thinking shred up some zucchini and yellow summer squash. Pat them dry of course. Thin slice mushrooms, maybe cook them first so they are softer. Maybe carrot ribbons, not to long tho. Thin slices of bell peppers, cooked to soften them. If you think any of this would work, any thoughts as to how many cups of veg?
Hi- I think all of those would work fine the way you describe them. I would think about 1.5 cups spread over the batch? You can see what you think of the coverage and add a little more if the layer isn’t too thick. Hope it’s yummy!
These are so tasty! I used Wholly Gluten Free Premade Pizza Dough. It works really well! I wasn’t able to spread the dough quite as far as the recipe called for though. Still came out great. I did cheese and pepperoni filling. And then it just isn’t as fluffy as with regular wheat dough. Was more like a traditional New York pizza texture.
Such an easy recipe. It was a big hit in our home. My picky 2yo enjoyed the pizza rolls. We brushed the top with olive oil before putting them into the oven. Double bonus to get spinach there. Thank you Amy for the recipe. You’re amazing!!!!!!
LOVE this recipe. So easy and so versatile! I’ve used frozen spinach in this and have omitted the spinach completely. I’ve also tried it with pepperoni slices. My only advice with this is to cut them up so slicing it into “rolls” is easier. The pepperoni does make it a bit greasy as well.
Would this work with Pilsbury pizza dough from the can ??
I haven’t tested it with that but I bet it would
I’ve done this and can say, yes it sure does! I’ve also used a pre-made that was billed as a “European Bistro” pizza dough, I think it was supposed to be more like a flatbread? Also worked a treat. Love this simple recipe.