Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Roll-Ups

Alright, Let’s Make Some Pizza Roll Ups!

Hey there! So, confession time: I am absolutely *not* one of those fancy-pants cooks who spends hours crafting culinary masterpieces. Nope. My go-to is usually something quick, messy, and guaranteed to make everyone happy. And these Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Roll Ups? Oh man, they fit that bill perfectly! I first stumbled onto a version of these years ago when I needed something fast for a casual get together, and honestly, they’ve been a total lifesaver ever since. Like, remember that time the kids had a last minute sleepover? Pulled these out, and boom, instant hero status. Plus, they make your kitchen smell amazing, which is always a bonus, right?

Why These Are Just The Bee’s Knees

Why should you bother making these? Well, besides being ridiculously easy, they’re just FUN. I make this when I need something for game day, movie night, or just when I have a serious pizza craving but don’t want to order out. My family goes crazy for this because, hello, cheese and pepperoni in a warm, dippable package? What’s not to love?! (Seriously though, try not to eat them all right out of the oven, it’s a challenge!). They’re also way less messy than actual pizza slices for little hands, a major win in my book.

Okay, What You’ll Need (Stuff & Thangs)

• Pizza Dough: One tube (like, 8 ounces? ish?) of refrigerated pizza dough. The kind in the can. Or, if you’re feeling ambitious or have some leftover form making pizza night from a great recipe like this one, that works too! Just needs to be rollable.
• Cheese: About 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. Use the pre-shredded stuff if you’re lazy like me, it’s totally fine. Or shred your own for extra meltiness, I guess? Your call. A little sprinkle of Parmesan is nice too, maybe a couple tablespoons.
• Pepperoni: Roughly half a cup of sliced pepperoni. Use mini pepperonis if you can find ’em, they’re cuter and distribute better, but regular ones sliced or even quartered work. Whatever you have!
• Sauce: About half a cup of your favorite pizza or marinara sauce. Honestly, raid your pantry. Whatever jar you have lurking in there is probably good. I sometimes use leftover spaghetti sauce in a pinch!
• Butter: Like, 2 tablespoons, melted. For brushing!
• Garlic Powder: A little sprinkle, maybe half a teaspoon or so, to mix with the butter. Onion powder is a good addition here too if you fancy it.
• Optional Stuff: Red pepper flakes for a little kick, dried oregano or Italian seasoning blend.

Let’s Get Rolling (The How To)

Alright, follow along, it’s super straightforward.

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (that’s 200°C for my friends across the pond) and get a baking sheet ready. Line it with parchment paper if you hate scrubbing later (highly recommend!).
2. Pop open that tube of dough. Lay it out on a lightly floured surface. It’s usually already kind of rectangular. If it’s not, gently stretch or roll it into, well, a rectangle. Aim for maybe 10×14 inches? Doesn’t have to be perfect, seriously.
3. Spread your pizza sauce over the dough, leaving about a half inch border around the edges. Don’t go too crazy with the sauce, or it’ll get messy when you roll. Learned that the hard way!
4. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly over the sauce. Then add the pepperoni slices. This is where I usually sneak a piece of pepperoni. Or two.
5. Now, the rolling part! Starting from one of the longer sides, tightly roll the dough up into a log. Try to keep it snug.
6. Pinch the seam closed at the end. Then, with a sharp knife, cut the log into slices about 1 inch thick. You should get maybe 10-12 rolls? They’ll look like little pinwheels now.
7. Carefully place the slices cut side up onto your prepared baking sheet. Give them a little space, they’ll puff up a bit. Don’t worry if a little cheese or pepperoni tries to escape, that’s normal!
8. Melt the butter and stir in the garlic powder (and any other seasonings you’re using). Brush this glorious mixture over the tops and sides of each roll up. This makes them golden and extra yummy.
9. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until they’re golden brown and the cheese is all bubbly and gorgeous. Ovens vary, so keep an eye on ’em, especially the first time you make them.
10. Let them cool slightly on the pan. Like, five minutes? Otherwise, you’ll burn your tongue off trying to eat the molten cheese. Ask me how I know.

Things I Learned (Notes Section)

Okay, so a few things I’ve figured out making these eleventy million times:

• Don’t overfill them! It sounds like a good idea, more cheese, more pepperoni, right? Wrong. It just makes them harder to roll and everything oozes out in a less than charming way.
• Using parchment paper is honestly a non-negotiable for me now. Seriously, the cleanup difference is night and day.
• A serrated knife works better for cutting the log than a straight one, it’s less likely to squish the rolls out of shape.
• Sometimes I sprinkle a *little* extra Parmesan on top right when they come out of the oven. Adds a nice salty bite.

Playing Around (Variations I’ve Tried)

You can totally mess with these! I’ve done a few things:

• Veggie Supreme-ish: Added finely chopped bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms (make sure they’re really dry!). Good, but definitely harder to roll because of the extra bulk.
• Ham and Cheese: Swapped pepperoni for chopped ham. Also delicious, kind of like a hot ham and cheese crescent roll situation.
• Pesto Swap: Used pesto instead of red sauce once. Uh, not my favorite. The flavor was okay but it was really oily and kinda weird when baked. Stick to tomato sauce, I think.
• Spicy Version: Added jalapeños and extra red pepper flakes. If you like heat, go for it!

Tools of the Trade (Equipment)

Honestly, you don’t need much. A baking sheet, some parchment paper (pretty key!), a knife, and a pastry brush for the butter. If you don’t have a pastry brush, you could probably use the back of a spoon or even just drizzle the butter carefully. It’s just for getting that buttery garlicky goodness everywhere.

Keeping ‘Em Fresh (Storage)

If you miraculously have any left over (ha!), store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds or pop them back in a low oven or air fryer for a few minutes until warmed through. Though honestly, in my house it never lasts more than a day!

Serving Suggestions (Dip, Dip, Hooray!)

Definitely serve these with extra warm pizza or marinara sauce for dipping! That’s non negotiable in my family, everyone needs their dipping sauce. Sometimes I’ll put out a little ranch dressing too, I know it sounds weird to some people but don’t knock it ’til you try it! A fresh green salad on the side makes it feel like a meal, if you’re into that kind of thing.

Lessons Learned (Pro Tips From My Blunders)

• Make sure your oven is fully preheated. I once tried rushing this step and regretted it because the bottoms got a little doughy before the tops were golden.
• Don’t overcrowd the baking sheet. They need space to bake evenly. If you put too many on, they’ll steam instead of bake, and you won’t get those nice crispy edges.
• Pinch that seam *really* well after rolling! If you don’t, they can sometimes unroll a bit while baking. Not the end of the world, but they look prettier if they stay together.

Got Questions? (FAQ Time!)

Okay, folks sometimes ask me stuff about these, so here are a few.

Q: Can I use different cheese?
A: Yeah, totally! Cheddar, a Italian blend, provolone, whatever you like. Mozzarella is classic for the gooey factor though!

Q: What if I don’t have pepperoni?
A: Use cooked sausage, ham, bacon bits (oh man, bacon bits would be awesome), or just make them plain cheese! Get creative.

Q: Can I make these ahead of time?
A: You can assemble them and keep them covered in the fridge for a few hours before baking. I wouldn’t do much longer though, the dough gets weird. Or, you can bake them and reheat later as mentioned above. Honestly, fresh is best!

Q: My rolls flattened out, what gives?
A: Hmm, could be the dough was too warm and soft when you cut it, or maybe you didn’t roll the log tight enough? Using a super sharp knife helps too. They don’t have to be perfect circles though, taste is what matters!

So yeah, that’s it! Give these Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Roll Ups a whirl. Let me know if you try them! Looking for other easy app ideas? Pinterest is usually a goldmine. Happy snacking!