This Pizza Roll recipe is packed with nutrition—and even greens!—but the cheese, and silly spiral shape makes them much more appeal to toddlers and big kids. And: You can make them in about 30 minutes and stash them in the fridge or freezer for future meals.
Pizza Rolls
These pizza rolls are one of those foods that I like to have on hand on nights when there are activities and commitments since they are so easy to make ahead, warm up, and serve. They’re a favorite 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 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 mini pizza rolls 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 go from freezer to table in less than a minute when made and stored frozen.
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Ingredients You Need
To make this recipe you’ll need to have the following ingredients on hand.
- Pizza dough: You can use homemade dough or a fresh ball of dough from the supermarket.
- Pizza sauce: I usually use canned pizza sauce since it’s so easy. You can also use 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 shred across the pizza dough.
- Parmesan cheese: This adds a little extra flavor to this recipe.
TIP: You can use homemade dough 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.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s how to make this pizza roll recipe so you know what to expect. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full information on the amounts and times.
- 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.
- Layer on the sauce and the chopped spinach.
- Add the cheeses.
- Rolling from one long side, roll the dough up into a log. Use the parchment paper to help you roll it up.
- Slice into 12 even slices and place into a greased muffin tin.
- Bake until lightly golden brown. Let cool in the pan for a few minutes to allow the cheese to firm up slightly. This will make them easier to remove from the muffin pan.
TIP: Place the dough on parchment when forming it into a rectangle to avoid having it stick to the counter.
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 lunchbox component 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.
How to Store
Store cooled 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.
Dice up for younger eaters if needed.
Best Tips for Success
- Use homemade dough or fresh store bought dough like the kind they sell at Trader Joes.
- 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 sticking to the counter.
- Use store bought pizza sauce or homemade. I like to cook down my Marinara Sauce until it’s thick and spreadable.
- Grease your pan well.
- Let them 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.
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 Spinach and Cheese)
Ingredients
- 1 cup baby spinach, roughly cut or chopped
- 13-16 ounces pizza dough (at room temperature)
- 3/4 cup pizza sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° 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 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-lock 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 the water, adding up to ¼ cup more 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 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 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.
- Wilt a 5 oz package of spinach in 1 tbsp warm olive oil in a skillet, then squeeze out all of the liquid, OR simply cut up 1 cup fresh spinach.
- Do your best to cut the slices evenly.
- Grease your pan well.
- Let them 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.
These were so easy and so yummy! One for baby, one for mommy, one for baby, two for mommy…
I’m so glad!
hi, do u even have to use a cupcake pan? what wld happen if i just put on flat baking pan?
I haven’t tried them any other way but I suspect that the cheese would come out and make a giant mess on the baking sheet so I wouldn’t recommend it.
ha… ok thnxxx! cant wait to try!
I’m so excited to see you have a recipe for homemade pizza dough! This recipe is on my standing rotation and typically have has great success with store bought dough from Trader Joe’s and Safeway, but haven’t been able to find store bought during SIP. I followed a pizza dough recipe from Smitten Kitchen which was much too sticky to roll out (it’s my fault as she clearly states it’s a sticky dough in her recipe) and my son misses his pizza rolls so much! I literally can’t wait to try out your dough!
I hope it works out well for you!
Very easy and yummy! Had no issues with sticking to pan or raw dough after baking. Used Pilsbury thin crust packaged dough and barely had to do any rolling/pressing. Added a little garlic powder.
I’m so glad and thanks so much for the comment!
Hi there. Is the amount of dough used for this recipe roughly half of a full pizza dough ball you would get at a grocery store? Or the full bag? Thanks!
It should be a full ball, but you’d need to weigh it or look at the ounces on the label to check.
very tasty! My little guy is going through a picky phase and thankfully he liked them too! I used crescent dough pressed into a rectangle which worked well.
These are delicious and easy! My toddler and husband bothed loved them!
If you put bake proof paper under each one or use cup cake paper cups no sticking. I make my own dough it doesn’t take long you can make instant dough. These are delicious we put garlic as well
Delicious but I too found that they stuck to the pan like crazy even with a lot of spray. I took them out after 20 minutes and at that they were slightly overcooked but overall happy with the result.
I find that pans range a lot. I have one older pan that things stick to and a newer nonstick that these don’t stick to, so that could be the issue.
My husband, 3 year old daughter and I made these together today and we all loved them and had fun in the process! Great Sunday lunch for us and a few left over for me to use for her lunches this week. I loved that I got her to eat a vegetable and she didn’t even know it!!
Yay!!
I’ve made these twice with store-bought dough, and both times the dough has been uncooked in the middle, despite extra baking time. I’ve ended up throwing it all out. Is there a particular brand or type of dough you would recommend?
I’ve done it with the kind from Trader Joe’s and homemade. You could cover the pan with foil to trap more heat inside the pan.
I tried baking it with foil on for 20 minutes, and another 10 minutes without, but they were still raw in the center.
Which dough did you use? I’m really sorry this keeps happening—I’m not sure what the issue is!
I’ve tried several different types of pizza dough available at my grocery store. Whole wheat pizza dough is not available, so maybe the recipe doesn’t work without whole wheat dough.
What is the baking temperature?
Can you make these as regular pizza without rolling it up and having to cut?
Sure, just spread the dough on a greased baking sheet or pizza stone and bake at 450 degrees F for about 12-16 minutes.
These tasted yummy but I cooked them longer than suggested and they were sought on the inside and the muffin tin was a huge pain to clean after. Even though they were good, I don’t think I will be making these again.
These turned out beautifully. My 7 year old daughter ate 3 while my super picky 3 year old gave it a go. But, they were really stuck on my muffin pan and I scratched my non-stick pan to get them out. Maybe I need to use a lot more oil to grease the muffin tin or cook it for less time? Or would these still turn out if I use muffin liners?
Hi Lori! I’m glad to hear that the kids liked them (mostly!) but sorry about the sticking and your pan. I would recommend greasing them a bit more with nonstick spray (and maybe spray the top of the pan to prevent any cheese that sticks on the flat surface from getting too stuck) and removing them from the pan soon after you pull them from the oven before the cheese has a chance to firm up too much. You can try letting them sit for a minute or two, then either use a butter knife to pop up the bottoms and tilt them in the pan so there’s room for air to flow underneath each or remove them completely to a wire rack to cool. I think they would work well if you used silicone muffin liners but I’m not sure I’d recommend paper ones. Have a good day
Can these be served cold? My daycare doesn’t heat lunches.
Yes, just cut it up before you pack it so it’s easy to eat. I sometimes warm them first and pack in a thermos as another option.
Can’t wait to try it. Do you think these would freeze well?
Yes! Let cool fully and freeze in a zip top freezer bag for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave in 15-30 second increments. It doesn’t take long!