With pepperoni, cheese and marinara sauce rolled in phyllo dough, these homemade pizza rolls are the perfect appetizer for a party and will leave your guests wanting more.
Not a shocker here but because I love to cook, I'm all about hosting a dinner party where I can create a bunch of finger foods - from garlic shrimp crostini to pizza pretzels.
I guess I got that from my parents as growing up they hosted quite a few dinner parties over the years, but their most popular was their Christmas tree trimming party.
We'd have anywhere from 30-50 people come and my mom and dad would cook everything, while guests would help decorate the tree. Over the years I actually eventually took over doing the cooking before I moved away.
So why am I talking about Christmas at the end of August? Well these baked pizza rolls are the perfect appetizer for that type of party. Or for a football game, which today happens to be the unofficial start of college football!
When you bake these, some cheese will probably leak out, but don't freak out - you just get some extra gooey/crispy cheese with the rolls. So if you're coming across this recipe just because you love pizza or need something quick and easy for a party, these homemade pizza rolls are for you.
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Recipe Ingredients
- Phyllo dough - gives that light but crunchy texture.
- Unsalted Butter - helps glue the dough together when rolling it up.
- Mozzarella cheese - string cheese works too.
- Pepperoni - added flavor.
- Pizza Sauce - store-bought works but you can also make your own.
Other Baked Roll Ideas
You can add other things like onion, peppers and olives if you want. Or you can do something totally different and use prosciutto and brie or salami and provolone. Use your imagination!
Can I Make My Own Pizza Sauce?
If you want to use your own sauce, it is surprisingly easy and tastes better than anything you can buy in the store. Just check out this homemade pizza sauce recipe.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Thawed Phyllo Dough - do not use phyllo dough until it is thawed. Otherwise it will just crack.
- Fold in Half - you want to take a sheet of phyllo dough and fold in half crosswise. This makes the dough slightly thicker, but also makes it the perfect size for a pizza roll.
- Butter Phyllo Dough - you need to butter the top half of the phyllo dough so as you roll it up, it will stick together.
- Cheese - I like using fresh mozzarella cheese but it can melt out slightly, which I don't mind. If you don't want this to happen, just use string cheese instead.
Other Appetizer Recipes
- Baked Mac and Cheese Bites
- Sweet Potato Rounds with Goat Cheese
- Pepperoni Bread
- Pretzel Bites
- Crispy Baked Chicken Nuggets
If you’ve tried these homemade pizza rolls or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Homemade Pizza Rolls
Ingredients
- 12 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into 12 slices
- 36 pepperoni
- 1 cup pizza sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Take one sheet of phyllo dough and fold it in half crosswise. Brush the entire top half of the dough with melted butter.
- At the bottom of the dough, spread 1 tbsp pizza sauce then place 3 pepperoni on top and finish with a slice of mozzarella. Roll the dough over the filling, folding the side edges in to seal like a burrito. Place the roll seam-side down and repeat with the remaining rolls. Brush each with some melted butter.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with a side of sauce.
Notes
- Thawed Phyllo Dough - do not use phyllo dough until it is thawed. Otherwise it will just crack.
- Fold in Half - you want to take a sheet of phyllo dough and fold in half crosswise. This makes the dough slightly thicker, but also makes it the perfect size for a pizza roll.
- Butter Phyllo Dough - you need to butter the top half of the phyllo dough so as you roll it up, it will stick together.
- Cheese - I like using fresh mozzarella cheese but it can melt out slightly, which I don't mind. If you don't want this to happen, just use string cheese instead.
Chris says
Yummy!
Christina says
Hi can o freeze these uncooked ??
Ryan says
Yes you can. It will last about 3 months frozen. Then just let it come to room temperature before baking.