Pizza Crescent Rolls
These easy pizza crescent rolls are my 15-minute answer to “what’s for dinner” on busy weeknights, after-school hunger emergencies, and pizza night without the delivery cost. Just a tube of Pillsbury Original crescent rolls, some pepperoni, mozzarella cheese cubes, Italian seasoning, and butter. Roll them up, brush with butter, bake for 10 minutes, and serve with warm pizza sauce for dipping. Kids can help assemble the whole thing, and everyone eats them.
Pepperoni crescent rolls have been in my dinner rotation since my kids were little, and this recipe is the version I make on repeat because it’s genuinely a real dinner that comes together in about 15 minutes with ingredients I always have on hand. Refrigerated crescent dough, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese cubes, Italian seasoning, a little butter to brush on top, and pizza sauce for dipping. Kids demolish these.
My kids fight over the last one every single time, and I love that they can help make them just sprinkle the seasoning, layer the pepperoni, place the cheese cube, roll it up. Perfect for busy back-to-school nights, game day appetizers, sleepover dinners, birthday party food, and honestly just any weeknight when I need a real meal in 15 minutes.
A few practical tips from many rounds of making these. Cube your own mozzarella if you can, pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that don’t melt as smoothly and tend to escape from the rolls. Roll each crescent as tightly as possible and pinch the seams to seal, this is the number one factor in whether the cheese stays inside or leaks out during baking. Brush butter on top BEFORE and AFTER baking, this creates that golden brown color and buttery flavor that makes these taste better than just pizza rolls.
Warm your pizza sauce before serving, cold sauce with hot rolls is a small disappointment worth avoiding. And these are absolutely best served fresh from the oven, the crescent dough loses its flaky texture as it cools. Make them right when you’re ready to eat and serve immediately.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This crescent pizza rolls recipe is so much easier to put together and bake than a whole pizza.
- They are already perfectly portioned to put in your kids’ lunch boxes or as an after school snack.
- This is definitely a recipe the kids will love helping with. This fun twist on their own personal pizzas will be a hit.
Key Ingredients
- Refrigerated crescent roll dough – I like Pillsbury but any brand will work. You can also use pizza dough and cut it into triangles yourself. Be sure to roll it out so it’s as thin as crescent dough otherwise you will need to adjust the baking time.
- Italian seasoning – This is usually made up of a mix of dried thyme, basil, rosemary and oregano. You can also try dried oregano on it’s own.
- Pepperoni – Choose your favorite sliced pepperoni from the deli, or if your kids love another meat, like ham or salami, use that! If you’ve got picky kids who only like cheese, leave out the meat!
- Mozzarella – I like to use cubed cheese because it’s easy to wrap up in the dough. You can cut cubes from a block of cheese or slice a mozzarella cheese stick into pieces to make it even easier. Of course, you can still use shredded cheese if you like but grate it yourself for the best quality.
- Pizza sauce – Use your favorite pizza or marinara sauce, warmed, for dipping. You could also use a ranch dip or garlic butter!
Find the ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.
Add-Ins
- Sliced mushrooms
- Diced onions
- Sliced olives
- Cooked Italian sausage
- Crumbled bacon
- Egg wash with Parmesan cheese and garlic powder before baking
Variations
- Breakfast crescents. Add ham, cheese and green onion.
- Buffalo chicken. Add shredded rotisserie chicken and hot sauce.
- Meatball. Add mini meatballs and marinara sauce.
- BBQ. Add barbecue sauce, shredded chicken, cheese and red onion.
How to Make Stuffed Crescent Rolls
- Prepare dough. Open the can and separate the dough so you have eight triangles.
- Fill triangles. Sprinkle the seasoning over the top of each triangle. Place pepperoni at the wide end and place a cheese cube in the center.
- Roll. Tightly roll up the dough, sealing the edges.
- Brush with butter. Place the filled pizza crescent rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush the tops with melted butter.
- Bake. Place in preheated oven until golden brown and brush with more butter.
- Serve. Pair them with warm pizza sauce to dip.
For the complete directions and ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below.
Storage and Reheating
Fridge: Store pizza crescent rolls in an airtight container for up to 4 days (if they last that long).
Freezer: These are a great item to freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag for easy grab and go options during the busy weekdays. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
To reheat pizza crescent rolls, cover and place in the microwave for 20 second increments until hot through. You can even try using your air fryer for a nice crisp outside layer.
Serving Suggestions
The options are endless with these handheld pizza rolls. Make a couple batches with different toppings and set them out with veggies and dip, fruit kabobs and crowd pleasing Ham and Cheese Roll Ups if your kids have got friends over and they need a lunch or snack break.
If you are sending pizza rolls in school lunches, be sure to whip up a batch of Homemade Fruit Snacks to pack as well. The kids are going to go crazy for them and you’ll be glad when they eat their whole lunch.
Don’t forget dipping sauces like Ranch, Marinara, Garlic Parmesan and creamy Cesar.
Pro Tips
- Don’t add too many fillings otherwise it will be hard to roll up the dough.
- It is important to seal the edges well so the cheese doesn’t ooze out of the crescent rolls.
- The color of the rolls is the best indicator of doneness! You want them to be nice and golden brown on the outside.
- Pizza crescent rolls hold up for up to 4 hours at room temperature, so they’re a great option for a school lunch.
- Roll the crescent dough flat and top with toppings to make this a flat, pizza style dish that you bake for 15-20 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
FAQ
I recommend filling and rolling the stuffed crescent rolls no longer than 4 hours in advance. Store them covered in the refrigerator and leave them on the counter while the oven preheats.
If the crescent rolls aren’t rolled tight enough, they will most likely fall apart. Roll tightly and tuck in the sides as you go. Practice makes perfect!
Be sure to roll each crescent tightly, pinch all seams closed, and use cheese cubes instead of shredded. If the roll opens during baking, that’s usually why.
Yes! Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 6-8 minutes for even crispier results. Don’t overcrowd the air fryer basket, you may need to work in batches depending on air fryer size.
Pizza Crescent Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 tube refrigerated crescent rolls I use Pillsbury Original
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 24 slices pepperoni
- 8 cubes mozzarella cheese ½ inch
- 1-2 Tablespoons butter melted
- Prepared pizza sauce for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Unroll the crescent rolls and separate so that there are 8 triangles of dough.
- Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon of Italian seasoning entirely over one side of each dough triangle.
- At the widest part of the triangle, add 3 slices of pepperoni on top of the seasoning (overlapping so that they fit within the dough's edges).
- Place 1 cube of cheese in the center of the pepperoni.
- Starting at the widest end of the dough, tightly roll up the crescents and seal all the edges to prevent cheese from escaping while baking.
- Place crescents on the prepared baking sheet and brush tops with melted butter.
- Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown. Brush tops again with the remaining melted butter.
- Warm up the pizza sauce in the microwave or on the stovetop. Serve crescents with the hot pizza sauce for dipping.
Nutrition
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