Pepperoni Pinwheels
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Simple ingredients mix together and roll-up in crescent dough to create this delicious Pepperoni Pinwheels recipe.
My kids love these for an after school snack and they make great party appetizers too!
Pepperoni Pinwheel Recipe
Not only are the pinwheels pretty, they taste so good too. Golden brown dough with a little mozzarella cheese and a satisfying meaty pepperoni kick in each bite you won’t eat just one!
Similar to our Stromboli from frozen bread dough, but no defrosting is necessary these pizza snacks can be made in under 30 minutes.
Pizza inspired recipes like our Pizza Spaghetti and Pizza Casserole are popular in our house. This is another variation that the kids enjoy.
If you like this recipe you may also enjoy our Chicken Crescent Rolls or Pulled Pork Crescents.
Why This Recipe Works:
- Uses common ingredients that are easy to store for a couple weeks to help extend the time between grocery store visits.
- Easy to double and make more of a meal out of or feed more people snacks.
- Small portions are nice for appetizers or as snacks for kids.
- Tastes great warm, room temp or dipped in warm pizza sauce.
Ingredients Needed:
- Refrigerated Crescent Rolls – the time saving ingredient that simulates the crust with extra flaky and buttery goodness
- Pepperoni– we like thicker pieces that are diced over slices that can be tricky to cut through when making pin wheels
- Mozzarella Cheese – is the most popular pizza cheese, but about any shredded cheese will work fine
- Oregano – for a hint of Italian flavor and speckles of color
- Egg – separate the egg and mix the yolk in the filling and brush the white on top of pinwheels to create the golden brown look with a slight crunch
Step By Step Instructions
Preheat oven to 375ºF and lightly coat a large baking sheet with non stick cooking spray or use a non-stick liner.
Separate egg yolk into a small bowl.
Place the egg white in another small bowl and whisk until foamy. Set aside.
To the yolk add pepperoni, cheese and oregano. Stir to combine.
Unroll crescent dough onto the baking sheet and separate into four rectangles. Seal the perforations.
Spread pepperoni mixture over each rectangle to within 1/4 inch of the edges.
Roll up like a jelly roll beginning with a long side.
Pinch seams to seal. I like to cut the roll in half and continue to cut large pieces in half until they slices are about 1/2″ think. Ensure they are all the same thickness.
Place pieces cut side down on the baking sheet leaving a little room between each piece to expand while baking.
Brush the tops with egg white.
Bake for 12 – 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Dipping in warm pizza sauce is a fun option.
Serve warm and enjoy.
How Do You Roll & Cut Pinwheels?
Ensure the dough is pressed to an equal thickness throughout the entire rectangle or square.
Roll evenly and pinch the seam shut across the entire roll to help hold the pinwheels together as they bake.
I like to cut the long roll in half and continue to cut pieces in half until the slices have reached the desired thickness. Sometimes the smaller pieces need cut in thirds, but to help evenly divide the roll I like to begin by cutting in half to create more manageable pieces.
Using an acrylic cutting board with chilled dough can make the process easier. The warmer the dough the more sticky it gets which can make rolling a bit more difficult.
If you begin rolling the dough on the short side, each piece with will be thicker and there will be fewer pieces.
Starting to roll on the long side will make more pieces that are a bit smaller because it didn’t roll up as many layers of dough.
Crescent Dough vs. Pizza Dough
We tested this recipe with refrigerated crescent dough and prepared, refrigerated pizza dough.
The crescent dough has a more buttery flavor, where the pizza dough is more neutral and lends itself a bit better to the pizza toppings that accompany this recipe.
In our experience the pizza dough is easier to work with as it does not have seams to seal and work with. Since the tube is a bit bigger, pizza dough makes more pepperoni pinwheels.
In our picture we didn’t cut the slices thin enough, so when the dough baked up it didn’t look like a pinwheel at all.
There are lot of options and the best results will be based on your personal preferences.
A great way to take this recipe to the next level would be using Homemade Pizza Dough.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Pinch the crescent roll dough together to seal the seams to make nice, round pinwheels
- If a sheet of crescent dough is used cut it length wise into two long rectangles, prepare the recipe and cut each rectangle into twelve slices
- Slices of pepperoni should be chopped well before using to keep edges neat.
- These can be made with tortillas and without an egg for a cold snack or meal.
- Refrigerate leftovers for 3-4 days. Taste best reheated in an air fryer for a few minutes at 350F
More Easy Snack Recipes:
Mexican Corn Dip with Rotel and Deviled Ham Dip are perfect for sharing and snacking.
Pulled Pork Nachos are great for an appetizer at a party or a quick meal at home.
I crave these Stuffed Mushrooms and making them in the crock pot makes transporting them so much easier!
Pepperoni Pinwheels
Author: JenniferIngredients
- 1/2 cup pepperoni diced
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 egg seperated
- 13.8 ounce tube pizza dough
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl separate the egg. The yolk will be mixed into the filling, so save the white in a small dish for use later.
- Add the finely chopped pepperoni, cheese and oregano to the egg yolk. Mix well.
- Unroll dough and press into a flat rectangle with an even thickness throughout.
- Spread the pepperoni mixture over the rectangle to within 1/4 inch of the edges.
- Starting with the long side roll up. Pinch the seam to seal. Cut into thin slices, we usually end up with 18 – 21 slices.
- Bake at 375℉ for 10 – 13 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Serve warm with pizza sauce if desired.