These are gooey, cheesy pepperoni pizza rolls made to resemble the ones in your photo: golden-brown pizza dough wrapped around melted mozzarella and pepperoni, with extra cheese and pepperoni visible on the outside.
The recipe below is a homemade version rather than an attempt to identify the exact original recipe from the photograph. Pizza-roll recipes commonly use pizza dough, pizza sauce, mozzarella, and pepperoni, with baking temperatures around 400–425°F.
Makes
10 large pizza rolls
Prep: 20–25 minutes
Rest: 15–30 minutes
Bake: 18–25 minutes
Total: about 1 hour
Ingredients
Pizza rolls
1 lb (454 g) prepared pizza dough
½ cup (120 g) pizza sauce or marinara sauce
2 cups (200 g) shredded low-moisture mozzarella
5–6 oz (140–170 g) sliced pepperoni
¼ cup (25 g) grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp red pepper flakes, optional
1 tbsp olive oil
Garlic-butter topping
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 small garlic clove, finely minced, or ½ tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp grated Parmesan
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
¼ tsp Italian seasoning
For finishing
¼ cup additional shredded mozzarella
10–15 additional pepperoni slices
1 tbsp Parmesan
Fresh parsley or basil
For dipping
1 cup warm marinara or pizza sauce
Cheese choice
For the stretchy cheese shown in your photograph, I recommend:
Low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella.
It melts beautifully without releasing as much water as fresh mozzarella.
You can also combine:
1½ cups mozzarella
½ cup provolone
for a slightly richer flavor.
Detailed Instructions
1. Prepare the dough
Remove your pizza dough from the refrigerator about 30–45 minutes before using it.
Allowing the dough to warm slightly makes it much easier to stretch without tearing.
Lightly flour your work surface.
Roll the dough into approximately a:
12 × 18-inch rectangle.
Don’t make it paper-thin. You want enough dough to hold the cheese and pepperoni while still producing the thick, rolled appearance in the photograph.
2. Add the sauce
Spread approximately ½ cup pizza sauce over the dough.
Leave about ½ inch uncovered around the edges.
Don’t use too much sauce.
Why?
Excess sauce makes the roll difficult to seal and can cause the filling to leak during baking.
3. Add the cheese
Sprinkle approximately:
1½ cups mozzarella
evenly over the sauce.
Then sprinkle:
Parmesan
Italian seasoning
garlic powder
optional red pepper flakes
over the cheese.
4. Add the pepperoni
Arrange approximately 4–5 oz pepperoni over the cheese.
You can overlap the slices slightly.
For the very pepperoni-heavy appearance in your photo, don’t be shy with the pepperoni.
A useful trick is to put some slices closer to the edge of the dough so that pepperoni becomes visible when the roll is sliced.
5. Roll it tightly
Starting from one long edge, begin rolling the dough into a tight cylinder.
Roll slowly and firmly.
You want a compact log without squeezing all the filling out.
When you reach the opposite edge, pinch the seam closed.
Place the log:
seam-side down.
This rolling-and-slicing method is also used in established pepperoni pizza-roll recipes.
6. Chill the roll
Place the entire log in the refrigerator for approximately:
15–25 minutes.
This isn’t absolutely necessary, but it makes cutting dramatically easier.
The chilled dough holds its cylindrical shape instead of squashing under the knife.
7. Cut the rolls
Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the log into approximately:
10 pieces, each about 1½–2 inches thick.
Don’t saw aggressively.
Use gentle back-and-forth movements.
8. Arrange on the baking sheet
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the rolls cut-side up.
Leave approximately 1½ inches between them.
For rolls that resemble the photograph, don’t flatten them.
Keep them tall and cylindrical.
9. Make the garlic butter
Mix together:
3 tbsp melted butter
minced garlic
1 tbsp Parmesan
parsley
Italian seasoning
Brush this generously over the exposed dough.
10. Bake
Preheat your oven to:
400°F (205°C).
Bake for approximately:
18–25 minutes
until the dough is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling.
Established recipes use temperatures from about 350°F to 425°F depending on the dough and style, so the exact timing can vary with your oven and dough thickness.
11. Make them look like the photograph
About 5 minutes before they’re finished, remove the tray.
Top each roll with:
a little mozzarella
1–2 pepperoni slices
a sprinkle of Parmesan
Return to the oven.
Bake until the cheese melts and develops golden-brown spots.
This extra topping is what gives you the pepperoni-and-cheese-covered exterior seen in your photo.
12. Finish
Remove from the oven.
Brush lightly with any remaining garlic butter.
Sprinkle with fresh parsley or basil.
Let them sit for 5 minutes before eating.
The cheese inside will be extremely hot immediately after baking.
Serve with warm marinara sauce.
EXTRA-GOOEY VERSION
If you want the dramatic cheese pull shown in the photograph, use this filling:
1½ cups shredded mozzarella
½ cup provolone
¼ cup Parmesan
5–6 oz pepperoni
And place one mozzarella cheese stick along the long edge before rolling.
That creates a concentrated cheese center.
Some pizza-roll recipes use mozzarella sticks specifically to create a molten cheese center.
Nut & Allergen Information
Does this recipe contain nuts?
No.
The basic ingredients do not require:
peanuts
almonds
walnuts
pecans
cashews
pistachios
other tree nuts
However
For a person with a serious nut allergy, check the labels of:
pizza dough
pizza sauce
pepperoni
mozzarella
Parmesan
butter
seasoning blends
Manufacturing facilities can process multiple allergens.
Other allergens
This recipe normally contains:
Milk/dairy: mozzarella, Parmesan, butter
Wheat/gluten: conventional pizza dough
Possible soy: some commercial pepperoni, cheese, or dough products
Egg may be present in some commercial pizza doughs, but it isn’t required in the recipe itself.
Nut-free variation
For a nut-free household, choose packaged ingredients specifically labeled according to the allergy requirements you’re following.
Easy Substitutions
No pizza dough?
Use refrigerated pizza dough.
No mozzarella?
Use:
provolone
Monterey Jack
fontina
cheddar + mozzarella
Want more cheese?
Add another ½ cup mozzarella.
Want less meat?
Use 3 oz pepperoni instead of 5–6 oz.
Want vegetarian rolls?
Replace pepperoni with:
mushrooms
roasted peppers
olives
spinach
onions
Make sure vegetable fillings aren’t excessively wet.
Want spicy rolls?
Add:
crushed red pepper
sliced jalapeños
hot Italian sausage
hot pepperoni
Variations
Garlic Parmesan Pizza Rolls
Skip most of the pepperoni and add:
mozzarella
Parmesan
roasted garlic
parsley
Italian seasoning
Finish with lots of garlic butter.
Supreme Pizza Rolls
Add small amounts of:
pepperoni
sausage
mushrooms
bell pepper
onion
mozzarella
Avoid overfilling or the rolls won’t seal properly.
Buffalo Chicken Rolls
Replace pepperoni with:
shredded cooked chicken
buffalo sauce
mozzarella
cheddar
Serve with ranch or blue-cheese dressing.
Jalapeño Pepperoni Rolls
Add:
1–2 sliced jalapeños
pepperoni
mozzarella
pepper jack
Excellent with garlic butter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my cheese leak out?
Usually the roll was too loosely sealed or overfilled.
Leave a ½-inch border and pinch the final seam tightly.
Why did my rolls become flat?
The dough was probably rolled too thin or the log wasn’t chilled before slicing.
Refrigerating the log for 15–25 minutes helps substantially.
Why is the bottom soggy?
Too much sauce is the most common reason.
Also avoid putting very wet vegetables inside.
A dark metal baking sheet and parchment can help the bottom brown more effectively.
Can I use fresh mozzarella?
Yes, but drain it extremely well and pat it dry.
Low-moisture mozzarella is easier for this particular recipe.
Can I prepare these ahead?
Yes.
Prepare and slice the rolls, cover them, and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake.
Allow chilled dough to sit briefly at room temperature if necessary, then bake.
Can I freeze them?
Yes.
For best quality, freeze the baked rolls after they have completely cooled.
Wrap individually and place in a freezer-safe container.
How do I reheat frozen rolls?
Bake at approximately 350°F until hot throughout.
For food safety, reheated leftovers should reach 165°F internally.
How long do leftovers last?
Refrigerate them promptly in a covered container.
USDA guidance lists pizza leftovers at 3–4 days in the refrigerator and recommends refrigerating perishable food promptly rather than leaving it at room temperature for extended periods.
Can I make them in an air fryer?
Yes.
Arrange them in a single layer without overcrowding.
A good starting point is:
375–400°F for approximately 8–12 minutes.
Start checking early because air fryers vary considerably.
Can I make these without pizza sauce?
Yes.
Try:
garlic butter
pesto
Alfredo sauce
roasted-garlic cream sauce
For the closest flavor to the photograph, however, use a thin layer of pizza sauce.
How do I get the browned cheese shown in the picture?
Use low-moisture mozzarella, add a little Parmesan, and place extra cheese and pepperoni on top during the final few minutes.
For even deeper browning, use the oven’s broiler for 30–60 seconds, watching continuously.
My recommended version for the pictured rolls
For the closest result, I’d use:
Pizza dough + thin pizza sauce + whole-milk mozzarella + provolone + lots of pepperoni + Parmesan + garlic butter + extra pepperoni and mozzarella on top.
With years of experience in restaurant research and local SEO, Sara creates accurate, user-friendly guides that work for both people and search engines. Her goal is to help users go from search results to their nearest restaurant or menu choice with as few clicks as possible.
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