The easiest pizza pinwheels made with puff pastry, pizza sauce and shredded cheese. These cheesy rolls are a quick + easy lunch to enjoy all week long.
This simple pizza pinwheel recipe came together during one of our Saturday lunches this summer, and I have made them numerous times ever since. Puff pastry gets spread with marinara sauce and shredded cheese, then rolled and sliced into bite-sized pinwheels.
The pizza rolls get perfectly crisp in the oven, and are such an easy back-to-school or work week lunch recipe.
I love serving these with fresh vegetables topped with olive oil and flakey salt. To add a little more protein to the meal, you can serve them with a simple tuna salad.
What you’ll need to make pizza pinwheels
This recipe truly cannot be any easier to make. I kept mine simple with cheese, sauce and red pepper flakes, but you can add your favorite pizza toppings like olives, chopped peppers or basil.
- Puff pastry sheet– I used one sheet of puff pastry that I gently rolled out to thin. This recipe can easily be doubled and made with two sheets
- Marinara sauce– use your favorite homemade or store-bought sauce
- Shredded cheese– any shredded cheese will work here. I used a pizza blend shredded cheese
Step one: prepare the dough
Thaw the sheet of puff pastry. Using a rolling pin, gently roll it out to a thinner rectangle. I suggest working on a piece of parchment paper
Step two: add your toppings
Spread the sauce over the pastry sheet followed by the shredded cheese
Step three: roll the pizza
Starting at the longest edge closest to you, start rolling the dough upwards to form a log. To help start the rolling process, you can lift the parchment off the counter to help lift the edge of the dough. Gently roll the puff pastry until you’ve reached the top
Step four: slice and bake
Using a serrated knife, slice the roll into about 12 pinwheels. Place them onto a parchment lined sheet-pan or greased baking dish cut side up. Leave about 1/2 inch space in between each one. Bake on 400 F for 25-30 minutes
This recipe is so simple and even kid-friendly. I love preparing it ahead of the week for an easy lunch, or when I’m hosting a meal with family & friends. I know you guys are going to love it!
Check out some of my other easy lunch recipes:
Buffalo Chickpea Wraps with Vegan Ranch
Lentil Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Pistachio Pesto Mozzarella Wraps
Puff Pastry Pizza Pinwheels
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed. You can double this recipe and use two sheets of puff pastry dough
- 4-6 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4-1/3 cup marinara sauce
- Red pepper flakes
- Optional toppings: olives, basil, chopped peppers
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F
- Lay out a piece of parchment paper and roll out the thawed pastry sheet using a rolling pin to thin it out slightly
- Spread the sauce over the dough. I like to sprinkle a little flakey salt and red pepper flakes. Add the shredded cheese and any toppings you like
- Starting from long side of the pastry sheet closest to you, lift the parchment paper up to help roll the dough, then continue rolling the dough upwards until you reach the top
- Using a sharp or serrated knife, slice the pastry roll into about 12 rolls.
- Grease a 9 x 3 baking dish with cooking spray, or prepare a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Place each pinwheel cut side up into the dish, leaving about 1/2 inch in between each one. Optional step: lightly drizzle the top with chili oil for a spicy version
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.
- Top with dry oregano or fresh basil when serving.
Yes you can after or before baking! If you freeze them before baking, I suggest freezing them flat on a tray and transferring them to a container or ziplock once they’re frozen so they dont stick together.
These tasted so good but they did leak quite a bit. May have been user error so will definitely try again.
So happy you tried them! Sometimes it depends on the type of sauce, some are thicker and some more watery. I’d suggest spreading less sauce next time, and saving some on the side to dip the pinwheels into.