Whether you need a quick snack for party food or a children's packed lunch, here's my ultimate guide on how to make easy homemade air fryer pizza rolls, with lots of tried and tested tips for the best results!
AD | This recipe includes a paid review of the Ninja Speedi 10-in-1 Rapid Cooker & Air Fryer ON400UK provided by Very.
For months, I've been dreaming about making pizza rolls in the air fryer dipped in garlic butter. They're not to be confused with Totinos pizza rolls (or Annie's) though, which isn't the only way to make them!
This recipe was inspired by my pizza party buns in the oven. But as air-fried pizza rolls need less heat and time, I had to eat my way through a lot of experimental batches from homemade pizza dough to store-bought.
So if this is your first time, we'll help you make the best pizza rolls by answering lots of questions you might have, as we did. And also while sharing our honest Ninja Speedi review.
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✔️ Why You'll Love this Recipe
✔️ Can be made with ready-made dough
✔️ They don't need much time to bake each batch
✔️ An easy air fryer dinner or after-school snack
✔️ Homemade dough can be proofed in the air fryer
✔️ The perfect way to serve more people than a regular pizza
🛒 Ingredient Notes
Please see the printable recipe card with exact ingredient quantities and preparation instructions at the bottom of this post.
Pre-rolled pizza dough - I used a 400g Pizza Express pack, which is the easiest way as it takes less time, but different brands will work too. Or make it cheaper with 1 batch of my homemade pizza dough.
Pizza sauce - or my homemade pizza sauce, marinara sauce, or tomato sauce
Dried basil - or Italian seasoning for extra flavour
Grated mozzarella cheese - or any gooey cheese
Pepperoni - for pepperoni pizza rolls, I recommend cutting them into small pieces for ease when rolling
Optional: olive oil for brushing the tops with a pastry brush for crunchy pizza rolls (we'll talk more about the results on this under FAQs).
📋 Instructions
I recommend also watching my video for the cooking process in the recipe card on how to cook pizza rolls in the air fryer. Especially for how I roll the dough.
Roll out the pizza dough while on the lining it comes with and spread on your tomato sauce, leaving a 1" gap all the way around.
For homemade dough: dust your counter well with flour and roll with a rolling pin, roughly to a 15" x 10" rectangle.
Next, sprinkle on a single layer with the following ingredients:
- Grated cheese
- Additional parmesan cheese if desired
- Chosen herbs and seasonings
- Chopped pepperoni
Or any toppings to truly personalize your homemade pizza rolls.
Now carefully roll into a pizza sausage shape from the longest edge like you would a jelly roll.
I don't recommend doing it too tightly as the filling can push out.
When you get towards the end, tuck in any pizza filling if it looks like it will spread out.
Then stretch if needed and press final end on to seal it and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
If you want a golden brown finish, I recommend brushing it with oil now.
Then slice into 1" slices, but while baking 4 slices at a time, put the remaining in the fridge until it's time to bake them.
For a tender dough bottom: line your air fryer basket or crisper tray with a piece of parchment paper.
For a crispy bottom: spray the tray with cooking spray and skip the baking paper.
How long do you cook pizza rolls in an air fryer?
We found the best cook time for 1" slices of these air fried pizza rolls is 10-12 minutes at 150c (325F) for a good rise. If you prefer more golden, cook for an extra minute or two.
Cooking pizza rolls at a higher temperature, such as 200c (425F) for 8-10 minutes resulted in underdeveloped, crispy, air fry pizza rolls that were about 30% smaller.
Mini pizza rolls (1cm/1/3" slices), require a lower cooking time and make servings. We found 6-8 minutes at 150 (325F) the sweet spot.
👩🍳 Substitutions
Depending on your dietary needs, here are a few simple swaps you can make for this pizza rolls in air fryer recipe:
- Pepperoni - swap for chopped ham, shredded chicken, spicy Italian sausage, etc
- Dough - for gluten free pizza rolls, use GF pizza base mix
- Vegetarian - swap pepperoni for plant-based meat or make simple cheese pizza rolls
- Vegan - use plant based cheese and meat
- Keto pizza rolls - make a keto fathead dough, using a mix of mozzarella, cream cheese, egg, and almond flour
⚖️ Variations
The best part of this recipe is that you can use your favorite pizza toppings to easily adapt this pizza rolls air fryer recipe. Here are just a few ideas:
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes, jalapenos, olives, and spicy meat served with sour cream
- Deluxe - add four types of cheese, like cheddar, parmesan, shredded Fontina cheese, etc
- Kid friendly - top with their favourite combo, like a Hawaiian pizza with chopped ham and pineapple, mushrooms, bacon, etc
See my wholemeal pizza dough version if you want to make unofficial Slimming World pizza rolls or you might like to try these easy pizza pockets in an air fryer.
🔪 Equipment
Which air fryer? I'm using the latest 5 quart air fryer: Ninja Speedi 5.7L Rapid Cooker and Air Fryer, gifted by Very.
As it's lower wattage at 1760w than an average electric oven, we've been saving money (and washing up) by cooking recipes that normally require two pans!
The best thing about it is that we can cook things like this sausage pasta bake in the bottom while air frying crispy sausages at the top. It's simply been a game-changer.
We've proofed dough in it the easy way (see FAQs section). You could even make my pizza sauce in the sear/saute function! I also love how it is to clean the non-stick pan and crisping tray.
❄️ Storage
Storing - we prefer eating them fresh out of the oven with our favorite sauce. However, leftover pizza rolls can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Freezing - cool to room temperature and wrap each one in clingfilm or plastic wrap, followed by tin foil (aluminium foil) and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating - If you want to cook frozen pizza rolls, then thaw them first and bake them in the air fryer for a couple of minutes or more if desired. See here for tips on air frying frozen pizza rolls once sliced.
💡Pro Tips
- If you have a small kitchen or don't see the fun side of kneading dough (which gets messy as shown above), then use store-bought.
- For delicious pizza rolls, don't be worried about using extra pizza sauce, cheese, and chopped toppings. We found when we skimped, it tasted too bready.
- To prevent misshape rolls while slicing, I like to let the dough harden a little in the fridge for 10 minutes after rolling.
- If you want golden crispy air fryer pizza rolls throughout, then brush with oil and use oil spray on the basket instead of baking paper.
- If baking altogether in one pan (see FAQs), make sure you use an air fryer safe baking dish that fits in your machine.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
A great way to feast on these crispy pizza rolls is with homemade dirty fries or french fries as a main meal. Also, they taste way better than bread and butter when dipped into some homemade tomato soup!
Other great recipes it works with are this cheesy ratatouille and tasty spaghetti bolognese.
And don't forget your favorite dipping sauce like BBQ sauce, ranch dressing, or ketchup
❓ FAQ
Yes, store bought croissant pastry is perfect for easy pizza rolls! Just unroll the dough and spread tomato sauce, cheese and pepperon slices and roll. Then bake for 8-10 minutes at 160c (350F).
We tested in a hot air fryer and without and found no difference in preheating.
If making these pizza bites from scratch, I found better results by oiling a cake pan (make sure it fits), and adding my dough ball, and covering it with clingfilm to prevent it from drying out and forming a papery skin.
Then proofing at 40c (104F) for 30 minutes on the dehydrate setting. This was half as quick and the dough was much smoother and superior to proofing at room temperature.
We were worried that cheese and tomato would leak through the air fryer tray, but we tested without paper and sprayed oil spray instead.
Very little oozed out and was mostly fat from the pepperoni. And they didn't stick. The biggest difference was: the ones with paper had a softer base (our preference) with no added oil and those without paper had a crispy cheese base.
Or, you could use toaster oven parchment with holes to let the air fryer cook while circulating more air for some crispiness.
Yes, baking them together in a baking pan is the best way to save time and a great option for tear and share at the centre of the table!
Just place your 1" slices in an oiled 8-9" round pan, or square/rectangle if that fits in your Ninja Foodi air fryer oven.
Then cover with clingfilm and proof if on dehydrate setting at 40c/104F for 20 minutes. Remove the film and bake on air fryer mode at 150c (325F) for 20-25 minutes.
Similar to Totino's pizza rolls, you can fill wonton wrappers or egg rolls with 1 teaspoon of mixed pizza sauce, cheese, and shredded meat.
Then wet the ends, fold into little parcels to seal before spraying with oil spray, including the basket or rack and bake them in the air fryer for 12-14 minutes at 170c (375F). You could give it a good shake half way through.
I've not made pizza rolls using puff pastry, but they would make an easy snack as do my mince pie pinwheels which use the same filling and rolling technique.
They're then flattened before baking in the oven. Note: flattening pizza rolls with pizza dough doesn't look pretty, but they're great in soup!
If your dough is raw in the middle, yet the roll looks cooked on the top, then the temperature is too high. Next time, try cooking them for longer at a lower temperature.
I've never tried freezing pizza dough, but it is recommended by several sources to only freeze after it has risen so the yeast can still do its job.
Yes! Instead of rolling an entire sheet, you can divide it into 16 or more dough balls. Then roll each until you get flat rounds with a rolling pin and spoon the filling in the centre before tucking over the edges.
➕ More Easy Air Fryer Recipes
Looking for more easy recipes to make in an air fryer? Why not try these?
😋 Pairing
Here are some of our favourite dishes that go great with pizza rolls!
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Pizza Rolls Recipe + Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Pizza dough Or 400g/13,8 oz canned or fresh pre-rolled pizza crust (serves 2)
- 160 g Mozzarella Grated (1.5 cups)
- ½ tablespoon Basil Dried
- 100 g Pepperoni Chopped from 27 slices (¾ cup)
- 130 g Pizza sauce (½ cup)
Instructions
- Dust a clean kitchen counter well with plain flour and roll out fresh pizza dough into a 15" x 10" rectangle with a rolling pin. OR roll out pre-rolled store bought dough with the baking paper still attached if it comes with it.
- Next spread on your pizza sauce, leaving a 1" gap all along the edges. Then sprinkle on the cheese, pepperoni and dried basil.
- From the longest side of the rectangle, roll into a pizza sausage while also tucking in the pizza filling as you go.
- Once you get to the end, press the final 1" dough down to seal - you may need to stretch slightly and press down.
- Place it in the fridge for 10 minutes to slightly firm up. If you want to preheat your air fryer at 150c/325F while you wait, you can.
- Cut a piece of baking paper to line your air fryer basket for a soft pizza roll base, or spray with oil spray fro a crispy base. (See notes below).
- Remove the large pizza sausage (AKA stromboli), from the fridge and brush with olive oil if wanting a crispy finish.
- Slice into 1" slices and bake for 10-12 minutes in batches, spacing them 2" apart.
Disclaimer
*This is an unofficial page and has no affiliation or endorsement from Slimming World. Slimming World's website can be found at https://www.slimmingworld.co.uk/. Any syn values are personal estimates and not verified by Slimming World.
Video
Notes
Then wet the ends, fold into little parcels to seal before spraying with oil spray, including the basket or rack and bake them in the air fryer for 12-14 minutes at 170c (375F). You could give it a good shake half way through. Will puff pastry work? I've not made pizza rolls using puff pastry, but they would make an easy snack as do my mince pie pinwheels which use the same filling and rolling technique.
They're then flattened before baking in the oven. Note: flattening pizza rolls with pizza dough doesn't look pretty, but they're great in soup! Why is the dough raw in the middle? If your dough is raw in the middle, yet the roll looks cooked on the top, then the temperature is too high. Next time, try cooking them for longer at a lower temperature. Can I freeze pizza dough for later? I've never tried freezing pizza dough, but it is recommended by several sources to only freeze after it has risen so the yeast can still do its job. Will this recipe make air fryer pizza balls? Yes! Instead of rolling an entire sheet, you can divide it into 16 or more dough balls. Then roll each into flat rounds with a rolling pin and spoon the filling in the centre before tucking over and pinching to seal.
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