Pizza Pinwheels are a delicious appetizer of pesto sauce, cheese and pepperoni rolled up in a simple pizza dough and baked until melted and crispy. These Pizza Pinwheels are served with a side of pizza sauce for dipping. Watch the video showing you how to make this recipe, then scroll to the bottom of this post and print out the recipe so you can make it at home.
Time for a new party recipe! The best part about party recipes is that you can enjoy them along with your guests. Or you can do what my husband does and be so much of a social butterfly that you don’t actually get around to eating anything. I don’t recommend that!
I’m able to do both. I love to have friends over for wine and appetizers, and somehow I manage to enjoy my food and drink and still visit with friends. These Pizza Pinwheels are great because you can make them ahead and just pop them in the oven when you’re ready for them to be baked and served.
The inspiration for these Pizza Pinwheels comes from the idea of starting with a very basic dough made with just two ingredients. People have been using this dough all over the internet for making pizza dough, bagels, breadsticks and more! It’s a fun dough to play around with and create new recipes.
The two ingredients in question are Self-Rising Flour and Greek Yogurt. If you don’t happen to have self-rising flour, here’s an easy way to make your own self-rising flour. I understand not wanting to buy a whole bag of it when you don’t know if you’ll be able to use it all.
I’d definitely not recommend using a nonfat version of Greek yogurt as you want the yogurt to be on the thick side of things. Nonfat yogurt may change the flour to yogurt ratio and create a dough that is wetter than you want. I use 2% Plain Greek yogurt for this recipe.
How to make Pizza Pinwheels:
Just mix the self-rising flour and Greek yogurt together (in my recipe I have added a tiny bit of sugar too), and then roll it out onto a floured mat. I top mine with pesto sauce, pepperoni, and an Italian cheese blend.
Roll it up all snuggly.
Carefully slice, and you’ll end up with about 16 sliced rolls.
Top each roll with a little bit more cheese blend.
Bake for 20 minutes. Serve with pizza sauce or a very smooth marinara sauce for dipping. These Pizza Pinwheels make for great party food! These are a nice little treat for any old time. I happened to make them during the day last week and they made for a great after-school snack. The possibilities are endless for trying different fillings too. Maybe even a sweet cinnamon-roll-like version? I can’t wait to try that!
Here are a few more links you might like to check out if you’re planning on having a party:
- Vodka Party Punch
- How to Make a Charcuterie Board
- 15 Super Easy Appetizer Recipes for Entertaining
- Entertaining Party Menus
- Spinach and Sundried Tomato Puff Pastry Pinwheels
- Easy 3-Ingredient Appetizers
- Easy Lil’ Smokies Appetizer Recipe
Pizza Pinwheels
Recipe Details
Ingredients
- 1 cup self rising flour (see Recipe Notes below)
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated white sugar
- pinch of salt
- 2/3 cup 2% Greek Yogurt
- 3 tablespoons prepared pesto
- 3/4 cup chopped pepperoni
- 3/4 cup shredded Italian cheese blend (or mixed Mozzarella/Parmesan), divided
- pizza or smooth marinara sauce, warmed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat (or spray with nonstick spray).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Mix in the yogurt and continue to stir and mix until the ingredients are well-combined and forming a dough. Turn out the dough onto a well-floured surface. Knead a bit until the dough comes together well, sprinkling in more flour if needed. Roll the dough into a rectangle (about 9x14-inches).
- Spoon the pesto onto the rolled out dough, using the bottom of a spoon to spread it out evenly. Sprinkle with the chopped pepperoni. Top with 1/2 cup cheese.
- Carefully roll up the dough into a log. It will be a little soft and precarious. Use a sharp knife to cut about 1/2-inch slices. Hold the sliced roll together with your fingers while you transfer it to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining slices.
- Bake 20 minutes, or until cooked through and lightly browned. Serve warm with sauce.
Video
Notes
- To make your own self-rising flour: Whisk together 1 cup of all purpose flour with 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Whisk well, so the ingredients are evenly incorporated.
- *I used Fage brand 2% Greek yogurt. If you use a different brand or a different fat content, you may need to use either more or less yogurt because the moisture content may vary. I'd measure out 2/3 cup, then mix about 1/2 cup into the flour. Then add more as needed until a nice, non-sticky dough is formed.
- Nutritional information does not include sauce.
Hi Lori-
These Pinwheel Pizza Appetizers look great and very easy. I hope to make them for our Super Bowl Party. Can they be made the night before, then taken out of the refrigerator and baked just prior to serving? That will make things so much easier for me. Thanks. Elana
I’m not sure since I’ve never tried making these ahead!
Has anyone ever made this the night before and chilled it for morning? I was hoping to use this recipe for the dough to make breakfast pizzas..
I haven’t… let me know if you have success with it!
Can’t wait to try these!
So you start by saying its a 2-ingredient dough but then following it says add salt and sugar. So can I not use the salt and sugar or should I? Thanks! These look yummy.
It comes from the idea of a two-ingredient pizza dough recipe… but follow this recipe as directed- which is more than two ingredients.
Lori, thank you for giving me a new Super bowl Snack recipe! Go San Francisco!!!! Will be eating these for sure and rooting for the 49’ers!!
I’m a Seattle fan so Seattle will be winning this weekend and will be heading for the Super Bowl. Sorry. LOL I, of course will not be watching the game as I have not been watching them the entire season and that is why they have been winning. Yes, I am superstitious. Go Seattle!!! (oh, I am from Iowa)
These look so good! All of my friends rave about greek yogurt but I have never bought it. I would be willing, however, to try it with this recipe!
Can these be made ahead and warmed up the next day?
Not sure…
Great recipe!! I’m cooking this again, by my kids request! Love your site!
Altered it a bit but they turned great!! Had no yogurt for example so mixed sour cream and sugar and vanilla. So quick and easy!! Had to try very very hard not to eat them all at once. I like the fact that even after days the “crust” was not hard or dry. Very nice! Thank you so very much!!
I made these! Sort of, I put buffalo chicken dip in the middle instead, it was awesome. I was actually surprised at how well the dough tasted and turned out-thanks for sharing!
Can I use regular yogurt?
Thanks.
I don’t think so… the thickness of the Greek yogurt is what works in this recipe.
I made something very similar to these over Christmas holiday and put them on sticks for Pizza Pinwheel Pops. The kids loved them (and the adults did too!) 🙂
These look great. Such a good idea I would have never thought of. Thanks for sharing. I am a bit bummed that I will not see the superbowl this year because I will be working. But I will be rooting for the 49 niners I think. Have a fun and delicious Superbowl.
I can’t even believe that pizza dough! So awesome! Totally gonna try these 😉
My hubby is going to LOVE this 🙂
What a fun way to have pizza. Sometimes pizza in triangle form is just too mundane.
My Southern husband is sitting next to me right this minute rooting for the Falcons…personally, I’m rooting for these pizza pinwheels! Great fun idea!
These look fabulous Lori. I will be tying these tonight with mozzarella and parmesan and pepperoni. Can’t wait. For me it’s all about the food, any excuse to try out some new recipes,
These would make for some tasty game day snacking!
Definitly making those for superbowl sunday..I’m a bears fan living in New England so any day the Patriots lose is a great day for me…I’m hoping for a Harbaugh brothers superbowl of Ravens vs 49ers
These are perfect game day food.(Personally, I am all about the food and friends. Its the rest of my family that is addicted to the game.) I will make these for dinner for my vegetarian daughter also. Thanks for a delicious recipe that I will be using immediately!
yummmmmm these look delicious! I like that the sauce is on the side because you can have as much or as little as you want!