Pepperoni Pinwheels
Pepperoni Pinwheels are made with layers of flaky puff pastry, savory marinara, gooey mozzarella and pepperoni, and they’re quick to make!
A Pizza Inspired Appetizer
I love these easy Pepperoni Pinwheels, they’re perfect for just about any occasion, and they’re super simple to make. My family went wild for these! These 25-minute pinwheels are great for serving as an appetizer at gatherings, after school snacks for the kids or football party food. Every time I make a batch of these, they always disappear!
Love these. Perfect little snacks. Definitely making these again for sure!
– Shawn
Frequently Asked Questions
When looking at the grocery store, most puff pastry can be found in the freezer section. Often they’re sold in a box and it’ll be two pastries to a box. Use the instructions on the back of your box to thaw the puff pastries, some brands can be different from others.
Some grocery stores are now carrying refrigerated puff pastry that you can buy and it is just one sheet and there is no thawing required. They can usually be found next to the refrigerated canned biscuits.
I think these would be even more delicious if you slather on some Garlic Butter on top right when they come out of the oven. You could maybe even use some cooked and crumbled Italian sausage instead of pepperoni.
Sure can and it’s a great idea to do so since this recipe only calls for 1 puff pastry and usually the frozen boxes contain 2 sheets of puff pastry. Any extra pinwheels make great leftovers anyway.
Take your leftovers and place them in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 5 days. Leftover pinwheels can be reheated either in the oven or in your Air Fryer. Either can be reheated for 3-5 minutes or until warm at 350° F.
You should be able to freeze these, I just haven’t personally tried doing that yet. Puff pastry, in general, freezes fairly well.
Ingredients Needed: (See Recipe Card Below For The Full Recipe)
- egg – the egg and water combined to make the puff pastry come out the perfect golden brown color.
- water
- puff pastry – see my Frequently Asked Questions above for a little more information on puff pastry.
- marinara sauce– if you don’t want to use your favorite store bought sauce, you can make homemade Marinara Sauce or use Pizza Sauce instead.
- shredded mozzarella cheese
- pepperoni – I used sliced pepperoni and chopped it, but you could use mini pepperonis instead. And, if it helps, you could just use whole pepperoni slices instead of chopping them up, but I find it’s easier to distribute the smaller pieces out easier and more evenly. Plus, when the pieces are smaller, it makes it easier to roll the pinwheels.
- Italian seasoning
- garlic powder
- grated parmesan cheese – you can freshly grated or the stuff in the green bottle. It all works here.
- chopped parsley – an optional ingredient. You can also use dried parsley if needed, but you’ll need much less as the dried is more potent than the fresh. It just adds color but it not necessary for the recipe to taste amazing.
How To Make Pepperoni Pinwheels
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly spray it with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine the egg and water. Whisk thoroughly with a fork or whisk until fully blended. Set aside. Unfold the puff pastry onto a flat surface, such as a cutting board or another surface that can fit into your freezer. If any seams are separating, gently pinch them together. If the pastry is stiff and difficult to unfold, allow it to thaw for a few more minutes.
Use a pastry brush to evenly coat the surface of the puff pastry with the egg wash. Set the remaining egg wash aside. Spread 1/4 cup of marinara sauce evenly over the puff pastry, leaving a 1/2-inch border around all sides.
Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over the marinara sauce, then add sliced pepperoni. Season with Italian seasoning and a light sprinkle of garlic powder.
Carefully roll the puff pastry into a log, similar to a jelly roll. Place the rolled pastry in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up, making it easier to cut. Once chilled, use a serrated knife to trim and discard the ends of the roll. Then, cut the remaining roll into 1-inch slices. You should have approximately 15-16 slices.
Place the slices on the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between each slice. Use the pastry brush to coat the tops of the slices with the remaining egg wash. Sprinkle half of the grated Parmesan cheese over the slices.
Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 15–20 minutes, or until the slices are golden brown and puffed. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese and some chopped parsley over the warm slices. Serve warm with the remaining marinara sauce for dipping. Enjoy.
Craving More Recipes?
Pepperoni Pinwheels
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tablespoon water
- 1 sheet puff pastry (defrosted)
- 1 cup marinara sauce, divided use (or pizza sauce)
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup sliced pepperoni, chopped (about 25 slices)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese (divided use)
- 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley (optional – can also use dried parsley)
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly spray it with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, combine 1 large egg and 1 Tablespoon water. Whisk thoroughly with a fork or whisk until fully blended. Set aside
- Unfold 1 sheet puff pastry (defrosted) onto a flat surface, such as a cutting board or another surface that can fit into your freezer. If any seams are separating, gently pinch them together. If the pastry is stiff and difficult to unfold, allow it to thaw for a few more minutes
- Use a pastry brush to evenly coat the surface of the puff pastry with some of the egg wash. Set the remaining egg wash aside.
- Spread 1/4 cup of marinara sauce evenly over the puff pastry, leaving a 1/2-inch border around all sides.
- Sprinkle ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese over the marinara sauce, then add ½ cup sliced pepperoni, chopped. Season evenly with 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and ¼ teaspoon garlic powder.
- Carefully roll the puff pastry into a log, similar to a jelly roll (rolling from the longest side).
- Place the rolled pastry in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm up, making it easier to cut. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Once chilled, use a serrated knife to trim and discard the ends of the roll. Cut the remainder of the roll into 1-inch slices. You will have approximately 15-16 slices.
- Place the slices on the prepared baking sheet, leaving some space between each slice. Note: If they start to unroll a bit as you place them on the baking sheet, just do your best to fix it and push it back into a round shape as best you can (they will still bake up just fine).
- Use the pastry brush to coat the tops of the slices with the remaining egg wash. Sprinkle half of the grated Parmesan cheese over the slices.
- Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 15–20 minutes, or until the slices are golden brown and puffed.
- Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese and 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley over the warm slices. Allow to cool for a few minutes for before serving with remaining marinara sauce.
- Serve warm with the remaining marinara sauce for dipping. Enjoy.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
can these freeze okay?
Love these. Perfect little snacks. Definitely making these again for sure!