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These Pepperoni Rolls are warm, buttery, and baked until golden brown. Made with frozen bread dough, plenty of pepperoni, and melty mozzarella, they’re the perfect party snack or game day bite.
Why You’ll Love These Homemade Pepperoni Rolls
- Filling and fun – A hearty, satisfying homemade snack or meal that’s fun to share.
- A nostalgic favorite – Just like the ones you remember, only better made fresh at home.
- Easy and fuss-free – Frozen bread dough keeps prep simple and stress-free.
- Great for any occasion – Perfect for lunchboxes, parties, game days, or after-school snacks.
- Loaded with flavor – Buttery, golden crust with melty mozzarella and pepperoni wrapped inside.
Ingredients Notes
This pepperoni roll recipe comes together fast with simple, flexible ingredients. I’ve suggested some easy swaps so you can use what you already have on hand:
- Frozen bread dough – Substitute with refrigerated pizza dough or use any homemade bread dough recipe.
- Unsalted butter – Salted butter works too; just reduce the garlic salt slightly to balance the flavor.
- Italian seasoning – No blend on hand? Use a mix of dried oregano and basil instead.
- Garlic salt – Swap with garlic powder plus a pinch of kosher salt if needed.
- Deli-style pepperoni – Turkey pepperoni, chopped pepperoni sticks, or mini pepperoni all work well.
- Mozzarella cheese – Shred your own mozzarella from a block for the best melt. Provolone or a shredded Italian cheese blend are tasty alternatives.
- Parmesan cheese – Pecorino Romano or a grated parmesan blend can be used here.
- Fresh parsley (optional) – For garnish, dried parsley or Italian seasoning makes a good stand-in.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Pepperoni Rolls
- Thaw the bread dough: Thaw the frozen bread loaves according to package directions until the dough has doubled in size. This can take 3-5 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator—plan ahead!
- Roll out the dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll out one thawed bread loaf to about 12×14 inches and ¼-inch thickness. If the dough pulls back, let it rest 2-3 minutes before continuing.
- Butter and season: Using a pastry brush, brush the dough with melted butter, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges. Sprinkle Italian seasoning and garlic salt evenly over the buttered surface.
- Layer the pepperoni and cheese: Arrange 25-30 slices of pepperoni over the dough, leaving a ½–¾ inch border on one short side for sealing. Top with cheese, spreading evenly.
- Roll it up: Starting at the short end opposite the border, roll the dough into a log, sealing the edge by pressing the plain border to the dough. Place the roll seam-side down on an ungreased baking sheet.
- Repeat: Repeat with the remaining two loaves, spacing each roll 2-3 inches apart on the baking sheet to allow for rising.
- Bake: Brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit on the center rack for 20–25 minutes until golden brown color.
- Finishing touches: Remove from oven and brush again with melted butter. If desired, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley.
- Slice and serve: Let cool 5–10 minutes before slicing each roll into 8 slices. Enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce on the side.
Recipe Tips
- Rest before rolling: If the dough resists rolling, let it rest for a few minutes. This relaxes the gluten and makes it easier to work with.
- Stop any sticking: If your dough sticks to the surface while rolling, lightly dust it with about 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour.
- Make without mess: Line your baking sheet with parchment paper for easier cleanup.
- Get clean cuts: Use a serrated knife to slice the rolls for neat, even pieces.
- Serve it spicy: Add banana peppers or a sprinkle of crushed red pepper for a little heat.
- Serve with sauces: Marinara sauce or pizza sauce are classics, but ranch and garlic butter make delicious dipping options too!
- Prepare Pinwheels: Short on time? Make pepperoni rolls with crescent rolls. They’ll be flakier and softer than traditional pepperoni rolls, but still cheesy, buttery, and totally snackable.
How to Store and Reheat
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: Warm in a 350°F oven for 8–10 minutes, or microwave individual slices for 30–45 seconds until heated through.
- Freeze: You can freeze the rolls either baked or unbaked. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and store for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- Make-ahead option: Don’t need all three rolls? Thaw and prep one loaf at a time and keep the others frozen for later.
Other Easy Party & Snack Recipes
If you’ve tried this Pepperoni Rolls Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it turned out in the comments below.

Pepperoni Rolls
Ingredients
- 3 pound package (3 – 1 pound loaves per package) frozen bread dough thawed according to package directions
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ¾ teaspoon Italian seasoning blend divided, ¼ teaspoon per pepperoni roll
- ¾ teaspoon garlic salt divided, ¼ teaspoon per pepperoni roll
- 1 pound sandwich size deli pepperoni slices (75-90 slices) sliced thin to very thin, divided (25-30 slices per pepperoni roll, depending on the size of your deli sandwich style pepperoni slices)
- 3 cups whole milk mozzarella cheese shredded and divided (1 cup per pepperoni roll)
- ¾ cup finely shredded parmesan cheese divided (¼ cup per pepperoni roll)
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley optional garnish
Instructions
- Thaw the three bread loaves according to package directions, till the dough is about double in size. Please note that this may take anywhere from 3-5 hours at room temperature or up to overnight in the refrigerator so plan accordingly.3 pound package (3 – 1 pound loaves per package) frozen bread dough
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Adjust the baking rack to the center of the oven.
- Roll out a single thawed bread loaf, on a clean work surface, to approximately 12×14 inches in size and ¼ inch thickness. If the dough sticks to the surface, lightly dust with flour (about 1 tablespoon). Let the dough rest for 2-3 minutes if it pulls back while rolling.
- Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the surface of the rolled dough with the melted unsalted butter (approximately 1 tablespoon) being careful to leave a ½ inch border along the edges.6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon of the Italian seasoning blend, and ¼ teaspoon of the garlic salt, over the surface of the dough that has been brushed with the melted butter.¾ teaspoon Italian seasoning blend, ¾ teaspoon garlic salt
- Lay 25-30 slices of pepperoni, slightly overlapping, over the surface of the rolled out dough. You want to leave a ½-¾ inch border on one of the short sides of the rectangle. This will ensure your dough seals well when you form the pepperoni roll.1 pound sandwich size deli pepperoni slices
- Top the pepperoni slices with 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup of the shredded parmesan cheese. Be sure that the cheeses are evenly spread out over the pepperoni slices.3 cups whole milk mozzarella cheese, ¾ cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
- Starting at one of the short ends, gently roll the pepperoni roll into a log, being sure to seal the pepperoni roll with the end of the dough that was left plain. Place the pepperoni roll, seam side down, onto a large ungreased baking sheet.
- Repeat steps 3-8 with the remaining 2 thawed bread loaves. When placing the filled, and rolled, pepperoni rolls onto the baking sheet, be sure to leave 2-3 inches between each roll as they will expand, and rise, when baked.
- Brush the tops of each pepperoni roll with a light coating of melted butter and bake, on the center rack of the oven, for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove the pepperoni rolls from the oven and brush them with an additional light coat of melted butter. If using, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley if desired for garnish. Allow the pepperoni rolls to cool for 5-10 minutes to allow the cheese and filling to set before slicing each roll into 8 (approximately 1-1 ½ inch wide) servings for a total of 24 servings for all the sliced pepperoni rolls.1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
Jenn’s Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in the oven at 350°F for 8–10 minutes or in the microwave for 30–45 seconds.
- Freeze unbaked or fully baked rolls—wrap tightly and store up to 2 months. Thaw before reheating.
- Make-ahead option: Don’t need all three rolls? Thaw and prep one loaf at a time and keep the others frozen for later.
- Let the dough rest for a few minutes if it resists rolling—it’ll relax and roll easier.
- Use parchment paper for easier cleanup.
- Slice with a serrated knife for cleaner cuts.
- Add banana peppers or a sprinkle of crushed red pepper for a spicy twist!