Looking for a quick party appetizer that disappears almost as soon as it hits the table? These pizza pull apart rolls are soft, cheesy, buttery, and packed with classic pizza flavors. Using refrigerated biscuit dough keeps the preparation wonderfully simple, while mozzarella, pepperoni, garlic, and Italian seasoning give every bite that irresistible pizza-shop taste.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Make This Recipe Again
These pizza pull apart rolls have everything you want from a quick comfort-food recipe: they’re easy, cheesy, customizable, and fun to eat.
The refrigerated biscuit dough saves time, while the garlic herb butter makes the rolls taste homemade. Add pepperoni and mozzarella, and you’ve got classic pizza flavor in a completely different form.
Best of all, you don’t need to worry about making individual pizzas. Put everything into one skillet, bake it, and bring the whole thing to the table.
That’s about as easy as homemade pizza gets!
For more easy party appetizer ideas try Puff Pastry Tart, Delicious Crab Rangoon Taquitos, or Low Carb Eggplant Pizza.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The ingredient list is short, and most of it is easy to find at a regular grocery store.
Dough
- 1½ cans (16 oz / 454 g) refrigerated biscuit dough
Filling
- 1 cup (90 g) shredded mozzarella
- 1/3 cup (40 g) chopped pepperoni
Topping
- 1/3 cup (30 g) shredded mozzarella
- 2-3 tablespoons chopped pepperoni
- 2 oz (55 g) Italian sausage, optional
- 2 tablespoons chopped green pepper, optional
- 1 tablespoon sliced black olives, optional
Garlic Herb Butter
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) melted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
For Serving
- Pizza sauce
- Fresh basil
- Crushed red pepper flakes, optional
Step-by-step 30-Minute Recipe
How to Prepare the Dough
- Start by preheating your oven according to the biscuit dough package directions, generally around 375°F (190°C) for this type of recipe.
- Lightly grease a cast-iron skillet or similar oven-safe baking dish.
- Open the refrigerated biscuit dough and separate the biscuits. Depending on the brand and size, you should have several individual pieces.
- Cut or gently divide each biscuit into smaller portions. You don’t need perfectly equal pieces, but keeping them relatively similar in size helps everything bake evenly.
Prepare the Pizza Filling
- Place the shredded mozzarella and chopped pepperoni in separate bowls so they’re easy to use.
- If you’re adding Italian sausage, cook it in a skillet before assembling the rolls. Break it into small pieces as it cooks, then drain excess grease and allow it to cool slightly.
Fill Each Dough Piece
- Take one piece of biscuit dough and gently flatten it between your fingers.
- Place a small amount of mozzarella in the center, followed by chopped pepperoni. Don’t overfill it, because too much filling can make sealing the dough difficult.
- Bring the edges of the dough together around the filling and pinch them closed.
- Gently roll the sealed dough between your hands to form a ball.
- Repeat with the remaining dough.
How to Arrange the Pizza Pull Apart Rolls
- Place the filled dough balls seam-side down in your prepared skillet.
- Arrange them close together but don’t squash them. A little space allows the dough to expand as it bakes while still keeping the rolls connected.
- A cast-iron skillet works particularly well because it gives the rolls a beautiful rustic presentation. However, a round baking dish can also work perfectly.
- Once all the dough balls are arranged, sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and chopped pepperoni over the top.
- Add the optional green pepper and black olives if you’re using them.
Make the Garlic Herb Butter
- In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder.
- Stir until evenly combined.
- Brush the garlic herb butter generously over the tops of the rolls. This step is important because it adds flavor while helping the tops develop a beautiful golden finish.
- For an extra-garlicky flavor, you can add a small amount of freshly minced garlic. Just be careful not to add too much, as raw garlic can become quite strong when baked.
Bake Pizza Pull Apart Rolls
Place the skillet in the preheated oven and bake according to the dough’s package directions, watching closely toward the end of the cooking time.
The pizza pull apart rolls are ready when:
- The tops are golden brown.
- The dough is cooked through.
- The mozzarella is melted and bubbling.
- The edges are lightly crisp.
- The center no longer looks raw or doughy.
Because biscuit dough brands vary, cooking time can vary slightly. Start checking around the 20-minute mark and continue baking until the center is completely cooked.
If the tops brown too quickly while the center still needs time, loosely cover the skillet with aluminum foil and continue baking.
After baking, sprinkle fresh chopped basil over the top. A small pinch of crushed red pepper flakes can also add a pleasant kick.
Let the skillet rest for approximately 5 minutes before serving. This gives the cheese a chance to settle while keeping the rolls warm and gooey.
Serving Suggestions
These pizza pull apart rolls are at their best when served warm with a bowl of pizza sauce in the center or alongside the skillet.
Try serving them with:
- Warm pizza sauce
- Marinara sauce
- Garlic butter
- Ranch dressing
- Fresh basil
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- A simple green salad
For a party, place the skillet directly on a heat-safe board and let everyone pull apart their own roll.
That’s part of the fun!
Easy Variations and Substitutions
One reason this recipe is so versatile is that you can customize the filling without changing the basic technique.
Vegetarian Pizza Rolls
Leave out the pepperoni and sausage.
Instead, use:
- Bell peppers
- Black olives
- Mushrooms
- Spinach
- Diced tomatoes
- Extra mozzarella
Make sure vegetables aren’t excessively wet, because excess moisture can make the dough harder to cook properly.
Extra-Cheesy Rolls
For serious cheese lovers, replace part of the mozzarella with:
- Cheddar
- Provolone
- Parmesan
- Monterey Jack
A mixture of mozzarella and Parmesan is particularly flavorful.
Spicy Pepperoni Rolls
Add crushed red pepper flakes to the filling or topping.
You can also use spicy sausage or hot pepper varieties for more heat.
Garlic Parmesan Version
Skip the pepperoni and make a garlic-cheese version with mozzarella, Parmesan, garlic butter, and Italian seasoning.
It’s simple but incredibly tasty.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
For the freshest result, these pizza pull apart rolls are best served shortly after baking.
However, you can prepare the components ahead of time.
Make Ahead
You can:
- Cook the sausage ahead of time.
- Chop the pepperoni and vegetables.
- Shred the cheese.
- Mix the garlic herb butter.
- Assemble the rolls shortly before baking.
This makes them especially convenient when you’re preparing food for guests.
Storing Leftovers
Allow leftover rolls to cool before placing them in an airtight container.
Refrigerate them and enjoy within a few days.
To reheat, place individual rolls in a toaster oven or conventional oven until warmed through. This helps restore some of the crispness that can be lost in the microwave.
If you do use a microwave, heat in short intervals to avoid making the biscuit dough overly chewy.
Easy Pizza Pull Apart Rolls
Equipment
- Cast-iron skillet or round baking dish
- Small skillet, if using Italian sausage
- Mixing Bowl
- Pastry brush
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Spatula or wooden spoon
- Food thermometer, optional
Ingredients
- 1½ cans 16 oz / 454 g refrigerated biscuit dough
- 1 cup 90 g shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/3 cup 40 g chopped pepperoni
- 1/3 cup 30 g shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2-3 tablespoons chopped pepperoni
- 2 tablespoons 28 g melted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 oz 55 g Italian sausage
- 2 tablespoons chopped green pepper
- 1 tablespoon sliced black olives
- Pizza sauce for serving
- Fresh basil for garnish
- Crushed red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease a cast-iron skillet or round baking dish.
- If using Italian sausage, cook it in a skillet over medium heat until fully cooked, then drain and let it cool slightly.
- Separate the refrigerated biscuit dough and divide each biscuit into smaller pieces.
- Flatten each piece of dough slightly with your fingers.
- Place a small amount of shredded mozzarella and chopped pepperoni in the center of each dough piece.
- Add a little cooked Italian sausage if using.
- Pinch the edges of the dough together to completely seal the filling inside.
- Gently roll each filled piece into a ball.
- Arrange the dough balls seam-side down in the prepared skillet, keeping them close together.
- Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and chopped pepperoni over the rolls.
- Add the green pepper and black olives.
- In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder.
- Brush the garlic herb butter evenly over the tops of the rolls.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown, the cheese is melted, and the center dough is completely cooked.
- Remove from the oven and let the rolls rest for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh basil and crushed red pepper flakes if desired.
- Serve warm with pizza sauce for dipping.
Notes
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fiber: 1 g
- Sugar: 4 g
These pizza pull apart rolls are a fantastic choice whenever you want something warm, cheesy, and crowd-pleasing without spending hours in the kitchen. In just about 30 minutes, refrigerated biscuit dough transforms into golden, buttery rolls filled with gooey mozzarella and pepperoni.
Serve them with warm pizza sauce, fresh basil, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, and you’ve got an appetizer that’s practically guaranteed to disappear.
Whether you’re preparing them for a party, family dinner, movie night, or weekend snack, this easy recipe is one you’ll want to keep coming back to.
