Air fryer pizza rolls are an ooey-gooey, cheesy, and downright addicting snack. Try making them from scratch for the ultimate appetizer. Don't have time? We'll show you to cook them from frozen too!
Table of Contents
📖 What are pizza rolls?
Pizza rolls are little pockets of dough filled with common pizza toppings like tomato sauce, cheese, proteins, and vegetables.
Once cooked, they crisp up to form perfect little pizza bites, especially if you cook them in an air fryer!
Not only are they an incredibly popular snack to make, but many companies have come out with their own frozen version — the most popular being Totino's.
Of course, there is a benefit of making them yourself. The first being the dough and fillings will be fresher. The second is you get to customize them however you want!
🧊 Can I use frozen pizza rolls?
It is absolutely possible to air fry pizza rolls from frozen. In this post, we're going to show you how to prepare them from scratch, but frozen versions are great if you're short on time.
If cooking from frozen, grab your favorite vegan pizza roll brand, preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F, then cook for 8-10 minutes (make sure to rotate them halfway through).
But if you have the time to make this recipe, we promise you'll never want a frozen version again!
🌱 Are pizza rolls vegan?
These made-from-scratch pizza rolls are completely vegan since we use dairy-free cheese, but most of the store-bought frozen pizza rolls contain dairy or meat.
If you're looking for a vegan pizza roll brand, give Amy's Cheeze Pizza Snacks or Morning Star Farms Pizza Bites a try!
🛒 Ingredients & substitutions
Yeast — instant yeast works best for this recipe. Always make sure to check the package before using yeast as its potency declines the longer it sits on your shelf. For more information, you can read about the types of yeast and how to use them.
Sugar — To help the yeast activate! We use cane sugar since it is unrefined, but use whichever type you prefer.
Flour — We use all-purpose flour in this pizza roll recipe. We haven't tested it with gluten-free or whole grain flour, so you will need to play around with the ratios.
Salt — To enhance the other pizza dough ingredients.
Olive oil — To add richness and flavor to the dough.
Fillings — We use pizza sauce and dairy-free mozzarella shreds, but you can add other fillings like vegan pepperoni.
For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.
📝 Instructions
Step 1 — In a small mixing bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, and cane sugar. Cover with a clean towel and set aside for a few minutes.
Step 2 — In the meantime, whisk the flour and salt together in another large mixing bowl.
Step 3 — Once the yeast looks frothy, add it to the dry ingredients along with the olive oil. Mix together as much as possible with a spatula, then transfer the dough to a clean surface. Coat your hands with a little oil to prevent the dough from sticking, and knead it together until it is smooth and elastic.
Step 4 — Coat the surface of the dough and bowl with a little more olive oil, then add the dough back to the bowl and cover it with a clean towel. Let the dough rise for 60-90 minutes in a warm place.
Step 5 — In a mixing bowl, combine the shredded cheese and pizza sauce and set aside. Gently punch the air out of the dough, then shape it into a ball again and divide it in half.
Step 6 — Roll out one piece at a time until thin on a clean, floured surface. Trim the ends, then slice the dough into 12-16 pieces depending on how big you want your rolls.
Step 7 — Add about 2 teaspoons of filling to the center of each dough square. Lightly brush a layer of water around the edges. Fold the dough into the center, then fold both ends to form the pizza rolls.
Step 8 — Transfer a single layer of pizza rolls into the air fryer basket, making sure they aren’t overlapping.
Step 9 — Cook at 400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes, making sure to rotate them halfway through. Repeat with the remaining dough and pizza rolls. Serve with freshly minced parsley and dipping sauce. Happy eating!
If you have questions about these air fryer pizza rolls, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!
🥗 What to serve with pizza rolls
Air fryer pizza rolls taste so much better with a dipping sauce on the side. Here are some of our favorites:
Ranch — This dairy-free ranch dressing is creamy, tangy, and even better than store-bought.
Marinara — For a fresh, tomato-forward flavor, we love marinara sauce.
Cheese — Calling all cheese lovers, try this zesty jalapeño cheese sauce!
Garlic — If you're into a more traditional pizza bite companion, try a buttery garlic sauce.
🌡️ Storage & reheating
To make the most of your pizza rolls, follow these storage and reheating tips:
Fridge — Once the pizza rolls have cooled, keep them in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
Freezer — Place leftover pizza rolls in a freezer-safe bag for up to 6 months.
Reheating — From the fridge, cook your pizza rolls in the air fryer for 2 minutes at 400 degrees F until hot. If frozen, cook them for 8 minutes at 400 degrees F.
♻️ Variations
Vegetables — Try adding mushrooms, onions, olives, or peppers to your pizza bites.
Sauce — For a flavor-packed version, try making a San Marzano tomato sauce to stuff inside these pizza rolls.
Protein — For a heartier version, mix in meat alternatives like ground round, plant-based pepperoni, or chorizo.
Gluten-free — Swap out all-purpose flour for your favorite gluten-free version. Our go-to is King Arthur. Note: We have not made these pizza bites with GF flour, so we can't speak to the results.
Spicy — If you like spicy food, add some hot sauce, jalapeños, or serrano peppers to the filling.
🧑🍳 Top tips
Don't overcrowd the basket — Keep everything in a single layer, and don't overcrowd the basket to help the pizza rolls cook evenly.
Use olive oil — Lightly coat the pizza rolls before air frying with oil, especially if your air fryer is notorious for sticking.
Shake halfway — Don't forget to shake the basket halfway for an even cook. If you're using an air fryer with racks, just make sure to rotate them.
Test batch — If you've never cooked pizza rolls in an air fryer before, try a test batch first to make sure you have the temperature and time right. Each air fryer or brand of pizza rolls may differ slightly.
💬 FAQ
It's always best practice to preheat your air fryer until it reaches 400 degrees F. If you don't, your cooking time may differ from this recipe.
We use the Instant Pot Duo Crisp and find it works well and cooks evenly. But, some people enjoy a stand-alone air fryer like the Ninja AF101.
Yes, you can use store-bought pizza dough for this recipe. Just make sure the ingredients are vegan.
🍴 More recipes like this one
If you enjoyed these air fryer pizza rolls, be sure to check out some of these other popular snack recipes:
- Air fryer green beans: Crispy, fresh, and healthy green beans made easy!
- Air fryer zucchini: A quick and easy way to serve extra zucchini during the summer months.
- Sopes: Ridged corn cakes topped with refried beans, veggies, dairy-free cheese, and crema.
- Sopitos: A similar version of sopes from the Mexican state of Colima.
- Chickpea fries: Crispy fries made from gluten-free chickpea flour.
- Air fryer cauliflower: Breaded and crispy cauliflower perfect for dipping.
📋 Recipe
Air Fryer Pizza Rolls
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Rolling Pin
- Pizza Cutter
- Air fryer
Ingredients
Dough
- ¾ cup lukewarm (110-130°F) water ($0.02)
- 2 ¼ teaspoons (1 packet) instant yeast ($0.05)
- 2 teaspoons cane sugar ($0.01)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour ($0.15)
- 1 teaspoon salt ($0.01)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil ($0.22)
Fillings
- ¾ cup vegan mozzarella shreds ($1.25)
- 6 tablespoons pizza sauce ($0.25)
Dipping sauce optional
- Marinara
- Dairy-free ranch
- Garlic sauce
- Cheese sauce
Instructions
Dough
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, and cane sugar. Cover with a clean towel and set aside for 5-10 minutes.
- In the meantime, whisk the flour and salt together in another large mixing bowl. Once the yeast has bloomed (looks frothy), add it to the dry ingredients along with the olive oil.
- Mix together as much as possible with a spatula. When you can no longer mix well with the spatula, transfer the dough to a clean surface.
- Coat your hands with a little oil to prevent the dough from sticking. Knead together until it is smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.
Rest & shape
- Coat the surface of the dough and a large mixing bowl with a little more olive oil, then add the dough to the bowl and cover with a clean towel. Let the dough rise for 60-90 minutes in a warm place (like your oven with the light on).
Fillings
- In a mixing bowl, combine the shredded cheese and pizza sauce. Set aside.
Shape
- Gently punch the air out of the dough, then shape it into a ball again and divide it in half.
- Roll out one piece at a time until thin (about ⅛-inch thick) on a floured surface. Trim the ends, then slice the dough into 12-16 pieces depending on how big you want your rolls.
- Add about 2 teaspoons of filling to the center of each dough square. Lightly brush a layer of water around the edges. Fold the dough into the center, then fold both ends to form the pizza rolls.
Air fryer
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F. Transfer a single layer of pizza rolls into the air fryer basket, making sure they aren’t overlapping.
- Cook at 400°F for 10-12 minutes, rotating halfway, until golden and crispy. Repeat with the remaining pizza rolls. Serve with freshly minced parsley and a dipping sauce of your choice.
Cooking from frozen package
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F. Add a single layer of pizza rolls into the air fryer basket, making sure they aren’t overlapping. Cook at 400°F for 8-10 minutes, rotating halfway, until golden and crispy. Happy eating!
Notes
- Don't overcrowd the basket — Keep everything in a single layer, and don't overcrowd the basket to help the pizza rolls cook evenly.
- Use olive oil — Lightly coat the pizza rolls before air frying with oil, especially if your air fryer is notorious for sticking.
- Shake halfway — Don't forget to shake the basket halfway for an even cook. If you're using an air fryer with racks, just make sure to rotate them.
- Test batch — If you've never cooked pizza rolls in an air fryer before, try a test batch first to make sure you have the temperature and time right. Each air fryer or brand of pizza rolls may differ slightly.
- We calculate nutritional information for our recipes with Cronometer.
- Recipe cost calculations are based on ingredients local to us and may vary from recipe to recipe. All prices are in USD.
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