Why are my pizza crescent rolls doughy?

Name: Pizza Crescent Rolls
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1 can (8 oz) refrigerated Pillsbury™ Original Crescent Rolls (8 Count); 24 slices (about 5 oz) pepperoni; 2 oz shredded mozzarella cheese (1/2 cup); 1 cup marinara or pizza sauce, heated

Kitchen Tested

Pizza Crescent Rolls

Prep time:15 min
Total time:30 min
Ingredients:4
Servings:8
Calories per serving:240

By Pillsbury Kitchens(Opens in a new tab)Updated 09/04/2025

Pizza Crescent Rolls

Prep time:15 min
Total time:30 min
Ingredients:4
Servings:8
Calories per serving:240

Bake OffBake-Off® Contest 30, 1982. Susan Barbour. Wilmington, Delaware. Bake-Of

Susan Barbour

Wilmington, Delaware

Bake Off

Bake-Off® Contest 30, 1982

Bake-Of

What are pizza crescent rolls? It’s your favorite pizza ingredients stuffed inside Pillsbury™ Original Crescent Rolls! All you need is 4 ingredients, and these yummy pizza bites will be on the table (and being devoured) in just 30 minutes.

Pillsbury crescents make it easy to create these flaky, tasty, handheld pizza bites. And since this recipe uses pantry staples, it’s a great go-to dinner for busy nights. Simply place sliced pepperoni and shredded mozzarella cheese on top of unrolled crescent dough and roll it up. It’s fun and easy to do—even the kids will want to get in on the prep. Pizza crescent rolls are also a terrific warm and gooey snack to enjoy any time hunger strikes. Serve them with your favorite heated marinara or pizza sauce for dipping.

Looking for more ways to use crescents for dinner? We have lots of family-approved recipes, like Cheesy Chicken Bacon Ranch Crescent Rolls, Beef Enchilada Crescents for Two, and classic Crescent Dogs!

Recipe Ingredients

These pizza crescent rolls come together with just a few simple ingredients for a quick, handheld twist on pizza night.

Pillsbury™ Original Crescent Rolls: They’re perfect for easy dinners—just pop, fill, roll, and bake!

Pizza Sauce + Mozzarella Cheese: These are classic pizza ingredients loved by kids and adults alike. You can swap the mozzarella for a different shredded cheese blend if that’s what you have on hand. And in a pinch, you could use a bit of marinara instead of pizza sauce.

Pepperoni: This adds salty, spicy flavor to your pizza crescent rolls. However, if you’re not a fan, you can use whatever pizza topping is your favorite—or simply skip it altogether.

How to Make Pizza Crescent Rolls

Here’s how easy it is to make pizza crescent rolls! For complete instructions, refer to the recipe for all the details so they turn out perfectly every time.

1. Separate the Crescent Triangles

Remove dough from the can and separate using the perforations. Pat each triangle with your fingers to make them slightly larger to hold all the delicious fillings.

2. Top Crescents with Pepperoni and Cheese

Place pepperoni slices on the triangles and sprinkle with shredded cheese.

3. Roll Them Up

Roll up the crescents with the fillings and place them on a cookie sheet. Using the recipe amounts for filling ingredients creates a perfect flaky-dough-to-filling ratio, preventing the crescents from being overfilled, which causes fillings to pop out the sides during baking.

4. Bake and Serve

Bake the pizza crescent rolls and serve with heated marinara or pizza sauce for dipping the ooey, gooey crescents into.

Storing and Reheating

For the best texture and flavor, pizza crescent rolls are best served warm from the oven. If you find yourself with leftovers, here’s how to keep them just as tasty the next day.

Refrigerator

Place them in an airtight food storage container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Reheating

Leftover pizza crescent rolls are delicious cold, but if you’d prefer them warm, you can reheat them in the microwave. Place on a microwave-safe plate, cover, and microwave on medium (50%) about 1 minute or just until warmed.

Pizza Crescent Roll Variations

These crescent dough pizza roll-ups are very similar to Italian Stromboli, which is a type of turnover filled with various cheeses, cold cuts, or vegetables. While this recipe calls for mozzarella cheese and pepperoni, you can easily customize your meat and cheese selections to your own tastes. Customize your pizza crescents for a different recipe every time or take advantage of what you have on hand! Try one of these simple swap ideas:

Great Filling Swaps

Sausage Crescent Rolls: Swap a tablespoon of cooked hot Italian sausage in place of the pepperoni.
Pepperoni and Peppers Rolls: Add a thin strip or two of bell pepper (lay it crosswise on the crescents, so they’re easy to roll up) before topping with the cheese.
Buffalo Chicken: Substitute 1 tablespoon finely chopped buffalo chicken for the pepperoni. Serve with ranch dressing.
Cheeseburger Crescent Rolls: Substitute 1 tablespoon cooked and drained ground beef for the pepperoni and shredded cheddar cheese for the mozzarella. Serve with ketchup and mustard, rather than the pasta sauce.
Cheesy Ham Crescents: Substitute 1 tablespoon finely chopped fully cooked or smoked ham for the pepperoni and shredded cheddar cheese for the mozzarella—or try this super simple recipe for Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls!

Terrific Toppings

Garlic Butter: Brush garlic butter over crescent rolls before baking.
Extra-Cheesy: Sprinkle each crescent with additional shredded cheese just before baking.
Italian: Sprinkle each crescent roll with grated Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning before baking.
Egg Wash Glaze: Mix 1 egg with 1 tablespoon water and brush over the tops of the crescents before baking for a shiny, golden glaze.

Frequently Asked Questions

These stuffed crescent rolls have the perfect ratio of fillings to dough, so they turn out perfectly every time. You may be tempted to add even more of the tasty fillings…but it’s better if you don’t. If you’ve topped them with too many fillings, the pizza crescent rolls will have trouble baking thoroughly, causing the dough to be doughy and the fillings to ooze out onto the baking sheet. Stick to the amounts of the ingredients in the recipe or variations in the customizing pizza crescent rolls section (above) for the best results.

Pizza Crescent Rolls

Prep time:15 min
Total time:30 min
Ingredients:4
Servings:8
Calories per serving:240

Ingredient

1 can (8 oz) refrigerated Pillsbury™ Original Crescent Rolls (8 Count)
24 slices (about 5 oz) pepperoni
2 oz shredded mozzarella cheese (1/2 cup)
1 cup marinara or pizza sauce, heated

Instructions

Step 1
Heat oven to 375°F.

Step 2
Separate dough into 8 triangles; pat out each triangle slightly.

Step 3
Place 3 slices of pepperoni, slightly overlapping, on center of each triangle.

Step 4
Top each with about 1 tablespoon cheese.

Step 5
Roll up, starting at shortest side of triangle and rolling to opposite point. Place rolls, point side down, on ungreased baking sheet.

Step 6
Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from baking sheet.

Step 7
Serve warm crescents with warm marinara or pizza sauce for dipping.

Recipe Tips

This pizza crescent rolls recipe calls for sliced pepperoni, but chopped works just as well.
Shape these pepperoni crescent rolls up to 2 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate them. Bake them just before they'll be served.
For an appealing lunch, serve a couple of these tasty pepperoni Pillsbury™ Crescent Rolls with a big green salad.

Nutrition Facts

Calories
240
Total Fat
14g
Protein
8g
Total Carbohydrate
20g
Sugars
7g

Servings: 8

Serving Size: 1 Roll

Amount Per Serving Calories : 240

Nutrition Facts
Food Component / Nutrient	Amount	% , Daily Value*
Total Fat	14g	22%
Saturated Fat	5g	25%
Cholesterol	20mg	7%
Sodium	890mg	37%
Total Carbohydrate	20g	7%
Dietary Fiber	0g	0%
Sugars	7g	% Value Not Available
Protein	8g	% Value Not Available
Calcium	Value Not Available	6%
Iron	Value Not Available	6%
Vitamin A	Value Not Available	4%
Vitamin C	Value Not Available	4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Exchanges

Starch 1,
High-Fat Meat ½,
Fat 2

Carbohydrate Choice

Carbohydrate Choice1

Loading component...

Try These Next

Loading component...

Family-friendly meals made easy!

Make everyday family moments count, with easy recipes that everyone will love. Join our email community to receive tested recipes and tips.

Recipe Ingredients

These pizza crescent rolls come together with just a few simple ingredients for a quick, handheld twist on pizza night.

Pillsbury™ Original Crescent Rolls: They’re perfect for easy dinners—just pop, fill, roll, and bake!

Pepperoni: This adds salty, spicy flavor to your pizza crescent rolls. However, if you’re not a fan, you can use whatever pizza topping is your favorite—or simply skip it altogether.

How to Make Pizza Crescent Rolls

Here’s how easy it is to make pizza crescent rolls! For complete instructions, refer to the recipe for all the details so they turn out perfectly every time.