This Vegan Pesto Pizza Rolls recipe is perfect for entertaining. Homemade pizza dough topped with dairy-free pesto and herbed mushrooms, all rolled up, sliced and baked. Add vegan cheese if needed. Serve with marinara or creamy dips of choice. Vegan & Soy-free with a Nut-free option. Jump to Recipe
Vegan Pesto Pizza Rolls – the perfect recipe for entertaining!
These Vegan Pesto Pizza Rolls are a great appetizer or fun alternative to regular pizza if you want to change things up and surprise your guests with something special yet familiar.
You can eat them as-is or dip them into some homemade marinara or pizza sauce. Either way, they’re like a mini-trip to Italy! Super flavorful, packed with Mediterranean flavor and soft and pillowy on the inside.
INGREDIENTS USED IN THESE VEGAN PIZZA ROLLS RECIPE AND SUBSTITUTIONS
- The dough for the pizza rolls uses active dry yeast, water, flour and semolina as the main ingredients.
- As a short-cut, you can use any plain pre-made pizza dough here too.
- The filling is a flavorful combination of homemade vegan pesto and sauteed mushrooms, flavored with onion, garlic, and oregano. I like to add some crushed red pepper, for a bit of heat. The thick mixture tastes amazing and is not very chunky, making it easy to roll the dough up and slice it like cinnamon rolls. You can also some vegan cheese for that pizza feel. Optional but 100 % recommended.
- As a recipe variation, you could add some cooked lentils, coarsely chopped walnuts, or any chopped vegan meats or sausages. Amp up the umami by adding some chopped olives to the filling along with the mushrooms.
- Oil-free version: Saute the mushrooms in some vegetable broth when making the filling. Use warmed creamy nondairy milk instead of oil in the dough.
- Gluten-free version: Use a gluten-free pie crust and make pizza pockets instead. Or use my gluten-free naan bread batter, fill it in a lined muffin pan (about half the liner). Swirl the filling lightly into the batter to create rolls like swirls. Top generously with shredded vegan cheese and bake for 15 to 18 mins.
How to make this Vegan Pizza Rolls Recipe – Step by Step:
Start with the pizza dough:
2. Stir the salt into the semolina flour. Add the semolina flour and 1.5 cups flour to the yeast mixture. Add 2 tsp olive oil. and mix to just bring together the dough. Add flour 1 tbsp at a time as required.
3. Cover the bowl and let it sit to rise for 30 mins.
Make the fillings while the dough is resting:
4. Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add oil, onion, and mushrooms and mix. Cover and cook for 5 mins. Add salt, oregano, garlic, and water and mix well. Cover and continue to cook for 5 to 8 mins or until dry and tender.
5. Make the vegan pesto if you haven’t made it already using this recipe.
6. Uncover the dough. Add oil and a tbsp of flour and punch the dough down and make a flat disc. Use flour to roll it out to 15 by 10 inches.
7. Spread the pesto all over the rolled out dough.
8. Sprinkle the dough with the mushroom mixture. Top with some red pepper flakes for a bit of heat and sprinkle with vegan shredded mozzarella, if you like your rolls cheesy.
9. Roll the dough up into a roll, like when making cinnamon rolls, and seal the ends. Slice the dough roll into pizza rolls using a sharp kitchen knife and place them in a greased baking dish.
10. Sprinkle with some more cheese if needed. Bake the rolls at 400 F for 22 to 24 mins. Tip: Check the center of one of the middle rolls, and if the middle does not still feel soft and doughy, then remove the pan from the oven.
11. Cool the rolls for 5 mins, then sprinkle with some red pepper flakes and fresh basil if needed. Serve warm with olive oil or pizza sauce
What goes well with Pesto Pizza Rolls?
But what can you serve alongside that delicious pizza that plays the perfect supporting role? What about some roasted greens – like green beans, caramelized brussels sprouts, asparagus or a light and a bright side salad?
Can I make these Vegan Pizza Rolls ahead of time?
Yes, these vegan pesto pizza rolls can be made ahead. Once sliced and placed in a baking dish, you can keep the rolls refrigerated overnight. Cover tightly and store. Remove from the fridge and let sit on the counter for an hour to warm and rise. Then bake and serve.
To store them, place in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze them in the back of your freezer for up to a month.
More vegan bread and rolls recipe from the blog:
- Vegan Pizza Rolls
- Sweet Potato dinner rolls
- Pumpkin Cornbread
- Pull-Apart Pizza Bread
- Pumpkin Sage Biscuits
- 100% Whole Grain Dinner Rolls
- Gluten-free Jalapeno Pepperjack Biscuits GF
- Gluten-free Garlic Dinner Rolls GF
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Vegan Pesto Pizza Rolls
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (6.61 oz) warm water
- 2 tsp active dry or instant yeast
- 1 tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp semolina flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 cups (8.82 oz) flour
- 1 Tbsp olive oil divided
Mushroom Mixture:
- 1 tsp oil
- ½ cup (2.82 oz) sliced onion
- 7 oz sliced mushroom
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp garlic powder
Other Toppings
- 4 tbsps vegan pesto see notes
Optional
- fresh basil
- vegan mozzarella shredded
- red pepper flakes
Instructions
- For the rolls:
- Warm the water until warm to touch. Add yeast and 1 tbsp flour and mix and let the yeast activate for 5 mins.
- Stir the salt into the semolina flour. Add the semolina flour and 1.5 cups flour to the yeast mixture. Add 2 tsp olive oil. and mix to just bring together the dough. Add flour 1 tbsp at a time as required.
- Cover and let the dough sit to rise for 30 mins.
Make the fillings:
- Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add oil, onion and mushrooms and mix. Cover and cook for 5 mins. Add salt, oregano, garlic and water and mix well. Cover and continue to cook for 5 to 8 mins or until dry and tender.
- Make the pesto using this recipe if you haven't prepared it already.
Assemble:
- Uncover the risen dough. Add oil and a tbsp of flour and punch the dough down and shape it into a flat disc. Use flour to roll it out to 15 by 10 inches thick.
- Spread the vegan pesto all over the rolled out dough.
- Sprinkle the dough with the sauteed mushroom mixture. Add some red pepper flakes and vegan shredded mozzarella, if you want.
- Roll it all up and seal the ends. Slice the dough roll into pizza rolls and place them in a greased baking dish. Sprinkle with some more cheese if needed. Bake the rolls at 400 F for 22 to 24 mins. Check the center of one of the middle rolls, and if it’s not doughy, then remove the pan from the oven.
- Cool the rolls for 5 mins, then sprinkle with some red pepper flakes and some fresh basil if you like. Serve warm with olive oil or pizza sauce
Notes
- As a short-cut, you can use any plain pre-made pizza dough here too.
- For a recipe variation, you could add some cooked lentils, coarsely chopped walnuts, or any chopped vegan meats or sausages. Amp up the umami by adding some chopped olives to the filling along with the mushrooms.
- Oil-free version: Saute the mushrooms in some vegetable broth when making the filling. Use warmed creamy nondairy milk instead of oil in the dough.
- Gluten-free version: Use a gluten-free pie crust and make pizza pockets instead. Or use my gluten-free naan bread batter, fill it in a lined muffin pan (about half the liner). Swirl the filling lightly into the batter to create rolls like swirls. Top generously with shredded vegan cheese and bake for 15 to 18 mins.
Nutrition
Méabh
Just made these with half rye/half strong bread flour and let the dough rest in the fridge overnight. They were so light and tasty – just did a simple pesto filling as they were part of a bigger spread. Defo making again!
Richa
Awesome!
Sarah Ann Kinnear
Wonderful recipe – but I had to guess about the amount of water used in the filling mixture. Did I miss something? I used about 1/3 cup. Worked well. Adding vegan sausage next time! Yum!
Richa
There isn’t any water in the mushroom mixture. In the pesto depends on your herbs and food processor and it’s mentioned in the instructions on the pesto recipe post
Shraddha
Hi can we use the gluten free recipie,the one with oat and rice flour to make the pesto pizza rolls
Vegan Richa Support
that will work, sure
Paula
They were delicious. I will make this again!
Vegan Richa Support
That’s what I like to hear! thanks Paula
Supriya Kutty
Sure short just the perfect thing I wanted to try as i really like to make something new and I will surely give it a try the images have really appealed me to make it Seems very interesting thanks for sharing this I really liked it.
Anusooya
Hi
What can I use instead of semolina flour?
Vegan Richa Support
All-purpose flour, bread flour or wheat flour.
JJ
what a versatile recipe! very impressed. I added chopped veggie sausages as suggested and omitted the cheese. Next time I’ll brush the tops with some oil so they get the glossy golden look. Very straightforward weeknight meal, or something easy to take to a party!
Richa
awesome
DrewT
Forgot to rate!
DrewT
I was a little disappointed, but both of my guests (neither vegan) really loved them. I will definitely make them again, but I will jazz up the filling with some vegan parmesan, crumbled sausage (I’m thinking maybe Field Roast Italian), and more shredded mozzarella (though I used a fair amount). I would suggest specifying a size for the pan — I used an old Corningware, probably 9″ x 9″, and it worked okay, but something slightly bigger might be better? Also I baked it a lot longer than specified, finally jacking the oven up to 440 F, ’cause I couldn’t get the rolls to brown. (I overdid it and they were a little tough on top.) But it’s a great concept and I’m going to have fun playing with it. Maybe tomato sauce next time?
Richa
glad that the guests liked them! you can roll the dough out thinner and definitely add more filling. For browning, brush the tops with oil or vegan butter, that will help brown faster.
Gina McKnighty
These are great! They turned out so well!
Shalini
Looks simply yummmmmmm
Tiffany
Just phenomenal!! We all loved them. Thank you.
Ks
What is the purpose of semolina ? Your classic pizza dough does not have semolina in it I believe…
Richa
it makes for a sturdier dough for the rolls so they are not overly soft. you can omit it
Binika
Do you need to sub it? If so, with what? Or can you completely omit semolina flour?
Richa
use more flour instead
Cat
Is it possible to make them wholegrain?
Richa
yes, see this one to adjust https://www.veganricha.com/2017/02/soft-whole-wheat-dinner-rolls.html
Heather L
This looks like a delicious use for all of our late summer basil. Thanks!
Richa
thanks
Sara
This sounds like an amazing recipe. Cant wait to make itfor the oscar party thiSSunday.
Richa
good idea!