To make these Easy Broccoli Cheese Pinwheels all you need is four easy ingredients; refrigerated pizza dough, jarred Alfredo sauce, shredded cheese and broccoli.
These cheesy broccoli bites make a great game day appetizer, after school snack, or pair with a salad for a main meal.
There is a little debate about whether pinwheels are made with pizza dough and baked in the oven or if they are made with tortillas and refrigerated.
I've never been a stickler for food rules, so I'm not sweating it and I'm confident in calling these broccoli alfredo pinwheels.
I've also seen these called pizza roll ups but I'm sticking with pinwheel appetizers.
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The thing about pinwheels is that they can be totally customizable. I love the creamy alfredo sauce combined with a vegetable and stringing mozzarella but you can also add bacon, chicken or anything.
Some other pinwheel recipe ideas are Buffalo Chicken Roll Ups and Pepperoni Pinwheels. Both great to serve a crowd!
🥘Pinwheel Ingredients
- Pizza Crust - I use the tube thin pizza crust. I find that the regular gets a bit too doughy and thick.
- Alfredo Sauce - Whatever your preference is. I really like one that has a bit of lemon flavor in it when pairing with broccoli, so I chose this one from Trader Joes.
- Broccoli - Frozen Vs. Fresh. Typically I say fresh. If you are using fresh be sure to cook it well enough that it will chop up easily. I am actually using frozen in this recipe. Take note, if using frozen, after it's been cooked, you MUST remove as much water as possible. I put in a colander and push down with a few paper towels.
- Cheese - Mozzarella or any mozzarella blend will work well here. Grated parmesan can also be added if desired.
A quick note about the broccoli - If using fresh you can prepare it however you'd like just be sure to remove as much liquid as possible. When frozen isn't available to me for this recipe, I like to make air fryer broccoli or simple boiled broccoli. If you don't typically boil broccoli, check out this guide on how long to boil broccoli.
If you prefer to make your own Alfredo sauce instead of using jarred, you can do that. You can do it the traditional way or try this recipe for Alfredo Sauce with Milk!
🔪How To Make Pinwheels
Start by spreading Alfredo sauce on rolled out pizza dough. Leave a little bit of a border around the edges.
Next, add broccoli & cheese. Use your hands to push the ingredients down a bit, pretty much smushing it down. This will make it easier to roll in the next step.
Related: Restaurant Style Chicken, Broccoli & Ziti
Fold in the small ends and then begin folding the long sides as tightly as you can without ripping the dough.
Once it's in a log shape, use a sharp knife or a bench scraper/pastry cutter to cut into slices. I usually get about 15 slices out of each pizza dough.
Place the slices on a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet.
If you want to add Parmesan cheese to the top before baking, now is the time. I do not bother, they're cheesy enough in my opinion.
Bake about 15 minutes and they're ready to serve.
🍴FAQ
Yes! I would recommend baking the pinwheels as directed, allow to cool and then freeze.
Yes. Frozen pinwheels can be re-heated in preheated oven set to 375 F for about 20 minutes or until heated through.
Printable Recipe Card
Alfredo Broccoli Cheese Pinwheels
Equipment
- Silicone Baking Mat Silpat or similar
Ingredients
- 8 ounce tube pizza dough thin
- 12 ounces frozen broccoli florets
- 1 ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese or mozzarella cheese blend
- ¾ cup Alfredo sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Cook broccoli according to package instructions. Drain and press with paper towels to remove as much water as possible. Roughly chop.While broccoli is cooking, gently roll out pizza dough on a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet.
- Spread Alfredo sauce on dough, leaving half an inch border on all sides. Next add chopped broccoli and then the cheese. Push ingredients gently down using hands.
- Fold in the shorter ends and then begin rolling the longer side closet to you. Roll as tightly as you can without ripping dough.
- Once the dough is rolled into a log type share. Make sure seam side is down. Use a sharp knife and cut into 15 slices. Place the slices cut side up on the lined baking sheet.
- Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown and cheese melted.
- Serve warm as is or with warmed marinara sauce for dipping.
Nutrition
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