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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
Vegan Pesto Pizza Rolls
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 2 tsp active dry or instant yeast
- 1 tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp semolina flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups flour
- 1 Tbsp olive oil, divided
Mushroom Mixture:
- 1 tsp oil
- 1/2 cup sliced onion
- 7 oz sliced mushroom
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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!
Awesome!
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!
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
Hi can we use the gluten free recipie,the one with oat and rice flour to make the pesto pizza rolls
that will work, sure
They were delicious. I will make this again!
That’s what I like to hear! thanks Paula
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.
Hi
What can I use instead of semolina flour?
All-purpose flour, bread flour or wheat flour.