Crispy Air Fryer Pizza Rolls: A Bite-Sized Delight for Every Occasion

Look, I’m gonna be honest—I thought making Crispy Air Fryer Pizza Rolls at home was going to be way harder than it actually is. But here we are, three batches later, and my kids are literally begging me to make them again.

So yeah. This happened.

How I Accidentally Became the Pizza Roll Queen

Okay, so this whole thing started because I refused to pay $6 for a bag of frozen pizza rolls at Target. My husband gave me that look—you know, the “really?” look—but I was determined to figure this out myself.

First attempt? Disaster. Complete disaster. I tried baking them in the oven and they came out soggy on the bottom and burned on top. My 10-year-old took one bite and asked if we could just order actual pizza instead.

Then I remembered I had this air fryer sitting on my counter collecting dust (bought it during that phase when everyone was air frying literally everything). And honestly? Game changer. These Crispy Air Fryer Pizza Rolls come out perfectly crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside, and ready in like 12 minutes.

My neighbor Lisa tried them last week and literally texted me at 11 PM asking for the recipe. So here we are.

Why These Air Fryer Pizza Rolls Are Better Than Store-Bought

Here’s the thing about those frozen pizza rolls from the store—they’re fine, I guess. But they’re also filled with ingredients I can’t pronounce and they cost way too much for what you get.

These homemade Crispy Air Fryer Pizza Rolls let you control everything. More cheese? Done. Extra pepperoni? Absolutely. Want to sneak some veggies in for the kids? (They’ll never know, trust me.)

Plus, and this is important, they actually taste like REAL pizza. Not that weird artificial pizza flavor that frozen ones have. You know what I’m talking about.

The Ingredients (And My Shopping Mistakes)

Alright, here’s what you need for your Crispy Air Fryer Pizza Rolls. Fair warning: I made some shopping mistakes the first time, so learn from my chaos.

For the Rolls:

• 1 package egg roll wrappers (found in the produce section, NOT the freezer aisle like I originally looked)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (don’t buy pre-shredded—it has that weird coating)
• 1/2 cup mini pepperoni slices (or regular ones chopped up)
• 1/2 cup pizza sauce (I use Rao’s because I’m fancy like that)
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Cooking spray (the olive oil kind works best)

Optional Add-ins:

• Diced bell peppers
• Cooked sausage crumbles
• Black olives (my kids hate these but I sneak them in mine)
• Mushrooms if you’re into that

Quick note: I tried using wonton wrappers once because I couldn’t find egg roll wrappers and they were too small. Don’t make my mistake. Egg roll wrappers or nothing.

How to Make These Crispy Air Fryer Pizza Rolls (Without Burning Your Kitchen Down)

Step 1: Prep Your Filling Mix together the mozzarella, pepperoni, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning in a bowl. It’ll look like a lot of cheese. It is a lot of cheese. That’s the point.

Step 2: Set Up Your Wrapping Station Get a small bowl of water ready—you’ll need this to seal the wrappers. Also maybe put on an apron or something because pizza sauce has a way of getting EVERYWHERE. (learned this the hard way)

Step 3: Fill Those Wrappers Place an egg roll wrapper on your clean counter like a diamond shape. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture in the center, then add a small spoonful of pizza sauce on top.

Here’s where people mess up—don’t overfill them! I know it’s tempting, but trust me, they’ll explode in the air fryer and you’ll have melted cheese everywhere. Been there, cleaned that.

Step 4: Roll ‘Em Up Fold the bottom corner up over the filling. Then fold in the sides. Dip your finger in the water and wet the top corner, then roll it up tight. Think burrito style but fancier.

The first few will look weird. That’s totally normal. By roll number five, you’ll feel like a professional.

Step 5: Air Fry These Bad Boys Preheat your air fryer to 380°F. Spray the basket with cooking spray (don’t skip this or they’ll stick).

Place the pizza rolls in a single layer—don’t crowd them! I can fit about 6-8 in my air fryer, depending on size.

Spray the tops of the rolls with more cooking spray. This is what makes them extra crispy. Like, EXTRA crispy.

Cook for 10-12 minutes, flipping them halfway through. They should be golden brown and crispy. If they’re not crispy enough, give them another 2 minutes.

Step 6: Let Them Cool (If You Can Wait) This is the hardest part. Let them cool for at least 3-4 minutes before eating. The filling is basically molten lava fresh out of the air fryer. I burned my tongue twice before learning this lesson.

The Real Talk About Making Crispy Air Fryer Pizza Rolls

Temperature matters: I’ve tried making these at different temps. 380°F is the sweet spot. Too hot and they burn before the inside cooks. Too low and they’re soggy.

Batch cooking is your friend: These freeze AMAZING. I make a huge batch on Sunday, freeze the uncooked ones on a baking sheet, then transfer them to a freezer bag. Snack emergency? Just add 2 extra minutes to the cooking time.

Dipping sauces are non-negotiable: My kids dip these in ranch (weird but whatever). I prefer marinara sauce. My husband eats them with hot sauce. Everyone’s happy.

The wrapper situation: If your wrappers are drying out while you work, cover them with a damp towel. Dry wrappers crack and split. Ask me how I know.

Flavor Variations I’ve Tried (Some Better Than Others)

So I’ve gotten a little experimental with these Crispy Air Fryer Pizza Rolls. Here’s what worked and what… didn’t:

Winners:

• Buffalo chicken with ranch (YES)
• Breakfast pizza rolls with scrambled eggs and bacon (game changer)
• BBQ chicken with red onion (my personal favorite)
• Taco pizza rolls with seasoned beef and cheddar (the kids went crazy)

Not winners:

• Hawaiian with pineapple (they got too watery)
• Veggie supreme (too much moisture, total soggy mess)

Storage and Reheating Tips

These will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days, but honestly, they never last that long in my house. My son eats them for breakfast, lunch, and tries to sneak them for dinner too.

To reheat: Pop them back in the air fryer at 350°F for 3-5 minutes. Way better than the microwave, which makes them soggy. Actually, never microwave these. Just don’t.

Freezing: As I mentioned before, these freeze beautifully. I stack them with parchment paper between layers so they don’t stick together.

Why My Family Can’t Stop Eating These

The first time I made these Crispy Air Fryer Pizza Rolls, my daughter asked if we could have them for her birthday party instead of actual pizza. My husband, who usually just nods and says “it’s good” about everything I make, actually got up and gave me a high five.

Even my mother-in-law, who’s never impressed by anything I cook, asked for the recipe. I consider that a major win.

And the best part? These are so much cheaper than buying frozen pizza rolls. I calculated it once (because I’m nerdy like that) and each homemade roll costs about 25 cents to make versus like 50 cents for the frozen ones. Over time, that adds up.

The Honest Truth About This Recipe

Look, I’m not saying these Crispy Air Fryer Pizza Rolls will change your life. But they might change your snack game. And honestly? In this house, that’s basically the same thing.

They’re quick, they’re easy, they’re customizable, and most importantly—my picky eaters actually eat them without complaining. That alone makes this recipe worth it.

Some nights when I’m too tired to cook a real dinner, I make a batch of these, throw together a quick salad (that no one eats), and call it a meal. Judge me all you want, but my kids are fed and happy.

Happy cooking! (And seriously, don’t skip the cooling time unless you enjoy burning your mouth like I do)