Description
This Easy Pizza Dip Recipe is a crowd-pleasing appetizer that combines soft dinner roll dough with creamy, cheesy pepperoni-filled goodness baked to perfection in a cast iron skillet. Featuring layers of seasoned dough, cream cheese, mozzarella, pepperoni, and pizza sauce, it’s perfect for sharing at parties or family gatherings.
Ingredients
Dough
- 12 to 16 frozen dinner rolls
- ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter (melted)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
Cheese and pepperoni filling
- 8 ounces (227g) full-fat block cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
- 8 ounces (225g) shredded mozzarella cheese (divided, about 2 cups)
- 12 to 16 pepperoni slices (divided; cut 12 slices into quarters if using standard size; keep some whole)
Sauce
- ¾ cup (180g) pizza sauce (divided)
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat the oven to 400ºF (204ºC) to prepare for baking the pizza dip.
- Prepare dough ring: Line the outer rim of a large (8-10″) cast iron skillet with 12 to 16 balls of thawed dinner roll dough, leaving the center of the skillet open. Let rolls thaw for 15 minutes while you prepare the filling.
- Make seasoned butter: In a small bowl, mix melted butter with garlic powder and Italian seasoning until well combined. Set aside.
- Mix cream cheese filling: Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat softened cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth.
- Add pepperoni and mozzarella: Cut or tear 12 pepperoni slices into quarters (if they are standard size) and add to the cream cheese. Add half the shredded mozzarella (about 1 cup) and beat until evenly combined. Set this mixture aside.
- Brush and bake dough: Brush the dough balls lining the skillet with the seasoned butter mixture. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes until golden.
- Assemble the dip: Remove the skillet from the oven. Pour ¼ cup of pizza sauce into the bottom of the skillet (inside the dough ring). Spread the cream cheese and pepperoni mixture evenly over the sauce. Top with the remaining ½ cup pizza sauce, then sprinkle the remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese on top. Finish by arranging the remaining pepperoni slices on top (halve the remaining 4 standard slices or add mini slices whole).
- Bake the assembled dip: Bake the dip for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and rolls are golden brown.
- Cool and serve: Allow the dip to cool for 15 minutes before serving. To store leftovers, remove rolls from the skillet and store separately in the refrigerator up to 5 days. The dip can be frozen up to 3 months; thaw in the refrigerator and reheat as needed.
Notes
- Let the frozen rolls thaw for about 15 minutes before assembling.
- The recipe uses a cast iron skillet sized 8-10 inches for best heat distribution and presentation.
- Use full-fat cream cheese and mozzarella for optimal creaminess and flavor.
- Adjust pepperoni quantity to taste; you can use mini pepperoni slices or standard-sized.
- Leftover dip freezes well; store rolls and dip separately if possible.
- Allow dip to cool before serving to avoid burns and enhance flavors.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
