This easy calzone recipe requires 7 simple ingredients and can be made in 20 minutes. Not only are these calzones so easy to make, but they taste amazing!
With this easy recipe, you can have a delicious homemade calzone recipe (with store-bought pizza dough) in no time at all for an easy weeknight dinner recipe. Plus you get to put your favorite toppings inside (as many as you want).
Whether you decide to make large calzones or mini calzones, they are a fun way to enjoy the taste of pizza with a fun twist. Just pick the simple ingredients you will enjoy in the calzone dough, fold, and bake!
This easy pepperoni calzone recipe is like a folded pizza or a stuffed pizza pocket that is perfect to dip in different sauces for variety if you choose and serve them as an appetizer recipe.
Recipe Ingredients Notes
To make our calzone recipe, you need the following ingredients:
- Dough: you will need to use pre-made pizza dough that you can find in the refrigerated section at the grocery store
- Sauce: use your favorite brand of marinara sauce or whatever sauce you like on your pizza
- Cheese: use mozzarella cheese in this easy calzones recipe and a little bit of grated Parmesan cheese on top
- Topping: for classic pepperoni calzones you will need slices of pepperoni
- Butter: you will use melted butter to brush the tops of the pizza dough
- Seasoning: keep it simple by using a little bit of Italian seasoning
Equipment Needed
For this recipe, you only need a few simple kitchen tools. We recommend using the following equipment:
How to Make Homemade Calzones
- Preheat the oven to 400℉.
- Spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
- Roll out the pizza crust, and cut it into 6 equal-sized squares.
- In the middle of each square, place a portion of the marinara sauce, shredded cheese, and 4 pepperoni slices.
- Fold the dough over into a triangle, and use a fork to press along the edges of the triangle to seal it closed.
- Place Calzones onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Brush the top of each Calzone with melted butter, then sprinkle with Italian seasoning and grated Parmesan cheese.
- Place in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
- Serve warm with extra pizza sauce for dipping.\
Frequently Asked Questions
If you do not want to use refrigerated dough, you don’t have to! You can make homemade dough and use it in place of the refrigerated dough.
Sugar Spun Run has a great homemade pizza dough recipe that you can try with these delicious calzones!
A stromboli is a piece of pizza dough filled with toppings and sauce and then rolled in a log.
A calzone is in a square shape, half filled with toppings and sauce, and then folded corn to corner to create a triangle shape. Then crimp the edges with a fork to keep them closed.
No, to get the crispy brown outside for the top of the calzone you will brush melted butter or olive oil.
Recipe Notes and Expert Tips
- Mix up the toppings you use! You do not have to only use pepperoni. Use one topping or multiple. Here are a few of our favorite pizza toppings: green bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, sliced olives, red onions, ham, Italian sausage, pineapple, bacon (or Canadian bacon), or BBQ sauce instead of pizza sauce.
- If you do not want to use refrigerated dough, you don’t have to! You can make homemade dough and use it in place of the refrigerated dough.
- Use the dough straight from the refrigerator as the cold dough is easier to work with to make this easy calzone recipe.
Storage & Reheating Instructions:
Fridge: Use an airtight container with a paper towel in the bottom to keep any leftover calzones from getting soggy, for up to 3-4 days.
Reheat: To reheat a calzone, place it in an air fryer for 4-5 minutes at 350℉.
Enjoy More Delicious Pizzas and Calzones
Whether you prefer classic cheese or a new-school spin, we’ve got you covered with these homemade pizzas. Check out our comprehensive collection of pizza recipes here.
- Air Fryer French Bread Pizza
- BBQ Chicken French Bread Pizza
- Braided Pizza Loaf
- Cheesy Pizza Roll
- Chicken Bacon Alfredo French Bread Pizza
- Mummy Pizza Braid
- Pizza Pockets
- Pull Apart Pizza Bread
Calzones Recipe
Ingredients
- 13.8 ounces refrigerated pizza dough
- ½ cup marinara sauce
- 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 24 slices of pepperoni
- 1 Tablespoon butter, melted
- 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ Tablespoon Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉.
- Spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
- Roll out the pizza crust, and cut it into 6 equal-sized squares.
- In the middle of each square, place a portion of the marinara sauce, shredded cheese, and 4 pepperoni slices.
- Fold the dough over into a triangle, and use a fork to press along the edges of the triangle to seal it closed.
- Place Calzones onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Brush the top of each Calzone with butter, then sprinkle with Italian seasoning and grated Parmesan cheese.
- Place in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until tops are golden brown.
- Serve warm with extra pizza sauce for dipping.
Notes
- Mix up the toppings you use! You do not have to only use pepperoni. Use one topping or multiple. Here are a few of our favorite pizza toppings: green bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, sliced olives, red onions, ham, Italian sausage, pineapple, bacon (or Canadian bacon), or BBQ sauce instead of pizza sauce.
- If you do not want to use refrigerated dough, you don’t have to! You can make homemade dough and use it in place of the refrigerated dough.
- Use the dough straight from the refrigerator as the cold dough is easier to work with to make this easy calzone recipe.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.
I practically lived on calzones from the little pizza place near me during my senior year of college (uh, Senior 15 anyone?)! Love them! Your recipe looks delicious and is super simple, to boot! Great idea for a weeknight dinner!
Thank you Steph. These calzones sound nice.
This looks good but calzones are supposed to have ricotta…the shape is different, but the same basic ingredients you listed would be a Stromboli.
We have been watching park and Rec and last night, Ben was wanting to start his own fast food calzone. So I decided that’s what we were having for dinner. ???
Ha Ha! We totally love that show! We are so glad it inspired you on what to make for dinner! Have a great week.
Can I freeze these and reheat?
These should freeze great. Just put in an airtight container or freezer bag. Thaw and reheat in microwave or oven.
I used pillsbury pizza dough, and brushed the top with melted butter mixed with the Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Turned out awesome. Thanks so much for this quick and easy recipe.
So tasty! I added caramelized onions and peppers for fun. Just like take out pizza, these calzones were wonderful cold the next day!
Can could I use pizza sauce instead of marinara? Would that make a big difference.
You can totally use pizza sauce in this recipe.
What brand/flavor of sauce do you typically use?
We aren’t too picky about our marinara sauce. We often buy Ragu because it’s not too expensive. So anything works great.
These calzones are the best!!! Ever since I found your recipe months ago I have been making them for my son almost daily. He likes the pepperoni but I am going to try them with sausage for me.
The dough kept shrinking so I couldn’t make them. 🙁
This recipe did not work for me at all 🙁 . Rolling out the dough made it thinner than it already is (pillsbury dough), to try to get 6 squares out of it. At that point they are sticky to handle. The mozzarella melted and the calzone was completely flat. Maybe if we added ricotta or something that won’t melt that much? Unfortunately, it was a soggy folded up pizza for me.
Can I make these a day ahead of time? If I can, should I freeze them or just put in the fridge? Thanks!
Just keep them in the fridge for a day.
Lieana, are you having success with fresh pizza dough (I think Publix sells some) or are you using Pillsbury? Thanks so much!!
I had a really hard time rolling out the pizza dough. What is the trick? I think next time I’ll try it with a different pizza dough. Easy recipe! Thanks!
What brand of Italian Seasoning did you use?
We use store brands and name brands. They all work great.
So simple yet so Delicious!
Can we use pizza sauce?
Pizza sauce is delicious in these calzones.