A recipe for Puff Pastry Pizza Twists! Sheets of puff pastry are filled with a layer of tomato sauce and shredded cheese, then twisted and baked until golden.

Puff Pastry Pizza Twists on a wooden board next to a bowl of pizza sauce.

These Puff Pastry Pizza Twists are such a fun and easy treat for Back to School season and game days.

When my son started Kindergarten last year, I made his lunch every morning. About two months in, he asked if he could take a tray. Pizza Stick Day soon became his favorite. He thought dipping the pizza in sauce was the coolest thing ever.

So when I asked him what I should make for Kid Lunch Ideas for School, he immediately said Pizza Sticks. I decided to have a little fun with it and make the pizza sticks using a puff pastry base.

They come together with only a handful of ingredients and a few minutes of prep!

The puff pastry sheet base is filled with a thin layer of pizza sauce, shredded cheese, and any other optional ingredients, then cut into strips and twisted before arranging on a baking sheet.

They are finally baked in a 400˚F (200˚C) oven until puffed and lightly golden.

Serve warm with even more pizza sauce or your favorite tomato sauce for dipping.

A Few Tips

Six photo collage of filling puff pastry with tomato sauce, pepperoni, cheese, folding over, and cutting into strips.

I used puff pastry sheets to make these Pizza Twists, but you can also swap for refrigerated pizza dough.

If the puff pastry is frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature until pliable (1-2 hours). Roll on a lightly floured surface to create an even sheet and remove any creases.

Press together the edges of the puff pastry well to keep the ends of the twists from unraveling.

This is a great recipe to make with the kids, but it will definitely get messy. Take care to only add a thin layer of pizza/tomato sauce and shredded cheese to the puff pastry or it will end up leaking out everywhere.

Do not use the balls of fresh mozzarella. They have too much moisture.

Use a sharp knife to cut the strips, especially if using additional ingredients such as pepperoni.

Serving Ideas

Puff Pastry Pizza Twists in a bento with tomato sauce, an apple, bell peppers, and tomatoes.

These Puff Pastry Pizza Twists are delicious on their own as an appetizer or light snack.

When assembling them in a lunch/bento, I often like to pair the twists with half of an apple, grape tomatoes, and bell peppers (cut into small flowers with vegetable cutters).

Want some variety? Add in some finely diced bell peppers, mushrooms, pepperoni, or sausage into the puff pastry along with the cheese.

If adding the extra ingredients, make sure they are very thin or very finely diced.

Make Ahead Option for Puff Pastry Pizza Twists

Want to make the pizza twists ahead of time? They can easily be assembled and twisted, then frozen in a single layer on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer bag.

Bake in the oven straight from the freezer until cooked through and golden. You may need to add a couple of minutes to the cooking time.

Looking for more recipes with puff pastry?

Try my:

Aerial view of Puff Pastry Pizza Twists on a wooden board next to parsley and a bowl of pizza sauce.

This recipe was originally posted in August 2018 and updated in August 2023.