This homemade Calzones recipe is easy to make with pizza dough and stuffed with your favorite toppings like cheese, meats, and vegetables. They can be made in advance and are freezer friendly.
Calzones are the most fun way to enjoy pizza night.
Calzones are the most fun way to enjoy pizza night.I adore how versatile calzones are; whether I’m using up leftover veggies or going classic with pepperoni and mozzarella, there’s no wrong way to fill them. Plus, they’re freezer-friendly, and absolutely perfect for dipping in warm marinara or homemade pizza sauce, ranch, Alfredo, or bbq sauce for a bbq chicken filled calzones. I like to make a big batch with my kids so we can freeze the leftovers for an effortless dinner on a busy weeknight.
Check out all of my pizza recipes, like Pizza Sliders, Cheeseburger Pizza, Burrata Pizza, or Pepperoni PIzza.
Stromboli vs Calzone:
The biggest difference between calzones and stromboli are how they're shaped and sealed. Calzones are folded in half like a taco, with the edges crimped to hold everything inside – perfect for dipping and eating by hand. Stromboli are rolled up into a spiral before baking then sliced after baking. Calzones tend to be more individual-sized, while stromboli are often sliced and shared.
How to make a Calzone:
Assemble and Shape: Divide the pizza dough into 8 pieces and roll each into a ¼-inch thick circle. Add about ¼ cup of toppings to one side, sprinkle with cheese, then fold and seal the edges to form a calzone.
Bake or Air-Fry: Place calzones on a piece of parchment paper. With a sharp knife, cut a small slit in the top and brush with egg wash and sprinkle a little parmesan and Italian seasoning. Bake on a hot pizza stone or baking sheet and bake at 450°F for 12–14 minutes, or air fry in batches at 375°F for 5–6 minutes then flip and cook for 2-3 more minutes
Serve: Let homemade calzones cool for 10 minutes before serving and dipping in marinara sauce, alfredo, or homemade ranch.
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Recipe
Calzones
Equipment
- Pizza Stone , optional
- Air fryer , optional
Ingredients
- 2 lbs pizza dough homemade or store-bought
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 egg , whole, beaten
- 2 Tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Italian seasoning
- pizza sauce , for dipping
Calzone Filling Ideas:
- pepperoni
- ground Italian sausage , cooked
- Canadian bacon
- cooked shredded chicken
- black olives
- sliced mushrooms
- bell pepper , chopped
- chopped onion
- fresh jalapeño pepper
- pineapple
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F, with a pizza stone inside if possible (or use a baking sheet turned upside down).
- Roll dough and add toppings: Divide pizza dough into 8 portions. Roll each into a flat disk, about ¼ inch thick. Add about ¼ cup of toppings to one side, including a generous sprinkle of cheese. Fold the other half of dough over the toppings and seal the edges together.2 lbs pizza dough, 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Bake: Place calzones on a large piece of parchment paper. Use a sharp knife to make a small slit on top of each calzone (for steam to escape while baking). Lightly brush tops of calzones with beaten egg, then sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning.1 egg, 2 Tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning
- Cool: Transfer calzones (on the parchment paper) to the hot pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve with warmed pizza sauce or Marinara sauce for dipping. Or try other dipping sauces like white garlic sauce, ranch, Alfredo, or bbq sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe October 2020. Updated June 2023 and September 2025.
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I see the recipe says transfer the calzone on parchment paper…do I leave it on the parchment and cook it? Or transfer the uncooked calzone to the pan? Thanks!! I really want to try this recipe!
You can bake it on the parchment paper, enjoy!
I just have trouble with the dough, so they are not very pretty. The topping off with egg, parmesan, and Italian seasoning is essential. I made mine with pepperoni, red onikn, green pepper, olives, and mozzarella.
What does the 217 calories include? that seems awful low for something like this
Hi Tammy! The nutritional info is for the calzone crust, pizza sauce, and mozzarella cheese. Any toppings you add will need to be added!
The REAL difference between a calzone and stromboli has nothing to do with the dough, it’s the RICOTTA CHEESE which your recipe does not contain. Therefore it is NOT a true calzone at all. The calzone was created in Trenton NJ and must contain ricotta style cheese.
hey John, the calzone was invented in the 1700s in Naples, Italy. Trenton NJ has nothing to do with the history of the calzone, nor does it contain ricotta cheese. Stop lying to people on the internet.
This looks so good!! This would be great to change up pizza night! Plus, everyone can add what they like to theirs! Thanks!
My husband and I really enjoyed these calzones. We also use the dough for our homemade pizza and it is so delicious! 👍 Definitely a 5 star!
These were a huge hit with my family. We made these Halloween night and let the kids stuff their own. The kids loved that and I loved how easy they were. My only regret was that I didn’t double the recipe – lesson learned. Will definitely be making these again.