Snake calzones are a delightfully creative and playful twist on traditional calzones. They transform a classic savory dish into a fun, spooky bread, filled with all the delicious ingredients you’d find in a regular calzone. The key difference is their unique shaping—they are molded to resemble a snake, making them a fantastic and unique appetizer, snack, or main course, especially for themed events like Halloween. You can coil them into a striking spiral, shape them like an ‘S’, or even add food-safe coloring to make them green or black for an extra creepy effect.

Absolutely, using pre-made, store-bought pizza dough is not only permissible but highly recommended for making snake calzones. It offers incredible convenience, significantly cutting down on preparation time, and works perfectly for achieving the desired snake shape. While you can certainly make homemade dough if you prefer, be aware that it will require additional time for rising and might be a bit more challenging to roll out and shape precisely for this specific design. The refrigerated tube dough is often the easiest to work with for intricate shaping.

To achieve the iconic snake shape, begin by rolling out your pizza dough into a long, relatively thin strip. After filling it with your chosen ingredients down the center, carefully fold the dough over and pinch the seams firmly to seal the filling inside, creating a long tube. Then, you can gently twist or coil this filled strip to mimic a snake’s body. Remember to leave extra unfilled dough at each end—one for shaping into a tapered tail and the other for molding into a distinct head. Don’t worry if it’s not perfectly symmetrical; a rustic, handmade look adds to the charm!

The best fillings for snake calzones often feature a delicious combination of cheeses, vegetables, and your choice of protein. Classic and highly popular choices include a blend of ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses, along with savory pepperoni, cooked sausage, finely diced green bell pepper, fresh mushrooms, and thinly sliced onions. Don’t forget herbs like oregano and fresh parsley, plus a touch of minced garlic for extra flavor. For optimal results and to prevent a soggy crust, it’s best to serve pizza sauce on the side for dipping rather than incorporating it directly into the calzone filling.

Yes, an air fryer is an absolutely fantastic appliance for cooking snake calzones! It’s known for its ability to cook quickly and produce a beautifully crispy, golden-brown crust, making it ideal for this recipe. The intense circulating heat ensures your calzone is thoroughly cooked and delightfully crunchy on the outside. When preparing for air frying, simply coil or shape your snake calzone to fit comfortably within your air fryer’s basket or on its rack, ensuring there’s enough space for even air circulation around it.

For most air fryer models, setting your appliance to 350°F (177°C) and cooking for approximately 15-20 minutes usually yields perfect results. You’ll want to cook until the dough is golden brown and visibly cooked through. However, it’s important to remember that cooking times can vary based on the specific wattage and model of your air fryer, as well as the overall thickness and density of your snake calzone. Always check for doneness and adjust cooking time as needed, especially the first time you make it.

To effectively prevent your snake calzones from bursting open during cooking, proper sealing is paramount. First, make sure you firmly pinch all the dough edges together to create a strong, secure seam. Second, and equally important, position the calzone with the seam side facing downwards in the air fryer basket or baking sheet. Additionally, when you’re adding the filling, ensure you leave a clear border of dough along the edges, avoiding getting any wet filling on the sealing surfaces. Wet edges can weaken the seal, making leaks more likely during baking.

Yes, snake calzones are an excellent make-ahead option! You can prepare them entirely in advance, shape them, and then store them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before baking. For longer storage, you can freeze unbaked calzones for up to one month. When you’re ready to serve, simply bake them directly from the refrigerator or freezer (adding a few extra minutes for frozen ones) or air fry them for a few minutes to reheat and crisp them up, bringing them back to their fresh-baked glory.

Snake calzones are incredibly versatile and pair wonderfully with a variety of dipping sauces. Classic marinara sauce is always a crowd-pleasing choice, but don’t limit yourself! Consider a creamy garlic aioli for a richer flavor, or a vibrant basil pesto for an herbaceous twist. A simple warm pizza sauce is my go-to, but feel free to explore any of your favorite sauces that you’d typically serve with pizza, breadsticks, or other savory pastries. The right sauce can elevate the entire experience!

Absolutely! This recipe practically begs for creative embellishments. Feel free to have immense fun with the snake calzone design to make it truly unique and spooky. Beyond the standard olives for eyes and red pepper strips for a forked tongue, consider using sesame seeds or poppy seeds sprinkled over the body to create a textured “snake skin” effect. You could also gently score the dough with a knife (before baking) to mimic scales. For an extra pop of Halloween color, food-safe gel coloring can be used to tint the dough green, black, or even a deep purple to match your spooky theme!

• 13.8 Ounce refrigerated pizza crust (such as Pillsbury)
• ½ Cup ricotta cheese
• ½ Cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• ¼ Cup grated parmesan cheese
• 3 Ounces pepperoni (approximately 40 slices)
• 1 Tsp Italian seasoning (or more to taste)
• ½ Tsp minced garlic (or more to taste)
• Pizza sauce, any brand
• 2 Slices olives (black or green)
• ½ Inch wide strip of red bell pepper (curved ends removed)
• Nonstick cooking spray

• In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, garlic, and Italian seasoning, mixing well.
  ½ Cup ricotta cheese, ½ Cup shredded mozzarella cheese, ¼ Cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 Tsp Italian seasoning, ½ Tsp minced garlic
• Open the can of pizza dough, roll it out flat, then slice it in half lengthwise.
  13.8 Ounce refrigerated pizza crust
• Place two short ends together and press to seal the seam, so you create one long strip of pizza dough. You can use a rolling pin or just your hands to flatten the dough out a bit more if you need.
• Add the pepperoni and cheese filling to the center of the dough, making sure to leave about 1” at the head and tail end open, and at least ½” of space along the sides (otherwise you won’t get a good seal).
  3 Ounces pepperoni
• Bring the sides of the dough up around the filling, pinching the seams to seal so you create a tube.
• Fold the “tail” end into a triangle shape and pinch to seal.
• Make the head by folding the remaining dough into a ball shape. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just whatever you like! I’ve made many of these, and they all look slightly different – that’s part of the charm!
• Spray your air fryer’s basket or rack with nonstick spray (or you can line with perforated parchment paper).
  Nonstick cooking spray
• Coil your snake calzone in the air fryer’s basket or on the rack. The seam should face downward. I start with the tail, then coil the body around (making sure the tail sticks out), and end with the head hanging over one side. You can wrap it any way that works for your specific air fryer’s size (just try not to make any one section too deep or the dough won’t cook through).
• Add the sliced olives to the head, pressing them into the dough.
  2 Slices olives
• Cut a V shape into the red pepper to create a forked tongue, then push it into the front of the head.
  ½ Inch wide strip of red bell pepper
• Cook on the air fry setting for 15-20 minutes at 350°F until the dough is browned and cooked through.
• Transfer to a serving platter or plate and serve with pizza sauce for dipping!
  Pizza sauce, any brand

Alternate Oven Directions

• Egg wash snake, then bake for 30 minutes at 375°F on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Notes

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.