Last Updated August 11, 2024

Pinwheels. Also known as veggie rolls, veggie wraps, or veggie roll-ups, (but that just makes me think of fruit roll-ups, yuck. No offense to my fruit roll-up loving friends. Actually, every once in a blue moon I see a fruit roll up and think, hey, that sounds good right about now. Then I walk on. That's the end of the story.)  Or you could just call these tortilla/veggie/cream cheese concoctions for what they are; delicious. That would be fine. And the truth.  

Pinwheels make for a great snack or appetizer, or lunch because it can be hard to stop eating these! They're also very portable, quick, and simple to make, which make them ideal for parties, potlucks, lunch at the office, etc.  

The formula is very easy to get the hang of, think tortillas, cream cheese, and your flavors. Deli meat is easy to roll and adds some protein. Chopped, sliced, or grated veggies, raw or cooked, add some nutrients. Other kinds of cheese are tasty. Spices and herbs add flavor. Tuna and sliced hardboiled eggs could be a very European take on these. The options are endless, feel free to create your own!

Following are some of my favorite pinwheel flavors: Fresh Veggie and Avocado, Buffalo Chicken, and Turkey Cranberry a.k.a. Thanksgiving.  

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Recipes by Jenny

Avocado Veggie Pinwheels

Makes about 24 pinwheels

Ingredients: 

• 4 8-inch or 6 6-inch flour tortillas

• 8 oz / 225g cream cheese, softened

• 1/3 cup shredded carrots, or about 1-2 small carrots

• 1/3 chopped spinach or broccoli

• 1 bunch green onions, chopped

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

• 1/4 tsp dill weed

• salt and pepper, to taste

• 1/2 cup guacamole

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, carrots, spinach, green onions, garlic powder, dill weed, and salt and pepper.  

2. Distribute evenly over tortillas, spreading almost to the edges.  Spread a thick layer of guacamole over cream cheese mixture.  Roll up tightly.  

3. Trim edges and slice into approximately 1 inch slices.  Serve or chill until it's par-tay time.  

Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels

Makes about 24 pinwheels

Ingredients:

• 4 8-inch or 6 6-inch flour tortillas

• 8 oz / 225g cream cheese, softened

• 1/3 cup / 80g Frank's hot sauce

• 1/2 cup cooked chopped or shredded chicken

• 1 bunch green onions, chopped

• 1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled, optional

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, hot sauce, chicken, green onion, and blue cheese.

2. Distribute evenly over tortillas, spreading almost to the edges.  Roll up tightly.  

3. Trim edges and slice into approximately 1 inch slices.  Serve or chill until it's par-tay time.   

Thanksgiving Pinwheels

Makes about 24 Pinwheels

Ingredients:

• 4 8-inch or 6 6-inch flour tortillas

• 8 oz / 225g cream cheese, softened

• 1/2 cup cranberry sauce

• 8 oz sliced deli turkey (or leftover Turkey!)

• 1/3 cup chopped spinach, optional

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl mix together cream cheese, cranberry sauce, and spinach.  Distribute evenly over tortillas, spreading almost to the edges.  

2. Layer turkey slices over cream cheese mixture.  Roll up tightly.  

3. Trim edges and slice into approximately 1 inch slices.  Serve or chill until it's par-tay time.  

Jenny's Notes:

• All quantities are approximate.  You could double basically any ingredient you want to have more filling, less filling, more flavor, less flavor.  Like I said, the tortilla is your playground.  

• I like the spinach in the Thanksgiving roll, it gives it a nice punch of color.  It also makes the roll versatile for Christmas, beautiful red and green! 

• I usually use canned chicken for the buffalo chicken. Pinwheels aren't exactly a showcase of your cooking/baking skills, anyway, so I like to keep things easy.