How to Make Pinwheel Sandwiches - The Ultimate Guide! (2024)

One of the reasons I love these little wraps is because they’re so versatile! You can use unlimited ingredients and completely customize your pinwheels to your taste.

• Wrap:Choose your wrap.I prefer to use 10-12-inch flour tortillas. You can also use slices of white bread and premade refrigerator dough.
• Binder: This is used to bind or “glue” your wrap together. Since the wraps are cut into bite-sized slices, you must have a binding ingredient to seal the wrap. My favorite is cream cheese, but you can also use nut butter, melted cheese, and mayonnaise-based salads (like my creamy chicken salad).
• Fillings: Choosing your filling is the fun part!You'll find recipes at the bottom of this post for ham and ranch cream cheese pinwheels and salami and pesto cream cheese pinwheels. Choose from other filling options such as turkey, chicken, tuna salad, egg salad, cheeses, vegetables, and creamy spreads.

Fancy kitchen tools and bulky appliances aren't required to make pinwheel appetizers! A food processor will help if you make a recipe requiring finely diced ingredients, but it's not absolutely necessary!

• Cutting board and chopping knife
• Measuring cups, measuring spoons, and mixing bowls
• A rolling pin is only needed if you’re making pinwheels with sandwich bread.
• You’ll need a sheet pan (baking sheet) if you’re making a baked pinwheel recipe, such as crescent roll pizza pinwheels.

1. Soften the cream cheese in the microwave. You can add seasonings to the cream cheese after it’s softened. Popular choices include ranch dip mix, taco seasoning, cinnamon sugar, and dried herbs and spices!
2. Spread the cream cheese mixture onto the wrap. Go almost all the way to the edges!
3. Layer the rest of your ingredients onto the cream cheese. You’ll add deli meat, sliced cheese, fruit, and vegetables at this time.
4. Tightly roll your tortilla wrap into a long, thin roll, and seal up the edges with the cream cheese.
5. Repeat this process with the rest of your tortillas, cream cheese, and filling ingredients.
6. Wrap the tortilla rolls tightly in plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before cutting into small pinwheel slices. This step cools the cream cheese back down and helps meld the ingredients together so the wraps stay tightly rolled up after cutting.
7. Cut the tortillas into 1-inch thick slices to make your pinwheels!

Alternatives: Nut butter is commonly used instead of cream cheese if you're making a dessert wrap. This could be peanut butter, almond butter, or Nutella. Thanks to the mayonnaise, sour cream, or Greek yogurt, wraps with creamy filling do not need cream cheese.

You’ll need several large slices of white bread (I like to use Arnold White Bread), a rolling pin, and your filling ingredients.

1. Cut off the sandwich bread crust.
2. Flatten the white bread slices with a rolling pin. Roll over the top of the bread several times, making the bread completely flat.
3. Layer your filling ingredients onto the flattened bread.
4. Start at the bread's short edge, and tightly roll the bread slices.
5. Slice into pinwheels using a clean, sharp knife.

Important tips: Choose soft bread without nuts or seeds. This type of pinwheel wrap is best with minimal ingredients. I recommend using only 1-2 fillings (including your spread). Kids love these! PB&J sandwich pinwheels are a favorite in my house!

Instructions will vary based on what type of toppings you choose. This is a basic overview of what to expect when making baked pinwheels with crescent dough.

1. Roll the dough out into a large sheet and press any seams together.
2. Evenly spread your toppings over the entire surface of the crescent roll dough.
3. Starting from the long side, carefully roll the dough into a log or cylinder shape.
4. Using a sharp knife, slice the log into approximately ½-inch to 1-inch thick pinwheels
5. Bake according to recipe instructions.

Step 1: Soften the cream cheese in the microwave, then mix ranch dip and diced green onions into the softened cheese.

Step 2: Spread a thin layer of ranch cream cheese onto your tortilla wrap. Go almost all the way to the edges. I like to leave about 2 centimeters of open space.

Step 3: Add a single layer of deli ham, about 3-4 thin slices.

Step 4: Tightly roll the tortilla wrap from edge to edge. Repeat the above steps with the rest of your wraps!

Step 5: Optional step: Wrap each tortilla tightly with plastic wrap. Transfer the tortilla rolls to the refrigerator for one hour. This step cools the cream cheese and helps blend the ingredients. You don’t have to do this, but it definitely helps to hold the pinwheels together and allows the flavors to meld.

Step 6: Slice the pinwheel wraps into 1-inch thick slices, serve, and enjoy!

Serve these seriously addicting finger foods at parties, holidays, and events! They'll disappear in a snap at your next:

• Birthday party
• Christmas party - Make festive pinwheels using red (tomato) and green (spinach) wraps!
• Easter brunch
• Thanksgiving appetizer
• Valentine’s Day party - Serve as an app using tomato wraps.
• Halloween party
• St. Patrick’s Day - Serve as an app using spinach wraps.
• Summer holidays such as the 4th of July, Labor Day, and Memorial Day
• Super Bowl Sunday party
• Summer BBQ or cookout
• Beach and boat days
• School lunch and classroom parties

Serve these cute roll-up sandwiches with side salads like Mediterranean Cucumber Tomato Salad, Summer Tortellini Salad, and Potato Salad.

They complement soups well, too. My favorite soup and sandwich combo includes Dutch Oven Chicken Noodle Soup, Busy Day Soup, and Broccoli Zucchini Soup.

How do I keep my pinwheels from getting soggy?

Avoid soggy pinwheels by making the pinwheels fresh and serving them immediately. Wet, or soggy, pinwheels are usually a result of moist ingredients sitting for too long in the wrap.

Can you make pinwheels the night before?

Yes, pinwheels will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, depending on your ingredients.

Can pinwheel sandwiches be frozen?

Technically, yes, pinwheel sandwiches can be frozen. However, many fresh vegetables like Romaine lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and cucumbers do not freeze well. The texture of cream cheese also doesn't hold up well in the freezer. So it really depends on what you've added to your pinwheel sandwiches and whether or not they're freezer-friendly foods.

What are pinwheel sandwiches made of?

Pinwheel sandwiches are made with a variety of ingredients! Pinwheels are wrapped in tortilla wraps, sandwich bread, or pastry dough. They're filled with creamy fillings like chicken salad and cream cheese, and also deli meat, fresh veggies, and fresh fruit.

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5 from 7 reviews

• Author: Katie
• Prep Time: 30 minutes to make
• Cook Time: 1 hour to chill
• Total Time: *
• Yield: Aprox. 24 pinwheel slices per recipe
• Category: lunch, appetizer, snack
• Method: Wrap
• Cuisine: American

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