Tortilla Pinwheels Recipe

This tortilla roll ups recipe is always a family favorite. It is a classic recipe that I grew up on and now I continue to serve it for the holidays and game day parties. It is the quickest and easiest Christmas appetizer to make and the ingredients can easily be changed.

This bite size appetizer is the perfect recipe to make ahead of time. It actually taste better which saves me time with all of my holiday cooking. This creamy, cheesy appetizer are always a kid favorite and adults love them to.

Serve these pinwheels this holiday for a delicious and easy to make appetizer.

What is a Tortilla Pinwheel?

Tortilla roll up recipe is always a crowd favorite. The reason I love making them is because you only need a few ingredients and they taste delicious.

Tortilla Pinwheel appetizer recipe is made with a cream cheese base. The cream cheese, sour cream, and cheese is combined with a simple seasoning in a bowl. This mixture is then spread over tortillas, then rolled up and refrigerated.

Once they have had time to rest, then they are ready to slice and serve. The best no bake, quick and easy appetizer that you will make this holiday.

Easy Holiday Appetizer

If you are looking for an easy appetizer to make this holiday, make these Tortilla Pinwheels. These pinwheels are great to serve as an appetizer for an after school snack.

You can change the ingredients to add more flavor or meats to make them hearty. This budget friendly appetizer is perfect for a holiday dinner and will always be a crowd favorite.

Ingredients

Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe card.

Filling Variations Ideas

• Add Meat – Add diced ham to make a ham and cheese pinwheel. It is delicious and makes these pinwheels so hearty. Adding meat would be the perfect option as an after school snack. Pinwheel sandwiches are the perfect size for little hands. Ground beef and diced pepperoni is also a great option.
• Add Vegetables – These pinwheels would be delicious with added vegetables. You can add in bell peppers, arugula, black olives, jalapenos or diced spinach for a delicious option. Chopped broccoli or cauliflower would also be additional option.
• Change the Seasoning – You can easily change the seasoning for these pinwheels. Add in taco seasoning to make a Mexican tortilla Pinwheel.
• Shredded Chicken – If you have leftover chicken, mix it in with the cream cheese mixture.
• Hot Sauce – If you like to add extra spice to your pinwheel, dip the pinwheels in hot sauce.
• Low Carb Option – There are many different tortillas to choose from, you can choose a low carb tortilla. You can also spread the cream cheese mixture on a slice of ham and roll up.
• Cheese – We used cheddar cheese in this recipe, but you can easily change it to what you prefer. We recommend shredded the cheese from a hunk cheese instead of using pre-shredded cheese. Try mixing in pepper jack cheese or Monterrey jack cheese for a delicious variation.

How to Make Tortilla Roll Ups

Step 1 – Beat cream cheese & sour cream – Beat together the cream cheese and sour cream with a hand held or stand up mixer.

Step 2 – Mix in additional ingredients – Then stir in the cheddar cheese, green chiles, green onions, chili powder and garlic powder.

Step 3 – Spread on Tortilla – Spread the mixture evenly on each of the flour tortillas and roll them up tightly.

Step 4 – Wrap in Plastic Wrap – Wrap each one in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to over night.

• Step 5 – Serve and Enjoy – When ready to serve, slice each wrap into approximately ¾” thick rounds.  Serve with your favorite salsa and enjoy!

Recipe Tips

• Cream Cheese – For best results, we recommend softening the cream cheese. It helps to have a smooth and creamy base.
• Tortilla – There are many different tortillas to choose from. But we like to use a large burrito size tortilla.
• Rolling the Tortilla – After spreading the cream cheese base on the tortilla, make sure you tightly roll the tortilla. This helps to seal the ingredients together for when you slice the tortilla.
• Slicing – We recommend slicing the tortilla in about ¾ inch thick round roll ups. This allows you to get multiple rolls ups with each tortilla roll ups.
• Spreading the mixture – When spreading the cream cheese mixture on the tortilla, make sure it is layered as a thin spread. This helps to tightly roll the tortilla easily.

How to Serve Tortilla Rolls Ups

These tortilla roll ups are best served cold. When not serving, place in the refrigerator.

Can you Make Pinwheels ahead of time?

Yes, this easy appetizer can be prepared ahead of time. We recommend storing in the fridge and then you are ready to serve, slice the tortilla.

We recommend serving the pinwheels within 2 days of preparing the cream cheese pinwheels. This prevents the pinwheels from getting soggy.