Pesto puff pastry pinwheels – Pesto Puff Pastry Pinwheels – perfectly flaky pastry spirals filled with savoury pesto and gooey cheese. The ultimate snack or party appetiser that’s easy to make and tastes delicious.
These savoury puff pastry pinwheels are a great option to pack for picnics or long drives. It is prepared with just 3 ingredients and makes the perfect after-school snack or tea time snack to go with masala chai.
Why do we love this pinwheels recipe?
Made with just 3 ingredients
Gets ready in under 30 minutes
Easy recipe and perfect for beginners
Ingredients
- Puff Pastry: I used store bought ready rolled puff pastry. Feel free to use homemade if you have sufficient time to prepare.
- Pesto: Store bought basil pesto is used here.
- Cheese: I used grated cheddar cheese, check substitutions and variations section for alternative options.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to make puff pastry pesto pinwheels?
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Unroll the puff pastry sheet on a clean surface or a large wooden board.
Spread the pesto sauce evenly using the back of a spoon or spatula over the entire surface of the puff pastry sheet leaving the edges.
Sprinkle the grated cheddar cheese evenly over the pesto layer.
Starting from one of the shorter edges, tightly roll the puff pastry sheet into a log.
Once rolled, place the seam side down and gently press the edges to seal to prevent the log from unrolling.
Using a sharp knife, slice the log into 3/4 inch to 1 inch thick pinwheels.
Place the pesto rollups on the parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving a little space between each.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until the pinwheels are puffed and golden brown.
Serve delicious pesto and cheese puff pastry pinwheels.
Check out no cook vegetable tortilla pinwheel recipe on the blog.
Substitutions and Variations
Cheese: Instead of cheddar cheese, you can use other types of cheese like mozzarella, feta, or goat cheese.
Pesto: I used store bought basil pesto sauce, you could use homemade pesto.
Nuts: Sprinkle chopped nuts like walnuts or pine nuts for a crunchy element.
Different Pesto: Try sun-dried tomato pesto or roasted red pepper pesto for a twist on the classic recipe.
Serving Suggestions
These cheesy pesto pinwheels are a perfect bite size treat to serve kids as an after-school snack. Serve it with greek yogurt herb dip.
It’s a perfect appetiser to serve family and friends on special occasions.
Storage
Fridge: Leftover pesto cheese pinwheels stay fresh for 2-3 days if stored properly in an airtight container at room temperature. Let the pinwheels cool completely before transferring them into a container.
Reheat: Warm them in a microwave for a minute on high power or in an air fryer for 3-4 minutes until piping hot.
Tips and Tricks
Spacing: Leave sufficient spacing between pinwheels in the baking tray. Because the layers need room to expand as they cook through. Insufficient space results in not rising properly leaving the inner layers uncooked.
Seal the pinwheel log: Ensure to seal the end of the log well so the rolls don’t loosen up and lose their shape.
Chill the Puff Pastry: For best results, make sure puff pastry sheets are chilled while working out. Because room temperature puff pastry doesn’t expand properly and inner layers remain uncooked.
Cooking time: Keep an eye on while baking pinwheels as cooking time varies depending on the oven setting and the size of the rolls.
Line Baking Sheet: Use parchment paper to line the baking tray to make it easy to clean later.
Evenly Spread the Pesto: Make sure to spread the pesto evenly over the puff pastry, leaving a small border around the edges. This prevents the filling from oozing out too much during baking.
How to bake pesto pinwheels in an air fryer?
Follow the steps as mentioned in step by step instructions from “How to make puff pastry pesto pinwheels?” section from spreading pesto and cheese on a puff pastry sheet, rolling it tightly into a log and cutting it into equal parts.
Place the pinwheels in the air fryer basket in a single layer with sufficient space between them.
Brush the top and sides of the rolls with butter and put the basket back, set the timer for 12 minutes and air fry cinnamon rolls at 180 C (350 F).
Once the air fryer beeps, take the basket out and check for doneness.
Golden brown rolls indicate perfectly baked rolls. Put the basket back and air fry undercooked pinwheels for a few more minutes.
Take the basket out of the air fryer once pesto pinwheels are well cooked.
FAQ
Absolutely, but you may have to plan well ahead of time to make this delicious treat. It has to be thawed in the fridge overnight.
If you fail to plan ahead but are still willing to use frozen puff pastry, then keep it on the counter for at least 20-25 minutes. Do not try to unroll when it’s still frozen, it will break. The puff pastry must be soft to the touch and still chilled to work out.
Related
Looking for other recipes with puff pastry? Try these:
More Party Appetiser Recipes
KEEP IN TOUCH
Do let me know if you make this simple 3 ingredient pesto puff pastry pinwheels recipe. If you like this recipe kindly consider rating it using stars in the comment section or on the recipe card to help more people find this recipe online. You can stay up to date by following me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or subscribing to my Youtube channel. Or why not subscribe to my blog and get simple recipes straight to your inbox?
Pesto Puff Pastry Pinwheels
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon = 15ml ; 1 Teaspoon = 5ml
- 375 gms Puff Pastry Sheet
- 2 Tablespoons Pesto Sauce
- ⅕ Cup Cheddar Cheese grated
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Unroll the puff pastry sheet on a clean surface or a large wooden board.375 gms Puff Pastry Sheet
- Spread the pesto sauce evenly using the back of a spoon or spatula over the entire surface of the puff pastry sheet leaving the edges.2 Tablespoons Pesto Sauce
- Sprinkle the grated cheddar cheese evenly over the pesto sauce.⅕ Cup Cheddar Cheese
- Starting from one of the shorter edges, tightly roll the puff pastry sheet into a log.
- Now roll the puff pastry from the short side.
- Once rolled, place the seam side down and gently press the edges to seal to prevent the log from unrolling.
- Using a sharp knife, slice the log into 3/4 inch to 1 inch thick pinwheels.
- Place the pesto rollups on the parchment-lined baking sheet, leaving a little space between each.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until the pinwheels are puffed and golden brown.
- Serve delicious pesto and cheese puff pastry pinwheels.
Notes
Nutrition
Welcome to Flavours Treat. I share vegetarian recipes made with wholesome, mostly fresh ingredients. Every recipe has easy-to-follow instructions with process shots (detailed step-wise pictures), a short video and lots of tips to help your cooking journey. Read more
