Baked Pinwheels

With just seven ingredients and a few minutes of hands-on time, these Italian-inspired baked pinwheels come together in a snap. Whether you’re putting together an easy appetizer for guests or need a quick after-school snack, our recipe has you covered.

This one of many pinwheel recipes starts with premade pizza dough (the refrigerated, canned kind is a timesaving shortcut or you can use homemade dough if you’re feeling fancy). The dough is spread with a creamy cheese mixture loaded with zesty pepperoni and bold flavor from a convenient onion soup mix. Then, just roll, slice and bake the pinwheels—talk about easy! Serve them warm with marinara on the side for dipping, and watch them disappear.

Ingredients for Baked Pinwheels

• Cream cheese: A block of tangy cream cheese is the perfect rich, creamy base for our pinwheel filling. Don’t forget to soften the cream cheese first.
• Pepperoni: You can use regular, spicy or turkey pepperoni to add a zesty, pizza-like flavor to the pinwheels. Finely chop the pepperoni to add a chewy texture and meaty flavor to each bite.
• Cheese: Shredded provolone melts in the oven, giving the pinwheels those irresistible cheese pulls, and a tablespoon of grated Romano cheese gives the filling a bold, nutty flavor. You can swap in grated Parmesan for the Romano cheese.
• Onion soup mix: Onion soup mix is our secret ingredient for packing herby, aromatic flavor into the cream cheese filling without having to measure individual seasonings. You need only about half a pack, but you can put the rest to use with another recipe seasoned with onion soup mix.
• Sour cream: A couple of tablespoons of sour cream help loosen the texture of the cream cheese, so it’s easier to mix and spread. You can substitute plain Greek yogurt if you don’t have sour cream.
• Pizza dough: Look for refrigerated pizza dough in the same grocery store section as crescent rolls and biscuit tubes. You can also make pizza dough from scratch if you prefer. Let the dough rest for 10 to 20 minutes at room temperature—it’ll be easier to roll and stretch without snapping back.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the cream cheese filling

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the softened cream cheese in a small bowl. Add the chopped pepperoni, shredded provolone, onion soup mix, sour cream and grated Romano cheese. Stir to combine.

Step 2: Roll out the dough and add the filling

Unroll each tube of pizza dough into a long rectangle. Use an offset or rubber spatula to spread each rectangle with 1 cup cream cheese mixture.

Step 3: Roll and slice the pinwheels

Roll up each rectangle jelly-roll style, starting with the short side. Pinch the dough at the seam to seal the roll, then use a sharp knife to cut each roll into 16 slices. Arrange the pinwheels, cut side down, on ungreased baking sheets.

Editor’s Tip: The dough will rise and expand as it bakes, so leave 2 inches of space between the pinwheels to prevent them from sticking together.

Step 4: Bake the pinwheels

Bake the pinwheels until golden brown, 10 to 14 minutes. Serve warm.

Recipe Variations

• Serve with a sauce: Pair these baked Italian pinwheels with ranch dressing, marinara or pizza sauce—each makes an excellent dip for these pizza-inspired pinwheels!
• Change the mix-ins: Customize the flavor of your pinwheels with simple swaps. Try shredded mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese instead of provolone, chopped salami or cooked and cooled Italian sausage crumbles instead of pepperoni, and ranch or taco seasoning instead of onion soup mix. Just be sure to use the same ingredient amounts.
• Use a different dough: This recipe calls for unbaked pizza dough, but you can easily make this recipe with a tube of crescent rolls or frozen puff pastry for a flakier crust.
• Brush with melted butter or an egg wash: Turn up the richness by brushing the tops of each pinwheel with melted butter and sprinkling them with grated Parmesan just before baking. Or, you can lightly brush each with beaten egg to give the dough a sheen and golden brown color.

How to Store Baked Pinwheels

If you have leftover pinwheels, you can store them in a covered container in the fridge for up to four days.

Can you freeze baked pinwheels?

Yes! You can freeze the baked pinwheels for up to three months. After the Italian pinwheels are baked, allow them to cool to room temperature. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze until the pinwheels are firm, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or storage bag and return them to the freezer.

How do you reheat baked pinwheels?

Reheat leftover pinwheels on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a 350° oven until warmed and crisped back up, 5 to 10 minutes. If reheating from frozen, bake for an additional five minutes.

Baked Pinwheel Tips

What other types of dough can you use to make baked pinwheels?

You can use canned crescent rolls or thawed frozen puff pastry instead of pizza dough. Unroll the dough, spread it with the cream cheese filling, roll, slice and bake as directed. If using crescent rolls, seal the perforations in the dough before adding the filling and bake at 375° for 10 to 14 minutes. If you’re using puff pastry, bake the pinwheels at 400°.

What’s the best way to cut the pinwheels?

There are a few tips to help you cut neat and even pinwheels. Chilling the roll before slicing ensures you’ll get clean slices that don’t fall apart. After filling and rolling the dough, wrap the dough log in storage wrap and refrigerate it for 15 to 30 minutes.

Lightly flour your work surface to prevent sticking, and use a sharp chef’s knife or serrated knife to slice. You can also use unflavored dental floss to make precise cuts—this is also an easy tip for making cinnamon rolls!

How do you serve baked pinwheels?

Italian baked pinwheels make an excellent cocktail party hors d’oeuvre, or you can arrange them on a snack board with assorted cheese, charcuterie and other finger foods. Although the pinwheels have a creamy, cheesy filling, you can’t go wrong by pairing them with pizza sauce or ranch dressing for dipping.