These delicious Turkey and Cream Cheese Pinwheels are ideal for impressing a crowd the easy way. Made with fresh crunchy veggies, turkey, cream cheese and soft tortilla wraps, this recipe is easy to make for your family and works as a beautiful appetizer for parties and entertaining, too.

Pinwheels are extremely versatile, from when you can serve them to what you can put inside. I make them the whole time for lunch boxes, quick snacks and of course, parties! From hummus pinwheels to Italian ones, Mexican ones, turkey & cheese ones, the list can go on and on, check out more pinwheel ideas here.

What I love most about pinwheels is how easy they are to make and how impressive they look. You don’t need to be a chef or even experienced in the kitchen to master pinwheels. I share at the end all my tips and tricks for making pinwheels perfectly every time!

These cream cheese and turkey pinwheels are a complete meal in one bite. They provide protein from the turkey, and iron from the spinach leaves, while the cream cheese mixture is packed with vegetables, offering plenty of vitamins.

The recipe is easy to customize to your taste and needs. You can swap out the turkey for any meat of your choice. The same applies to the cheese, I opted for vegan cream cheese because one of my kids is slightly lactose intolerant, but you can do whatever works for you, such as dairy cream cheese, hard cheese or even ranch.

What You Need:

Tortilla wraps: You can use any flavored tortilla wraps, I went for plain because you know, kids!
Vegetables: I took whatever vegetables I had in my fridge that day. I used carrots, cucumbers, red peppers and spring onion.
Cream cheese: Use vegan or dairy cream cheese. You can also opt for flavored cream cheese.
Turkey: We love smoked turkey, but you can switch it to any meat of your choice.
Spinach leaves: You can add any greenery, it adds great color and extra crunch.

These are the details

Step 1: Prepare the cream cheese

Dice the vegetables and add them to room-temperature cream cheese. It’s important that the cream cheese is at room temperature, otherwise, it will be too hard to mix and spread onto the wraps.

I added quite a lot of vegetables, but if you prefer a smoother mixture, you can add less. Give the cream cheese and veggies a good mix so that they’re combined properly.

Step 2: Add the spices

Add your preferred spices for extra flavor. I opted for salt, pepper, and garlic powder, I sprinkled them without measuring, so I don’t have the exact amounts, but it was just a small sprinkle.

Step 3: Spread the cream cheese mixture on the wrap

I had added quite a lot of vegetables so it was harder to spread. For an easier time, add fewer vegetables, giving a more even coverage. That being said, mine came out delicious and pretty too!

Step 4: Add the turkey

Smoked turkey is an absolute favorite here, so I used a generous amount. Simply place the turkey evenly over the cream cheese mixture.

Step 5: Top off with baby spinach

I love hiding nutritious greens in food that my kids won’t notice. Pinwheels are perfect for that, they look so appetizing, that my kids don’t want to dissect them!

Scatter the spinach over the turkey. Nothing needs to be too perfect with pinwheels because once they’re rolled up, no one will see them anyway.

Step 6: Roll the tortilla wrap

Using both hands, roll the tortilla wrap. Make sure to keep the ingredients tucked in as you roll, or they will stick out at the other end.

Step 7: Freeze or refrigerate

Once it’s rolled wrap it in cling film and place in the fridge or freezer to cool for about 20 minutes. It is much easier to cut it when it’s cold, at room temperature it would fall apart so don’t skip this essential step!

Step 8: Cut into pinwheels

Unwrap the cling film and using a sharp knife, cut it into pieces. My favorite kitchen knives are the Victorinox knives, they’re not too big and cut everything easily.

Once cut into pinwheels, lay them on your best dish or food board and admire how beautiful they look! They’re full of color and flavor, and look irresistible!

Pinwheels make a great finger food option for when you want bite sized food that’s easy to eat without making a mess. They make great appetizers for parties as well as great for food boards.

Tips for getting pinwheels right every time

I’ve put together some useful and easy tips that will make your pinwheels a success every time.

Use room-temperature ingredients for easy mixing and spreading.
Spread the filling evenly over the entire tortilla or pastry to ensure each bite is consistent and flavorful.
Avoid overloading your pinwheels with too many ingredients to prevent them from becoming difficult to roll and slice.
After rolling, wrap the pinwheel logs tightly in cling film and chill them in the refrigerator or freezer. This helps them firm up and makes slicing easier and cleaner.
Use a sharp, serrated knife to slice the pinwheels to avoid squishing them and to achieve clean cuts.
Use fresh, pliable tortillas to prevent cracking. If your tortillas are a bit stiff, warm them briefly in the microwave to make them more flexible.
Serve the pinwheels fresh for the best taste and texture. If making them in advance, keep them wrapped in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.
Avoid overly wet ingredients that can make the tortillas soggy. If using ingredients like tomatoes or cucumbers, consider patting them dry with a paper towel before adding them.

Turkey & Cream Cheese Pinwheels

Sarah

These Turkey and Cream Cheese Pinwheels are ideal for impressing a crowd the easy way. Made with fresh crunchy veggies, turkey, cream cheese and soft tortilla wraps, this recipe is easy to make for your family, and works as a beautiful appetizer for parties, too.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Fridge/Freezer 20

Ingredients

3 Tortilla Wraps
200 Grams Cream Cheese
Vegetables
1 Packet Sliced Turkey
A Handful Spinach Leaves
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder

Instructions

Dice the vegetables and add them to room-temperature cream cheese.
Add the spices to the mixture.
Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly onto the wrap.
Lay the turkey over the cream cheese.
Top off with baby spinach or any other greens.
Roll the tortilla wraps carefully, ensuring all the ingredients stay inside.
Once rolled, wrap them in cling film and place them the fridge or freezer for about 20 minutes to cool and harden making them easier to cut.
Using a sharp knife, cut the rolls into individual pinwheels and enjoy!