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So, another cheesy garlic bread inspired recipe. Yes, I’m obsessed, but these cheesy garlic butter pinwheels really are worth it! They’re super quick and easy, taking only 25 minutes start-to-finish, as well as being vegetarian and re-heatable! What could be better?
Ok, so I have to be honest here. I first tested this recipe all the way back at Christmas, but I’ve been saving it. It’s just so good that I thought I’d save it for when fresh garlic is slightly more in season! After all, these would be just incredible with roasted garlic instead. But, after a short string of failed recipe tests, I decided to share it now. After all, it would be unfair to keep it from you any longer! Trust me, you need these in your life just as much as you need regular garlic bread.
Personally, I love strong garlic in my recipes. After all, what’s the point of having it if you can’t taste it? However, if you prefer it milder, I fully recommend that you reduce the garlic by 1 or 2 cloves. You could reduce the cheese too, but if you don’t like cheese then perhaps this isn’t the recipe for you.
One minor issue that you might have with these cheesy garlic butter pinwheels is that as they bake, the garlic butter and melty cheese can seep out the bottom of them!
However, if you line your tray with parchment paper, this gooey mix will solidify as they cool. Then, you can just slide a palette knife underneath and voila! You get your pinwheels with all the cheesy garlic butter goodness! Luckily, this isn’t an issue with the pizza version as tomato sauce doesn’t melt. Sadly though, butter does.
These were inspired by my puff pastry pizza pinwheels – after all, where there’s pizza, there should always be garlic bread. You could always cut your sheet of pastry in half, and halve each recipe to make 2 recipes in one!
Other ways to use puff pastry:
They also make a great side dish for with my foolproof fresh herb risotto.
You can even meal prep these garlic bread pinwheels! I know, not the healthiest meal prep recipe, but still. They’re so good. While you can bake them and reheat them, they’re better fresh, so I recommend that you roll up your pinwheels ready to bake, but don’t slice the log of pastry, just wrap it in clingfilm and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to bake them!
If you’re looking for a good puff pastry recipe because you’d like to make yours completely from scratch, you could try this one. You may not need the full amount it makes though. I chose to use store-bought pastry to keep it quick and easy, and this weighs approximately 320-250 grams. So, if you choose to make your pastry, you want roughly that weight rolled out in to a rectangle 35cm long, and 25cm wide. Of course, this is just approximately. However, if you make it from scratch and yours is larger, you may need more garlic butter mixture.
Now, the equipment you need for this recipe is pretty standard really. Just a handful of basic kitchen essentials, including:
- a set of 2 baking sheet pans – you need two instead of one because these garlic scrolls tend to expand as they bake and the pastry puffs up
- kitchen scales for weighing your butter and cheese. If you try to guess then you might end up over-stuffing them and I know from experience that that’ll always end up messy!
- a garlic press or microplane to help you mince your garlic more evenly and quickly. Trust me, they’re both a worthwhile investment!
- a silicone spatula for spreading the garlic butter over the pastry evenly. Don’t try to use anything sharper than a butter knife as otherwise, it may cut the pastry.
- if you’re using freshly-grated cheese then you’ll need a simple box grater.
- a basic chef’s knife or kitchen knife set to slice your pinwheels once you’ve rolled up the pastry.
… and that’s everything!
Although, having said that, an oven thermometer can come in handy. Most ovens don’t actually run at the temperature that they claim to, which can cause foods to be undercooked or burnt. And, of course, that’s not quite the desired result here!
If you’re in the UK, you can try these products – I highly recommend them!
If you’re looking for something to serve them with, try my chilli, sausage & mozzarella pasta bake – it’s easy, cheesy and saucy!
Or, for a veggie option, try this asparagus, lemon & spinach orzo risotto, which has all the creaminess of a traditional risotto, but none of the stirring!
Another delicious, creamy and cheesy side dish is this leek bake. It’s just as buttery and delicious as these pinwheels, and is a delicious option for slightly more formal, mature dinners. After all, these are essentially just garlic bread in another format!
For a lunch option, try my light olive oil spaghetti with tomato & courgette. This recipe also makes a single serving, so you can eat all the cheesy garlic butter pinwheels yourself!
My simple garlic basil pasta is also a quick and easy, garlic and cheesy side (or main) dish. Plus, it’s super cheap!
If you try these then let me know by tagging me on facebook, twitter or instagram. Don’t forget to subscribe by email here for notifications whenever I post new recipes too! Have fun cooking!
Cheesy Garlic Butter Pinwheels
These quick and easy pinwheels are just like garlic bread, only more delicious! They're packed full of melty mozzarella cheese, garlic butter and herbs, and the puff pastry makes them super quick and easy - only 25 minutes start to finish!
Ingredients
- 1 sheet (approximately 320g, 110z) ready-roll puff pastry, or homemade
- 150 grams (1 1/4 stick) butter, softened
- 5 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/4 tsp mixed Italian herbs
- salt and pepper, to season
- 120 grams (1 1/4 cup) grated mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200° C (390°F) and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- With a fork, mix the butter, garlic and herbs together until well combined and the butter is soft. Season well with salt and pepper.
- Spread the garlic butter evenly over the pastry sheet and then top with an even layer of grated mozzarella.
- Roll up the pastry starting with 1 long side to form a tight spiral.
- Slice in to approximately 1" pinwheels, and place them on one end on the baking sheets spread well apart.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastry is golden and flaky. Some of the garlic butter and cheese may have spread over the parchment paper, but as they cool, they can still be removed on to a plate intact. Serve hot or follow recipe notes.
Notes
These can be baked in advance and stored in the fridge then eaten cold or reheated. To reheat them, warm them gently in the oven. They can be microwaved, but may become soggy.
To prepare in advance, roll up the pastry as in step 4, wrap in cling film and then chill the log until ready to bake. Do not do this more than a day in advance as the pastry may become soggy and not puff up properly when baked.
Grated Mozzarella can be swapped for any other melty cheese, such as mild cheddar.
Fresh herbs can be used instead of dried. I recommend using a mix of parsley, basil, thyme and oregano, although garlic chives would also be great.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1 pinwheelAmount Per Serving: Calories: 169Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 223mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 3g
All nutrition values are an estimate and may vary.
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These look delicious, great for a party! Thank you bringing them to #CookBlogShare
Thank you! They’d absolutely make great party food – they’re quick and easy finger food which is great for parties! They’re great as a side dish or snack too – I’d happily eat 2 for lunch under the claim that they’re similar enough to count as cheese on toast or something!
Ooh yum – all my favourite ingredients in one recipe!
Mine too! Even my mum, who isn’t a big garlic bread person loved them (I believe she ate 3 or 4) – I think that says just how good they are!
These look amazing!! Right up my street. I love the ones from Donimos. I’d maybe put less garlic in it though mind you
I’ve never had the dominos ones, but they really do taste almost better than cheesy garlic bread! I’d definitely recommend using the garlic to taste – I like enough to scare off the vampires 10 miles away but perhaps that’s not for everyone!
Oooh I have a pack of puff pastry sitting in the freezer, I’ll have to get this out and make these to go with the Lasagne planned for tea
Good plan! They’d go absolutely great with lasagne or anything else Italian! If you’re looking for something else to put them with, then try my tomato risotto with chargrilled veg (it’s my most recent recipe) – it’s almost a veggie pizza flavour risotto!
These look so tasty. I love simple to make snacks like these.
Thanks Jacqui! I really love this type of food too – you can eat it almost any time, and it’s often quicker than whatever else you could get to nibble on!
These Cheesy Garlic Butter Pinwheels look very tasty indeed!
They’re as good as they look – trust me! There’s a reason they all disappeared in seconds (only partially due to me!)
Wow – these look fab! Big cheese and garlic fan over here too 😀
Thanks Eb!They really are amazing – and as with most things, the more garlic and cheese the better!
I am with you on the garlic and the cheese, the more the better. These sound great and we will be trying them at the weekend
Thank you! Don’t forget to tag me in a photo of the result – I’d love to see how they turn out for you!
Those look really good! Perfect for a snack or with a meal.
Thanks! They really do taste as good as they look too!
oh these look lovely, ive never thought of doing garlic ones before!
They taste as good as they look, trust me! When I thought of trying to make them, my main thought was ‘well if it works for pizza, it should work for garlic bread too, right?’ and that sentiment was definitely right!
OOOO these do look delicious, I really want one now
They taste as good as they look – I’ve been craving them constantly since I first made them at around Christmas!
These looks delicious, definitely going to give them a try
Ok, enjoy! Let me know how they turn out – I’d love to see!
These look so delicious! Give me all the garlic on mine!
They taste amazing too – especially if you use a ton of garlic! After all, if it’s not enough to scare a vampire away then is it really worth having?
These look so tasty and such a treat! I love garlic and cheese – great combo!
I’m so glad you like the look of them – they really are so indulgent and delicious (plus, you certainly don’t have to worry about vampires after you eat them!)
You can’t go wrong with cheese and garlic 🙂 Have to try these, they look delicious and simple to make even on a busy night!
Absolutely – especially when you add butter! I hope you enjoy them – please do let me know how they turn out! So far, they’ve turned out very well for everyone who’s tried them, so they’re definitely simple enough for busy weeknights!
You had me at cheesy, garlic and butter. Oh my. These are the perfect recipe for the buffet I’m going to and I need to make something. Yum!
I hope they go down a treat! They’ve always been a perfect side dish for me so fingers crossed that they serve you just as well! Feel free to tag me in a photo on social media too!
I made these today for the kids lunches.
The amount of butter was way too much, the scrolls were soaking in a bath of butter.
Will make them again but with half the butter and triple the garlic.
Hi Necro!
I’m so sorry that you weren’t happy with them – I’ve always found that only a little butter melted out of the bottom but I’ll make sure to pay close attention next time I make them to see about fixing the recipe.
I’m very glad you didn’t find the amount of garlic to be too much though – I was worried that some people would find it a little overwhelming even though personally I adore strong garlic!
Thanks for your time,
Hannah
These were simply delicious, the more garlic the better!
Thank you for a simple idea made amazingly tasty!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! I definitely agree that the more garlic the better – especially if you use roasted garlic! Yum!
I made these with a can of croissant dough I had in the fridge and using a mix of gruyere, wensleydale and cheddar cheeses. Nice and easy and made 20 pinwheels to put out with bbq salads and sides as a little treat. The butter foamed up quite a bit when I took it out of the oven but 10 mins later it had all sucked up again. It turned out like a tear and share wheel! Lovely flavours and will definitely do this again. Yum!
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it – that combo of cheeses sounds incredible! I know what you mean about the butter – it oozes out but then gets mopped up by the pastry so that it’s even gooey-er! I love the idea of a tear and share one too – I’ll be trying that next time I make these!
I’m so glad that ou enjoyed it – that combo of cheeses sounds incredible! I know what you mean about the butter – it oozes out but then gets mopped up by the pastry so that it’s even gooey-er! I love the idea of a tear and share one too – I’ll be trying that next time I make these!
These cheesy garlic butter pinwheels are definitely addictive! I could eat them all by myself in one sitting! YUM, get in my belly! 🙂
I’m so glad you think so – that’s awesome to hear! They certainly are a family favourite for a good reason – they’re delish!
I made these for the holidays and I’m sorry to say, in my opinion, the recipe is out of balance. There is way too much butter in the recipe, and I love butter. So much melted out onto the baking sheet and it just got absorbed by the pastry. Greasy.
If I ever made something like these again I’d take the butter stick in the wrapper and just rub enough on the pastry for flavor and moisture for the garlic. I also love garlic and I’d cut the amount in half, at least, while definitely adding more cheese.
I’m so sorry that you weren’t such a fan of this recipe! I do mention in the post that butter may seep out the bottom, although I’ve never found it makes the pastry soggy – I’ll have to re-test the recipe to see if I can figure out a solution! The main reason for the amount of butter was the intention to make this a sort of buttery garlic bread substitute.
I definitely agree that there’s a lot of garlic in this recipe – it’s certainly not for anyone worried about bad breath! Can I ask whether you used fresh garlic or pre-minced jarred or frozen garlic? I know that those can have a varying amount of garlic flavour, so perhaps that could be part of the issue! I’ll also double-check the post to make sure that it says “or to taste” regarding the quantity of garlic as I entirely understand that some people prefer to use more than others!