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These pizza pinwheels are absolutely delicious and the perfect thing to eat as a casual snack or even to add to your lunchbox plans! They’re quick and easy thanks to store-bought puff pastry, and you can customise them with as many different toppings as you like!
I love these pizza pinwheels so much – they’re incredible! I like my pizza with tons of everything – base, sauce, cheese, herbs and toppings – and these certainly deliver! If you like a little less sauce or cheese then feel free to cut it down to taste though (although I do recommend having a lot since once they’re rolled up and you go to bite into them, there’s a lot of base per bite).
Originally, I did use fresh basil in this recipe. However, not everyone has easy access to fresh herbs and if you don’t then it’s hardly worth buying a whole pack just for this. So, instead, I decided to use dried herbs – they’re just as tasty and a whole lot easier!
Although, if you do have fresh herbs then these would be incredible with some fresh chopped basil, and maybe some thyme and oregano! I love herbs on my pizza – is that weird?
What should I top these pinwheels with?
It’s almost unlimited! The only limitation is how high you can pile them whilst still being able to roll up the puff pastry!
You could try so many different veggie combos:
- tomatoes (not sliced into rounds or wedges, though – you’d need to dice them in order to be able to roll up the pinwheels)
- olives
- bell peppers (finely diced, not strips)
- chilli peppers
- corn
- baby spinach
What other toppings can I use?
If you like meat on your pizzas then you might prefer cooked, shredded chicken (in small pieces), ham, pepperoni or anything else that you can imagine! Very thinly sliced smoked sausage could definitely be a winner as well!
Finely chopped herb leaves work extremely well to add some freshness to the pinwheels. Personally, I like to use a combination of:
- basil
- thyme
- rosemary
- oregano
- garlic chives
- parsley
(Pro-tip for cutting herbs fast: use a pair of herb scissors like these!)
The most important thing with toppings is not to go too overboard. After all, you still need to be able to roll them up nice and tightly at the end and this is pretty difficult if you have a 5cm tall pile of toppings on the pastry!
I will admit to having made this mistake before – except with cheese! I managed to pile on so much cheese that it was too much for the pastry to take, so it’s also worth keeping an eye on that! After all, I certainly didn’t know that you could have too much cheese on a pizza before that!
What equipment do I need to make these pinwheels?
Really, it’s all just standard equipment, so feel free to skip this section if your kitchen is already well-stocked. However, if you’re looking for recommendations for the products that I use when I cook then use these links to take a look!
- a baking tray – these are also useful for making cookies, pastries, and even loaves of bread!
- parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to stop the pinwheels from sticking to the tray. Otherwise (and I speak from experience here), the washing up will be hell!
- a box grater if you use freshly-grated cheese
- weighing scales for the cheese – you can try to eyeball it in this case, but kitchen scales are vital for cooking and baking. If you don’t already have scales then they really ought to go on your list!
- a decent knife set for chopping your toppings and slicing the pinwheels into rounds after rolling. These knives don’t have to cost the world. This set is actually better than the set I use and I can’t believe the quality for the price with mine!
One little side note about oven temperatures: you may want to use an oven thermometer to ensure that your oven temperature is accurate. Many ovens vary quite drastically from their ‘intended’ temperature, so using a thermometer can help you to make sure that the real temperature is correct rather than essentially just guessing because ‘it usually runs a touch too hot’.
My UK Equipment Recommendations:
Puff Pastry Pizza Pinwheels
These pizza pinwheels are quick, easy and delicious. Perfect for kids and adults alike, they're also great cold in lunchboxes or reheated at home. Plus, you can customise them with all the toppings you want!
Ingredients
- 1 320g (10-11 oz) sheet ready-rolled puff pastry, at room temperature
- 6 tbsp pizza sauce, or tomato puree
- 100 grams (3 oz, 1 cup) grated mozzarella
- 2 tbsp diced red onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp Italian herb blend
- black pepper and salt, to season, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Unroll the pastry gently so that it doesn't crack. Leaving approximately a 2cm margin along 1 long side, spread over the sauce evenly, making sure to reach the other edges properly.
- Sprinkle the cheese, onion and herbs over the sauce, and add a little salt and pepper if desired.
- Roll up the pastry tightly from one long side towards the other, starting with the side without the margin. Slice the roll approximately every 1".
- Place the pinwheels on a tray so that one of the sides with the spiral is facing upwards. They should be spaced well apart. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the pastry is golden-brown and cooked through. Serve immediately.
Notes
If not serving immediately, refrigerate until cool. They can be stored in the fridge once cooked for 3-5 days and can either be eaten cold or reheated in the microwave (or gently in the oven).
The toppings can be changed and adapted to suit your tastes - I decided to keep them simple to please everyone, but most traditional pizza toppings will work well instead.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1 pinwheelAmount Per Serving: Calories: 62Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 168mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 3g
All nutrition information is an estimate and may vary.
For a more grown-up version, try this tomato, pesto & mozzarella tart. Or, if you’re looking for a garlic bread recipe to go with them then try my cheesy garlic butter pinwheels.
For a puff pastry dessert, try my mini cinnamon roll bites! You could even use half a sheet of puff pastry to make half a batch of these pizza pinwheels, and then use the rest for any one of these other puff pastry recipes. That’s part of why I love store-bought puff pastry – it’s quick, easy, and super versatile!
Post linked to #cookblogshare
Melanie varey says
A lovely treat. Great flavours.
Hannah - Crunch & Cream says
I’m so happy that you think they look good!
Vicki Montague says
Ooo yeah! Yummy, yummy, yummy! I love these although I can’t always be bothered to make gluten free pastry. So I make them with more of a bread recipe. So good though and yours look fabulous!
Hannah - Crunch & Cream says
I’ve never tried using a bread-type dough – it sounds delicious! I’ll definitely give it a try next time – I bet they don’t go quite as soggy when you reheat them if you don’t use pastry!
Cat | Curly's Cooking says
These look great! I love using shop bought puff pastry, so easy and quick!
Hannah - Crunch & Cream says
I’m so happy you think so! I really love pre-made pastry too – it saves so much time and let’s face it, making pastry is a pain and it’s just not worth it! Especially when premade is so cheap, quick and easy to use – not to mention that it’s probably better than any pastry I could make anyway!
Karly says
These are so good! Thanks for sharing!
Hannah - Crunch & Cream says
I’m so glad you like them – they’re one of my favourite easy lunch recipes! In fact, I first made them a few years ago and they’ve been in high demand ever since!
Blossom Smith says
You’ve just turned my plain ham and cheese sandwich on its head! Love how easy this is and the kids would see those pinwheels pizza as a “treat” in their lunchbox. I can also see putting a platter of these out on football Sundays for snacking.
Hannah - Crunch & Cream says
Kids absolutely do see them as a treat – and let’s face it, we’re all kids at heart! They work great on football Sundays or when kids have friends over too – any time there’s a group of people who are hungry these are bound to disappear!
Trisha McLellan says
I love making these pizza pinwheels, so quick and easy and a real family favourite. Haven’t had with toppings yet, so will give that a try next time!
Hannah - Crunch & Cream says
Hi Trisha! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe and found them to be as good as I did! They really are such an incredible recipe – and so versatile when you add different toppings! Are there any toppings in particular that you like the sound of adding?
Sue says
Do you have to cut into pinwheels or could you just roll up and bake that way? Kinda like a strudel?
Hannah - Crunch & Cream says
You don’t have to cut it into pinwheels, but I’d definitely recommend cutting it like that. That’s mainly because the pastry in the middle would probably go rather soggy and not puff up and turn flakey, and would probably also take quite a while longer to cook properly. If you’d like to make a pizza strudel then it may be a better option to use bread/pizza dough instead of pastry so that you don’t have the issue with soggy puff pastry. I hope that this info helps you!
Chelsea says
Looks delicious! I love making pizzas at home. Thanks for sharing a new recipe for me!
Hannah - Crunch & Cream says
I’m so glad you like the look of them! I must say, though, that I highly recommend serving them with these cheesy garlic butter pinwheels – they go perfectly together and you can even make both on the same sheet of pastry if you halve the ingredient quantities!