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Home » Appetizers

Published: Dec 23, 2022 by Tino Marie · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

Cream Cheese Christmas Pinwheels

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These Christmas pinwheels are festive AF! Not to forget to mention tasty and easy to prepare🙂. Opting for green tortillas and tinting the cream cheese a lovely red (thanks to roasted red peppers and red food coloring) makes this a lovely holiday-themed appetizer. 

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

You’ll want to make sure to plan on making these a few hours in advance; let’s say the morning of Christmas dinner (or whatever day your holiday get-together lands on). This gives the Cream Cheese Christmas Roll-Ups time to set up so they can be cut into pinwheels more easily. And we like pushing the easy button around here.

Cream cheese holiday pinwheels
Jump to:
  • Ingredients Needed for Christmas Pinwheels
  • Instructions
  • Suitable Pinwheel Substitutions
  • Spicy Christmas Pinwheel Variation
  • Other Tasty & Festive Pinwheel Variations
  • Equipment
  • Storage
  • Top Tip
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Looking for more appetizers? Try these!
  • Cream Cheese Christmas Pinwheels

Ingredients Needed for Christmas Pinwheels

To make these Cream Cheese Christmas Pinwheels you will need the following ingredients:

  • 2 8 ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup jarred roasted red pepper strips
  • 1 packet Knorr vegetable dip mix
  • 4-5 drops of red food coloring (optional) 
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced into strips
  • 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced into strips (or 3 large jalapenos)
  • 4 large spinach herb wraps (tortillas)
ingredients needed for cream cheese christmas rollups

Instructions

Add cream cheese, roasted red peppers, and vegetable dip mix to a food processor. Process until combined, 15-20 seconds.

Remove lid, scrape down sides, and process again if necessary to completely combine all of the ingredients.

Add a few drops of red food coloring (optional) and process for 5-10 seconds.

Lay out a tortilla and spread the delicious mixture in a thin layer, leaving about a half-inch of the tortilla un-slathered around the edges (to prevent it from squishing out when rolling).

Add several thin strips of bell pepper on top of the cream cheese mixture.

Roll the tortilla up, pressing firmly yet gently as you roll.

Wrap the rolled tortilla securely in plastic wrap to help it keep its shape. Repeat 3 more times, or until you've used up all the filling.

Refrigerate for at least 4-5 hours (or until firm) before cutting into approximately ½ inch pinwheels.

cream cheese christmas rollups

Sample the ends. Serve the pretty ones.

Hint: Divide the pepper strips into 4 even bundles. Also, add the cream cheese mixture to a rectangular container and divide it into 4 even portions. Doing this will ensure that all of your pinwheel rolls will contain the same amount of ingredients.

Suitable Pinwheel Substitutions

If necessary, a few substitutions can be made to suit dietary restrictions or taste preferences.

  • Knorr vegetable dip mix - Ranch dip mix works well too!
  • Red food coloring - while this is totally optional, I like to add a few drops to saturate cream cheese color a richer hue of red. You could use beet juice or something similar if you’d prefer to not use a food dye.
  • Red and green bell pepper - I like to use both for maximum color, but you can use one or the other. Or if you want it spicy, add in some jalapeno (see Spicy Variation below). 
  • Spinach herb wraps - these also come in Gluten Free or Low Carb. You don’t have to use spinach herb wraps, but I like how festive they are. Regular flour tortillas also work just fine.

Spicy Christmas Pinwheel Variation

Give these Christmas Pinwheels some fire with the following suggestions.

  • Add chili pepper flakes or a few dashes of cayenne pepper to the cream cheese mixture.
  • Instead of green bell pepper, use jalapenos or another spicy pepper of your choosing.

Other Tasty & Festive Pinwheel Variations

If you’d like to add more variety to the mix (besides bell pepper) here are a few tasty suggestions.

  • Sliced green onions (spring onions)
  • Sliced celery
  • Sliced pimento-stuffed green olives
  • Shredded cheddar cheese

Equipment

Food processor

Plastic wrap

Storage

Once the cream cheese hits those wraps, the clock starts ticking. Christmas Pinwheels (or any cream cheese roll-up for that matter) are best eaten within 24 hours. They are acceptable for up to 48 hours. Any longer than that and they are just soggy and sad. But these are SO GOOD that you probably won’t have to worry about food waste. 

These don't stand a chance in the freezer; don’t even go there.

Top Tip

Using plastic wrap to help the Cream Cheese Christmas Roll-Ups maintain shape while they set is key to achieving those perfect little dissected pinwheels when it comes time to cut into bite-sized pieces.

cream cheese christmas rollups

Frequently Asked Questions

Can pinwheels be made ahead of time?

Yes! You should plan to make these at least 6 hours in advance of serving. Preparation and assembly take around 20-30 minutes. After that, they need around 4-5 hours to set up before they can be cut into bite-sized pieces for serving.

However. You should not prepare these too far in advance because they are wont to get soggy. I would recommend preparing them the same day you plan on serving them.

Are cream cheese pinwheels also known by another name?

You bet! I grew up hearing them referred to as pinwheels or cream cheese pinwheels. I’ve also heard cream cheese pinwheels referred to as roll-ups or tortilla roll-ups (and I often call pinwheels roll-ups as well).

Looking for more appetizers? Try these!

  • Fiesta Ranch Cream Cheese Pinwheels
  • Taco Balls
  • Baked Goat Cheese Tomato Dip
  • Chorizo Stuffed Mushrooms
  • Chorizo Tarts with Apple and Thyme
cream cheese christmas pinwheels

Cream Cheese Christmas Pinwheels

These Christmas pinwheels are festive AF! Not to forget to mention tasty and easy to prepare🙂. Opting for green tortillas and tinting the cream cheese a lovely red thanks to roasted red peppers makes this a lovely holiday-themed appetizer.
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Course Appetizer

Equipment

  • Food processor

Ingredients
  

  • 2 8 ounce packages cream cheese (softened)
  • ½ cup jarred roasted red pepper strips
  • 1 1.4 ounce packet Knorr vegetable dip mix
  • 4-5 drops red food coloring (optional) 
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced into strips
  • 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced into strips  (or 3 large jalapenos)
  • 4 large spinach herb wraps (tortillas)

Instructions
 

  • Add cream cheese, roasted red peppers, vegetable dip mix, and a few drops of red food coloring (optional) to a food processor. Process until combined, 15-20 seconds. Remove lid, scrape down sides, and process again if necessary to completely combine all of the ingredients.
    2 8 ounce packages cream cheese, ½ cup jarred roasted red pepper strips, 1 1.4 ounce packet Knorr vegetable dip mix
  • Add a few drops of red food coloring (optional) and process for 5-10 seconds.
    4-5 drops red food coloring
  • Lay out a tortilla and spread the delicious mixture in a thin layer, leaving about a half-inch of the tortilla un-slathered around the edges (to prevent it from squishing out when rolling).
    4 large spinach herb wraps (tortillas)
  • Add several thin strips of bell pepper on top of the shredded cheddar cheese. 
    1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced into strips, 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced into strips 
  • Roll the tortilla up, pressing firmly yet gently as you roll.
  • Wrap the rolled tortilla securely in plastic wrap to help it keep its shape. Repeat 3 more times, or until you've used up all the filling.
  • Refrigerate for at least 4-5 hours (or until firm) before cutting into approximately ½ inch pinwheels.
  • Sample the ends. Serve the pretty ones.

Notes

Divide the pepper strips into 4 even bundles. Also, add the cream cheese mixture to a rectangular container and divide it into 4 even portions. Doing this will ensure that all of your pinwheel rolls will contain the same amount of ingredients.
Lay out a piece of plastic wrap underneath the tortilla before assembling it. After you roll the tortilla up all you have to do is wrap the plastic around it to secure it.
Keyword Christmas pinwheel, Cream cheese Christmas pinwheel
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Christina from Midwexican

About Christina

I'm a Minnesota native who can't get enough of south-of-the-border flavors. My recipes combine comforting Midwestern eats with bold Mexican and Tex-Mex flavors. If you love comforting food, bold flavors, and - most importantly - tacos! then you'll love what I'm cooking!

Learn more about me →

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