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Home » Recipes » Appetizers

Holiday Pinwheels (with Red & Green Pepper)

Published: Dec 23, 2022 · Modified: Dec 3, 2024 by Christina Koncker · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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These Holiday Pinwheels are festive AF! Not to forget to mention super tasty and super easy to prepare🙂. Using both red and green bell peppers, opting for green tortillas, and tinting the cream cheese a lovely red (thanks to jarred roasted red peppers and a few drops of red food coloring to help things along) makes this a lovely holiday-themed appetizer. And Knorr Vegetable Recipe Mix ties everything together, giving this a veggie-forward dip that looks the part for the upcoming holidays.  

A plate of cream cheese christmas rollups.
Jump to:
  • Why You Will Love These Holiday Tortilla Pinwheels
  • Ingredients
  • Suitable Pinwheel Substitutions
  • Variations
  • How to Make Holiday Tortilla Pinwheels
  • Storage
  • Top Tips
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Looking for More Delicious Appetizers? Try These!
  • Holiday Pinwheels (with Red & Green Pepper)

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 Holiday Tortilla Pinwheels time to set so they can be cut into pinwheels more easily. And we like pushing the easy button around here.

Looking for more easy appetizers to serve? Try this Cranberry Cheese Ball and these Chorizo Tarts!

Why You Will Love These Holiday Tortilla Pinwheels

  • So Easy! The food processor makes quick work of the filling! After that you simply need to spread, roll, refrigerate, and then slice 'em up for serving once set.
  • Festive Holiday App! Red and green bits of fresh bell pepper make this the ultimate holiday appetizer! Plus they taste great too.
  • Versatile. You can easily make these for any occasion or change up the flavor by using different veggies, adding some spice, or using a different color tortilla.

Ingredients

To make these cream cheese and bell pepper pinwheels you will need the following ingredients:

ingredients needed for cream cheese christmas rollups.
  • Cream cheese (softened) - I opted for full-fat cream cheese, but one lower in fat can be substituted.
  • Jarred roasted red pepper strips - They lend a lovely sweetness that goes so well alongside the umami brought by the vegetable dip mix.
  • Knorr vegetable dip mix - I am no stranger to Knorr seasonings and this is always one I enjoyed in dips as a kid. I like how it ties the peppers and cream cheese together and I hope you will too.
  • Red food coloring - Optional, but a few drops makes the cream cheese filling look even more festive.  
  • Bell peppers, both red and green - Thinly slice into strips, then chop into a small dice. I recommend using 1 green bell pepper and 1 red bell pepper.
  • Large spinach herb wraps (tortillas) - I like spinach herb wraps for this recipe especially when I am making them as a holiday pinwheel appetizer.

A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below - keep scrolling!

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 tint the cream cheese with 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.

Variations

Give these Holiday 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.

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

How to Make Holiday Tortilla Pinwheels

Ingredients to make cream cheese spread in the food processor.
  1. Step 1: Add the cream cheese, roasted red peppers, and vegetable dip mix to a food processor. Process until combined, 15-20 seconds.
Cream cheese mixture after blending.
  1. Step 2: Remove the lid, scrape down sides, and process again if necessary to completely combine all of the ingredients.
Red food coloring added to the cream cheese mixture.
  1. Step 3: Add a few drops of red food coloring (optional) and process for 5-10 seconds.
Spreading the cream cheese on a green tortilla.
  1. Step 4: 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).
Slices of red and green bell pepper laid over the top of the cream cheese.
  1. Step 5: Add several thin strips of bell pepper on top of the cream cheese mixture.
Rolling up a christmas roll up.
  1. Step 6: Roll the tortilla up, pressing firmly yet gently as you roll.
Christmas tree roll up on a piece of plastic.
  1. Step 7: 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.
Four wrapped tortillas on the cutting board.
  1. Step 8: Refrigerate for at least 4-5 hours (or until firm) before cutting into approximately ½ inch pinwheels.
Cream cheese christmas rollups cut into slices.
  1. Step 9: 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.

Spicy cream cheese mixture in a container with bell pepper strips around it.

Storage

Once the cream cheese hits those wraps, the clock starts ticking. 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 just get 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 Tips

Using plastic wrap to help the Cream Cheese Roll-Ups maintain shape while they set is key to achieving those perfect little dissected pinwheels.

I admittedly like to be heavy-handed with the cream cheese filling; you could also stretch this recipe by using 5 spinach wraps and dividing the ingredients into 5 even portions.

By the way, if you love cream cheese appetizers you should try these Salami Cream Cheese Balls and Pickle Roll-Ups.

Holiday tortilla pinwheels on a white plate.

Recipe FAQs

Can holiday 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.

How do you keep pinwheels rolled up tightly so they don’t unravel?

Roll them tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4-5 hours before slicing to help them hold their shape.

What’s the ideal thickness to slice the pinwheels for the perfect bite-sized piece?

You should aim for slices about 1 inch thick for easy handling and to provide a lovely, consistent presentation.

Cream cheese holiday pinwheels stacked on top of each other.

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If you tried this Holiday Tortilla Pinwheels recipe (or any other recipe on Midwexican), please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the 📝 comments below!

Cream cheese christmas pinwheels stacked up on a plate.

Holiday Pinwheels (with Red & Green Pepper)

Christina Koncker
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 4 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes mins
Refrigeration time 4 hours hrs
Total Time 4 hours hrs 25 minutes mins
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 115 kcal

Equipment

  • Food processor

Ingredients
  

  • 2 8 ounce packages cream cheese (softened)
  • ½ cup roasted red pepper strips (jarred)
  • 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 
  • 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 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
  • Add several thin strips of bell pepper on top of the shredded cheddar cheese. 
    1 red bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper
  • 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. I admittedly like to be heavy-handed with the cream cheese filling; you could also stretch this recipe by using 5 spinach wraps and dividing the ingredients into 5 even portions.
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.
*Nutrition information is approximate and was calculated using an online nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Calories: 115kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 3gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 0.3mgSodium: 342mgPotassium: 72mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 622IUVitamin C: 35mgCalcium: 83mgIron: 2mg
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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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