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Sweet, spicy, creamy, and flaky meet in these Pepper Jelly Cream Cheese Pinwheels puff pastry filled appetizers.
These easy to make appetizers will be a hit at your next game day or fancy holiday party!
We appreciate your support
Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.
Tailgating Snacks Month
It’s football season, and it’s Tailgating Snacks Month here on the blog! So, I wanted to make something for you guys that would knock your socks off! I totally hit it out of the park with this one, if I do say so myself! It’s easy to make and so delicious.
These kind of remind me of the flavors of jalapeno poppers. Check out my Jalapeno Poppers Puffs and Jalapeno Poppers Mummies as well.
These cream cheese puff pastry pinwheels would also be great at a fancy holiday party. Other fantastic appetizers recipes are my Crock Pot Corn Dip and Air Fryer Tortellini.
Thawing frozen puff pastry
If you have frozen puff pastry sheets, you’ll need to thaw them so they are nice and pliable. Thaw time may vary; you want the puff pastry to unfold easily but still be cold after thawing.
To thaw at room temperature, remove the pastry sheets from the box and outer wrapping. Thaw the sheets on the counter for about 40 minutes.
Though not my recommended method, puff pastry can be thawed in the microwave if you’re careful. To thaw in the microwave, remove one pastry sheet from the box and outer wrapping, and wrap the sheet in a paper towel.
Working with one sheet at a time, microwave on high for 15 seconds. Turn the pastry sheet over. Microwave on high for another 15 seconds.
If pastry doesn’t unfold easily, microwave for another 5 seconds on each side.
Using the puff pastry
Unfold the pastry on a lightly floured surface. Remove parchment paper. The pastry should be ready to roll and shape.
If the pastry cracks when unfolding, sprinkle the crack with a little water and press the edges together to seal.
If thawed pastry sheets become warm or sticky after thawing, place in the freezer for 5 minutes, or the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes, then they should be ready to use.
Other puff pastry recipes you’ll love
Pesto Puff Pasty Pinwheels
Lemon puff pastry sticks
Blueberry breakfast pastry
French onion tart
Sausage and potato pot pies
Poached pear puff pastry
Pepper Jelly Notes
I love having a batch of this pepper jelly in the fridge for all kinds of occasions. And if you just want the pepper jelly recipe, hop over to the printable recipe card for that.
If you find yourself with some leftover pepper jelly, be sure to check out more Ways to Use Pepper Jelly!
I make this pepper jelly recipe fairly often; it’s so good and so easy to make. I know my readers love it too ~ I get comments all the time about how great it is! Later this month I’ll be giving the recipe a space of its own as well.
This pepper jelly recipe makes more than you need for this puff pastry pinwheels recipe.
Use the extra jam in my Pepper Jelly Shrimp or Pepper Jelly Cheese Balls. Serve it on a cheese plate or charcuterie board. Smear some on a grilled cheese sandwich. There are lots of ways to enjoy this spicy sweet condiment.
Can I use bottled pepper jelly from the store?
Yes, of course you can use store bought pepper jelly. But this one is so good and I think it’s worth the time to make it.
You could also use peach jalapeno jam in these in place of the pepper jelly.
Make ahead
I’ve gotten lots of questions about making these ahead. And, yes, there are lots of make ahead options.
Can I bake them later?
Make them the day before or earlier in the day if you want to serve them at a party. Fill, roll, and cut the pinwheels, place them on a baking sheet and cover the whole thing with plastic wrap. Place them in the fridge, covered, for a day, then bake up fresh for the party.
Can I freeze these before I bake them?
Yes, roll them, cut them, place them in a single layer on a parchment paper lined tray, and cover them with plastic wrap. Then freeze them. After they’re frozen you can place them all in a freezer safe bag.
When you’re ready, put them in the fridge overnight and they should defrost. Then, bake as directed.
You can bake them from frozen, though they may need a little extra baking time. Keep an eye on them as they bake to see how they are doing.
Can these be reheated?
Yes, if you have a few leftover baked Cream cheese pepper jelly puff pastry pinwheels, or want to pre-bake them before a party, simply store them in a covered container in the fridge for a couple of days.
Then, pop them back in a 400° F oven for about 5 minutes, and you’ll have great pinwheels again.
Variations
Crescent rolls: I’ve had many readers who have made them with crescent rolls. I’ve, personally, never made them with crescent rolls. You will have to adjust the fillings more or less depending on the amount of crescent roll. Crescent rolls are typically 8 ounces, where the puff pastry is 17.3. You could use two canisters of rolls and use roughly the same amount of filling as the recipe card calls for.
Phyllo sheets: I’ve been asked about phyllo, and I think it will work, but with some reservations. First phyllo is more difficult to work with and will give you a different texture. Each layer of phyllo needs to be brushed with melted butter so that it gets flaky and crispy. Here are some tips you can use to help you. And other than general tips I can’t say how much to use or anything like that; just go with what looks good. You could even do a stacked phyllo thing (like baklava) rather than a roll if you want.
Tortilla: tortillas are a fairly traditional pinwheel wrapper. If you use them, you won’t even have to bake the snacks. Spread the filling over a large flour tortilla and roll up. Slice into rolls about 1/2 -inch to 1-inch thick.
Add in some chopped roasted red bell pepper for a cheesy roasted pepper pinwheel or even hot peppers.
Use ricotta cheese instead of cream cheese
Use raspberry jam or roasted cranberry sauce instead of pepper jelly for more of a sweet roll.
No, these are not low carb. The pepper jelly has sugar in it and the puff pastry isn’t low carb either.
If you’re looking for low carb appetizers, I suggest Garlic & Herb Cheese sticks, Cottage Cheese Cauliflower Tots, and Smoked Salmon Rolls.
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Recipe
Pepper Jelly Cream Cheese Pinwheels
Ingredients
Pepper Jelly:
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 red bell pepper finely chopped
- 1 green bell pepper finely chopped
- 2 jalapenos seeded ribs removed and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper ground
Pinwheels:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- ½ cup pepper jelly
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- 17.3 ounces puff pastry thawed
Instructions
Make the pepper jelly:
- Mix all pepper jelly ingredients (vinegar, sugar, chopped peppers, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper) in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Reduce to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 2 hours or until reduced by a little more than ½, making about 2 cups of pepper jelly.
- Allow jelly to cool. It will thicken as it cools. You will want ½ cup of pepper jelly for this pinwheels recipe.
Make the pinwheels:
- Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, mix the softened cream cheese and ½ cup of the pepper jelly together.
- Beat the egg and the water in a separate small bowl.
- Unfold one pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Remove the parchment paper from the pastry sheet. Lightly roll out the pastry using a rolling pin so that the pastry is flat and all roughly the same thickness.
- Spread half of the cream cheese pepper jelly mixture onto the pastry sheet. Starting at the short side closest to you, roll up the pastry like a jelly roll. Gently cut the log into 10 slices, about ½ inch thick each. A serrated knife may help you cut more easily. Lay the slices flat on the parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush rolls with egg mixture.
- Repeat with second puff pastry sheet.
- Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Michaela Kenkel
I swear – wrap puff pastry around anything and I love it — but these were EXCEPTIONAL. Thank goodness I swiped one off of the plate before I sat them down or I wouldn’t have even gotten one!
Paige
Ive seen lots of stuff rolled into a pinwheel, but this was so interesting that I had to make it!! My family gobbled them up. And I thought they were so easy to make. Just mix and bake!
Cara
I’ve always been gifted jars of pepper jelly (or bought them) and have never made it myself. Your recipe was so simple to follow and turned out delicious!
Sharon
These are brilliant! I LOVE pepper jelly. The only downside is I ate waaaay to many of these. 😉
Jersey Girl Cooks
I love appetizers and game day food! These were so perfect for our football watching this past weekend. Sweet and spicy. Yummy!
Lise
Can you freeze these before you bake them?
Debi
Lise, I like your idea – that way you have some appetizers all ready in the freezer. I’ve never tried it, but I think it would work. Freeze them in a single layer, like on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Then, pop them in a ziptop bag. For baking, I’ve never baked puff pastry directly from frozen so I think you’d want to thaw them before baking. Put them in the fridge overnight and they should defrost. Then, bake as directed. Baking them from frozen would take a little testing, probably add some time to the baking time, and keep the temperature the same – keep an eye on them as they bake to see how they are doing.
GLORIA SCHADT
Can i prepare the pepper jelly cream cheeaw pinwheels ahead of time and freeze until want to bake them? and do i cut them before freezing or leave rolled up in plastic wrap until ready to use… thank you
Debi
Gloria, yes, you can prepare them ahead of time and freeze them. I would cut them before freezing, and place them in a single layer on a baking sheet to freeze. Once frozen they can be placed in a ziptop bag or freezer safe container. You may wish to place parchment paper in between each piece to make sure they don’t stick. Let them thaw in the fridge before you’re ready to bake them.
Steff
I have seen jars of pepper jelly that you can buy at a specialty shop. Can I use that instead of making my own pepper jelly?
Debi
Steff, yes, you can use that other jar. And, like I said in the post, but I do think this recipe for pepper jelly rocks it! And I think it’s worth the time to make it. It’s THAT good!
Carolyn
I made these today for a party tonight that got cancelled unexpectedly due to covid. The pinwheels have already been baked. Do they will freeze and reheat well. I hate to throw them away and I don’t want to eat them all myself! They are delicious, by the way.
Debi
Carolyn, oh I’m sorry to hear about the party being canceled for that reason. I hope the person gets a mild case. Yes, you can freeze them and reheat them. I have a toaster oven that I like to reheat things like this in. Take them out of the freezer the night before you want to heat them, and let them defrosting the fridge overnight. I would reheat them at 350 for probably 10-15 minutes. I’m glad you love them! 🙂 Thanks!
Marcia Phillips
Not sure if mine turned out right. What is the cream cheese / pepper jelly mixture supposed to be like. Mine ended up very very soft. It didn’t take much to cover the pastry and I had a lot left over. When cooked, you really barely tasted the pepper jelly, and the cream cheese, not at all?? I needed them for a function an hour later, so just added more pepper jelly on top. Everyone liked them, but They didn’t come out the way I had anticipated.
Debi
Marcia, I’ll try to help you trouble shoot here. First you make the pepper jelly. Yes, there’s more pepper jelly than you will need for the recipe for the pinwheels. If you are saying your pepper jelly was very soft, you should cook it longer to let to thicken and allow it to cool. The pepper jelly makes about 2 cups when it is finished cooking. You will only use 1/2 cup of that pepper jelly. It will thicken as it cools. The pepper jelly is thick. Then the 8 ounces of cream cheese should be softened to room temp. Mix the cooked, cooled, and thickened 1/2 cup of pepper jelly into the 8 ounces of cream cheese. It should be thick but soft. A spreadable consistency. You should have used the whole amount of the 8 ounces of cream cheese plus the 1/2 cup of pepper jelly to spread on the puff pastry. Good brands of foods will make a difference as well. Pepperidge farm or Dufour puff pastry are my top choices. You can find them in the freezer section. Philadelphia cream cheese is always best. I’m not sure, but it sounds like you didn’t use up all of the cream cheese mixture in making the pinwheels. I hope that helps.
Joanne
Can I make these up the night before and keep in fridg til ready to bake? Or can I make and bake them, then reheat for party?
Debi
Joanne, yes, you can do both. If you don’t bake them, place them on a baking sheet and cover the whole thing with plastic wrap. Then bake up fresh for the party. If you do bake them, let them cool completely, then refrigerate tightly covered in a container. Then, pop them back in a 400° F oven for about 5 minutes, and you’ll have great pinwheels again.
Scarlet
This was so delicious.Overloaded my pastry but still so tasty.
Debi
Scarlet, sounds like maybe you used more than the 1/2 cup of pepperjelly.
Amanda
I don’t have puff pastry but I have crescent roll sheets? Think this would work? I’m excited to try this when I have the puff pastry but trying to use what I have on hand.