Easy thee-ingredient Puff Pastry Pinwheels made with pesto and shredded mozzarella cheese. The perfect snack or appetizer for parties, holidays, or any time you want flaky pastry with a savory filling.

The pesto pinwheels are such an easy recipe that you can make with store bought pastry sheets or make your own puff pastry. It take a few steps more, but making homemade puff pastry is easier than you think!

Whichever you decide, these puff pastry pinwheels are a simple appetizer or snack. For this version, I made them with pesto and shredded cheese. You can use any kind of pesto you like so why not try my homemade basil pesto or sun-dried tomato pesto? Both are wonderful in these pinwheels.

Or, make them extra easy and use good-quality store-bought pesto. This makes it the perfect last-minute recipe when you need a quick appetizer for company, party, or holiday. They’re much better than store-bought frozen puff pastry party appetizers and almost as easy to make. With only three ingredients, you’ll have these in the oven in no time.

I just love the flaky pastry with the cheesy savory filling. So simple but so good!

Table of Contents

Ingredients

Puff pastry dough
Homemade pesto or store-bought
Shredded mozzarella cheese or you can use Gruyere or Fontina

How to Make Them

Roll out the puff pastry sheet and spread the pesto over the top.

Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the pesto and then roll up the pastry starting at a long end.

Place the roll on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and chill the pastry for at least 30 minutes so it can firm up.

Once it’s chilled, slice the roll into 1/4″ slices and place them on the baking sheet. Bake them at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes or until they are golden brown. Serve them warm from the oven.

Can puff pastry appetizers be made ahead of time?

Yes, you can refrigerate the pastry roll ahead of time and then slice and bake it later. It will keep in the refrigerator for a few days.

You can also slice the roll and freeze the individual pinwheels. Place them in a freezer container with wax paper separating the layers so they don’t stick. Freeze them for up to one month and then bake them as instructed. You don’t have to thaw them, but they will take a few minutes longer to bake if frozen.

Recipe Tips

You can use any kind of pesto that you like for this recipe. This is an easy way to change up the flavors.

These are best eaten when they are baked. They will stay nice at room temperature for a few hours, but after some time they will start to soften.

Don’t skip the chilling step. For the best flaky pesto pinwheels, the butter need to be cold that way it creates those light and flaky layers.

I love the taste of these pesto puff pastry pinwheels. Light and flaky with a buttery flavor and that delicious pesto and cheese filling. The best party appetizer not only because they taste great, but are so easy, too. Enjoy!

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