Spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and prosciutto get rolled into a flaky butter puff pastry for a savory pinwheel that skips the cream cheese most versions rely on. Make the log ahead and keep it in the freezer, so all that’s left to do is slice, bake, and serve, about 20 minutes start to finish.
Why These Pinwheels Don’t Fall Apart When You Slice Them
If you know pinwheels as the cold, cream cheese and tortilla kind from a party tray, this is a different thing entirely. These are baked, so what you get is warm and flaky, not squishy. The part that trips people up with any rolled filling like this is moisture: if the spinach isn’t squeezed completely dry, the filling turns gooey and the whole log falls apart the second you slice into it. These are my go-to appetizer that I can count on to be a hit every time.
Chop the Sun-Dried Tomatoes Small
Cutting the sun-dried tomatoes into small pieces, rather than leaving them in strips, makes a real difference once you slice the log. Big pieces catch the knife and drag the filling out of place, so smaller pieces cut clean through with everything else. The same goes for the prosciutto: keep the slices thin so they roll evenly instead of bunching up in one spot.
What Keeps the Filling From Turning Gooey
- Squeeze all of the liquid out of the spinach. If it comes in a bag, you can poke wholes in the bag and squeeze out all of the liquid. Any extra moisture makes the filling gooey and the log won’t hold together as well.
- Freeze the log for about an hour before slicing. It firms up enough to cut clean without squishing the filling out the sides.
- Use a serrated knife to slice through the pastry will help keep the shape.
What I Serve Alongside Them
The last time I made these, I served them next to a bowl of caramel Chex mix with Fritos and pecans and a platter of Kentucky cucumber sandwiches made with grated cucumber and onion. The rich, salty pinwheels pair well with something sweet and crunchy on one side and something cool and fresh on the other.
What You’ll Need for Savory Pinwheels
The exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Puff pastry – Dufour comes as one large sheet, about 12 by 18 inches, and this recipe is built around that size. If you use Pepperidge Farm instead, note that it comes two smaller sheets to a box, and the filling amount here is enough to fill both of them, not just one.
- Frozen spinach – frozen works better than fresh here since it’s already wilted down and easy to drain. Thaw it completely before you start.
- Sun-dried tomatoes – the oil-packed kind, drained and patted dry so they don’t add extra moisture to the filling.
- Prosciutto – thin-sliced from the deli counter is exactly what you want.
- Parmesan – use a block and grate it fresh rather than the pre-shredded kind, it has a sharper flavor that carries the filling.
If you like this kind of savory, make-ahead appetizer, you might want to try puff pastry bites with caramelized onions and gruyere in your rotation too.
How to Make a Pinwheel Recipe with Puff Pastry
Step 1: Make the Filling
Step 2: Assemble the Pinwheels
First thaw the puff pastry for about 30 minutes so that it’s still cold but soft enough to roll out.
Step 3: Slice and Bake
I usually double this recipe and freeze two logs instead of one. That way I have a second one ready to slice the next time I need an appetizer.
The extra freezer step is worth it once you taste how the sun-dried tomato, prosciutto, and parmesan come together in a bite of flaky, buttery pastry, simple to make and just as good warm as at room temperature.
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Puff Pastry Pinwheels with Spinach and Prosciutto
Equipment
Video
Ingredients
- 1 puff pastry sheet
- 10 ounces frozen spinach thawed and squeezed completely dry
- ½ cup sun dried tomatoes drained, chopped and patted dry
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup parmesan/asiago cheese grated
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 6 thin slices prosciutto
- 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Thaw puff pastry at room temperature for about 30 minutes or until it is easy to unfold.
- Drain all the liquid out of the spinach.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, mayonnaise, cheese, and seasonings. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Unfold a sheet of pastry and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll it into a 12 x 18 inch rectangle. Spread the spinach mixture evenly over the pastry sheet leaving a ½ inch border along the longer sides. Cover the spinach mixture with thin slices of prosciutto.
- Starting at a longer side, roll the pastry tightly and pinch the seam at the end. Wrap with plastic wrap. Freeze the log for about an hour or until it is firm but not completely frozen. If you freeze it all the way, let it thaw slightly so it will be easier to slice.
- Preheat the oven to 425º.
- Slice into ½ inch slices and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with the egg wash.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Barbara’s Tips + Notes
- If using Pepperidge Farm puff pastry, note it comes two sheets to a box. Split the filling between both sheets instead of using it all on one.
- Freeze the log for about an hour before slicing, a serrated knife will give you the cleanest cut without squishing the filling.
- You can freeze the whole log or slice it first and freeze individual pieces, so you only bake what you need.
- Baked pinwheels keep well in an airtight container at room temperature overnight.
- For the flakiest pinwheels, use a puff pastry that is made with butter.
Nutrition
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dana says
I love pinwheels!! But have always made them cold with tortillas. Can’t wait to try these… wonder if we could swap out some ingredients to make them a little lighter/healthier….? Thanks for sharing a little B&B love every morning 🙂
cheryl says
My family could not stop eating these!
Barbara Curry says
I know what you mean!
Pat says
Do I need to roll out the puffed pastry to a certain size?
Is there a difference between rolling up from the long side or short side?
Following your recipe, I had so much filling I could hardly roll it up. Any tips?
Thanks!
Barbara Curry says
I try to roll it as thin as I can about a 12 x 18 inch rectangle. If you roll it up from the short side you will have larger pinwheels, so it just depends what you are looking for. If you had a lot of extra filling, it could be you needed to roll it out into a larger rectangle. I’ll make that clearer in the post.
Pat England says
Thanks very much for your speedy response, Barbara.
I’ll try rolling out the pastry next time.
Pat E