Cute Christmas Pinwheels With Ranch Cream Cheese
When it comes to finding delicious Christmas appetizers, there are so many great ideas to choose from! But who wants to slave over an oven making cute treats for your next party? With this recipe for Christmas pinwheels, you can make an adorable snack without ever turning on the stove! This no bake recipe is the perfect idea for any family get-together because guests of all ages will love them — from kids to adults!
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No bake appetizers a great option for a last-minute holiday party! And when you give them a fun Christmas twist, your snacks are sure to be the star of the event.
That’s what makes these fun pinwheels the perfect Christmas party food. You can prepare them with just a few minutes of prep work in the kitchen. But they look amazing when added to your holiday spread.
Christmas Pinwheels
But what you’re going to love the most about this recipe is how quick and easy these pinwheel Christmas trees come together. That means they’re probably going to become your go-to appetizer for all your holiday parties.
But what’s even better about this no bake snack is just how easy it is to customize! To make the holiday pinwheels like mine, you’ll need:
- Spinach tortillas. Add a holiday color scheme to your appetizers with some spinach tortillas. Make sure to grab the largest tortillas you can find to make your pinwheels.
- Cream cheese. The base of the tortilla’s filling is cream cheese. Make sure to give your cream cheese time to soften before you start mixing up the filling!
- Veggies. This meat-free appetizer gets most of its flavor from fresh veggies. I used red bell pepper and green onions to give it a Christmas look! Make sure to chop up your veggies into fine bits before mixing them into the cream cheese.
- Ranch seasoning. Add even more flavor to each bite with the help of some ranch seasoning. I used Hidden Valley ranch seasoning, but you can mix in your favorite brand or even make your own from scratch!
- Shredded cheddar cheese. Finish mixing your pinwheel filling by adding some shredded cheese. I love the way cheddar cheese balances out the ranch seasoning, but if you prefer another type of cheese, keep reading to see my other filling suggestions at the bottom of the post!
How to Make Christmas Pinwheels
Putting these individually sized appetizers together couldn’t be easier! Just follow these quick and easy steps for rolling and stacking your Christmas tree appetizers.
Start by preparing the cream cheese filling. First, make sure your cream cheese is softened by allowing it to sit out at room temperature for around one hour or heating it in the microwave in 15 second intervals.
Then, add the finely chopped green onion, diced red pepper, ranch seasoning, and shredded cheddar cheese. Mix all the ingredients together until everything is smooth and well combined.
After that, spread the mixture over the top of your tortilla. Make sure to leave some space at the end of the tortilla for the filling to spread as you roll. This will keep the cream cheese from leaking out the ends and sides of the pinwheel.
After that, roll up the tortilla around the filling to create a long log with the tortilla.
Tightly wrap the rolled-up tortilla with plastic wrap. After that, form the log into a triangle shape. Start by pressing the bottom of the roll-up down on the counter to flatten it. Then, use your fingers to press the top of the roll-up into a point.
Once all your tortillas are rolled up and formed into triangles, place them in the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour. You can leave your tortillas in the fridge up to overnight if you need to.
When you’re ready to serve your pinwheels, use a sharp knife to trim the ends off each roll, then cut them into 10 even pieces.
Press two triangles onto a toothpick or appetizer skewer to create a Christmas tree shape. After that, your pinwheels are ready to enjoy!
Christmas Pinwheel Appetizer Ideas
Now that you know how to make these cute appetizers, the sky is the limit! There are so many ways you can use your pinwheels at your next Christmas party. Try these recipe ideas to create an amazing display for your holiday celebration.
As you’re preparing your Christmas tree appetizers, try these other recipe ideas to create unique snacks for your party.
- Use different cheeses. Cheddar is a great option because of its mild flavor, but you can use any type of cheese you want to make your pinwheels. Try adding Monterrey jack, pepper jack, colby, or a mix of different cheeses for added flavor.
- Add some meats. This veggie filled pinwheel recipe is perfect for any guest! But if you want to add some protein to your appetizers, try mixing in chopped bacon, diced ham, or shredded chicken.
- Make them with flour tortillas. Not a fan of spinach tortillas? You can also make these pinwheels with regular flour tortillas! Simply swap out the spinach tortillas for your favorite flour variety.
- Mix in some more veggies or herbs. Add more flavor to your vegetable pinwheels by adding some extra ingredients. In addition to red bell pepper and green onion, you can also add finely chopped spinach, green bell pepper, red onion, tomatoes, green chilies, jalapenos, parsley, or basil.
Christmas Pinwheel Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 large spinach tortillas
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 packet ranch seasoning
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 4 green onions, finely chopped
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Add the softened cream cheese, ranch seasoning, chopped red bell pepper, chopped green onion, and shredded cheddar cheese to a large bowl. Stir to mix.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture over the top of each tortilla, leaving space on the end of the tortilla for the filling to spread.
- Roll up the tortilla tightly around the filling.
- Wrap each tortilla tightly with plastic wrap and form it into a triangle shape with your fingers.
- Place the tortillas in the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour, or up to overnight.
- When ready to serve, cut off the ends of the tortillas and then slice each tortilla into 10 even pieces.
- Place two triangles onto one toothpick or skewer to make a Christmas tree shape.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 15 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 139Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 315mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 4g
More Easy Recipe Ideas:
Easy Charcuterie Skewers Wreath Appetizer
Easy Pigs in a Blanket Wreath for Christmas
Emily is a midwestern mom of two boys. She loves all things DIY — from home renovations to kids birthday party planning. Whether she’s making a new farmhouse craft for her home or helping her kids with a cool activity, you can bet she’s in the middle of some kind of DIY project (or three) right now!
Thank you for sharing and participating at SSPS 341 Emily. See you at #342, Jan 6. Merry Christmas/Happy Festive Season.