Tortilla rollups, or party pinwheels, are one of the easiest make-ahead appetizers you can make! No cooking, just a few ingredients, a few minutes of prep time, and you have the tastiest, most snackable appetizer.
This recipe shows you how to make tortilla pinwheels two ways: Buffalo Chicken Pinwheels (creamy, delicious, spicy!) and Veggie Pinwheels (flavorful, savory, vegetarian).
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Tortilla appetizer
If you're looking for an easy tortilla appetizer, you have GOT to try these party pinwheels! Make both the buffalo and veggie pinwheels, or choose which one sounds best to you... you can't go wrong here!
I honestly can't tell you which of these party pinwheels are my favorite. If I really had to pick it would probably be the Buffalo chicken ones. I actually recommend dipping the veggie bean pinwheels into Buffalo sauce for the best of both worlds. 😉
Related recipe: Buffalo Chicken Ring
Make-ahead appetizer
These tortilla pinwheels are the BEST make-ahead appetizer. They can be made 1 hour before serving and up to 1 day before serving. In fact, they actually need to be made ahead because the tortillas cut much nicer after they are chilled for an hour.
These tortilla pinwheels travel well too, great for bringing them to a potluck, picnic, or a party!
Try these other make ahead appetizers: Easy Salami Appetizer or Party Meatballs
Buffalo chicken pinwheels ingredients
To make buffalo chicken pinwheels, you will need these ingredients:
- 1 cup whipped cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 tablespoons to ¼ cup Buffalo sauce, to taste (see tips below)
- 2 tablespoons Blue cheese dressing (or Ranch dressing)
- ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese (or use feta, or skip if you prefer)
- 2 scallions, diced
- 1.5 cups cooked shredded chicken
- Optional: 1 cup white beans (such as great northern, cannellini, or navy beans)
- Optional: 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, finely diced (or skip or substitute with finely diced parsley)
- 4 large tortillas or wraps
For serving:
- Buffalo sauce
- Blue cheese dressing
Related recipe: Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken
How to make Buffalo chicken pinwheels
Step 1: In a medium bowl, combine the softened whipped cream cheese, Buffalo sauce, blue cheese dressing, blue cheese, chopped scallions, and chopped cilantro.
Step 2: Stir in the cooked shredded chicken until well combined. Taste and adjust the spice with more Buffalo sauce, if desired.
Step 3: If using white beans, gently stir in the white beans until fully combined.
Step 4: Spread about ½ - ¾ cup of the Buffalo chicken mixture over a tortilla or wrap, making sure to get a little bit on the end so it acts like "glue" but not too much so that it squeezes out when the tortilla is rolled.
Roll up the tortilla. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas until the Buffalo chicken mixture is all used up.
Step 5: Cover each one in plastic wrap or place them in a container with a lid and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours. This step is optional, but makes it easier to slice the rolled tortillas into pinwheels.
Step 6: Slice off about 1-2 inches from the end (don't think it out, it makes a great snack!), then slice the rolled up tortilla into ¾ - 1 inch pieces. Serve chilled or room temperature.
Related recipe: Buffalo Chicken Cheese Dip
Tips for making Buffalo chicken pinwheels
→ Make these ahead of time: The rolled tortillas need to chill in the fridge for at least an hour so the cream cheese gets firmer and makes the tortillas easier to slice. You can prep these up to a day before serving, and you can slice them right before serving or ahead of time. Just make sure to slice them while they're cold!
→ Control the spice: 2 tablespoons of Buffalo makes pretty mild Buffalo chicken filling. ¼ cup (which is 4 tablespoons) makes a spicier filling. Since all the ingredients are fully cooked, you can taste and adjust the spice of the mixture. And you can always dip the pinwheels into Buffalo sauce for extra spice!
→ Not into blue cheese? It's completely optional! You can use Ranch dressing instead of blue cheese dressing to reduce the blue cheese flavor. You can use crumbled feta instead of blue cheese to omit the blue cheese flavor but still have that extra cheesy salty creaminess.
→ Tortillas or wraps: You can use large flour tortillas or wraps for pinwheels - your choice. You can use green spinach wraps or flavored wraps, if you like. The larger the tortilla or wrap, the more pinwheels you will get out of it. If your tortillas are too small, you'll waste half of it on the edges which do not turn into pretty pinwheels (though they make great snacks!!)
More easy appetizers: Air Fryer Bagel Bites
Veggie pinwheels ingredients
To make vegetarian pinwheels, you'll need these ingredients:
- 1 cup whipped cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup shredded cheese (such as cheddar or Mexican cheese blend)
- 1-2 teaspoons taco seasoning (to taste)
- ½ red bell pepper, finely diced
- ½ yellow bell pepper, finely diced
- 2 scallions, diced
- 1 cup cooked beans (such as black beans or cannellini beans)
- Optional: 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, diced
For serving:
- Lime crema: ¼ cup sour cream + squeeze of lime juice + salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle in 1-2 teaspoons water if you want it thinner.
More vegetarian party appetizers: Fried Brie
How to make veggie pinwheels:
Step 1: In a medium bowl, combine the whipped cream cheese, shredded cheese, taco seasoning, diced bell peppers, scallions, beans, and cilantro. Mix well. Taste and season with more taco seasoning and/or salt, if desired.
Step 2: Spread about ½ - ¾ cup of the bean mixture on a tortilla. Roll up the tortillas.
Step 3: Cover each one in plastic wrap or place them in a container with a lid and chill the rolled up tortillas in the fridge for at least an hour, or up to 24 hours.
Step 4: Slice off 1-2 inches of the tortilla from the end, then slice the rolled up tortilla into ¾ - 1 inch pinwheels. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Which of these tortilla pinwheels will you make first?? Let me know in the comments below the recipe!
And if you want more easy tortilla recipes, be sure to check out these Tortilla Pizzas!
If you enjoyed this recipe, let me know with a comment and a star rating below. And don't forget to share it on Facebook and save it on Pinterest for later!
Party Pinwheels 2 Ways! (Buffalo Chicken and Veggie Pinwheels)
Ingredients
- 1 cup whipped cream cheese - softened to room temperature
- 2-4 tablespoons Buffalo sauce - to taste (see notes below), plus extra for serving
- 2 tablespoons Blue cheese dressing - (or Ranch dressing), plus extra for serving
- ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese - (or use feta, or skip if you prefer)
- 2 scallions - diced
- 1.5 cups cooked shredded chicken
- Optional: 1 cup white beans - (such as great northern, cannellini, or navy beans)
- Optional: 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves - finely diced (or skip or substitute with finely diced parsley)
- 4 large flour tortillas - or wraps
- 1 cup whipped cream cheese - softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup shredded cheese - (such as cheddar or Mexican cheese blend)
- 1-2 teaspoons taco seasoning - (to taste)
- ½ red bell pepper - finely diced
- ½ yellow bell pepper - finely diced
- 2 scallions - diced
- 1 cup cooked beans - (such as black beans or cannellini beans)
- 4 large flour tortillas - or wraps
- Optional: 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves - diced
- Lime crema for serving: ¼ cup sour cream + squeeze of lime juice + salt and pepper to taste - (drizzle in 1-2 teaspoons water if you want it thinner)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the softened whipped cream cheese, Buffalo sauce, blue cheese dressing, blue cheese, chopped scallions, and chopped cilantro.
- Stir in the cooked shredded chicken until well combined. Taste and adjust the spice with more Buffalo sauce, if desired.
- If using white beans, gently stir in the white beans until fully combined.
- Spread about ½ - ¾ cup of the Buffalo chicken mixture over a tortilla or wrap, making sure to get a little bit on the end so it acts like "glue" but not too much so that it squeezes out when the tortilla is rolled.
- Roll up the tortilla. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas until the Buffalo chicken mixture is all used up.
- Cover each one in plastic wrap or place them in a container with a lid and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours. This step is optional, but makes it easier to slice the rolled tortillas into pinwheels.
- Slice off about 1-2 inches from the end (don't think it out, it makes a great snack!), then slice the rolled up tortilla into ¾ - 1 inch pieces. Serve chilled or room temperature with Buffalo sauce and blue cheese dressing for dipping.
- In a medium bowl, combine the whipped cream cheese, shredded cheese, taco seasoning, diced bell peppers, scallions, beans, and cilantro. Mix well. Taste and season with more taco seasoning and/or salt, if desired.
- Spread about ½ - ¾ cup of the bean mixture on a tortilla. Roll up the tortillas.
- Cover each one in plastic wrap or place them in a container with a lid and chill the rolled up tortillas in the fridge for at least an hour, or up to 24 hours.
- Slice off 1-2 inches of the tortilla from the end, then slice the rolled up tortilla into ¾ - 1 inch pinwheels. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.
Ash
Wednesday 8th of March 2023
We loved the buffalo chicken pinwheels! Will have to try the other ones next time.