Easy Cheddar and Chive Pinwheels

Name: Easy Cheddar and Chive Pinwheels
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 sheets puff pastry (thawed); 1 cup whipped cream cheese (room temperature); 4 tbsp diced chives (divided); 2 ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (divided); 1 tsp cracked black pepper (divided) (plus more, if desired); Egg wash (1 egg mixed with splash of water); Flaky sea salt (optional) (like Maldon); Flour, for surface

We have a soft spot for snacks that are simple and packed with flavor. These cheddar and chive pinwheels require very little prep and cook up quickly, making them one of our favorite appetizers for parties, movie nights, or game days. We love making these pinwheels with store bought puff pastry to keep these even easier.

Pull Up A Chair

Rachel: I love crispy snacks, and these puff pastry pinwheels are just crispy enough to keep me coming back for more.

Emily: You can’t go wrong with cheddar and chive together. Especially when they’re rolled up in flaky puff pastry.

Why You’ll Love These Cheddar and Chive Puff Pastry Pinwheels

Super easy to make. Using store-bought puff pastry keeps these snacks simple and easy to prepare.
Can be scaled down or up depending on what you need. Cut the recipe in half to make 12 pinwheels instead of 24 (using 1 sheet of puff pastry), or double it to make more pinwheels for your next party! It’s super easy to adjust.
Only 5 ingredients (plus salt and pepper). All you need is puff pastry, cream cheese, cheddar, chives, an egg for eggwash, plus salt and pepper. Nothing fancy.
Ready in about a half hour, including prep time. Guests arriving in an hour? No problem! You can whip these up in a half hour, including the time it takes to shred cheese and dice chives.

Individual pinwheels with cheddar, chives, and black pepper, stacked up on each other on a plate.

Why Puff Pastry Needs to Stay Cold

Traditional puff pastry is made with folded layers of dough and butter, using a method called “lamination.” This typically involves placing a full sheet of flattened butter onto a sheet of dough, then folding the dough around the butter, and rolling and folding repeatedly to create layers of butter and dough. When baked, the water in the butter evaporates into steam, creating separations or air pockets between the folds of the dough, resulting in flaky, layered pastry. Store bought puff pastry does not always use butter, however, but puffs up due to the same concept of steam releasing between the layers during baking.

In order for puff pastry to puff up, it needs to be fairly cool when it goes into the oven. Putting warm puff pastry into the oven means that the fat (butter, vegan butter, shortening, etc.) in the dough will start to leak and heat up too quickly before the steam has a chance to release between the layers, causing puff pastry that doesn’t puff up or flake as well. This is why it’s important to thaw your puff pastry enough that it’s pliable, but not too much that it’s warm. If your puff pastry is warm to the touch or super soft, you’ll need to put it back in the fridge before baking it for best results.

Ingredients in Cheddar and Chive Pinwheels

Puff pastry – any store bought version is fine. No need to make your own, unless you want to !
Whipped cream cheese – be sure to use whipped cream cheese. Regular won’t spread as easily.
Chives – these provide a nice subtle onion flavor.
Shredded cheddar cheese – you can use mild, medium, or sharp. Shredding your own cheese will ensure maximum meltiness, but you can use pre shredded if you need to.
Cracked black pepper – freshly cracked black pepper goes really well with the cheddar cheese and provides a nice flavor to the pinwheels.

How To Make Cheddar and Chive Puff Pastry Pinwheels

Prep. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Assemble the puff pastry rolls. Place one of the puff pastry sheets onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out slightly. Spread half of the cream cheese onto the surface of the puff pastry, covering it in a light, thin layer. Sprinkle half of the chives on top of the cream cheese, then cover with half of the shredded cheddar. Distribute about 1 tsp black pepper on top of the cheddar.

Preparing cheddar and chive pinwheels by spreading cream cheese on puff pastry sheet then sprinkling with chives and shredded cheddar cheese.

Starting with the side closest to you, slice the puff pastry into 12 equal strips (a pizza cutter works well here). The strips should be just under an inch wide. Roll up each dough strip tightly away from you. Pinch the ends together to seal them.

Rolling up pinwheels by slicing into strips with pizza cutter then rolling each strip into a round spiral shape.

Bake the cheddar and chive pinwheels. Place the cheddar and chive rolls, flat-side-down, onto the baking sheet. Brush each pinwheel with egg wash, then bake for about 15 to 18 minutes or until puffed and golden brown on top. Note that the exact timing may depend on the brand of puff pastry you’re using, so be sure to also follow package instructions. Follow the same steps with the 2nd sheet of puff pastry.

Spiraled cheddar and chive pinwheels on a baking sheet, brushing with egg wash.

Make These Your Own: Fun Flavor Variations

Add bacon! Keep the cream cheese, cheddar, chives, and pepper but add cooked, chopped bacon for extra flavor and protein.
Change up the cheese. Make these with Swiss cheese or even shredded parmesan for a stronger cheese flavor.
Skip the chives, if you don’t like onions. If you’re not a fan of onion flavor, you can skip the chives and just use cream cheese, cheddar, and pepper, or add another fresh herb like thyme.
Make it spicy! Add some diced jalapeño for a little extra spice.

Our Tips for Making These Cheddar and Chive Pinwheels

Rachel and Emily from Cooking with Conks

Make sure your puff pastry is thawed but still cold. Follow the package instructions on your puff pastry for thawing it. Frozen puff pastry is hard to work with and won’t roll up easily, but if your pastry is warm, it’ll be harder to spread the cream cheese on and it won’t bake correctly. Warm puff pastry will leak butter in the oven, causing it to be less flaky and crisp and not puffed.

Use room temperature cream cheese. If your cream cheese is too cold, it won’t spread easily on the puff pastry.
Don’t go too heavy on the egg wash, if using. The egg wash adds a shine to the top of the puff pastry and helps the pinwheels brown, but using too much can keep the layers from separating and puffing up. All you need is a little brush of egg wash on top of the rolls. You can also skip the egg wash entirely, if you want.

How to Store and Reheat Cheddar and Chive Pinwheels

You can store cooked pinwheels for a couple of hours at room temperature, if you’re serving them the same day you make them. They’re great for snack or brunch spreads. Store cooked pinwheels in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Let them cool completely before sealing to prevent sogginess. You can also freeze baked pinwheels in a single layer on a sheet tray or plate until they’re solid, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 or 3 months for best results. You can also freeze them before baking (see the FAQ on freezing below).

Reheat these cheddar and chive pinwheels on a baking sheet at 350°F until they’re heated through, about 5 to 15 minutes (if they’re room temperature, choose the shorter time; if baking from frozen, you might need the full 15 minutes; if refrigerated, you may need somewhere in the middle).

What to Serve with Cheddar and Chive Pinwheels

These puff pastry pinwheels pair well with both sweet and savory snacks, making them a great addition to any appetizer or snack spread.

Hearty chicken salad, like our Guacamole Chicken Salad
Fresh homemade Pico de Gallo
A plant-based snack, like Vegan Chickpea Avocado Dip
Veggies and Herby Ranch dip
A shareable platter of Dessert Quesadillas

FAQs: Cheddar and Chive Pinwheels

Yes. You can top the puff pastry with cream cheese, cheddar, chives, and pepper and either slice into strips, then roll them up, or roll the whole sheet into a log without slicing. Place either the cut, uncooked pinwheels or the whole log into the fridge for up to 24 hours (then cut the log into rolls).

Yes, you can freeze these either before or after baking. To freeze before baking, top the puff pastry with the ingredients, then either slice into strips and roll them up, or roll the whole sheet into a log, then slice it when ready to bake. Bake from frozen; you may need to add an extra couple of minutes to your bake time. To freeze after baking, let the pinwheels cool completely, then freeze in a single layer before transferring them to a freezer safe bag or container.

This can happen when you don’t roll the pinwheels tightly enough or don’t pinch the ends together adequately. We also find that if your puff pastry is too warm, it has a higher chance of unraveling, so be sure to use cool puff pastry. Be sure to work quickly when dealing with puff pastry so that it doesn’t warm up too much at room temperature before baking.

No. Egg wash helps create a golden, shiny finish, but using it is completely optional.

Of course! We love the flavor of cheddar, but these would be good with parmesan, Swiss, or another shredded cheese.

Yes, but they won’t taste as fresh or bright. You’ll also need a little less volume since dried chives can often taste more concentrated. For dried chives, use about 1/3 the amount called for in the recipe.

Round cheddar and chive pinwheels stacked on a plate.

Ingredients

2 sheets puff pastry thawed
1 cup whipped cream cheese room temperature
4 tbsp diced chives (divided)
2 ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (divided)
1 tsp cracked black pepper (divided) plus more, if desired
Egg wash 1 egg mixed with splash of water
Flaky sea salt (optional) like Maldon
Flour, for surface

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place one of the puff pastry sheets onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle a little flour on top and roll it out slightly.
2 sheets puff pastry, Flour, for surface
Spread 1/2 cup cream cheese onto the surface of the puff pastry, covering it in a light, thin layer.
1 cup whipped cream cheese
Sprinkle 2 tbsp chives on top of the cream cheese, then cover with about 1 ¼ cup shredded cheddar. Crack a generous amount of black pepper on top of the cheddar (about 1/2 tsp).
4 tbsp diced chives (divided), 2 ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (divided), 1 tsp cracked black pepper (divided)
Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut strips of the puff pastry, cutting parallel to the shorter edge.
Roll up each strip into a coil or pinwheel shape, pinching the ends of the puff pastry together. Place the rolls, flat-sides-down, onto the parchment.
Optionally brush the rolls with egg wash, the bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown, puffed, and cooked through. Top with flaky salt, if desired.
Egg wash, Flaky sea salt (optional)
Repeat steps with the 2nd sheet of puff pastry.

Notes

Tips

Make sure your puff pastry is thawed but still cold.
Use room temperature cream cheese.
Don’t go too heavy on the egg wash, if using.

Did you make this?

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Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a super easy and tasty party snack, these cheddar and chive pinwheels are the way to go. They’re flaky, cheesy, savory, and always a hit. If you make these, we’d love to hear how they turned out! Let us know in the comments or tag us on Instagram.