This Christmas Tree Pinwheel Appetizer is the ultimate no-bake holiday solution! This easy pinwheel recipe features festive tortilla pinwheels, filled with a savory christmas pinwheels with cream cheese filling, and then artfully arranged on a platter to look just like a christmas tree appetizer. ‘Tis the season for holiday parties, and this is the perfect “go-to” make-ahead snack for all your Christmas Eve nibbling.
It’s an easy, crowd-pleasing, and beautiful centerpiece for your platter. This guide will show you exactly how to make your pinwheel appetizer tree, step-by-step. It’s the perfect centerpiece to build a platter around. On your holiday table, serve these festive pinwheels with a stunning Cranberry and Brie Puff Pastry Wreath and some adorable Reindeer Pretzel Treats.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Easy Pinwheel Recipe
This recipe is a must-make for any holiday party. Here’s why:
- No-Bake, No-Stress: This is the definition of easy pinwheel recipes. No oven is required, which frees up precious space for your main course. It’s an assembly-only recipe that you can’t mess up.
- Festive & Fun: It’s a guaranteed “wow” factor. Using red and green ingredients in the filling, plus alternating red and green tortillas, makes for a beautiful christmas appetizer tree shape.
- 100% Make-Ahead: This isn’t just a “can” make-ahead, it’s a “should” make-ahead. This pinwheel recipe needs to chill, making it the perfect stress-free appetizer to prep the day before.
- Crowd-Pleaser: This pinwheel food is a total hit with both kids and adults. The savory, tangy cream cheese filling is a classic for a reason, and the bite-sized format is perfect for grazing.
Easy Christmas Tree Pinwheel Appetizer
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 32 pinwheels 1x
Description
The ultimate no-bake holiday appetizer! This easy Christmas Tree Pinwheel Appetizer features festive tortilla pinwheels filled with a savory red-and-green cream cheese filling.
Ingredients
For the Cream Cheese Filling:
- 16 oz cream cheese (2 blocks), softened to room temperature
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp fresh dill, minced
For the Festive Mix-Ins:
- ¼ cup green olives, sliced
- ¼ cup black olives, sliced
- ¼ cup red peppers, finely chopped (or jarred pimientos, drained)
For Assembly:
- 4 large (10-inch) tortillas (use 2 plain/white and 2 green/spinach for color!)
- Fresh rosemary sprigs (for garnish)
- Cherry tomatoes or pomegranate seeds (for garnish)
- Pretzel sticks (for tree trunk)
Instructions
- Make the Filling: In a large bowl, add the softened cream cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, and lemon juice. Blend with a hand mixer (or a strong spatula) until smooth and creamy.
- Add Mix-Ins: Fold in the fresh dill, sliced green olives, sliced black olives, and finely chopped red peppers.
- Spread & Roll: Lay one tortilla on a flat surface. Spread about ½ cup of the cream cheese mixture in a thin, even layer all the way to the edges.
- Roll Tightly: Starting from one end, roll up the tortilla tightly and snugly to create a log.
- Wrap & Chill: Wrap the tortilla log very tightly in plastic wrap, twisting the ends. Repeat for all 4 tortillas.
- Chill (Mandatory): Place the wrapped rolls in the freezer for 30-60 minutes or the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. This step is essential for clean slices.
- Slice: Once firm, unwrap the rolls. Use a sharp, serrated knife to slice them into ¾-inch pinwheels.
- Arrange the Tree: On a large platter or serving board, arrange the pinwheel slices into the shape of a Christmas tree. Start with a wide base (8-9 pinwheels) and make each row narrower, ending with one at the top.
- Garnish: Place a few pretzel sticks at the base to create a “trunk.” Garnish the “tree” with sprigs of fresh rosemary (as branches) and cherry tomato halves or pomegranate seeds (as ornaments).
Notes
- Neat Slices: The secret to pinwheels that don’t squish is a cold roll and a serrated (bread) knife. Do not skip the chilling step!
- Make-Ahead: You can make the uncut, wrapped rolls up to 24 hours in advance and store them in the refrigerator. Slice just before serving.
- Gluten-Free: To make this gluten-free, simply use your favorite large gluten-free tortillas.
- Storage: Store leftover pinwheels in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Chill Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Snack
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 pinwheel
- Calories: 65kcal
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 105mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 3g
- Fiber: 0.2g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 14mg
Ingredients for Christmas Pinwheels with Cream Cheese
You only need a few simple ingredients to make these christmas pinwheel appetizers. The key is the red and green color combination!
For the Creamy Pinwheel Filling
- 16 oz cream cheese (2 blocks), softened to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh dill, minced (or 1/2 tsp dried)
For the “Red & Green” Festive Mix-Ins
- ¼ cup green olives, sliced
- ¼ cup black olives, sliced (for color contrast)
- ¼ cup red peppers, finely chopped (jarred pimientos, drained, work great!)
For Assembly
- 4 large (10-inch) tortillas (Use 2 plain/white and 2 green/spinach tortillas for extra festive color!)
- Plastic wrap
In-Depth Notes on Your Ingredients
The Best Tortillas to Use
For this pinwheel recipe, you want large, thin, and flexible “burrito-size” (10-inch) tortillas. Avoid thick or “raw” tortillas, as they will crack when you roll them. Using 2 green (spinach-flavored) and 2 white (flour) tortillas creates a beautiful alternating color pattern in your final Christmas Tree Pinwheel Appetizer.
Softening Your Cream Cheese
This is the key to a smooth, lump-free filling. You must use room-temperature, block-style cream cheese (not the whipped kind in a tub). If you forget to set it out, you can unwrap it and microwave it on a plate in 15-second bursts until it’s soft to the touch.
The Festive “Mix-ins”
The goal is to get festive red and green “confetti” in every bite.
- Red Peppers: Jarred, diced pimientos are the easiest option. Just drain them well! You can also use finely diced fresh red bell pepper for a crunchier texture.
- Olives: Sliced green olives give a great salty, briny kick. We add black olives purely for the dark color contrast, which makes the pinwheels pop.
How to Make Your Christmas Tree Pinwheel Appetizer
This pinwheel recipe is all about simple assembly and one crucial tip (the chill!).
Step 1: Make the Festive Cream Cheese Filling
In a large bowl, add your softened cream cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, and lemon juice. Use a hand mixer on low speed (or a sturdy spatula) to blend until the mixture is perfectly smooth and has no lumps. We recommend using a full-fat block, like Philadelphia cream cheese, for the best rich texture.
Once smooth, switch to a spatula. Fold in the minced fresh dill, sliced green and black olives, and the finely chopped red peppers. Stir until everything is evenly distributed.
Step 2: Spread and Roll the Tortillas
Lay one tortilla on a flat surface (a cutting board or piece of parchment paper works well). Using an offset spatula, spread about 1/2 cup of the cream cheese mixture in a thin, even layer.
Pro-Tip: Spread the mixture all the way to the very edge of the tortilla. This ensures your end-pieces are just as full as your center-pieces.
Starting from one end, roll up the tortilla tightly and snugly. A tight roll is the secret to a perfect spiral.
Step 3: The Secret to Neat Pinwheels (The Chill)
This is the most important tip. Wrap each tortilla roll very tightly in plastic wrap, like a tootsie roll, and twist the ends. This helps the roll “set” in a perfectly round shape.
Place the wrapped rolls in the freezer for 30-60 minutes or in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (or overnight). This step is mandatory! Chilling the roll makes the cream cheese firm, which is the only way to get clean, neat slices that don’t squish.
Step 4: Slice and Assemble the Christmas Appetizer Tree
Once the rolls are very firm, unwrap them. Use a sharp, serrated knife (a bread knife works best) to slice the rolls into 3/4-inch pinwheels. The serrated edge will cut cleanly without squishing the tortilla.
On a large platter or wooden serving board, arrange the christmas pinwheel appetizers into a tree shape. Start with a wide base (about 8-9 pinwheels) and make each subsequent row one pinwheel narrower until you get to a single point at the top.
Garnish your christmas appetizer tree with sprigs of fresh rosemary to look like pine branches and use cherry tomatoes or pomegranates as “ornaments.” This platter-style appetizer looks fantastic next to other “shaped” snacks, like a Christmas Tree Pull Apart Bread.
Pro-Tips for the Perfect Christmas Appetizer Tree Platter
- How to Make the “Tree Trunk”: Use a few small pretzel rods or a small rectangle cut from a leftover tortilla and place them at the base of your tree.
- How to Garnish the “Tree”: This is what makes it festive!
- Garland: Tuck small sprigs of fresh rosemary in between the pinwheels.
- Ornaments: Place cherry tomato halves (cut-side down) or a sprinkle of bright red pomegranate arils on top of the pinwheels.
- Tree Topper: Cut a star shape out of a slice of yellow bell pepper or a piece of cheddar cheese.
- Building the Platter: Arrange your Christmas Tree Pinwheel Appetizer in the center of a large board and fill in the empty space around it with crackers, grapes, and small bowls of nuts or olives.
More Christmas Pinwheel Filling Ideas
This red-and-green olive filling is classic, but you can customize your pinwheel recipe! The method is the same: mix, spread, roll, chill, and slice.
Turkey & Cranberry Pinwheels
A perfect holiday flavor! This is one of the best holiday pinwheel appetizers.
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
- 1/2 lb thin-sliced deli turkey
- 1 cup fresh spinach leaves
Bacon Cheddar Ranch Pinwheels
A true crowd-pleaser for all parties.
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 packet (1 oz) ranch seasoning mix
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup crispy, crumbled bacon bits
Classic Veggie Pinwheels
A great option for a vegetarian crowd.
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup very finely minced fresh vegetables (broccoli, carrots, red onion, and celery).
These pinwheel appetizers are perfect to serve on a no-bake platter. For another easy, no-bake party dessert, try these No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars.
Storing and Make-Ahead Guide
How to Make Pinwheels Ahead (The Right Way)
This is the perfect make-ahead appetizer. You can make the uncut rolls up to 24 hours in advance. Follow steps 1, 2, and 3, then store the tightly wrapped rolls in the refrigerator. Wait to slice them until just before you are ready to assemble the platter. This keeps the edges from drying out and ensures they look perfectly fresh.
How to Store Leftovers
Store any leftover pinwheels in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Note that the tortillas will get softer over time.
Can You Freeze Pinwheels?
Yes! You can freeze the whole, uncut rolls for up to a month. Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil. Let them thaw in the refrigerator for a few hours before slicing. (Do not freeze after slicing, as they will get soggy).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Any tips for making the pinwheels look neat?
Yes! This is the most common question. There are four secrets to neat pinwheels:
1- The Chill is Mandatory: Do not skip the 30-minute freeze. Cold, firm rolls are the only way to get a clean cut.
2- Use a Sharp, Serrated Knife: A bread knife is perfect for slicing without squishing.
3- Don’t Overfill: Spread the filling in a thin, even layer. A thick layer will ooze out.
4- Roll Tightly: Squeeze the roll as you wrap it in plastic to eliminate any air gaps.
What are some good cream cheese substitutes for this recipe?
If you’re not a fan of cream cheese, you have options for your pinwheel recipe:
– Mascarpone: For a richer, sweeter, less tangy filling.
– Goat Cheese: For a strong, tangy flavor (pairs wonderfully with the turkey/cranberry variation).
– Dairy-Free: Use a high-quality, store-bought dairy-free cream cheese substitute.
What are some other festive food shaping ideas besides pinwheels?
We love festive-shaped appetizers! You can arrange almost anything in a fun shape. We love serving this christmas appetizer tree on a platter with other appetizers, like a beautiful Cranberry Brie Crostini arranged in a “wreath” shape.
What are some food safety tips for making and serving pinwheels at a party?
This is a crucial question for any pinwheel appetizers with cream cheese.
– The 2-Hour Rule: Per the FDA, cream cheese-based foods should not sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
– Party Strategy: Make your platter ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until just before guests arrive.
– Serve Safe: You can serve them on a chilled platter or bring them out in smaller batches throughout the party. Always follow key food safety tips when hosting.
The Perfect Stress-Free Holiday Appetizer
This no-bake Christmas Tree Pinwheel Appetizer is truly the perfect, stress-free recipe for any holiday gathering. You get all the “wow” factor of a beautiful centerpiece with all the convenience of a make-ahead snack.
It’s a festive, delicious, and easy pinwheel recipe that’s guaranteed to be the star of your party. With the classic savory filling, the fun variations, and the make-ahead tips, you have everything you need to make your new go-to holiday appetizer.