These Jalapeño Popper Pinwheels bring together buttery puff pastry, rich jalapeno cream cheese filling and smoky bacon in a marriage made in appetizer heaven.
Make them ahead of time and experiment with different fillings – they’re easy enough that you can try a few different kinds!
If I ever had a secret weapon ingredient it would probably be frozen puff pastry.
Of course, my telling you that makes it less secret. But really, I’m all about sharing with you guys. I LOVE puff pastry. For a few bucks I can pick up a box of it, stash it in my freezer and then use it to throw together quick, easy, amazing munchies – both savory and sweet. It’s my fave.
This is one of those easy puff pastry recipes. Just roll it out, put something delicious on it, roll it up, slice it and bake it. YUM.
One thing I’ve learned through trial and error is that this works best when you have a filling that has strong flavors – like these jalapeño popper pinwheels. If you roll something subtle up in the puff pastry, it will get a little lost.
I’ve made pinwheels with my Quick Olive Tapenade and a little shredded mozzarella cheese. I’ve made them with Boursin (bought on sale at Costco and stashed in my freezer) and some sliced up roasted red peppers (a Costco pantry purchase). And I’ve made it with creamy, spicy, smoky jalapeño popper filling. They are all fantastic.
The only other thing you need to know about these pinwheels is that they can be mostly made ahead of time. You can spread your filling on the puff pastry, roll it up and put it in the fridge for hours.
You can even take it out, slice it up and put it on a pan to cook later. It’s nice and flexible like that.
While I’ve always wanted to make puff pastry from scratch, I seriously doubt I’ll have a chance in the next, oh, twenty years or so. Maybe once my kids go off to college. Ain’t nobody got time for that. And the great thing is, with a box of puff pastry in your freezer, you don’t have to.
Jalapeño Popper Pinwheels – with puff pastry – Step-by-Step Instructions
Jalapeño Popper Pinwheels with puff pastry – Ingredients
Using a hand mixer, blend 4 oz softened cream cheese, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika (optional but tasty) and 1-10 drops of hot sauce (depending on how spicy you want them) until it’s very well mixed and soft.
Roll out one puff pastry sheet. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over sheet. Sprinkle with one chopped and seeded jalapeño, 1/4 a package of crumbled bacon (leave the bacon out if you want them to be vegetarian) and 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.
Roll puff pastry back up. Wrap in saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Remove puff pastry roll from fridge and slice into 1/2 inch pieces using a serrated knife.
Tip: If you have trouble slicing them just pop the log into the freezer for 5-10 minutes.
Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 13-16 minutes, until pastry is puffed and golden.
Cool slightly and serve warm, or serve at room temperature.
Enjoy! 🙂
Jalapeno Popper Pinwheels - with puff pastry
Ingredients
- 1 roll frozen puff pastry thawed according to package directions
- 4 oz cream cheese (1/2 a block), softened
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika optional but tasty
- 1-10 drops hot sauce (depending on how spicy you want them)
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese almost any type of cheese would work well
- 1/4 pkg bacon cooked and crumbled (omit bacon to make them vegetarian)
- 1 jalapeno seeded and finely chopped (or more or less to taste)
Instructions
- Using a hand mixer, blend cream cheese, garlic, smoked paprika and hot sauce until it's very well mixed and soft.
- Roll out puff pastry sheet. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over sheet. Sprinkle with chopped jalapeno, crumbled bacon and shredded cheese. Roll puff pastry back up. Wrap in saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Remove puff pastry roll from fridge and slice into 1/2 inch pieces using a serrated knife. If you have trouble slicing them just pop the log into the freezer for 5-10 minutes. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 13-16 minutes, until pastry is puffed and golden.
- Cool slightly and serve warm, or serve at room temperature. Enjoy! 🙂
Nutrition
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