These Ranch Vegetable Cream Cheese Pinwheels are quick, easy to make, and loaded with delicious flavors. They make the ideal healthy snack, appetizer, or lunch for the whole family to enjoy. We also love these Turkey Pesto Roll Ups and Turkey BLT Wraps.
With the perfect balance of rich and refreshing, this Cream Cheese Pinwheels with Vegetables recipe is one you definitely need to have up your sleeve. Filled with wholesome and satisfying ingredients like chopped vegetables, light cream cheese, and Greek yogurt, this savory treat is guaranteed to excite your taste buds and keep you feeling full between meals.
This easy recipe is a huge help in a variety of situations. Looking for a simple and healthy entree for your kid’s lunch? Pinwheels. In need of a tasty snack to serve at your next book club meeting? Pinwheels. Searching for the perfect appetizer for your upcoming dinner party? You guessed it, pinwheels!
With just a few minutes of prep time followed by 20-30 minutes in the fridge to firm up, this quick and easy recipe is a no-brainer. Whether you choose to enjoy it as an appetizer, snack, or lunch, I guarantee you’ll fall in love with this tasty vegetarian dish.
Key Ingredients
This recipe is made with simple and wholesome ingredients, many of which you may already have at home! The key ingredients you will need to make this tasty dish include:
- Tortilla: This serves as the vessel for the rest of our tasty ingredients and the outer layer of our pinwheels. You can use a whole wheat tortilla, low carb tortilla, flour tortilla - they all work.
- Chopped vegetables: I like to use a combination of red bell pepper, carrots, and broccoli. However, you can use any kinds of raw vegetables you like.
- Cream cheese: You want your cream cheese to be nice and soft so it spreads well. You can soften it by popping it in the microwave for 10 seconds. Spreadable cheese like Boursin and Babybell are also delicious.
- Cheddar cheese: I love using shredded cheddar for this recipe, but you can use any kind of shredded cheese you prefer.
- Greek yogurt: This makes our cream cheese mixture super creamy and adds a ton of protein, healthy probiotics, and nutrients.
- Ranch seasoning: This adds all of the delicious Ranch flavors we love without all the fat and preservatives typically found in Ranch dressing!
Tips for Making Tortilla Pinwheels
While this recipe is super easy to make, there are a few things you can do to ensure that you don’t have any trouble when preparing your pinwheels. Here are some of my top tips to help you when making this recipe:
- If your tortilla feels stiff, pop it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to prevent it from tearing during assembly.
- Make sure you use a sharp knife to cut your pinwheels. This will prevent the pinwheels from getting squished during the slicing process.
- You can play with the measurements of the cream cheese mixture to get your desired texture. If you feel like it’s too thick, add some more Greek yogurt. If you feel like it’s too thin, add some more cream cheese.
- The last tip goes for the ranch seasoning as well. If you want to taste a ton of Ranch flavor in your pinwheels, feel free to adjust the amount of Ranch seasoning to your liking.
Cream Cheese Pinwheel Customizations
If you want to switch up this pinwheel recipe, there are a ton of different variations you can try. While the original recipe is delicious, it can be fun to change things up from time to time to keep it as exciting as it was the first time you made it.
Here are some of my favorite ways to customize this recipe:
- Add dried or chopped fresh herbs to the cream cheese mixture before spreading it onto your tortilla.
- Add finely chopped chili peppers to your veggies for a touch of heat.
- Use your favorite flavored cream cheese instead of plain.
- Add diced or crumbled bacon for added flavor.
- Instead of using the cream cheese mixture, try using hummus or guacamole as the base of the pinwheels for a vegan-friendly version.
- If you want to sub out the shredded cheddar cheese, you can use any shredded cheese you like. Options include colby jack, Italian blend, Mexican blend, pepper jack, mozzarella, and parmesan.
- Feel free to use any kind of fresh raw veggies you like! Spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, onions, and avocado all work great inside pinwheels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below you will find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about this dish:
How far in advance can you make pinwheel sandwiches?
For the best results, I would recommend preparing pinwheels no more than 24 hours in advance before serving them.
How do you keep pinwheels from getting soggy?
The cream cheese acts as a buffer to help prevent the tortillas from getting soggy. However, after a few days it’s inevitable that the pinwheels will begin to get soggy, which is why I recommend eating these pinwheels within 3 days.
How long do pinwheels keep in the fridge?
While pinwheels will taste the best and retain the best texture when eaten within 24 hours, they will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days
Can I freeze this recipe?
Because the mixture is made with dairy-based ingredients, I wouldn’t recommend it. When thawed out, dairy tends to separate and you will likely wind up with soggy, runny pinwheels.
Can I add meat to the pinwheels?
Absolutely! If you don’t want to keep this recipe vegetarian, you could add bacon or your favorite sliced deli meat. Some of my favorite choices include ham, turkey, and chicken.
How can I make this recipe spicy?
If you’re a spicy food lover looking to add a little heat to this dish, there are a few ways you can go about it. You can add finely chopped chili peppers to the veggies, a few drops of hot sauce to the cream cheese mixture, or sprinkle crushed red pepper on top of the cream cheese mixture.
More Healthy Lunch Recipes:
- Cuban Black Bean Bowls
- Healthy Chicken Salad
- Tuna Egg Salad
- Mexican Chopped Salad
- Healthy Minestrone Soup