Kristin Maxwell
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Cranberry Walnut Pinwheels
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My Cranberry Walnut Pinwheels make a deliciously perfect holiday party appetizer. They are super easy to whip up – sweetened cream cheese, dried cranberries, fresh rosemary and crunchy walnuts are combined and stuffed into soft flour tortillas for an irresistible snack! (this post is sponsored by California Walnuts).
I love holiday dinner parties just as much as the next girl, but you want to know what I love even more than the dinner? The appetizers! Sweet or savory, appetizers take me to my happy place. I mean, who doesn’t love cute little bite-sized nuggets of deliciousness like these Cranberry Walnut Pinwheels?
Walnuts aren’t something I would have normally thought to add to pinwheels like this. I love walnuts, and oddly enough they really bring me back to my childhood. My grandma loved to cook with walnuts and always kept them in the freezer. Just plain, unsalted walnuts. I remember I was always sneaking a handful because they were so tasty!
How to make Cranberry Walnut Pinwheels
I love making pinwheels because they are so easy and you can get super creative with them. These pinwheels are filled with sweetened cream cheese, goat cheese, dried cranberries, chopped rosemary and walnuts for a nice textural element that contrasts the creamy cheeses. The cream cheese and goat cheese are whipped with an electric mixer to make them nice and fluffy, then mixed with the cranberries, rosemary and chopped walnuts.
You want to use a nice soft and thick flour tortilla for your pinwheels. They do soften as they chill but the softer they are to start with, the better. I typically use Mission tortillas for pinwheels. Spread the cream cheese mixture all over the tortilla, then roll it up tight into a log shape. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap, tightly, to help them keep their shape while they chill in the fridge. Refrigerate them for at least an hour, but they will keep overnight.
Once you slice them into pinwheels, serve them as soon as possible. Leftovers will last a couple of days in a sealed container in the fridge.
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Cranberry Walnut Pinwheels
My Cranberry Walnut Pinwheels make a deliciously perfect holiday party appetizer. They are super easy to whip up – sweetened cream cheese, dried cranberries, fresh rosemary and crunchy walnuts are combined and stuffed into soft flour tortillas for an irresistible snack!
Prep Time 15 mins
Total Time 1 hr 15 mins
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary
- 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries roughly chopped
- 2/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
- 3 10- inch flour tortillas
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, beat cream cheese, goat cheese and honey until smooth. Stir in dried cranberries, fresh minced rosemary and walnuts until well combined.
- Lay a flour tortilla out on a flat surface. Spread a third of the cream cheese mixture over the tortilla, leaving about 1/2″ on one edge. Gently roll the tortilla up as tightly as you can, pressing towards that 1/2″ of empty tortilla. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for at lease one hour or up to 24 hours. Repeat with the other two tortillas.Â
- Remove the rolled pinwheel log from the fridge. Using a sharp serrated knife, slice into 1-inch pinwheels and arrange on a serving plate.
Notes
Chilling is essentially to these staying together when they are cut.
Nutrition
Calories: 91kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 2gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 73mgPotassium: 32mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 143IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 23mgIron: 1mg
Here’s another walnut recipe we love:
And here are some recipes that use walnuts:
What can I use instead of goat cheese?
Feta would be nice. You could also simply leave the the goat cheese out.
Can you use something other than goat cheese?
You could skip the goat cheese and add 4 ounces of cream cheese or Feta.
I have just recently started following you, and getting your emails. I just want to say THANK YOU for sharing recipes that even I can make. They’re simple, yet delicious, and my whole family has loved every single one I have attempted. Since all three of my kids are in school all day, I now work outside of the home full time. It’s exhausting and I was never the greatest cook to begin with. Having new ideas that are written with clear instructions and easy to find ingredients, that even my picky eaters enjoy, is so huge in my life! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!
Thank you for brightening my day with your sweet words. I am so happy that it’s made a difference in your lives!
HI Kristin, I just love your Blog and all your wonderful recipes!! I would love to try these! What other kind of cheese would go with this? I tried Goat cheese once, my husband likes it but it’s a little to rich for my stomach.
Thank you.
Hugs, Teresa
You could use all cream cheese, or add some Feta.
Thank you so much! That’s what I was thinking to!!!
Hugs, Teresa
You are so welcome Teresa.
can you freeze these
These wouldn’t hold up well in the freeze because the tortilla would just get soggy.
i am not a cook, can you tell me what crumbled goat cheese is? is it feta? thanks
It’s similar in texture, but the flavor is a bit different. You can find it in the same section of the grocery store though.
I’m not much of a turkey eater at Thanksgiving. I like to over-eat on appetizers. I am absolutely including these in my line up! Thank you!
You are totally my people!