Cranberry Brie Pinwheels
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These cranberry brie pinwheels are an easy and delicious appetizer made with only five ingredients. Rolled into pinwheels, they have a crisp and buttery puff pastry layered with sweet cranberry sauce and creamy brie – an easy appetizer recipe everyone will love!
If you love sweet and savory appetizers, you are going to love these Cranberry Brie Pinwheels! The tart cranberries paired with brie cheese are wrapped up in a flaky puff pastry creating the perfect appetizer for every occasion.
These cranberry brie pinwheels are the perfect holiday appetizer because of the red cranberries and green rosemary but I think they are the perfect addition to every party you’re planning or attending.
What are Pinwheels?
When you want a fun and delicious finger food, there’s nothing like a pinwheel! Pinwheel sandwiches are awesome finger foods that are great for both kids and adults. They’re easy to make and great for taking along to barbeques and potlucks. They are also great for family gathers and parties.
Pinwheels are usually made with tortillas, crescent dough, or puff pastry sheets that are rolled together with your choice of filling. Common fillings include cheeses, jams, sauces, meats, veggies – pretty much anything that can be rolled up in a sandwich.
The best thing about making pinwheels is there is nothing difficult about making them. They process is simple and they always come out looking delicious. You can also try Hawaiian Pizza Pinwheels and Italian Sandwich Roll-Ups and Vegetable Tortilla Roll-Ups for more!
Why You’ll Love This Easy Appetizer Recipe
- Made With Only Simple Ingredients – This easy appetizer only requires 5 ingredients creating a delicious appetizer.
- Quick & Easy – These pinwheels are ready to go in the oven after only 10 minutes of prep work. Quick and easy recipes are always my favorite!
- Customizable – You can easily customize this recipe with easy swaps.
- Always a Crowd-pleaser – Pinwheels are always popular and adding creamy brie cheese and tart cranberries might just be my favorite ones yet.
- Full of flavor! – The perfect combination of sweet and savory!
Ingredients Needed to Make Cranberry Brie Pinwheels
- Puff pastry – I’m using store-bought puff pastry sheets for this recipe. To thaw, place the package in the fridge for 4 hours.
- Jellied cranberry sauce – adds a tart sweetness to the pinwheels. I prefer jellied but if you like big bites of cranberry, feel free to use whole berry sauce.
- Brie – melts into a rich and creamy filing for our pinwheels. Feel free to leave the rind on or cut it off – whatever you prefer.
- Fresh rosemary – Rosemary pairs perfectly with brie and cranberries.
- Egg – for the egg wash so our pinwheels become golden brown.
How to Make Cranberry Brie Pinwheels
Preheat your oven to 350F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly flour your work surface and unfold the sheets of puff pastry.
Spread each sheet of puff pastry with ¼ cup cranberry sauce and then lay 4 ounces sliced brie on top of the cranberry sauce. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon minced rosemary over each sheet.
Gently roll the first sheet of puff pastry, making sure to roll it as tightly as you can and then pinch the seam to seal it shut – we don’t want our pinwheels to unroll! If the dough starts to break or tear instead of rolling, allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes. This can happen if the dough is too cold.
When the dough has been rolled into a log, use a very sharp knife to cut ¾” slices (there should be 10 slices per log).
Place the pinwheels cut side up on the parchment-lined baking sheet, making sure to place them at least 2” apart. Beat the egg with a splash of water to create an egg wash and then brush the top and sides of each pinwheel.
Bake the pinwheels for 13-15 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Enjoy warm, sprinkled with sea salt or minced rosemary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you take the rind off of the brie before baking?
No it is not necessary. It is perfectly okay to eat the rind. However, some people do not like the texture of the rind so you can cut it off if you prefer. This is totally up to you.
Can you substitute puff pastry with something else?
Crescent roll dough can be substituted for the puff pastry. Roll the crescent doll out, separate into 2 long rectangles and firmly press perforations to seal.
What if I don’t like cranberries?
I love the cranberry sauce with brie but if you don’t like cranberries, you can still make these pinwheels. Just replace the cranberry sauce with raspberry jam, blackberry jam or orange marmalade.
What if I can’t find fresh rosemary?
If you don’t have fresh rosemary, feel free to skip it or use dried rosemary. You can also use top the pinwheels with chopped pecans or walnuts instead of the rosemary.
Can I use a different type of cheese?
I’ve always made these with brie cheese but if you don’t like brie cheese, goat cheese would work in this recipe. I also think these cranberry brie bites would taste great with brie and goat cheese.
How do you store leftover brie pinwheels?
If you have leftovers (and I doubt you will), they can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
Can you reheat cranberry brie pinwheels?
Yes. Reheat leftover cranberry brie puff pastry pinwheels in the oven or air fryer. to keep them crispy. Heat until center of pinwheels are warm.
Can you freeze cranberry brie pinwheels?
Yes. These can be frozen after they’ve been cooked. Wrap tightly and store in an airtight container to prevent freezer burn. Defrost in refrigerator, then reheat in the oven or air fryer until heated throughout.
More Delicious Appetizer Recipes
Cranberry Brie Pinwheels
Ingredients
- 1 package puff pastry, thawed but still very cold
- 1/2 cup jellied cranberry sauce
- 8 ounces brie, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Lightly flour your work surface and unfold the sheets of puff pastry. Spread each sheet of puff pastry with ¼ cup cranberry sauce and then lay 4 ounces sliced brie on top of the cranberry sauce. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon minced rosemary over each sheet.
- Gently roll the first sheet of puff pastry, making sure to roll it as tightly as you can and then pinch the seam to seal it shut– we don’t want our pinwheels to unroll! If the dough starts to break or tear instead of rolling, allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes– this can happen if the dough is too cold.
- When the dough has been rolled into a log, use a very sharp serrated knife to cut ¾” slices (there should be 10 slices per log).
- Place the pinwheels cut side up on the baking sheet, making sure to place them at least 2” apart.
- Beat the egg with a splash of water to create an egg wash and then brush the top and sides of each pinwheel.
- Bake the pinwheels for 13-15 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Enjoy warm, sprinkled with flakey sea salt or minced rosemary.
These look delicious…saving this recipe because how cute would these be made into heart shapes for Valentine’s Day?!