• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
My Pure Plants
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About us
    • Contact us
    • Media & Press
  • Meal Plans
    • FREE 7-day Vegan Meal Plan (Only Easy Recipes!)
    • Quick Vegan Meals
    • Vegan Christmas Dinner
    • Vegan Thanksgiving Dinner
  • Ingredient Guides
    • Eggplant
    • Oyster Mushrooms
    • TVP
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Entrees
  • Soups
  • About us
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Entrees
    • Soups
    • About us
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home > Vegan Appetizers

    Cream Cheese Veggie Pinwheels

    By My Pure Plants on 10/26/2021 - May contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure.

    Jump to Recipe Print Pin

    These Veggie Pinwheels with Cream Cheese are such an easy and stunning appetizer that they are the FIRST things to go every time. Not only that, but they are also a perfect addition to any back to school lunch box or breakfast table. Veggie loaded and quick to make. What else do you need?

    Lots of pinwheels with colorful veggies like orange carrots, red bell pepper, green cucumber, yellow corn in it placed on a black round plate with a white and gold border.

    We love savory breakfasts, not to mention quick savory recipes. On a busy weekday, we make sandwiches with 5-minute Oil-free Hummus or 5-minute Tofu Cream Cheese then load them with a rainbow of veggies. If we plan ahead, we can mix things up and make one of our Smoky Roasted Eggplant Dip.

    Table of Contents hide
    1. What are veggie pinwheels?
    2. Ingredients
    3. How to prepare veggies for pinwheels?
    4. How to make veggie pinwheels with cream cheese?
    5. Top tips to make it perfect every time
    6. FAQs and substitutions
    7. More appetizer recipes
    8. Cream Cheese Veggie Pinwheels

    What are veggie pinwheels?

    Pinwheels are these cute little tortilla roll-ups filled with your favorite spread and filling. My husband calls them sushi look-a-likes. I call them chameleons, as they change colors depending on your mood or on what you have in your pantry. You can’t go wrong by making pinwheels if you have these 3 main ingredients:

    • tortilla
    • spread
    • veggies

    So do you wanna make people-go-crazy-about-it vegetable pinwheels?

    All right. In short, take a large tortilla, add a generous layer of your favorite spread and then arrange your favorite veggies on top. Roll the tortilla up tightly, chill, cut and impress your party guests.

    Ingredients

    Out of all the vegetarian pinwheels, let us show you how to make a cream cheese pinwheels packed with a rainbow of fresh vegetables.

    • tortilla of your choice (we used this Grain-free Tortilla recipe)
    • cream cheese of your choice (we used this Tofu Cream Cheese recipe)
    • red bell pepper
    • corn (fresh or canned)
    • cucumber
    • carrots
    • lettuce

    This recipe also started out as a breakfast. When I finally perfected a Flourless Tortilla recipe, I really wanted for my 4-year old daughter to try it. There was no way she would eat a whole tortilla wrap, so I cut them into pinwheels. And all of a sudden they were a hit and quickly became a requested snack for family gatherings.

    2 tortillas on a light blue plate and small glass bowls with colorful veggies like orange carrots, red bell pepper, green cucumber, yellow corn

    Can I add more veggies?

    I mix and match depending on what do I have available. To fully pack and successfully roll up the tortilla we recommend keeping the number of different veggies to 5-6. These are some of our favorite add-ins:

    • bell peppers in all color,
    • shredded purple cabbage (any cabbage really, but purple is especially fun due to its lovely color),
    • fresh spinach leaves, arugula or kale (although kale can be bitter if you eat it raw)
    • spring onion, scallion, or chives
    • daikon radish (thinly sliced or cut to matchsticks)
    • olives (my husband loves them)

    Let us know in the comments what is your favorite combination.

    How to prepare veggies for pinwheels?

    As a golden rule for making pinwheels you need to take into consideration that you will roll the tortilla up as a burrito and then cut them into inch-size pinwheels, so you should cut all of your chosen veggies thin and long. We recommend using a mandolin especially a multi-blade mandolin* which makes cutting julienne-style easy and quick.

    Cut bell pepper to stripes

    If you consider bell pepper as a cube, then first cut off all four sides of this cube. Lay it flat with skins up and cut nice, thin stripes approx. ¼ inch wide (about 5 mm).

    Julienne carrots

    I have a Sauteed Julienne Carrots recipe, where I explain it in detail which carrots to choose and how to cut carrots julienne-style. In short, choose young carrots, not baby carrots. Cut them in half to have approx. 4-inch long (approx. 10 cm) carrot stalks. Then, cut them in quarters vertically ¼-inch thick (approx. 5 mm).

    Cut cucumbers to stripes

    Slice through the length of the cucumber to create columns that are approx. 4 inches long (about 10 cm). Now, slice them length-wise to create thin cucumber slices (about 2-3 mm). Finally, take each slice and cut them to matchsticks.

    Shred lettuce

    We usually go with iceberg or romaine lettuce. You can definitely use a pre-shredded lettuce mix for a quicker finish.

    Lots of pinwheels with colorful veggies like orange carrots, red bell pepper, green cucumber, yellow corn in it placed on a black round plate with a white and gold border. A hand is about to grab one.

    How to make veggie pinwheels with cream cheese?

    1. Collect all your prepared and cut vegetables and arrange them in small bowls for easy access.
    2. Take your favorite brand of tortilla and lay it flat. (On the photos and in the video we use Flourless Tortilla recipe)
    3. Add a generous layer of cream cheese and coat your tortilla entirely. (On the photos and in the video we use our homemade Vegan Cream Cheese)
    4. Add the veggies starting from the bottom up until the top. Leave a little room at the bottom and at the top so the tortilla roll-up can stick together.
    A white plate with a tortilla in the middle spread with a light brown sauce and colorful veggies like orange carrots, red bell pepper, green cucumber, yellow corn. The remaining ingredients are around it in glass bowls
    1. When your tortilla is all filled up, roll it tightly.
    2. Depending on the cream cheese you use, you might need to chill the tortilla roll ups (covered in saran wrap/cling foil) in the fridge to set them completely.
    3. Cut them approx. 1-1.5 inch (about 2-3 cm) before serving. If you want to prepare them the day before, cover them up tightly with saran wrap/cling foil or pack them up to an airtight container.
    4. The last step is to amaze your kids when they open up their lunch boxes or impress your party when you serve this gorgeous pinwheels as an appetizer.

    Top tips to make it perfect every time

    • Don’t stack your veggies, try to arrange them in thin layers.
    • Don’t cut them too short or they might fall out of the pinwheels.
    • Apply a generous layer of cream cheese, so the veggies don’t fall out (this is especially true for corn).
    • Roll the tortilla up tightly. The tighter it is the nicer will be the pinwheels.
    • Discard the end pinwheels… Khm… I mean eat the end pinwheels. They are yummy, but usually not good looking.
    Lots of pinwheels with colorful veggies like orange carrots, red bell pepper, green cucumber, yellow corn in it placed on a black round plate with a white and gold border.

    FAQs and substitutions

    What can I use instead of cream cheese?

    Cream cheese is a classic spread for pinwheels. But if you’d like to spice things up, you can definitely change it to any spread you like. You can browse through our Vegan Dips gallery to find inspiration or check out

    • Classic Hummus
    • Roasted Beet Hummus
    • Hummus without Tahini
    • Dairy-free Sour Cream
    • Spinach Pesto
    • Roasted Eggplant Dip

    What kind of vegetables can I add?

    We recommend keeping the number of different veggies to 5-6. These are some of our favorite add-ins: 

    • bell peppers in all color
    • shredded cabbage (purple is especially fun due to its lovely color)
    • fresh spinach leaves, arugula or kale,
    • spring / green onions, scallions, or chives,
    • daikon radish (thinly sliced or cut to matchsticks),
    • olives (my husband loves them).

    What NOT to add?

    • Don’t add any sauce or dip that are too thin and might damp the tortilla or flow out of the roll-ups like Marinara Sauce or No-Cook Pizza Sauce. Stick to thick spreads.
    • Don’t use veggies that are really hard to eat or chew when they are raw like celery, broccoli or cauliflower. Also don’t add veggie that it is not advised to eat raw like mushrooms or eggplant.

    How to store it?

    If you prepare it ahead of time, store it under a saran wrap, cling foil or place it in an airtight container. It should last for 2 days in the fridge, but more days will make the tortilla stiff.

    Lots of pinwheels with colorful veggies like orange carrots, red bell pepper, green cucumber, yellow corn in it placed on a black round plate with a white and gold border. A hand is holding one pinwheel

    This Veggie – Cream Cheese Pinwheels recipe is meat-free, dairy-free and egg-free. It is suitable for vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and nut-free diets. Gluten-free only if you use certified GF tortilla or use a homemade tortilla recipe.

    More appetizer recipes

    You can browse through our Vegan Appetizer Recipes or check out

    • Crispy Rice Paper Spring Rolls
    • Spicy Samosa Rolls
    • Sweet Potato Sushi Rolls
    • Vegan French Onion Dip
    • Vegan Buffalo Chicken Dip
    Colorful pinwheels of orange, red, yellow and green filling is placed closely on a black plate. A hand is grabbing one.

    Cream Cheese Veggie Pinwheels

    Nandor Barta
    These Veggie Pinwheels with Cream Cheese are such an easy and stunning appetizer that they are the FIRST things to go every time. They are also a perfect addition to back to school lunch box or breakfast table.
    4.4 from 7 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Total Time 20 mins
    Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Salad
    Servings 21 pinwheels (7 per tortilla)
    Calories 69kcal

    Equipment

    • Mandolin
    • Food processor
    • Airtight container

    Ingredients
      

    • 3 Tortilla (10-inch, large)
    • 12 Tbsp Cream cheese or use our Tofu Cream Cheese recipe
    • 1 Bell Pepper
    • ½ Cucumber
    • 6 Young carrots
    • 6 Tbsp Sweet corn (canned)
    • 2 cup Shredded lettuce
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    EXCLUSIVE 5-ingredient recipes for busy home cooks that are ready in 15 minutes!Check out our Express Vegan Cookbook!

    Instructions
     

    Preparing the veggies

    • Cut bell pepper to stripes – I consider bell pepper as a cube and cut off all four sides of this cube. Lay it flat with skins up and cut nice, thin stripes approx. ¼ inch wide (about 5 mm).
    • Julienne carrots – I have a sauteed julienne carrots recipe, where I explain it in detail which carrots to choose and how to cut carrots julienne-style. In short, choose young carrots, not baby carrots. Cut them in half to have approx. 4-inch long (approx. 10 cm) carrot stalks. Then, cut them in quarters vertically ¼-inch thick (approx. 5 mm).
    • Cut cucumbers into stripes – Slice through the length of the cucumber to create columns that are approx. 4 inches long (about 10 cm). Now, slice them length-wise to create thin cucumber slices (about 2-3 mm). Finally, take each slice and cut them into matchsticks.

    Making cream cheese pinwheels

    • Take your favorite brand of tortilla and lay it flat. Add a generous layer of cream cheese and coat your tortilla entirely.
    • Add the veggies starting from the bottom up until the top. Leave a little room at the bottom and the top so the tortilla roll-up can stick together.
    • When your tortilla is all filled up, roll it tightly.
    • Depending on the cream cheese you use, you might need to chill the tortilla roll-ups (covered in cling foil) in the fridge to set them completely.
    • You can cut them approx. 1-1.5 inch (about 2-3 cm) before serving. You can prepare them the day before. In that case, cover them tightly with cling foil or pack them up in an airtight container.
    Tried this recipe? Can we see it?Please share a picture with us by uploading an image to Pinterest below ours.

    Notes

    • Collect all your prepared and cut vegetables and arrange them in small bowls for easy access.
    • Don’t stack your veggies; try to arrange them in thin layers.
    • Don’t cut them too short, or they might fall out of the pinwheels.
    • Apply a generous layer of cream cheese so the veggies don’t fall out (this is especially true for corn).
    • Roll the tortilla up tightly. The tighter it is, the nicer the pinwheels will be.
    • Discard the end pinwheels… Khm… I mean, eat the end pinwheels. They are yummy but usually not good-looking.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Cream Cheese Veggie Pinwheels
    Amount Per Serving (1 pinwheel (with classic tortilla))
    Calories 69 Calories from Fat 36
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 4g6%
    Saturated Fat 2g13%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
    Monounsaturated Fat 1g
    Cholesterol 9mg3%
    Sodium 99mg4%
    Potassium 121mg3%
    Carbohydrates 8g3%
    Fiber 1g4%
    Sugar 2g2%
    Protein 2g4%
    Vitamin A 3251IU65%
    Vitamin C 9mg11%
    Calcium 26mg3%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    UPDATED: This recipe was originally posted in October 2019, but it was re-written with more tips and detailed instructions in October 2021.

    539 shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a comment Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. grace

      January 06, 2022 at 2:25 pm

      these look amazing. The nutrition info, is that for 1 whole wrap, or for 1 slice of it

      Thanks

      Reply
      • My Pure Plants

        January 06, 2022 at 2:43 pm

        The nutrition info is for one slice or pinwheel if you use a classic tortilla wrap. I may need to recalculate it to exclude the numbers for the tortilla wrap.

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Portrait of Emese and Nandi My Pure Plants

    Hi, we are Emese Maczkó and Nándor Barta, the founders and recipe creators behind My Pure Plants. We are sharing our knowledge and expertise in vegan recipes and encourage you to try home-cooked meals using locally-sourced, organic, whole foods.

    More about us →

    Reader Favorites

    • Crispy Vegan Orange Chicken (Copycat Panda Express)
    • Crispy Rice Paper Spring Rolls
    • Meaty Vegan TVP Burger (Big Mac Style)
    • Copycat IKEA Veggie Balls

    Winter Recipes

    • Portobello Pot Roast (Vegan)
    • Jackfruit Stew (Vegan Beef Stew)
    • Vegan Cabbage Soup with Sausages (Hungarian)
    • Baked Vegan Butternut Squash Risotto

    More vegan winter recipes →

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Contact
    • About
    • Media & Press
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Nutritional disclaimer
    • General Disclaimer

    Categories

    • Vegan Main Dishes
    • Vegan Soups
    • Vegan Desserts
    • Vegan Pasta Sauces
    • Vegan Sides

    Seasonal

    • Vegan Lentil Loaf
    • Vegan Shredded Chicken
    • Chickpea Mushroom Curry
    • Hokkaido Pumpkin Soup
    • Vegan Bechamel

    Quick links

    • TVP Recipes
    • Quick Vegan Meals
    • Creamy Vegan Soups
    • Rice Paper Recipes
    • Oyster Mushroom Recipes

    This website is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.

    Copyright © 2018-2022

    539 shares