Spinach Artichoke PInwheels made with puff pastry are an easy finger food appetizer. Using either regular or gluten-free puff pastry, these crispy pinwheels are filled with a tantalizing mixture of cheese, artichokes and spinach! These puff pastry swirls make a popular appetizer at any time of the year.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Spinach Artichoke Dip has long been a favourite appetizer. I sometimes make it in my slow cooker and it's always devoured! Today I've used those same flavours in little puff pastry pinwheels instead.
- You can use either regular or gluten-free puff pastry in this recipe.
- It's a great recipe to prepare ahead of time. Make and freeze, then bake when you need them!
These Puff Pastry Spinach Artichoke Pinwheels are very similar to my Spinach and Artichoke Puff Pastry Cups. A similar recipe, but made into cute little pinwheels instead of puff pastry cups. Super easy!
I also like making these Mini Spinach Artichoke Tarts. They're an easy-to-make two-bite appetizer and they freeze well, too.
🛒 Ingredients
You'll find a complete list of ingredients with amounts in the recipe card below. But before we get to the full recipe, here are a few notes about the ingredients.
- puff pastry: thawed. You can use either regular puff pastry made with wheat flour, or gluten-free puff pastry. More companies are now making gluten-free puff pastry, including Schar, GeeFree (in the US) and Jus-Rol (in the UK). I buy one that is locally made by Bake-My-Day. It's available in many retail outlets on Vancouver Island and in Vancouver.
- spinach: use fresh or frozen. See the note below about draining spinach.
- artichokes: Use the canned variety that is packed in water, not marinated artichokes. You'll be chopping them, so it doesn't matter which variety you buy: whole, halved or quartered. Just make sure you drain them well.
- cream cheese: regular or light, softened.
- eggs: at room temperature. You'll be using one for the filling, and the other to brush on the pastry before baking.
- feta cheese: the block style packed in brine. Crumbled feta cheese is convenient, but it sometimes contains anti-caking agents which can make the taste cheese dry and hard.
- Parmesan cheese: there's no good substitute for the "real stuff," Parmigiano Reggiano!
- green onion, garlic, and black pepper: for lots of extra seasoning.
🔪 Instructions
Here's a step-by-step guide to make this recipe perfectly.
Assemble all your ingredients first. Make sure the cream cheese is softened, the eggs are at room temperature and the spinach and artichokes have been drained and squeezed to remove excess moisture.
Mince the garlic, slice the green onion, and grate the Parmesan cheese. You'll know the cream cheese is soft enough if you can flatten it easily with a spatula.
- In a medium bowl, use a fork to combine the cream cheese, one of the eggs, minced garlic, oregano and black pepper.
- Add the sliced green onion, feta cheese, well-drained and squeezed spinach, chopped, well-drained artichokes and Parmesan cheese to the bowl. Stir until well combined. Set aside.
- On a floured board or pastry mat (or on the paper that may come with the puff pastry), use a rolling pin to roll out a sheet of puff pastry. If your puff pastry comes already rolled in sheets (like Pepperidge Farm, for example) you won't need to roll it out. Depending on the brand you're using, you should be able to end up with a square about 10 x 10 or 12 x 12.
- Spread a thin layer of the spinach-artichoke filling on the pastry.
- Using the parchment paper to help get it started, roll the pastry with the filling into a log. Don't roll it too tightly, as the pastry needs room to expand when it bakes. On the other hand, don't roll it so loosely that the filling falls out.
- Brush the pastry log all over lightly with a beaten egg. Using a sharp or serrated knife, slice the log into rounds about ½ inch thick.
- Lay them flat about 2 inches apart on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet. You'll need 2 or more baking sheets.
- Bake in a preheated 400°F. oven for 18 - 20 minutes or until the pastry is puffed, golden brown and crispy.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a serving platter and serve with napkins.
👍🏼 Helpful Tips
Make sure to get crispy pinwheel puffs! Prevent them from being soggy by thoroughly squeezing out the liquid from the frozen spinach and from the artichokes.
❓Reader's Questions
Yes, fresh spinach will work just fine in this recipe. You'll need to wilt it first. Place it in a skillet with a tablespoon or so of water and stir until it has wilted. Remove it from the pan, let it cool, then squeeze out all the excess water using a clean tea towel, cheesecloth, or a piece of paper towel. Chop it finely.
One pound of fresh spinach is approximately equal to 10 ounces of frozen spinach. Fresh spinach wilted down will equal about 1 ½ cups. For this recipe, you'll need 5 ounces or about ¾ cup of fresh spinach, cooked down.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
Serve on a platter with napkins, or as part of an appetizer platter with other favourites.
⏰ Storage Instructions
To store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
To reheat: reheat in a single layer on a baking sheet at 350°F. for 5 to 10 minutes or until heated through.
Freeze them: Freeze these little pinwheels either unbaked or baked! To freeze them before baking, slice and arrange them on a baking sheet. Once frozen, store them in an airtight container. When you're ready to bake them, thaw them overnight in the fridge, then bake as directed in the recipe.
You can also freeze baked pinwheels. Store in an airtight container, then reheat in a single layer on a baking sheet at 350°F. for 5 to 10 minutes or until heated through.
Enjoy every crispy little bite!
🗒 More appetizer recipes
When you make this spinach artichoke pinwheels recipe, please leave a comment and a star rating below. I love hearing from you! Thanks in advance.
📖 Recipe
Puff Pastry Spinach Artichoke PInwheels
Ingredients
- 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 2 large eggs, 1 for the filling, one to brush on the pastry
- 1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 5 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and firmly squeezed out
- 1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, well drained, rinsed and chopped
- 1 green onion, sliced
- 2 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 sheets puff pastry, thawed, regular or gluten-free
Instructions
- Assemble all your ingredients first. Make sure the cream cheese is softened, the eggs are at room temperature and the spinach and artichokes have been drained and squeezed to remove excess moisture. Mince the garlic, slice the green onion, and grate the Parmesan cheese.
- You'll know the cream cheese is soft enough if you can flatten it easily with a spatula. In a medium bowl, use a fork to combine the cream cheese, one eggs, minced garlic, oregano and black pepper.
- Add the sliced green onion, feta cheese, drained and squeezed spinach and chopped artichokes and Parmesan cheese to the bowl. Stir until well combined. Set aside.
- On a floured board or preferably a piece of parchment paper, roll out a sheet of puff pastry. If your puff pastry comes already rolled in sheets (like Pepperidge Farm, for example) you won't need to roll it out. Depending on the brand you're using, you should be able to end up with a square about 10 x 10 or 12 x 12.
- Spread a thin layer of the spinach artichoke mixture on the sheet of puff pastry.
- Using the parchment paper to get it started, roll up the sheet of puff pastry into a log. Don't roll too tightly, as the pastry needs room to expand. On the other hand, don't roll so loosely that the filling falls out.
- Beat the second egg and brush the pastry log all over. Using a sharp or serrated knife, slice the log into rounds about ½ inch thick.
- Arrange the slices flat on a parchment paper lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake in a preheated 400°F. oven for 18 - 20 minutes or until the pastry is puffed, golden brown and crispy.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a serving dish and serve with napkins.
Max and Lisa
We made these yesterday for a light-up party and they were devoured! We'll definitely be keeping this recipe!
Elaine
Happy to hear that! Thanks for the 5 stars!