Jalapeno Popper Pinwheels

Fire up the game day eats and holiday entertaining with these flaky, cheesy, tangy, and spicy Jalapeno Popper Pinwheels with buttery puff pastry. With just a few easy ingredients this fun spin on the jalapeno popper is sure to become an instant party favorite.

There is nothing like that combination of tangy cream cheese and earthy and fiery jalapenos to instantly get a fiesta started. This jalapeno popper pinwheel recipe stays true to those flavors with a few added twists. With minimal ingredients and just a few simple steps you can easily add this to your football spread with Beer Brined Buffalo Wings.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy Process – This recipe for jalapeno popper pinwheels can be broken down into four easy steps. Mix together your filling and spread it on the puff pastry, roll up the puff pastry, slice, and bake. It really is that easy.
• Make Ahead – You can fill and roll the puff pastry a day or two in advance and then slice and bake it just before ready to serve. This is a great dish to prep ahead of time getting you out of the kitchen and into the fun of entertaining.
• Minimal Ingredients – Besides the puff pastry all you need is cream cheese, zesty goat cheese, sharp cheddar, scallion, and of course fresh jalapenos.
• Customizable – Feel free to play around with the filling and swap the cheese for your favorite, add a fresh herb, or kick it up a notch with smoky, salty bacon.

Ingredients

• Cheeses – Goat cheese adds funky tang while cream cheese gives a silky texture. Sharp cheddar gives a bold, savory pop of flavor that pairs well with the jalapenos.
• Fresh Flavors – Scallions add mild onion flavor that cuts through the richness of the puff pastry and jalapenos bring the sassy kick!
• Puff Pastry – Using frozen puff pastry makes it easy to make these fun treats.
• Seasoning – I love using Spice and Tea Exchange’s Vik’s Garlic Fix for this. It adds just enough salt along with the bold flavor of garlic and shallots, and grassy parsley. You can also use garlic salt for this, or a combination of granulated garlic and kosher salt. Keep in mind that the cheeses are naturally salty so you don’t need a ton of salt.

How to Make Jalapeno Popper Pinwheels

• Prepare your filling. Add the room temperature goat cheese and cream cheese to a bowl along with the garlic seasoning. Use a spatula to mix them together until smooth and creamy. Add the jalapenos, scallions, and cheese and mix to combine.
• Roll out the puff pastry. Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Unfold the puff pastry and roll it out until it’s about a 9×13 rectangle.

• Spread the filling onto the puff pastry and roll it up tightly. Place the filling onto the rolled out puff pastry and use the spatula to evenly spread it out leaving a half inch boarder on one of the longer sides. Tightly roll up the puff pastry starting on the longer side. Place the roll on a baking sheet and allow it to refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. You can do this a day or two in advance.
• Slice the pinwheels and place them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the puff pastry from the refrigerator and slice it into 1″ slices. Place the slices on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and brush them with an egg wash.
• Allow the puff pastry jalapeno popper pinwheels to bake until golden brown and bubbly. Let the pinwheels bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and flaky.

Variations

• Add four strips of cooked chopped bacon to the filling for these jalapeno popper pinwheels with puff pastry.
• Swap out the green onions for fresh chives.
• Instead of scallions add chopped fresh cilantro.
• For a different jalapeno flavor profile add diced pickled jalapenos. Make sure they’re patted dry before mixing them in.
• Swap out the sharp cheddar for a different cheese such as pepper jack, gouda, or Monterey jack.
• If you don’t like goat cheese use all cream cheese.
• Instead of garlic seasoning add a teaspoon of your favorite barbecue seasoning.

Equipment

• Mixing bowl
• Spatula
• Measuring cups/spoons
• Rolling pin
• Baking sheets
• Parchment paper
• Pastry brush

Tips From the Beach

• Always defrost your puff pastry according to the package directions.
• Make sure that both the cream cheese and goat cheese are at room temperature before mixing together the filling.
• Remove the seeds and membranes from your jalapenos for a milder flavor.
• If your puff pastry seems like it’s a little too sticky place it in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to harden up a little.
• Don’t skip the step of refrigerating the rolled puff pastry before slicing and baking. This will make it easier to cut and also allow the butter in the puff pastry to harden up giving you a flakier texture.

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