Jalapeño popper pinwheels have the creamy-crunchy texture and spicy flavor of jalapeño poppers in crispy, pinwheel form! Perfect for Holiday dinners, Diwali parties, game day and more!

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 30 minutes
  • Cook time: 30 minutes
  • Total time: 75 minutes
  • Yield: 12
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 2 puff pastry sheets (thawed for 15 minutes to 20 minutes)

For the Filling

  • 8 ounces vegan cream cheese (left at room temperature for 15 minutes, see notes to make your own)
  • 2 tablespoons non-dairy yogurt (or non-dairy milk)
  • 1 - 2 tablespoons brine from the jar of pickled jalapeños
  • 1/3 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried dill (or more, to taste)
  • 2 teaspoons onion flakes (or 1 teaspoon onion powder)
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1/2 cup vegan cheddar shreds
  • 1/4 cup vegan parmesan
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons fresh jalapeños (chopped)
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons pickled jalapeños (chopped)

For the Optional Topping

  • 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs ((panko))
  • 2 tablespoons vegan cheddar shreds
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh jalapeño

Method

  1. Thaw the puff pastry, if you haven't already. Take it out of the freezer, and let it sit while you prep the rest of the ingredients.

Make the Jalapeno spread

  1. Add the cream cheese to a bowl, then add the yogurt and jalapeño brine and mix. If the cream cheese is still hard, you can microwave it for a few seconds, and then mix all of that up. Add in the salt, herbs, onion flakes, and minced garlic, mixing well to make a creamy spread. Taste and adjust flavor(salt,herbs, tang)

Make the pinwheels

  1. Roll out the thawed puff pastry sheets using a little bit of flour. Roll it out to at least 1” to 2” bigger than what it originally was. This helps the puff pastry sheets puff nicely, evenly. Then, spread your jalapeño popper dip all over the puff pastry sheets, leaving 1/2” from just one side of the puff pastry sheet, because that's where we will stick it closed. Spread it evenly, then sprinkle the cheeses and the pickled and fresh jalapeños evenly all over the puff pastry sheets.
  2. Brush the 1/2” uncovered side of the puff pastry sheet with a little water, so it sticks when we close it, then start rolling from the other side towards that uncovered 1/2” side. Keep rolling it a bit tightly, and once you've rolled it up, then stick the open edge to the rolled puff pastry sheet by pressing with your fingers or by pressing with a fork.
  3. Wrap this up in parchment paper, and put it in the freezer to chill for at least 15 minutes, so that it hardens a little bit and is easy to slice up. Repeat for the other puff pastry sheet, as well.
  4. Preheat the oven to 400° F (205° C). Remove them from the freezer, slice into 1/2” thick slices, and place the slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet. At this point, you can brush them with a little bit of oil or maple syrup to help them brown even more, though this is optional.

Make the topping and bake.

  1. The topping is also optional, but I really love this topping on these pinwheels. It gives it even more crispiness and cheesiness! In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, cheddar and jalapeños. spoon the mixture over each of the pinwheels.
  2. Bake for 25 minutes, then check if they are browning evenly. Turn the baking sheet around, and continue to bake for another 5 minutes or longer, until all of the pinwheels are golden. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and serve these pinwheels as-is or with a dip of choice.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.