Pinwheel appetizers are some of my favorites to serve at parties. They’re easy to whip up and have so many variations. These Italian pinwheels have all the flavors or an italian sub wrapped up into the perfect appetizer!
Recipe Must Haves
The ingredients for these Italian pinwheels can easily be found at any local grocery store. A full list of ingredients with measurements for this recipe is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Cream cheese – Choose full fat or reduced fat, but either way make sure it is very soft (close to room temperature) before trying to mix everything together and spread. Some folks also add sour cream, but it is not necessary as long as the cream cheese is soft enough.
- Red pepper spread – You can make this yourself or buy it from the store. Like you would use as a sandwich spread.
- Pepperoncini peppers or banana peppers – You can use either or both. I personally like to use the banana pepper rings chopped finely.
- Seasonings – I used a blend of Italian seasoning , coarse kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder and ground black pepper. Classic spices that you would see on an Italian sub sandwich.
- Provolone cheese – Make sure your cheese is thinly sliced to allow for easier rolling. You can request this at the deli.
- Salami or soppressata – You can use either genoa salami or hard salami. Make sure the meat is also thinly sliced.
- Flour tortillas – Any type of tortilla, size or flavor, will work, but I find the bigger ones are easier for making pinwheels since you’ll have to trim off the edges. It creates less waste and a fuller pinwheel. Smaller tortillas might only get one and a half rolls in and these will have a tougher time staying rolled. Consider using toothpicks to help them stay formed if you pick the smaller ones.
Time to Make the Magic Happen
You are going to love how easy it is to make these tasty Italian pinwheels.
- Make spread. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, sandwich spread, Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper in a bowl. Mash to combine.
- Spread cream cheese on tortilla. Spread a heaping ½ cup of the softened cream cheese spread over each tortilla, covering the entire surface to the edges.
- Add cheese and meat. At one end of each tortilla, lay two slices of cheese and two slices of salami/soppressata.
- Roll and chill. Roll each tightly into a roll and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour to overnight
- Slice. Using a serrated knife, cut into 1-inch slices and arrange on a serving platter.
5S Philosophy 👩🏻
- Salt – Salami already has a good amount of salt, so I just use a bot of coarse kosher salt to help bring out the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Seasonings – You could add some red pepper flakes to the wet ingredients to take the heat up a notch and make things spicy. You could also sprinkle herbs like thyme, oregano or basil into the mix.
- Swaps – Instead of hard salami, really any deli meats will work. Pepperoni slices, slices of deli ham, or whatever your favorite meat on an Italian sandwich is. If you’d like to throw in some extra veggies, try something like red onion, romaine lettuce, sun-dried tomatoes or red bell peppers. You don’t have to use regular flour tortillas. You could use spinach wraps instead to give this perfect finger food some color. I used slices of provolone cheese, but feel free to mix it up. You could use parmesan cheese or even sliced mozzarella cheese.
- Sauces – There are an endless amount of dips you could dip these pinwheels into! Ranch dressing, a tomato based sauce, italian dressing. The choice is yours!
- Senses – Italian pinwheels are bite-sized bursts of flavor—soft, savory spirals packed with layers of zesty meats, creamy cheese, and herbed spread. The aroma of garlic, oregano, and cured deli meats teases your nose, while each swirl delivers a tender chew followed by a bold, tangy punch that melts into rich, creamy goodness.
Perfect Pairings
These italian pinwheels serve as a great party appetizer, but they would also make a great appetizer for game day or any other event you can think of. They’re best served with other bite sized finger foods like chicken tenders or caprese skewers.
Creamy Italian DressingItalian pinwheel sandwiches are also great for a quick lunch, or great served at baby showers Creamy Italian Dressingor bridal showers. . Prep them ahead of time and use to pack school lunches or a grab-and-go lunch for yourself. Pair them with a kale salad for a full meal!
Tips for Perfect Italian Pinwheels
A zesty no-bake appetizer option, there are a few tricks to making the best colorful and delicious pinwheel.
- Make-Ahead: Make them ahead of time, but not too far in advance. Ideally most pinwheel recipes are best enjoyed within 12-24 hours of making, otherwise you risk the tortilla getting soggy.
- Roll Tightly. Roll the tortilla as tight as you can. The cream cheese will act as a glue to hold it to together, but if you want a better secure connection, use toothpicks or wrap it in plastic wrap.
- Chill. Chill the whole roll before cutting. Letting it congeal and harden a bit will prevent it from collapsing when you cut them.
- Cut Using the Right Knife. Use a serrated knife and a sawing motion to cut the rolls without squishing them.
Storage and Freezing
How to Store
You can make these italian pinwheels ahead up to 24 hours, although I strongly suggest not slicing them until you are ready to serve. Anything sliced means more air and surface space which leads to them drying out. Store leftovers wrapped or covered in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Can I Freeze Italian Pinwheels?
We do not suggest freezing these pinwheels. Cream cheese has the tendency to get a weird, cakey consistency when thawed.
More Easy Pinwheel Recipes
Pinwheel recipes are not only easy to make, they are just fun! Make several varieties and then create a beautiful platter full of color and flavor.
Italian Pinwheel Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese , softened
- ½ cup red pepper spread (like you would use as a sandwich spread)
- ½ cup pepperoncini or banana peppers , chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 16 slices provolone cheese , thinly sliced
- 16 slices salami or or soppressata
- 8 large flour tortillas (10 or 12 inch)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the softened 8 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup red pepper spread (like you would use as a sandwich spread), chopped ½ cup pepperoncini or banana peppers, 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper in a bowl. Mash to combine.
- Spread a heaping ½ cup of the cream cheese mixture over each 8 large flour tortillas (10 or 12 inch) all the way to the edges. At one end of each tortilla, lay two slices of the cheese and two slices of salami/soppressata.
- Roll each tightly into a roll and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour to overnight.
- Using a serrated knife, cut into 1-inch slices and arrange on a serving platter.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Video
Nutrition
What do you mean by red pepper spread?
It’s a condiment that can be purchased in the same section as pickles and other sandwich spreads.
Great recipe – but I do believe that the 1/2 cup portion of mixture for each tortilla is a typo as there definitely isn’t enough mixture for that. I would disregard that and do a thin layer on each tortilla.
Deliciousness!
I ran out of the cream cheese mixture well before I got to 8 tortillas. I was using the cream cheese mixture, sparingly, much less than the half a cup recommended in the recipe. Maybe the cream cheese mixture needs to be doubled to have enough for eight tortillas?
It’s supposed to be pretty thin, but if you like a thicker cream cheese, feel free to double it!
Love this Italian pinwheel recipe, so delicious and easy to make. Perfect for holidays or parties. Definitely will make them. Thanks for sharing 🙂
This is fantastic! My favorite Italian sub flavors in a pinwheel. They are perfect for game day, an appetizer or even an on the go lunch.
I loved all the big flavors in these pinwheels! They were perfect for our family party.
These worked out perfectly for our party. Everyone loved the smaller portions to enjoy as a snack!
There is so much amazing flavour in these pinwheels. The banana peppers were my favourite.