Pinwheel Tree Appetizer Recipe
This festive Pinwheel Tree Appetizer is a visually stunning and delicious party snack perfect for holiday gatherings. Made with creamy seasoned cream cheese, sliced olives, and red peppers, all rolled in colorful spinach and plain tortillas, then sliced to resemble pine trees. Garnished with fresh rosemary and cherry tomatoes, these pinwheels are sure to impress guests with both flavor and presentation.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes (including chilling time)
- Yield: Approximately 24 pinwheel slices
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Filling
- 16 oz cream cheese (2 blocks), room temperature
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup green olives, sliced
- ¼ cup black olives, sliced
- ¼ cup red peppers, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh dill, minced
Wrap
- 4 large tortillas (2 plain and 2 spinach/green)
Garnish
- Fresh rosemary sprigs
- Cherry tomatoes
- Decorative holiday picks (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the cream cheese mixture: In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese with garlic powder, onion powder, and lemon juice. Stir until smooth and evenly blended to create a flavorful base.
- Add chopped ingredients: Fold in the sliced green olives, black olives, finely chopped red peppers, and minced fresh dill into the cream cheese mixture, ensuring an even distribution of all flavors.
- Spread mixture on tortillas: Lay out each tortilla flat on a clean surface. Spread an even layer of the cream cheese mixture over each tortilla, covering the entire surface to the edges.
- Roll the tortillas: Carefully roll each tortilla tightly from one edge to the other to form a log shape, making sure the filling stays inside.
- Chill the rolls: Wrap the rolled tortillas in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up for easier slicing.
- Slice into pinwheels: Remove the chilled rolls from the fridge and unwrap. Using a sharp knife, slice each roll into ½ to ¾ inch thick pinwheels.
- Arrange into tree shapes: On a serving platter, arrange the pinwheels in a triangular pattern with the wider side at the bottom, gradually narrowing towards the top like a Christmas tree.
- Garnish: Decorate the pinwheel tree with sprigs of fresh rosemary to resemble pine needles and add halved cherry tomatoes as colorful “ornaments.” Optionally, insert decorative holiday picks for added festive flair.
- Serve: Keep the appetizer chilled until ready to serve, and enjoy this festive, flavorful finger food at your holiday party.
Notes
- Use room temperature cream cheese for easier mixing and spreading.
- For added flavor, you can substitute or add chopped sun-dried tomatoes or different herbs like chives.
- The green tortillas are usually spinach-flavored but can be replaced with any colored or flavored tortillas to suit your preference.
- Make the appetizer a few hours in advance to allow flavors to meld and to ensure the rolls firm up for clean slicing.
- This appetizer can be made gluten-free by using gluten-free tortillas.
Find it online: https://recipethrive.com/pinwheel-tree-appetizer-recipe/
