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Buttery, flaky Puff Pastry Pinwheels make a fun appetizer or lunch, and are perfect for parties! Stuffed with salty prosciutto and gooey gruyere cheese, these delightful puff pastry bites are guaranteed to make everyone at the table smile. Ready in just under 30 minutes!
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Ham and Cheese Pinwheels
At the very first dinner party I hosted for friends, among the appetizers were prosciutto pinwheels. They are so simple and took so little time to make, I could not have anticipated how popular they would be. Of everything I put on the table that day, these puff pastry pinwheels were the first to go!
Since then, I always make sure to include puff pastry appetizers for a get-together, whether it’s a big New Year’s Eve party or just a few friends over for game day.
There are a lot of amazing treats you can make with puff pastry (like my spinach puffs!), but these prosciutto pinwheels will always be my favorite… and they tend to be my guests’ favorite, too!
Try making them and you’ll see what I mean. Even just as a treat for yourself, I know you’ll find you want to make them again – and again, and again. The best part is, you’ll never get tired of them because they are totally customizable.
Pastry Pinwheels Ingredients
- Puff pastry sheets
- Gruyere cheese
- Prosciutto
- Egg
- Water
- Cooking spray
- Lemon zest
- Basil (optional)
Use frozen puff pastry sheets for this recipe by letting them thaw at room temperature for about 40-45 minutes before you start cooking. You can also thaw it in the refrigerator for 6 hours up to overnight, if you like.
Puff Pastry Appetizers Substitutions
- If you want to try an herb other than basil, try a little rosemary or thyme.
- If you’re using rosemary, try goat cheese and a little bit of honey in your pinwheels. This combination of flavors is perfect with prosciutto!
- Gruyere works beautifully to complement the prosciutto in these puff pastry pinwheels, but you can also use other cheeses, such as mozzarella, Swiss, or provolone.
- For meats other than prosciutto, try dry cured ham, pancetta, capicola, bacon, or your favorite sliced ham. I often make these pastry pinwheels using leftover ham or my favorite candied bacon.
How to Make Ham and Cheese Pinwheels
- Thaw puff pastry by allowing it to sit at room temperature for 40-45 minutes, or in the refrigerator overnight before you start cooking.
- Heat oven to 400°F. Tear prosciutto into pieces and, if not already shredded, shred Gruyere cheese with a cheese grater.
- Unfold puff pastry sheets once they are pliable enough to handle. On a lightly floured flat surface, roll sheets out just slightly with a rolling pin. Do not roll them out completely – just enough to roll out the creases.
- Pierce each puff pastry with a fork 10-12 times to prevent the sheet from puffing up as it bakes. This enables the pinwheels to stay together, so don’t skip this step.
- Add shredded Gruyere to each pastry sheet and layer with half of the prosciutto on each sheet. Both the cheese and meat should reach the edges of the pastry.
- Roll each pastry sheet into a tight log shape.
- Cut each sheet into 12-14 slices about a ½-inch thick.
- Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. Place each slice cut-side down on the baking sheet. You can bake in 2 batches, or all at once with 2 separate baking sheets.
- Beat together egg and water in a small bowl. Brush each pinwheel with the egg wash.
- Finally, place the baking sheet in the oven and bake 16-18 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Remove when finished, let cool, and garnish with lemon zest and fresh herbs. Enjoy!
Tips for Puff Pastry Pinwheels
- The puff pastry only needs to be pliable enough to handle, so allowing it to thaw for just enough time that you can roll it out is all you need.
- Make sure to pierce the puff pastry so it doesn’t puff up overly much and ruin your pinwheels!
- Egg wash will help give your ham and cheese pinwheels a beautiful golden-brown finish. Definitely don’t skip it!
Ham and Cheese Roll-ups FAQ
You can make puff pastry appetizers such as these ham and cheese pinwheels up to 1 day in advance. Store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before brushing with egg wash and baking, or bake ahead of time and simply warm in the oven to reheat.
You should roll out store-bought puff pastry to an even thickness so it bakes evenly. In the case of puff pastry pinwheels, roll the dough out just enough to get rid of the creases.
You do not need to cook puff pastry before adding filling if you are not using an overly moist filling. For these puff pastry pinwheels, pre-baking is not necessary as the filling is not wet.
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📋 Recipe
Puff Pastry Pinwheels
Equipment
- Cooking spray
- 1-2 baking sheets
- rolling pin
- flour, for rolling out dough
Ingredients
- 2 sheets puff pastry
- 2 cups gruyere cheese
- 3 oz. prosciutto sliced
- 1 egg
- 1 Tablespoon water
- lemon zest from 1 lemon
- ½ cup basil freshly chopped, or herb of choice such as thyme or rosemary
See our Cooking Conversions Chart for help converting measurements!
Instructions
- Thaw puff pastry by allowing it to sit at room temperature for 40-45 minutes, or in the refrigerator overnight before you start cooking.2 sheets puff pastry
- Heat oven to 400°F. Tear prosciutto into pieces and, if not already shredded, shred Gruyere cheese with a cheese grater.2 cups gruyere cheese, 3 oz. prosciutto
- Unfold puff pastry sheets once they are pliable enough to handle. On a lightly floured flat surface, roll sheets out just slightly with a rolling pin. Do not roll them out completely – just enough to roll out the creases.
- Pierce each puff pastry with a fork 10-12 times to prevent the sheet from puffing up as it bakes. This enables the pinwheels to stay together, so don’t skip this step.
- Add shredded Gruyere to each pastry sheet and layer with half of the prosciutto on each sheet. Both the cheese and meat should reach the edges of the pastry.2 cups gruyere cheese, 3 oz. prosciutto
- Roll each pastry sheet into a tight log shape.
- Cut each sheet into 12-14 slices about a ½-inch thick.
- Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. Place each slice cut-side down on the baking sheet. You can bake in 2 batches, or all at once with 2 separate baking sheets.
- Beat together egg and water in a small bowl. Brush each pinwheel with the egg wash.1 egg, 1 Tablespoon water
- Finally, place the baking sheet in the oven and bake 16-18 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Remove when finished, let cool, and garnish with lemon zest and fresh herbs. Enjoy!lemon zest, ½ cup basil
Sarah Marshall says
Thank you for this delicious recipe. I made it for Thanksgiving and it was so moist, tender and flavorful.thanks for sharing