These Cranberry Cream Cheese Pinwheels with Puff Pastry are the perfect easy appetizer. You just need leftover Cranberry Sauce or Christmas Jam to make this crispy and flaky bite sized finger food.
They’re made with just 3 ingredients, are suitable for vegetarians and can easily be made vegan and or gluten-free.
- Cranberry Cream Cheese Pinwheels with Puff Pastry Ingredients
- Dietary variations
- How to make Cranberry Cream Cheese Pinwheels
- Pro Tips
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage
- Other Puff Pastry Appetizer Recipes
Indulge in the festive spirit with these delectable Cranberry Cream Cheese Pinwheels.
They’re a delightful treat that seamlessly blends the tartness of cranberries with the rich creaminess of cream cheese, all wrapped up in flaky puff pastry.
These bite-sized wonders are not only visually appealing but also incredibly easy to make, making them the perfect addition to your holiday season and party spread.
Crafted with just three simple ingredients—puff pastry, cream cheese, and vibrant cranberry sauce—these pinwheels are a effortlessly delicious addition to your holiday festivities.
They’re perfect in a festive platter with Chestnut Hummus , Loaded Cauliflower Cheese Balls , Chili Cheese and Pineapple Parcels , Christmas Candied Walnuts and Spiced Rosemary Almonds .
I love to keep some sweet treats on hand too, like these Mini Nutella Puff Pastry Christmas Trees that are made with 2 ingredients!
If you love cranberries, you’ll love this Cranberry Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip .
Cranberry Cream Cheese Pinwheels with Puff Pastry Ingredients
Cranberry sauce – cranberry jam or even Christmas jam works well for this recipe. Make your own or use store-bought.
Cream Cheese aka soft cheese – use any spreadable soft cheese that takes your fancy. You can use flavoured cheeses too.
Puff Pastry sheet – You can purchase this as ready rolled in the fresh aisle or as a frozen block that you need to roll out after defrosting.
Milk for glazing – its a great egg-free glaze substitute.
Dietary variations
Gluten-free
Use a gluten-free puff pastry which is usually available in stores
Vegan/Dairy Free
Use a vegan cheese spread and glaze the pastry with plant based milk. Most store bought pastries are vegan but it is worth checking the packaging.
How to make Cranberry Cream Cheese Pinwheels
Roll out a puff pastry sheet on a clean, even surface.
Spread over the cream cheese first ensuring to cover the edges too. Be careful not to tear or disturb the pastry too much.
Now dollop then spread over the cranberry sauce/jam.
Roll the pastry into a log. I roll away from me with the longer edge so my pinwheels do not end up too large (see video in the recipe card).
If your pastry is soft, I suggest chilling it for 10 minutes so it firms up.
Slice into even sized pinwheels using a sharp knife – around 1-1.5inch works well.
Arrange onto parchment paper with sufficient gap to allow for the puff pastry to expand.
Oven:
Place on a baking tray and bake in a preheated oven at 190 C for 10-12 minutes or until the puff pastry is risen, flaky and golden brown.
Air Fryer:
Place the parchment paper with the pinwheels inside the air fryer basket. You may have to air fry in batches.
Air Fry for 7-10 minutes at 180C or until the pastry is golden.
Note that cooking times may vary based on models.
Pro Tips
- Ensure your cranberry sauce/jam is at spreadable consistency. If not, loosen with a spoon of warm water.
- Do not overfill the pastry, as you may struggle to roll it up.
- Chill the pastry prior to cutting into pinwheels.
- Use a sharp knife to cut and you may need to clean the knife between cuts.
Serving Suggestions
1 pastry sheet makes approximately 24 cranberry cream cheese pinwheels.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Optionally garnish with fresh herbs such as thyme.
You might like to serve alongside mocktails such as this Non Alcoholic Mimosa or Cranberry Mocktail .
Storage
You can store leftover prepared pinwheels in an airtight container. They will stay fresh in the fridge for about 2 days however, they will loose their crispy and flaky texture over time.
Reheat in the oven or air fryer rather than microwave to get them crispy again.
You can make this recipe ahead by preparing the pinwheels in advance but baking just before serving. Keep the prepared pinwheels in the fridge.
I do not recommend freezing these pinwheels.
Other Puff Pastry Appetizer Recipes
Punjabi Samosa Puff
Vegan Curry Puffs
Tandoori Paneer Tarte au Soleil
Szechuan Paneer Puff Pastry Circles / Pinwheels
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
- YouTube
Cranberry Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Pinwheels Appetizer
Equipment
- Oven or Air Fryer
- Parchment paper
- Pizza Cutter
Ingredients
- 100 gram cranberry sauce
- 100 gram cream cheese
- 1 block puff pastry 320g
Instructions
- Roll out a puff pastry sheet on clean, even surface.
- Spread over the cream cheese first ensuring to cover the edges too. Be careful not to tear or disturb the pastry too much.
- Now dollop then spread over the cranberry sauce/jam.
- Roll the pastry into a log. I roll away from me with the longer edge so my pinwheels do not end up too large (see video in the recipe card).
- If your pastry is soft, I suggest chilling it for 10 minutes so it firms up.
- Slice into even sized pinwheels using a sharp knife – around 1-1.5inch works well.
- Arrange onto parchment paper with sufficient gap to allow for the puff pastry to expand.
- Oven:
- Place on a baking tray and bake in a preheated oven at 190 C for 10-12 minutes or until the puff pastry is risen, flaky and golden brown.
- Air Fryer:
- Place the parchment paper with the pinwheels inside the air fryer basket. You may have to air fry in batches.
- Air Fry for 7-10 minutes at 180C or until the pastry is golden.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Cranberry Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Pinwheels Appetizer
Equipment
- Oven or Air Fryer
- Parchment paper
- Pizza Cutter
Ingredients
- 100 gram cranberry sauce
- 100 gram cream cheese
- 1 block puff pastry 320g
Instructions
- Roll out a puff pastry sheet on clean, even surface.
- Spread over the cream cheese first ensuring to cover the edges too. Be careful not to tear or disturb the pastry too much.
- Now dollop then spread over the cranberry sauce/jam.
- Roll the pastry into a log. I roll away from me with the longer edge so my pinwheels do not end up too large (see video in the recipe card).
- If your pastry is soft, I suggest chilling it for 10 minutes so it firms up.
- Slice into even sized pinwheels using a sharp knife - around 1-1.5inch works well.
- Arrange onto parchment paper with sufficient gap to allow for the puff pastry to expand.
- Oven:
- Place on a baking tray and bake in a preheated oven at 190 C for 10-12 minutes or until the puff pastry is risen, flaky and golden brown.
- Air Fryer:
- Place the parchment paper with the pinwheels inside the air fryer basket. You may have to air fry in batches.
- Air Fry for 7-10 minutes at 180C or until the pastry is golden.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
These super cute Mini Puff Pastry Christmas Trees on sticks are stuffed with Nutella . They are so delicious and flaky but easy to make with just 2 ingredients !
- Why you will love this Nutella Puff Pastry Christmas Tree
- Puff Pastry Christmas Tree Ingredients
- Variations
- How to make Nutella Christmas Tree
- Tips and Tricks
- Storage
- Other Vegetarian Christmas Recipes
This Mini Nutella puff pastry Christmas tree recipe is a delightful holiday treat, combining the buttery, flaky goodness of puff pastry with the irresistible creaminess of Nutella.
The charming Christmas tree shape adds a festive touch, making them a visually appealing and scrumptious addition to any Christmas celebration.
Perfect for Christmas morning or snacking on whilst walking a festive film!
Puff Pastry is unmatched for the holiday season! The effortlessly festive celebrations golden, flaky layers are perfect for Christmas. I use it in so many of my appetizers and desserts.
Check out my puff pastry recipes:
- Rose and Pistachio Puff Pastry Cream Cones
- Puff Pastry Apple Tart
- Puff Pastry Chilli Cheese and Pineapple Parcels
- Eggless Mille Feuille
- Punjabi Samosa Puffs
- Tandoori Paneer Tarte au Soleil
- Cranberry Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Pinwheels
Why you will love this Nutella Puff Pastry Christmas Tree
- Only two main ingredients – Nutella and puff pastry, making it a hassle-free and time-saving option for a delicious treat.
- Perfect for beginners – this recipe is a great starting point.
- Impressive presentation – The puff pastry trees have a visually appealing and festive appearance.
- Kid-friendly – involving them in making these puff pastry trees can be a fun and enjoyable activity.
- Great as a breakfast treat or as a dessert.
- Customizable – you can get creative by adding extra toppings such as chopped nuts, powdered sugar, or a drizzle of chocolate for a personalized touch.
- Minimal clean up
- Shareable – the recipe yields multiple puff pastry trees, it’s great for sharing with friends and family.
Puff Pastry Christmas Tree Ingredients
Full ingredients with measurements are available in the recipe card below at the end of this post
Puff pastry sheet – You can purchase chilled sheets or frozen block of puff pastry. You can eady rolled sheet cut in half or two.
Nutella – any chocolate hazelnut spread works here. For a nut-free recipe use chocolate spread that are made without nuts. You can use leftover nutella to make this Nutella Barfi (Indian style Nutella fudge).
Milk – for glazing as an alternative to egg wash – optional.
Icing sugar to dust
Cake pop sticks or regular skewers
Variations
The beauty of this recipe is that you can change up the filling to pretty much whatever you fancy.
Other sweet fillings that work well include:
- biscoff spread
- jam or jelly
- a quick spread made using nuts, butter, brown sugar and cinnamon
Savoury fillings:
- pesto
- garlic butter
- thick pasta sauce
This is an easy recipe to make vegan as store bought puff pastry tends to be vegan. Nutella contains skim milk powder so ensure to use a dairy-free chocolate spread. Use a plant based milk as the glaze.
To make it gluten-free , you can purchase gluten free puff pastry from the store. Nutella is gluten-free.
How to make Nutella Christmas Tree
Roll out the puff pastry sheets. You can either cut the one pastry in half to make two smaller sheets or use 2 puff pastry sheets.
Spread over a layer of Nutella ensuring to reach the edges.
Top with the second sheet of puff pastry.
Using a sharp knife or pizza wheel to cut into 2 cm or 1 inch strips.
Next, fold the puff pastry dough accordion style, starting with a larger base and going smaller to create a christmas tree shape.
Reserve one strip so that you can cookie cut stars to top the trees.
Push through a cake pop or skewer to secure the tree and star together.
Brush over milk or glaze of choice if using.
Transfer over to a baking sheet with sufficient room to allow the pastry to expand.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180C or 360 F for 10-15 or until the pastry is lightly golden.
Alternatively, place in an air fryer basket air fry for 7-10 minutes at 180C or 360F until golden.
Tips and Tricks
Do not stuff with too much Nutella as it may start leaking out of the sides.
Use the whole cut strip per tree unless you want to make them even smaller.
Some soak the skewers first but I found that mine didn’t burn.
Note that cooking times can vary between models and size of your pastry.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container as soon as possible. To get them crunchy again, reheat in the oven or air fryer just for a minute or so.
To make ahead, prepare the christmas tree pastry and keep chilled in the fridge. Bake just before serving, especially if you want to serve them warm.
I do not recommend freezing once the pastry is cooked. The puff will loose texture.
Other Vegetarian Christmas Recipes
Christmas Corn
Spiced Christmas Jam
Cranberry Mocktail
Christmas Truffles with Chocolate and Orange
As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
Don’t forget to follow me on social media using the buttons below – I can’t wait to see you all there!
- YouTube
Mini Nutella Puff Pastry Christmas Trees
Equipment
- Pizz cutter
- Air fryer or oven
Ingredients
- 320 gram puff pastry ready rolled sheet
- ½ cup nutella
- icing sugar optional – to create slaw
Instructions
- Roll out the puff pastry sheets. You can either cut the one pastry in half to make two smaller sheets or use 2 puff pastry sheets.
- Spread over a layer of Nutella ensuring to reach the edges.
- Top with the second sheet of puff pastry.
- Using a sharp knife or pizza wheel to cut into 2 cm or 1 inch strips.
- Next, fold the puff pastry dough accordion style, starting with a larger base and going smaller to create a christmas tree shape.
- Reserve 1 strip to cut out stars to top the tree
- Push through a cake pop stick to join the pastry and the star
- Brush over milk or glaze of choice if using.
- Transfer over to a baking sheet with sufficient room to allow the pastry to expand.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180C or 360 F for 10-15 or until the pastry is lightly golden.
- Alternatively, place in an air fryer basket air fry for 7-10 minutes at 180C or 360F until golden.
- Dust over icing sugar to create a snowy effect – optional
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.
