Puff pastry pinwheels are the kind of appetizer that looks wildly impressive on a platter but takes almost no effort to pull together (five ingredients and 30 minutes). This version has salty prosciutto, fresh pear, crumbled gorgonzola, and fresh thyme all rolled into flaky, golden rounds that are warm and crispy straight out of the oven.
Store-bought puff pastry is doing the heavy lifting here (but you can totally make your own puff). My ham and cheese turnovers are proof that great puff pastry recipes are super versatile The combination of sweet, salty, and tangy in these pinwheels is such a nice balance.
For another impressive-but-easy puff pastry appetizer, my spinach and feta pinwheels follow the same technique and are always a hit.
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Why We Love It!
- Only 5 ingredients - prosciutto, pear, gorgonzola, thyme, and puff pastry. That's it. Simple, stunning, and totally doable.
- Sweet, salty, and tangy - this flavor combo hits every note. The pear balances the salty prosciutto and pungent cheese in the best way.
- Make-ahead friendly - the log can be prepped and frozen ahead of time, then sliced and baked right before your guests arrive.
Ingredients
- Puff pastry. Store-bought frozen puff pastry works great here. Look for one (like Dufour) made with real butter if you can find it - the flavor is noticeably better. Pepperidge Farm is a solid and easy-to-find option, but not made with butter.
- Prosciutto.
- Gorgonzola. It's bold and salty, so a little goes a long way. You can buy pre-crumbled, or a block and crumble it yourself. If you can’t find gorgonzola, use blue cheese!
- Pear. Half a pear is all you need. Bosc or Bartlett both work well here.
- Fresh thyme. Fresh is highly suggested for a brighter, more lemony flavor.
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap gorgonzola/blue cheese for feta, goat cheese, or gruyere for a milder flavor.
- Add a thin swipe of fig jam or hot honey over the prosciutto before layering the other ingredients for extra sweetness.
- Apple instead of pear is also a nice combo!
- Double up the prosciutto and pear layers if you want a more loaded bite.
- Make the fillings your own, or try these spinach feta pinwheels!
📸 Step By Step Overview
This is a quick visual overview. See the recipe card for full, detailed instructions.
- Step 1: Thinly slice half a pear and prep your other ingredients.
- Step 2: Roll out the puff pastry so it's slightly thinner, then wipe off any excess flour.
- Step 3: Add layers of prosciutto slightly overlapping.
- Step 4: Layer on the pear slices.
- Step 5: Add the gorgonzola crumbles and fresh thyme.
- Step 6: Wet one side of pastry, then roll up the log tightly starting on the opposite side. Roll back and forth and press the seam to seal.
- Step 7: Freeze the log while you preheat the oven, then slice into 16 pieces.
- Step 8: Space them out onto a baking sheet, and bake for about 20 minutes until golden.
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Pro tip
Slicing the pinwheels
Use a gentle sawing motion with the serrated knife instead of pressing straight down. This keeps the pinwheels from getting squished and helps them hold their round shape.
Tips for Success
- Have your ingredients ready to go so you can work efficiently. Keeping the puff pastry as cold as possible throughout the process makes for a better final product.
- Keep the pear slices very thin. Thick slices won't soften fully during the bake time and will release more liquid.
- Don't overfill. It's tempting to load these up, but too much filling makes them hard to roll and seal properly. Two thin layers maximum.
- Leave that ½" border clean. The water-sealed edge is what keeps the whole log together, so don't let the fillings creep too close to the edge.
- Don't skip the freezer step. Chilling the log before slicing is what keeps everything compact and helps the pinwheels hold their round shape. Even 15 minutes makes a big difference.
- Slice with a serrated knife using a gentle back-and-forth motion. Pressing straight down will squish the layers and the filling will slide out.
- Space the pinwheels on the baking sheet. Give them room to puff and get golden on the sides.
Testing Notes
- I went overboard on the gorgonzola at first (used 4oz), and it completely overpowered the prosciutto and pear. I reduced it to 2oz and it was much more balanced.
- I was easily able to double the ingredients - the centers of the pastry still cooked and I only added 2 additional minutes to the bake time.
- I think 2oz of gorgonzola is still plenty of flavor if you're doubling the prosciutto and pears.
- I tested a soft block of gorgonzola and a dry, pre-crumbled gorgonzola. The soft one melted and had a more even distribution, which I preferred to the pre-crumbled.
Common Questions
Yes! This is actually one of the best things about this recipe. Assemble the log, wrap it in plastic wrap, and keep it in the freezer for a month. If you have time, you can thaw it in the fridge. For a quick thaw, leave it on the counter for about 20-30 minutes before slicing and baking.
Absolutely. Gorgonzola is bold and tangy, but blue cheese, feta, goat cheese, or gruyere are all great options.
This usually happens if the log wasn't rolled tightly enough, the seam isn’t pinched/sealed tightly, or it wasn't chilled long enough before slicing. Make sure to seal the edge with water and give the log a good firm roll before wrapping and chilling.
Yes! My rough puff pastry works great in this recipe and takes the flavor up a notch. Use it the same way as store-bought.
Storage
These puff pastry pinwheels are truly best enjoyed the day they're made, ideally while they're still warm from the oven. The pastry loses its crispiness as it sits and doesn't reheat well enough to be worth saving.
If you want to get ahead, freeze the assembled log (before slicing) for one month. Slice straight from frozen and bake as directed, adding 2-3 extra minutes to the bake time.
General Tid Bits
- All recipes are created with Diamond Crystal kosher salt, the least salty variety of kosher salt. If using Morton's, you'll need to cut the amount of salt in half as it's 2x as salty. This will be the same for sea salt. Please do not use table salt.
- Switch between Cups vs Metric using the toggle on the recipe card. Baking by weight using a digital scale will always produce the most accurate results.
- Scale the recipe using the '1X' '2X' '3X' buttons on the recipe card. Note that this does not make an adjustment for baking times, only quantities.
📖Recipe
Prosciutto, Pear, & Gorgonzola Puff Pastry Pinwheels
Equipment
- Large baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry
- 4-6 slices prosciutto
- ½ pear cored, and very thinly sliced
- 2 oz gorgonzola cheese crumbled
- ½ tablespoon minced fresh thyme
Instructions
- Roll out the puff pastry to about ⅛" thick (it doesn't matter if it stays in a square or slightly rectangular) and brush off any excess flour.1 sheet puff pastry
- Lay the slices of prosciutto all over the sheet of puff pastry, leaving a ½" space on one of the longer sides (if it’s a square, just choose a side). Add a swipe of water to the exposed ½" pastry.4-6 slices prosciutto
- Top the prosciutto with the pear slices, gorgonzola, and sprinkle with the fresh thyme.½ pear, 2 oz gorgonzola cheese, ½ tablespoon minced fresh thyme
- Starting on the side closest to your body, roll the pastry tightly to meet the water edge, then lightly pinch the pastry together to seal. Roll the entire log back and forth a few times, then press it in on each side with the palms of your hands to keep it compact.
- Roll the log in a sheet of parchment paper (or plastic wrap), then place it in the freezer while the oven preheats. Preheat the oven to 400℉/205℃ and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Unwrap the log and use a serrated knife to slice the pinwheels into ½" rounds (about 16 pieces).
- Space out the pieces evenly on the baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden. Enjoy after a few minutes while still warm.
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