This easy Spinach and Feta Pinwheels appetizer is so quick to make using puff pastry. The spanakopita style filling is packed with flavor and gets wrapped into a crispy, flaky pastry.
If you're looking for an easy vegetarian appetizer that's sure to please a crowd, these spinach and feta pinwheels are it! Biting into one of these pinwheels gives you a buttery, crunchy outside followed by a chewy, salty, garlicky inside.
The spanakopita filling is made of spinach, garlic, onions, feta cheese, and fresh dill and parsley. It's SO delicious.
For a super quick and simple version, use store bought puff pastry. If you have a bit more time on your hands, go ahead and use my Homemade Rough Puff Pastry recipe!
Add some other puff pastry appetizers to the mix with these ham and cheese turnovers, Reuben Hand Pies, baked brie with fig jam, cheese tartlets, or caramelized onion tart!
Ingredient Notes
- Puff pastry. You can use store bought or my homemade rough puff pastry.
- Spinach. The recipe calls for fresh spinach (wilted down & squeezed out), however, you can also use thawed and drained frozen spinach, if desired.
- Aromatics. Onions, garlic, dill and parsley!
- Cheese. Feta cheese is used in this recipe. You can use crumbled or block feta. Feel free to omit the dairy completely, if you'd like.
How to make Spinach and Feta Pinwheels
STEP 1: Sauté the spinach until wilted, then allow it to cool in a strainer. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much liquid as possible. I use my hands to do this, but you can also use a kitchen towel.
Roughly chop the spinach after squeezing it out.
STEP 2: Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic, then sauté over medium low heat until translucent. Add the chopped herbs at the end, then transfer to a medium sized bowl.
STEP 3: Add the feta cheese and spinach to the vegetables and mix it all together.
STEP 4: Roll out the puff pastry so it's ⅛" thick and brush off any excess flour from both sides. Then, spread the spanakopita mixture evenly over the top, leaving about a centimeter bare on all sides except the side closest to your body.
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STEP 5: Roll the puff pastry, starting from the side closest to you, in a tight coil. Add a dab of water to the edge, then seal by pinching the dough together a bit with your fingers.
Place the palm of your hand on either side of the roll and gently push in to compact it and roll it back and forth a few times.
STEP 6: If you have time, wrap the log in plastic wrap and a dish towel and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. This will produce the flakiest pinwheels.
Otherwise, slice the log into 16 slices and bake on a parchment lined baking sheet, baking at 400℉℃ for 20 minutes, or until golden.
Storing and Freezing
Store the baked pinwheels covered in the fridge for two days. Reheat for 5 minutes in a 400℉ oven.
Alternatively, you can store the wrapped log in the fridge for three days, then slice and bake according to instructions.
To freeze the spinach and feta pinwheels, wrap the log in plastic wrap, then foil, then place into a zip top bag and freeze for up to two months.
Thaw completely in the fridge, then slice and bake according to instructions.
Tips
- Squeeze out the spinach!! You will be surprised by how much water comes out.
- Be sure to pinch the seam together or else the pinwheels will unroll during baking.
- Allow for chill time after it's rolled up. This will result in the flakiest pastry.
- Roll the covered log in a kitchen towel before placing in the fridge. This ensures the log will stay round rather than getting a flat edge.
- Use a serrated knife to cut the pinwheels.
- Feel free to cut these a bit thicker, if you'd like. You may need to bake them a bit longer, though!
More puff pastry recipes
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📖Recipe
Spinach and Feta Pinwheels
Equipment
- Large baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry homemade rough puff or store bought
- 8 oz baby spinach
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¼ yellow onion finely diced
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil , butter, or fat of choice
- 2 oz feta cheese chopped or crumbled
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Add the spinach to a large pan over medium heat and toss until fully wilted. Transfer the cooked spinach to a fine mesh strainer to cool, then squeeze out as much water as possible with your hands.
- While the spinach is cooling, sautee the onions and garlic in the fat over medium low heat until translucent and fragrant, stirring occasionally, 3-5 minutes. Turn the heat off and stir in the herbs.
- Roughly chop the spinach, then separate it with your fingers (or two forks) in a bowl. Add the garlic, onion, herbs, feta, salt and mix to completely combine.
- 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.
- Add the spinach feta mixture to the top and spread it evenly to the edges, leaving a ½" space on one of the longer sides (if it's slightly rectangular, if not, just choose a side). Add a swipe of water to the exposed ½" pastry.
- 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.
- Wrap the log in plastic wrap, then roll it in a dish towel and place in the fridge for 15-30 minutes. 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.
Mary Ann Guarneri says
Can these be prepped ahead of time and baked the following day?
Callan Wenner says
Yes, definitely! Just keep it rolled up in a log in the fridge (wrapped tightly in plastic wrap), then slice and bake them off when you're ready!
Bev says
I was so anxious to make this upon first glance, but the recipe is missing important facts in the directions! Sauté the onions and garlic… in how much of what?! 1 T butter, 2 T olive oil, what!?? Also roll the puff pastry out to what size?! It says to 1/8 in thick, but do you roll it into a square or rectangle and WHAT SIZE? Recipes always tell what size. Do you roll the lig lengthwise or across width wise. It makes a difference in the finished size of the pinwheels. Too much to guess at here. 👎🏻
The Cozy Plum says
Hi Bev, I've gone ahead and updated these small details onto the recipe card to help suss it out. The puff pastry barely gets rolled out from its original form, so it will either remain as a square or barely become a rectangle (either is fine). You don't need to worry about size, just thickness. You'll always cut the rounds into roughly a 1/2", so it really doesn't matter which way you roll since the size would barely show a difference (as long as you're ending with the water-brushed edge).
Linda says
Great idea! Must try.