Pesto Pinwheels

These Pesto Pinwheels are an easy appetizer recipe made by spreading pesto and cheese inside buttery, crisp crescent roll dough.  They are the perfect bite-sized snack that takes just minutes to prepare and is always a crowd-pleaser.

Crescent roll appetizers like this are great because they can be whipped up at the last minute and everyone always loves them. For more, check out our Pizza Pinwheels, or try any of the variations listed below.  

Easy Pesto Pinwheels

This recipe for pesto pinwheels is one of my go-to appetizers for game day get togethers, holiday parties, or even family movie nights.  All you really need is a can of crescent roll dough, your favorite pesto, and some cheese.  Add a little marinara for dipping and voila – a complete homemade snack.

While you can make this pesto appetizer with crescent rolls at any time of year, I find I make it most often during the summer when there is a surplus of basil in the garden.  Make a huge batch of basil pesto and you can use it for pesto rolls, add it to pasta, spread it onto sandwiches, and so much more!

Ingredients You Will Need

• Refrigerated Crescent Roll Dough – you can find this in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.  You could also try using homemade pizza dough or even frozen puff pastry sheets for these Pesto Pinwheels.
• Pesto Sauce – you can either buy prepared pesto or make your own.  
• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese – you could also substitute any Italian cheese blend.
• Parmesan Cheese – use grated or shredded Parmesan cheese.
• Parsley – freshly chopped parsley is a nice garnish, but completely optional.
• Marinara Sauce – use your favorite kind of pizza or marinara sauce for serving.

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

• Puff Pastry. For an extra flakey variations, swap out puff pastry for the crescent roll dough.
• Pizza Dough: If you want the dough to be a bit softer and more doughy, you can substitute store bought or homemade pizza dough for the crescent rolls in this recipe.
• Additional filling ingredients.  Try adding chopped roasted sweet peppers, pepperoni, bacon bits, thinly sliced prosciutto, shredded chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, chopped olives, fresh basil and so much more!
• Different cheeses.  You can use just about any type of cheese that you can imagine in Pesto Pinwheels.  Other hard cheeses, such as Asiago or Gruyere, would taste amazing.  Or even a thinly spread layer of goat cheese in addition to the mozzarella and Parmesan.  
• Large Pesto Pinwheel:. If you want to make these pinwheel appetizers larger, just roll from the short side instead!  Note you will need to adjust the bake time slightly.

Storing, Reheating, and Make-Ahead Instructions

• Refrigerator: If you do have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
• To reheat: If you choose to store them in the fridge, we recommend tossing them into a 350-degree oven for a few minutes first to re-crisp.
• Make-Ahead: these are the perfect appetizer to make the night before, store in the fridge and then bake the day of. If you want to make them even further in advance, you can easily prep them, freeze on baking sheets, transfer to freezer bags and then pull and bake once you are ready to eat them.

More of our favorite appetizer recipes

• 25 Easy Appetizer Recipes
• Baked Pesto and Parmesan Puff Pastry
• Honey Soy Drumsticks
• Toasted Raviolis
• Pork Carnitas Nachos
• Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites
• Mini Charcuterie Cups
• Brie Bites
• Cinnamon Twists with Puff Pastry
• Best Appetizer Recipes

These Crescent Roll Pinwheels are an easy pesto appetizer that everyone loves. They use just a few ingredients and can be made at the very last minute.