Mediterranean pinwheels are easy appetizers that take minutes to prep and taste delicious. Bring some Mediterranean flavors to your party with these tortilla roll ups made with olives, pesto and sun-dried tomatoes!

Pinwheel appetizers are not only easy to make but they are crowds’ favorites. You can easily experiment with fillings and flavors to cater for all your guests tastes.

This post includes FAQ’s about making tortilla pinwheels and useful tips for making the best Mediterranean pinwheels.

How do you roll tortilla pinwheels?

To make these cream cheese roll ups, all you need to do is spread a thin layer over the tortilla and roll it into a sausage. Wrap it in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge.

How to make Mediterranean Pinwheels Step 1

How to make Mediterranean Pinwheels Step 2

How do you keep pinwheels from getting soggy?

Try avoiding wet foods like tomatoes, dressings and cucumber.

If you wash some of the veggies (like lettuce) when prepping them for tortilla roll-ups, make sure to pat them dry with a paper kitchen towel to get rid of the excess water.

Can I make tortilla pinwheels ahead?

This will depend on what filling you are planning to use and how long ahead you want to make the tortillas. While tortillas don’t absorb moisture and liquids as quickly as a slice of bread, this does not mean that they will not get soggy after a while.

If you use tomatoes or some kind of dressing, these will turn your tortilla pinwheels soggy.

When it comes to these Mediterranean pinwheels, I don’t recommend making them night before. They can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 hours. After that, you should serve them to avoid the wraps to turn very soft.

Pro tips

I’ve tested these several times and came to the conclusion that they should not be stored in the fridge for more than 3 (max 4) hours. However, my husband enjoyed even those that were chilled for over 4 hours, so it really depends on everyone’s taste.
Chives can be omitted.
Some pesto brands can be thinner than others or contain more oil. Try to find thicker pesto and if you see that there is a layer of oil once you have opened the jar, drain this away. You don’t want the cream cheese filling very thin.
Pat dry the olives with a paper kitchen towel to get rid of any excess liquid/moisture that would also increase the chance of these cream cheese tortilla pinwheels getting soggy quickly.

More easy appetizers:

Ham & Jalapeno Air Fryer Pinwheels are delicious and easy appetizers that don’t take long to make.
Turkey Pinwheels - quick prep and simple ingredients.
Caprese Salad Bites - 5 minutes is all you need to make 12 of them so why not add them to your party menu?
Slow Cooker Sweet & Spicy Meatballs are made from scratch and crowds love them!
Honey Pistachio Goat Cheese Log is the perfect appetizer for your cheese board. It looks pretty, requires minimal effort to make and feeds a crowd!

Mediterranean Pinwheels

Author: Julia

4.59 from 17 votes

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Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Servings pieces

Ingredients

4 tablespoons red pesto (see note 1)
½ cup pitted olives (60 grams, drained, patted dry, finely chopped)
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes (70 grams, drained, patted dry, finely chopped)
8 ounces cream cheese (chilled)
chives (optional, finely chopped)
2 tortillas (large, see note 4)

Instructions

Spread a layer over the tortilla and roll tight. Wrap in a plastic wrap and transfer into the fridge. Repeat with the second one. If you have a leftover mixture, make another one.
Chill for up to 3 hours before serving.
Cut into bite-size pieces before serving.
Enjoy!

Notes

Red pesto can be substituted with green pesto but I personally prefer red one.
You might get more or less roll-ups. This will depend on how thick you will cut them.
For more tips and FAQ, I recommend reading the full post.
Tortillas – you can use other tasty ones like spinach tortillas or sun-dried tomato tortillas, … The tortillas I used were 10-inch wide (25 centimeters). Feel free to use smaller ones, if you like.
I don’t recommend keeping these pinwheels in the fridge for longer than 3 hours.
The olives and sun-dried tomatoes must be patted dry to get rid of any excess liquids that could cause the pinwheels to go soggy faster.

Nutrition

Calories: 66 kcal (3%), Carbohydrates: 4 g (1%), Protein: 1 g (2%), Fat: 5 g (8%), Saturated Fat: 3 g (19%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 12 mg (4%), Sodium: 141 mg (6%), Potassium: 114 mg (3%), Fiber: 1 g (4%), Sugar: 2 g (2%), Vitamin A: 209 IU (4%), Vitamin C: 1 mg (1%), Calcium: 23 mg (2%), Iron: 0.4 mg (2%)

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

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