Jalapeno Popper Pinwheels
Oct 15, 2025
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My jalapeno popper pinwheels are always a hit when I serve them at parties, game days, and more. The best flavors of the popular jalapeno poppers appetizer, rolled up in a tortilla to make a delicious bite.
Pinwheels are one of my favorite party foods. An easy finger food that can be made with few ingredients and not to mention they are fun to eat. These jalapeno popper pinwheels are a delicious version of the classic appetizer.
If you need a tasty bite of food for any occasion, pinwheels are a great option. They are light enough that they don’t weigh you down, but filling enough to leave your guests satisfied.
Each bite has just the right balance of flavors. Cream cheese, smoky bacon, and the mild flavor of fresh jalapenos. Don’t worry, they aren’t very spicy, just the right amount for amazing flavor.
If you are looking for more pinwheel recipe, be sure to try these Italian pinwheels, crack chicken pinwheels, vegetable pinwheels, and BLT pinwheels.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Great jalapeno flavor. Fresh jalapenos give these pinwheels the perfect amount of heat without being overpowering.
- An easy appetizer. These can be assembled in about 10 minutes. Perfect for last minute gatherings.
- Can be made ahead of time. A great party appetizer to make the day before.
- Customizable. Make these your own with a few simple ingredient swaps. Scroll to the variation section for inspiration.
Ingredients
Grab just a few ingredients to make this jalapeno popper pinwheels recipe.
- Tortillas: Use large, burrito sized flour tortillas.
- Cream cheese: Softened cream cheese is the base of the pinwheel filling.
- Garlic powder: Adds a hint of garlic flavor to the cream cheese spread.
- Jalapenos: Fresh, diced jalapenos are used. You can substitute pickled jalapenos.
- Bacon: Cooked and crumbled bacon adds savory, smoky flavor.
- Green onions: Mild onion flavor and beautiful green color.
- Shredded cheese: Shredded cheddar cheese adds amazing cheesy flavor.
How to make jalapeno popper pinwheels
Scroll to the bottom for the full, printable recipe.
- Place the cream cheese and garlic powder in a large bowl. Cream together until combined.
- Stir in the crumbled bacon, shredded cheese, diced green onions, and diced jalapenos.
- Spread half of the mixture on a tortilla in an even layer.
- Roll the tortilla up as tightly as possible.
- Cover the tortilla roll up with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Repeat with the remaining tortilla and mixture.
- After 30 minutes of chilling, slice the roll ups into 1-inch pinwheels.
Heather’s recipe tips
- Adjust the amount of diced jalapeno. Add more or less jalapeno depending on how spicy you want your pinwheels. You can also swap them out with pickled jalapenos for a mild flavor.
- Soften the cream cheese. Softening the cream cheese helps make it easier to spread on the tortilla. It also helps to prevent lumps in the cream cheese.
- Roll as tight as possible. It is important to roll the tortilla up as tight as possible to help all of the ingredients stay together in the tortilla.
- Refrigerate for easier slicing. Refrigerating the rolls before slicing makes cutting the jalapeno pinwheels much easier.
- Double the recipe for a crowd. If you have a large crowd, I recommend doubling the recipe.
- Try serving with a dipping sauce. I like serving these with a dipping sauce like this Wingstop ranch recipe.
Variations and substitutions
These easy jalapeno popper tortilla roll-ups can be made your own with just a few changes.
- Chicken jalapeno popper pinwheels: Add shredded rotisserie chicken into the cream cheese mixture.
- Baked jalapeno popper pinwheels: You can bake these on a sheet pan at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes for a warm pinwheel.
Storage
Store: Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Make ahead: These can be made the day before. Store in the refrigerator.
More pinwheel recipes
- Cucumber pinwheels
- Chicken Caesar pinwheels
- Buffalo chicken pinwheels
- Cranberry cream cheese pinwheels
- Dill pickle pinwheels
- Turkey roll ups
Let me know if you try these jalapeno popper pinwheels in the comments below.
Jalapeno Popper Pinwheels
Ingredients
- 1 (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 6 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 2 green onions, diced
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup diced jalapenos remove seeds
- 2 large flour tortillas
Instructions
- Place the softened cream cheese and garlic powder in a large bowl. Mix together until creamy.
- Stir in the crumbled bacon, diced green onions, cheese, and diced jalapenos.
- Spread half of the mixture on top of one of the tortillas. Tightly roll the tortilla into a "log" and then cover in plastic wrap. Repeat with the remaining tortilla and cream cheese mixture.
- Chill the tortilla rolls for 30 minutes. Slice into 1-inch pinwheels.
Notes
- Adjust the amount of diced jalapeno. Add more or less jalapeno depending on how spicy you want your pinwheels. You can also swap them out with pickled jalapenos for a mild flavor.
- Soften the cream cheese. Softening the cream cheese helps make it easier to spread on the tortilla. It also helps to prevent lumps in the cream cheese.
- Roll as tight as possible. It is important to roll the tortilla up as tight as possible to help all of the ingredients stay together in the tortilla.
- Refrigerate for easier slicing. Refrigerating the rolls before slicing makes cutting the jalapeno pinwheels much easier.
- Double the recipe for a crowd. If you have a large crowd, I recommend doubling the recipe.
- Try serving with a dipping sauce. I like serving these with a dipping sauce like this Wingstop ranch recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
