Vegan Pesto Pinwheels
Vegan pesto pinwheels are a two-ingredient snack: store-bought pizza dough rolled with a generous layer of pesto, sliced into spirals and baked until golden. They take about 20 minutes in the oven at 180°C and come out crisp on the outside, soft inside. They are quick, child-friendly and perfect for sharing.
Remember my last pinwheels recipe? If you didn’t check it out, I’d suggest you take a look: my amazingly delicious pizza pinwheels. They were such a huge success at our last friends gathering that I decided to step it up a little bit and think about what else could make a good pinwheel filling. And I don’t want to brag, but I think I’ve hit the jackpot. Hear me out, just one word: pesto!
Actually, I must admit it wasn’t even my idea. I was brainstorming with my best friend and she suggested I try making vegan pesto pinwheels. I instantly felt she was on to something, so I gave it a try. I even had some homemade pesto in my fridge at the moment, so it felt like it was meant to be. Usually, whenever I come up with a recipe from scratch, I make a few trial rounds before I’m 100% satisfied. But this one took me by surprise: it came out perfect from my first try, and I didn’t need to change a thing.
Key ingredients
Pizza dough. Store-bought dough, thawed, is the whole point here: it makes these pinwheels a five-minute assembly job. The one rule that matters is to roll it out thin. The thinner you go, the tighter your spiral and the smaller, neater the rolls. A thick sheet gives you fewer turns and doughy centres that struggle to bake through. If you have the time, a homemade base works just as well.
Pesto. This is where the flavour lives, so use a pesto you genuinely like the taste of, vegan or regular. A thick, intensely flavoured pesto clings to the dough and holds its place as you roll; a watery one runs out the ends and leaves you with bland spirals. If you make your own, you control the salt and the garlic. My instinct tells me some sundried tomatoes and a little extra garlic would fit in here perfectly, so feel free to let your imagination run wild around this filling.
Tips for getting it right
- Roll the dough thin. This is the single most important step. A thin sheet rolls into more turns, which means a prettier spiral and rolls that bake evenly all the way to the middle.
- Spread the pesto right to the edges. Leave a bare margin and you get plain dough at the outside of every pinwheel. Cover the whole surface so every bite carries flavour.
- Roll tightly and slice clean. A snug roll holds its shape in the oven. Cut into 1 to 1.5-inch pieces with a sharp serrated knife, using a gentle sawing motion so you don’t squash the spiral flat.
- Watch the colour, not just the clock. Bake at 180°C for 15 to 20 minutes. You know they are ready when the dough turns golden and the edges look crisp. Ovens vary, so the colour is your real signal.
- Give them room. Space the pieces apart on the tray so the hot air circulates and the sides crisp up instead of steaming against each other.
Storage and make-ahead
These are at their best warm from the oven, when the outside is still crisp. Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them in a hot oven or air fryer for a few minutes rather than the microwave, which turns the dough soft and chewy. You can also assemble and slice the roll ahead of time, keep the pieces covered in the fridge, and bake them off fresh when your guests arrive.
If you are putting together a spread, these sit happily next to other easy bites. Try them alongside my basil pesto hummus for a double hit of basil, browse more vegan finger food recipes for the rest of the table, or serve them with a warm bowl of vegan red lentil soup to round things out. Don’t forget to let me know how the pesto pinwheels turned out for you. Your comments are always appreciated and heard here!
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Vegan Pesto Pinwheels
Ingredients
- 1 pizza dough store-bought, thawed
- 1 cup pesto vegan or regular
Instructions
- Roll out the pizza dough (the thinner the dough, the smaller the rolls).
- Spread a generous amount of pesto on top.
- Roll it and cut into 1 – 1,5-inch pieces.
- Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 15-20 minutes or until they develop the desired color.
Frequently Asked Questions
Just two ingredients: store-bought pizza dough and a cup of pesto (vegan or regular). You spread the pesto over the rolled-out dough, roll it up, slice it into spirals and bake. That is the whole recipe, which is why it comes together so fast.
Bake them at 180 degrees Celsius for 15 to 20 minutes. Watch the colour rather than the clock: they are ready once the dough turns golden and the edges look crisp. Ovens vary, so pull them when they reach the colour you want.
They can be. The dough is naturally egg- and dairy-free in most store-bought versions, so the pesto decides it. Use a vegan pesto and the pinwheels are fully vegan; classic pesto with Parmesan makes them vegetarian instead. Check the label if you are unsure.
Yes. You can assemble and slice the roll in advance, keep the pieces covered in the fridge, and bake them fresh when you need them. Baked pinwheels also keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Roll the dough up tightly so the spiral has no air gaps, and place each piece cut-side up with the loose end tucked underneath or pressed against a neighbour. A snug roll and a sharp serrated knife for slicing keep the spirals neat and intact in the oven.
They work as party finger food, a lunchbox snack or an appetiser. Serve them warm alongside a dip like basil pesto hummus, with a bowl of soup, or as part of a larger spread of finger foods. They are sturdy enough to eat with your hands and travel well.
I think that pesto is the most delicious thing in the world! tnx for sharing this
Pesto is life!