These Sausage Cream Cheese Pinwheels are made with flaky puff pastry stuffed with cream cheese, mozzarella, Italian sausage and onions, then topped with everything bagel seasoning and baked until golden brown.
From the recipe collection of Tara Ippolito
If you need an easy appetizer that everybody is going to grab the second you put it down, these sausage cream cheese pinwheels are it. They’re flaky and crispy on the outside with a creamy, cheesy and savory sausage filling on the inside.
I also love that they look a little fancy even though they’re incredibly easy to make. The everything bagel seasoning on top is the perfect finishing touch and gives them even more flavor and a little extra crunch.
Why You’ll Love It
- Easy to make: Puff pastry does most of the work here, so these come together with very little effort.
- Perfect for entertaining: They’re an easy handheld appetizer for holidays, parties, game day or just about any get-together.
- So much flavor: Italian sausage, onions, cream cheese, mozzarella and everything bagel seasoning are such a great combination.
- Great make-ahead appetizer: The puff pastry roll needs to chill anyway, so you can get some of the prep done before your guests arrive.
Ingredients
Here is everything you’ll need to make this delicious recipe. You can find the full ingredients list along with measurements and instructions on the recipe card below.
- Puff Pastry – Creates the buttery, flaky layers that get beautifully golden and crispy in the oven.
- Cream Cheese – Adds a rich, creamy layer that pairs perfectly with the savory sausage.
- Mozzarella Cheese – Adds another layer of cheesy flavor and gives the filling a little bit of that delicious melty texture.
- Mild Italian Sausage – Makes these pinwheels hearty and adds tons of savory Italian flavor without making them spicy.
- Onion – Cooking the onion with the sausage adds a little sweetness and extra flavor to the filling.
- Egg – Brushing the puff pastry with beaten egg helps the pinwheels bake up beautifully golden brown.
- Everything But the Bagel Seasoning – Adds garlic, onion, sesame and salty flavor along with a little extra texture to the tops of the pinwheels.
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large skillet, cook the mild Italian sausage and diced onion together over medium high heat, breaking the sausage into small crumbles as it cooks. Once the sausage is completely cooked through and the onions are soft, drain any excess grease and let the mixture cool. Roll the puff pastry sheets out onto a clean, flat surface.
- Divide the cream cheese and spread it evenly over the puff pastry, leaving just a little room around the edges. Divide the shredded mozzarella and sprinkle it evenly over the cream cheese. Add the cooled sausage and onion mixture on top of both puff pastry sheets, spreading it out evenly.
- Starting at one end, tightly roll the puff pastry up into a log. Wrap the log tightly in plastic wrap and place it into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and slice the log into 7–8 even pinwheels each. Place the pinwheels onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet, leaving a little space between each one.
- Brush the tops and exposed puff pastry with beaten egg. Sprinkle everything but the bagel seasoning over the tops. Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden brown and cooked through. Let the pinwheels cool slightly before serving and enjoy!
Pro Tips
- Let the sausage mixture cool before adding it to the puff pastry. A hot filling can soften the pastry and make it harder to work with.
- Be sure to drain any excess grease from the sausage before assembling the pinwheels.
- Don’t skip the 30-minute chill time. Chilling the roll helps everything firm up so it’s much easier to slice into clean pinwheels.
- Use a sharp knife and a gentle sawing motion when slicing so you don’t squish the pastry.
- Keep the puff pastry cold whenever possible. Cold puff pastry will give you the best flaky layers once it hits the hot oven.
- Don’t overcrowd the baking sheet because the puff pastry will expa
Variations
- For a little heat, swap the mild Italian sausage for hot Italian sausage or add some crushed red pepper flakes to the filling.
- You can also switch up the cheese. Provolone, fontina, cheddar or an Italian cheese blend would all be delicious instead of mozzarella.
- For even more Italian flavor, add a little grated Parmesan or some Italian seasoning to the filling before rolling everything up.
- If you’re not a fan of everything bagel seasoning, you can leave it off and finish the pinwheels with a little Parmesan cheese instead.
What to Serve With It
These sausage cream cheese pinwheels are delicious served warm right out of the oven and really don’t need anything else.
If you’d like a dipping sauce, warm marinara is perfect with the Italian sausage and mozzarella. You could also serve them with ranch or a creamy garlic dipping sauce.
For a party, they’re great alongside other easy appetizers like mozzarella sticks, baked wings, sliders, spinach dip or a simple antipasto platter.
Storage & Reheating
Store any leftover sausage cream cheese pinwheels in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat them, place the pinwheels into a 350°F oven or air fryer for a few minutes until they’re warmed through and the puff pastry has crisped back up.
The microwave will work in a pinch, but the puff pastry won’t stay quite as crispy.
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Sausage Cream Cheese Pinwheels Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Ground Mild Italian Sausage
- ½ Onion, diced
- 2 Sheets Puff Pastry, thawed but still cold
- 8 Oz Cream Cheese, room temperature
- 2 Cups Mozzarella Cheese, hand shredded
- 1 Egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon Everything But The Bagel Seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a large skillet, cook the mild Italian sausage and diced onion together over medium high heat, breaking the sausage into small crumbles as it cooks. Once the sausage is completely cooked through and the onions are soft, drain any excess grease and let the mixture cool.
- Roll the puff pastry sheets out onto a clean, flat surface. Divide the cream cheese and spread it evenly over the puff pastry, leaving just a little room around the edges. Divide the shredded mozzarella and sprinkle it evenly over the cream cheese. Add the cooled sausage and onion mixture evenly on top of both puff pastry sheets.
- Starting at one end, tightly roll the puff pastry up into a log. Wrap the log tightly in plastic wrap and place it into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Remove the plastic wrap and slice the log into 7–8 even pinwheels each. Place the pinwheels onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheet, leaving a little space between each one.
- Brush the tops and exposed puff pastry with the beaten egg. Sprinkle everything but the bagel seasoning over the tops. Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden brown and cooked through. Let the pinwheels cool slightly before serving and enjoy!
Andi Groves says
Made half with Parmesan and half with the bagel seasoning, both were great. Once baked, can they be frozen and reheated later?
Alicia Hughes says
I am not an accomplished baker like you. So for inexperienced Bakers you may want to dumb down the recipes a little. . I have never worked with puff pastry, but you said this was so easy. Perhaps you could say put the puff pastry sheets next to each other and join them together at the beginning of the recipe so they dont do like i did and put them on top of each other. That was a mess.
Even tho it took me 3x more time to fix, they are delicious. I will be making them again