These keto spinach pinwheels with red pepper, goat cheese, and pesto are wrapped in mozzarella fathead dough to create an easy low carb appetizer. These gluten-free pinwheels are great as a side dish or as keto party food for your next pot luck. Everyone will love these veggie pinwheels!
Best Spinach and Red Pepper Pesto Pinwheels - Keto, Low Carb, LCHF, Grain-free, Gluten-free, Sugar-free, Vegetarian
Fun foodie fact: The pinwheel is a bi-product of the 1970s cocktail party hors d'oeuvre. Originally this canape was made with bread but then morphed into the tortilla version we often see at parties today. These little finger foods are made to be passed, and don’t always have to be served cold. There are tons of pinwheel recipes out there, but what about for my low carb or gluten-free friends? You’ll likely see this tasty party food and have to steer clear, but not anymore.
This recipe is a baked keto pinwheel made gluten-free and grain-free with a magic mozzarella dough. Spinach and feta is such a popular combination, but for this low carb pinwheel recipe, I wanted to go outside of tradition. In this version, layers of pesto, spinach, red pepper, and goat cheese collide in this easy keto appetizer. Perfect for your next potluck, game day, or holiday event, this is one veggie pinwheel that everyone is sure to love!
How to Make Keto Spinach Rolls
For a full recipe and measurements, scroll down to the recipe card below.
Ingredient Notes
Fathead Dough. There are so many magic mozzarella dough recipes out there, but I use this Crispy Keto Pizza Dough recipe for this gluten-free pinwheels recipe. This dough is naturally very pliable and soft. You’ll be rolling the dough after filling into a slab, so make sure to freeze before slicing and baking. Because fathead dough has so much cheese, you’ll want the dough to rest and be very cold. Otherwise, you’ll get smooshy and somewhat deformed pinwheels.
If you need a nut free version of fathead dough, use this magic mozzarella dough recipe from Sugar-free Mom
Pesto. Use your favorite store-bought or homemade pesto (from my pal Wendy at Kickin’ Carbs) for this keto pinwheel recipe.
Spinach. Fresh or frozen spinach, totally your call. If you do use frozen spinach, defrost first and squeeze out all the excess water before adding to the sauted onions. If you are using fresh spinach, chop first to ensure bite sized pieces in the pinwheels.
Roasted Red Pepper. For this easy keto appetizer recipe, use jarred roasted red pepper. But if you have time, roast your own. Turn your oven broiler setting to high. Set a large washed and dried red pepper on a baking sheet and broil for 5-10 minutes. Rotate the pepper after the skin blisters with black spots, ensuring each side is cooked. Remove from the oven, place in a bowl, and cover with cling wrap to trap in the steam. This will help loosen the blackened skin. Allow pepper to come to room temperature. Remove the skin and seeds. Rinse, and cut into strips. One or two peppers, depending on the size should be perfect for this recipe. Save the leftovers and make my delicious Roasted Red Pepper Feta Dip or Roasted Red Pepper & Potato Frittata.
Goat cheese. Tangy and creamy, goat cheese adds a pop at the end to compliment the spinach and balance out the sweetness from the red pepper. Use crumbles, or buy a log of goat cheese to crumble yourself over top of the dough before rolling into a log.
Directions
To make this keto spinach pinwheel recipe,
Make one batch of Fathead Dough. Roll out to a ¼ inch thick large rectangle on a piece of parchment; spray parchment with oil to prevent sticking. Trim the edges if necessary. Set aside.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a medium sauté pan over medium low heat. Add onion, cooking until soft and translucent. Add garlic, sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Next, add spinach; mix to combine. Remove from heat. Salt and pepper to taste. Cool to room temperature.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine spinach, egg, and cheeses. Mix to combine.
Spread a thin layer of pesto over the dough, leaving about 1 inch of space along the edges. Next, scatter spinach mixture evenly over top, then scatter red pepper. Crumble goat cheese evenly across the dough.
Starting with the long edge, roll the assembled dough into a log. Wrap with parchment and a layer of plastic wrap. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Once the log is chilled, use a sharp, serrated knife to cut into 1 inch slices. Arrange rolls about 1 inch apart on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips, Tricks, and FAQs
To save time, use frozen or store-bought ingredients. I use frozen spinach, jarred roasted red pepper, and store-bought pesto sauce for this keto pinwheel recipe. If you are really watching process ingredients, you can absolutely make your own; however, just be prepared to add prep/cook time to this recipe.
Freeze for 30 minutes before slicing. I highly recommend freezing the spinach pinwheels before baking. Why? Fathead dough is softer and more moist than a puff pastry dough because it’s made almost entirely out of cheese. I find that letting the magic mozzarella dough chill and rest before slicing helps hold up shape during baking and retains the distinct swirl.
If you’re short on time, you can bake these without this step, but just know that the resulting low carb spinach pinwheels might be a bit sloppy looking.
How to Serve and Store Spinach Pinwheels with Fathead Dough
Serve these keto spinach pinwheels by themselves as a side or appetizer at a potluck, game day party, or holiday event. These are delicious dunked into marinara as well. If serving these gluten-free pinwheels as a side, they are delicious with Keto Zuppa Toscana or Low Carb Creamy Cauliflower Leek Soup.
- To Store. Store your keto pinwheels in the refrigerator. These spinach and red pepper pinwheels taste great both warm and at room temperature, so they’re ideal for entertaining.
- How Long will Pinwheels Keep in the Refrigerator? You can store pinwheels in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Make sure to reheat them in the oven before serving so the pastry can crisp back up. Fathead dough does not crisp up as nicely after a few days.
- To Reheat. Reheat on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 375 degrees F until warmed through.
Can I freeze spinach and red pepper pinwheels? If you need to freeze this gluten-free pinwheel recipe, freeze in an airtight container or resealable bag before after baking. The pinwheels can be frozen for up to one month. When you are ready to eat, thaw at room temperature and reheat in a 375 degree F oven until warmed through.
Can I make these keto pinwheels beforehand? I don’t recommend it. Fathead dough is best fresh. The pinwheels are soft and less crispy when reheated.
Other Low Carb Keto Appetizer Recipes you’ll love
Keto Spinach Pinwheels
These keto spinach pinwheels with red pepper, goat cheese, and pesto are wrapped in mozzarella fathead dough to create an easy low carb appetizer. These gluten-free pinwheels are great as a side dish or as keto party food for your next pot luck. Everyone will love these veggie pinwheels!
Ingredients
- 1 batch Keto Fathead Dough
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 10 ounces spinach
- salt & pepper
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1 cup mozarella cheese, shredded
- 3 tbsp pesto sauce
- 1/3 cup roasted red pepper, chopped
- 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
Instructions
Make one batch of Fathead Dough. Roll out to a ¼ inch thick large rectangle on a piece of parchment; spray parchment with oil to prevent sticking. Trim the edges if necessary. Set aside.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a medium sauté pan over medium low heat. Add onion, cooking until soft and translucent. Add garlic, sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add spinach, mix to combine. Remove from heat. Salt and pepper to taste. Cool to room temperature.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine spinach, egg, and cheeses. Mix to combine.
Spread a thin layer of pesto over the dough, leaving about 1 inch of space along the edges. Next, scatter spinach mixture evenly over top, then scatter red pepper. Crumble goat cheese evenly across the dough.
Starting with the long edge, roll the assembled dough into a log. Wrap with parchment and a layer of plastic wrap. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Once the log is chilled, use a sharp, serrated knife to cut into 1 inch slices. Arrange rolls about 1 inch apart on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 197Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 176mgCarbohydrates: 3gNet Carbohydrates: 2gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 5g
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and calculated to the best of my ability using online databases. It is suggested that you perform your own check to ensure that a recipe fits within the scope of your dietary needs.
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I'm confused about the freezing instructions. It says, "freeze before after baking". Can you clarify?
Hi Jennifer! So sorry for the typo and thanks for catching it. If you want to freeze these, do so before baking.