Italian Pinwheels (Easy Italian Appetizers)

These easy pinwheels are savory, bite-sized Italian appetizers made with prosciutto, cheese, and pie crust. After slicing and baking, the result is a warm, cheesy, flaky spiral that’s perfect for entertaining.

These salty, savory bites are delicious served warm or at room temperature and pair well with wine, cocktails, or a festive Italian spread.

Italian appetizers are always a hit at any party! I first tasted these pinwheels when my mom served them on a charcuterie board during cocktail hour before Easter dinner. The recipe originally comes from her friend Carol, who brought the appetizers to a happy hour at my folks’ house last year. This is just one of those great recipes friends love to share!

Step-by-Step: How to Make Italian Pinwheels

These little bites are as easy as roll, chill, slice, and bake. Here’s how I do it:

Step 1: Prepare the Pie Crust

Unroll the pie crust. This works best if you let the crust sit at room temp for about 10-15 minutes first. Don’t try to unroll it while it’s still cold, straight out of the fridge — it will just rip.

** Tip: Think of it like cookie dough; you don’t want it too cold and stiff, but not sticky or warm either.

Step 2: Add the Flavor Layers

Spread with a very thin layer of Dijon mustard, reaching all the way to the edges.

Top with a layer of prosciutto. It’s fine if the meat overlaps some.

Sprinkle with both cheeses and with the Italian seasoning.

** Pro Tip: Less is more; overstuffing can cause the pinwheels to fall apart.

Step 3: Roll, Chill, and Slice

Roll the pie crust back up in the same direction that it was originally rolled in the package. Make sure to keep it as tight as possible, and use your fingers to tuck in the cheese and ham as you go. Wrap it with foil and pop it in the fridge for at least 1 hour (or overnight).

Slice crosswise into 1/2-inch rounds. You should get about 14-16 rounds (I discard the tapered end pieces).

Step 4: Bake Until Golden

Arrange the pinwheel rounds on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet. After slicing, use a spatula to transfer the rounds onto the baking sheet. This provides a flat surface beneath each round to catch any cheese or seasoning that might otherwise fall out.

Bake for about 11 minutes, or until the crust and cheese are a beautiful golden brown color.

Serving Suggestions

These Italian appetizers are versatile and work in all kinds of settings:

• Serve warm with marinara or pesto for dipping.
• Add to a charcuterie board or antipasto platter with nuts, fresh or dried fruit (such as grapes, figs, or dried apricots), deviled eggs, shrimp cocktail, stuffed mushrooms, cream cheese sausage balls, Italian sausage, cherry tomatoes, garlic bread slices, focaccia, or crackers.
• Pair them with other Italian appetizers, such as antipasto skewers or antipasto salad, a caprese salad or caprese skewers, artichokes, eggplant caponata, arancini, crostini and tomato bruschetta, burrata, or fresh mozzarella balls.
• Perfect for Christmas, game day, or cocktail parties.
• Great for family snack night or a cozy movie spread. They’re delicious alongside pizza, ravioli, Italian meatballs, risotto, pepperoni rolls, steamed mussels, or a pasta dinner. Try a classic spaghetti with marinara sauce supper, or your other favorite Italian food!

Recipe Variations

• Finely chopped olives would be a great addition to these snacks.
• Add roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, or spinach.
• Instead of prosciutto, try other Italian deli meats such as pepperoni, salami, or capicola.
• Thinly sliced fresh mozzarella would work okay instead of the shredded mozzarella. Just make sure that it’s really thin so that you can still easily roll up the crust. Try different cheeses too, like provolone, asiago, or goat cheese.
• Swap out the Italian seasoning and use fresh herbs, when available. Good options include fresh basil, parsley, thyme, rosemary and oregano.
• Instead of Dijon mustard, spread pesto, marinara, mayo, or pizza sauce on the dough.
• Spicy Italian Pinwheels: add crushed red pepper flakes at the same time that you sprinkle on the Italian seasoning, or go with spicy mustard instead of Dijon.

Make-Ahead and Storage Tips

These pinwheels are perfect when you need to prep ahead of time:

• Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
• Freeze before baking: Roll up, wrap tightly in foil, and freeze. Slice and bake straight from frozen; just add a couple of extra minutes to the baking time.
• Reheat baked pinwheels: Pop in a 350°F oven for 5 to 7 minutes.
• Make-ahead: Assemble the roll the night before, then slice and bake right before serving.

FAQs and Troubleshooting

Here are some common questions folks have when making Italian appetizers like these:

• Can I use puff pastry instead of pie crust? Yes, puff pastry gives them an even flakier texture.
• Why do my pinwheels unroll in the oven? Make sure to chill the roll before slicing and press the seam firmly to seal.
• Can I serve these cold? They’re best warm, but they hold up well at room temperature, too.
• What can I substitute for Dijon mustard? Pesto, marinara, or even softened cream cheese all work.
• Can I double the recipe? Definitely; just use multiple baking sheets and rotate them in the oven.