Cream Cheese Pinwheels with Apples and Peanut Butter
(aka No-Bake Apple Pie Cheesecake Pinwheels)
~ The perfect quick snack to keep you fueled up and full of energy! Rich cream cheese, crunchy peanut butter (or nut-free butter), and crisply sweet-tart apples … like little no-bake apple pie cheesecakes, all rolled into cute, delicious pinwheels! You’ll be powered up and ready for the adventures ahead! ~
This Recipe Is: • Ready in 30 Minutes or Less • Make Ahead • Vegetarian • Allergy-Friendly Nut-Free Options •
* As you’ll see in our photos, we originally photographed this pinwheel recipe using Flatout flatbreads (sponsored by that company). However, you can easily substitute a soft, flour tortilla instead of the Flatouts. For the best nutrition boost, we recommend choosing a whole grain tortilla.)
The thing about being super busy mamas is that, by the time we get back home in the afternoon, we’re … well .. super hungry. And so are our kiddos.
Not just a little bit of tummy rumbling … I’m talking supremely hungry.
I need a snack, stat! And the kids … they need something faster than stat. (What is that anyway?? What’s faster than stat?! Well, whatever it is … that’s how fast they need a nourishing ‘lil pick-me-up.)
Yeah, it’s easy to grab a bag of something and munch away. But how satisfied do you really feel after absentmindedly reaching into a bag 1,000 times? It’s not satisfying at all. Not one bit. Nope. In fact, it’s probably more of an oh-I-shouldn’t-have-eaten-all-that feeling.
Speedy Prep Tip
In our recipe directions, we suggest cutting the apples into long, thin, matchstick-like strips, as you see on the right (in the photo below), mostly because they just roll up more nicely that way.
But, if you need to throw these Cream Cheese Roll Ups together even faster, you can save a little chopping if you simply use thin slices like those shown on the left.
What we really need is a snack made with power-packed whole grains, keep-ya-full protein, and maybe even some antioxidant-rich fruit. Hmmm …
A snack that’s fun to eat (because pinwheel roll ups are just really fun!) … and easy to whip up … something the kids could even make themselves!
And since life is so crazy, we need something we can take with us on to the next adventure (or cabinet maker, or flooring store, if you’re renovating your kitchen!). Something that’s portable and easy to eat, so we can be at gymnastics or lacrosse on time after running through the door to grab a leotard and cleats.
Well, we found the perfect solution!
A deliciously satisfying answer to our snacking dilemma!
A healthy, yummy, really easy snack … perfect for those hectic days when you need to power up between lunch and dinner, or before a sports practice, or even as a mid-morning munchie!
And just look how easy these are to make!
A quick spread of cream cheese, some peanut butter, and a handful of apples and a little sprinkle of cinnamon … then just roll it all up! (For nut-free classrooms and families with nut allergies, we also fully tested these Cream Cheese Pinwheels using nut-free alternatives like WowButter. Use your favorite!)
And there’s definitely plenty of room for you and your kiddos to improvise.
- Loooooove cream cheese and the whole cheesecake vibe here? Great! Slather on some extra cream-cheesy-goodness.
- Oh no! No cream cheese in the fridge? It’s ok. Double the peanut butter!
- Or, you could even branch out into uncharted, yummy territory like almond butter or cashew butter.
- Worried about nut allergies? Like I said above, these roll ups are terrific with Wow Butter, and you can sub in your fave nut-free alternative!
- Mmmmmm … and you can totally get creative with the fruit. Try fall pears or even bananas … whatever your family likes best!
This recipe is so adaptable, and your kids will have a blast concocting their own combinations!
Shelley and I get ridiculously excited about creating delicious little masterpieces on these edible tortilla canvases! (And you know how we adore art we get to eat! Remember our Fruit Pizzas and Veggie Faces?! Seriously cute, seriously fun!)
The first time I whipped up this quick and amazingly simple recipe, I had a house full of contractors. My kitchen reno was in full swing. Those guys were working so hard, and I wanted to make a little snack for them.
Since it’s fall (and I’m craving pumpkin and apple in everything!), I chopped up some apples I had on hand, schmeared some cream cheese and a bit of crunchy, nut-free WowButter onto a thin flatbread (but a soft tortilla works great, too), and added a sprinkling of cinnamon over the apples before rolling it all up and slicing it into bite-size rounds.
Friends, I couldn’t make these fast enough.
Every time I set out more, they vanished!
Between mouthfuls, the contractors murmured things like, “My kids would love these!” and “It’s so good!” and “The cream cheese is awesome in there!” and “Mmmm … apples and cinnamon … like apple pie!” (Apple Pie, huh?!?!? Yup … we had our recipe name!) No, wait … it’s Apple Pie Cheesecake! Yes!! I’m not sure what happened when I mixed the cream cheese and nut-free butter together … but it was magical.
And because these Cream Cheese Pinwheels were such a snap to make, I just kept making more … and more …
Of course we also shared them with our favorite taste testers (our families!). And on the day we photographed, we also shared some with Shelley’s neighbors – and they loved them, too! One friend even reported back that she liked them so much, she’d made more for breakfast the next morning!
Wow – with all that crazy-positive feedback (and all those pinwheels disappearing lightning fast!), we knew we definitely had a winner here! So yummy, so quick and easy … the perfect pick-me-up energy boost when your belly is rumbling!
And just one more little note about the nut butters. My youngest is allowed to take a morning snack to school, but all the classrooms are nut-free zones. Plus, we’ve noticed that, although the cafeterias in our district don’t ban nuts completely, all sports practices, snacks and classroom parties must be nut-free. That’s why we fully tested it for you with a nut-free soy butter alternative (WowButter), in case peanut butter is a no-go around your house. And we also found that sunflower butter tastes great, too!
And of course, if you’re not worried about nut allergies, you can go with good ol’ peanut butter. You’ve got options!
Remember … it’s your canvas! Make it a masterpiece!!
~ by Gretchen
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Cream Cheese Pinwheels with Apples and Peanut Butter
Ingredients
- 1 large, soft, flour tortilla (preferably whole-grain)
- 1 tablespoon reduced-fat cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon crunchy peanut butter (or nut-free peanut butter alternative – see note)
- ¼ apple, chopped into strips (we love sweet-tart apples in this recipe, such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Jazz)
- dash of cinnamon (about 1/16 teaspoon)
Instructions
For each Pinwheel you want to make:
- On one half of a tortilla, evenly spread 1 tablespoon cream cheese.
- Spread 1 tablespoon peanut butter (or nut-free butter) evenly on the other half of the tortilla.
- Place half of the chopped apples down the center of the cream cheese, and the other half down the center of the peanut butter.
- Sprinkle apples with cinnamon.
- Beginning with the side with the peanut butter, roll toward the cream cheese side.
- With a sharp knife, carefully cut into 6 "pinwheel" rounds.
Notes
Nutrition
* Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.
How perfectly awesome is this. My kids would love this on their lunch boxes. Thanks for the idea!
Hello! You can even swap different fruits in, or change up the spreads – it’s so versatile! Perfect for lunch boxes!! 🙂 ~Gretchen
This is the perfect after school snack. Love those Flatout wraps!
I know – they are so great!!! Ohhhh … let’s have a party where we just eat pinwheels! There’s seriously so much you can do with these Flatouts!! What do you think?? Sounds fun (and very yummy!!) to me!! 🙂 ~Gretchen
The perfect after school snack!!
Hey there, Gerry! I can also honestly say these make a great lunch, or midmorning snack, too! LOL! Not just for the kids! These are great anytime! 🙂 ~Gretchen
So fun! My kids would love making and eating these!
Isn’t it awesome when the kids can help?? They are so much more willing to eat if they’d had a chance the participate in making the food! These pinwheels are fun snack – and they can be totally creative, too! Craft + snack = delicious art!! 😀 ~Gretchen
Such a fun idea! My pre-schooler would love this in her lunch box 🙂
Hi Sharon! The nutrients packed in these pinwheels are will absolutely help get your sweet little one through the day! And finger foods are so fun (and easy!) for those smaller hands! But – make an extra one for yourself! These No-Bake Apple Pie Cheesecake Pinwheels are the best mid-morning pick-me-up! 😀 ~Gretchen