These hot ham and cheese pinwheels are rolls loaded with plenty of meat and swiss, then topped with a butter poppy seed sauce and baked to golden brown perfection. I serve ham and cheese roll ups at every party and there are never any leftovers!

Crispy brown rolls filled with smoky ham and melted cheese, then doused in butter. How could you possibly go wrong with that? These ham and cheese rolls are one of the best things I’ve ever eaten! Serve them alongside other appetizer recipes such as chicken parmesan sliders, green bean fries, sausage balls and spinach artichoke dip.

Ham and cheese pinwheels in a baking dish topped with parsley.

If you’re looking for a savory party appetizer that will keep your guests full and happy, you MUST try these ham and cheese pinwheels. This is not the cold version of pinwheels made with flour tortillas, instead you have plenty of melty cheese. These little rolls are absolutely delicious and are perfect for almost any occasion, like birthday parties, game day, or even as a main course. Best of all, they’re super easy to make with just a handful of ingredients.

Ham And Cheese Pinwheels Ingredients

To make this recipe, you will need pizza dough, ham, Swiss cheese, melted butter, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, poppy seeds and fresh parsley.

How Do You Make Ham And Cheese Pinwheels?

Preheat the oven, and coat a baking dish with with cooking spray. Unroll your tube of pizza dough onto a non-stick surface, and roll it into a large rectangle. Layer the deli ham and cheese on top of the dough. Tightly roll up the dough, jelly roll style, and pinch the ends to seal. Cut the loaf of dough crosswise into slices, then arrange the ham and cheese dough slices in the baking dish. In a small bowl, whisk together the butter, brown sugar, Dijon mustard and poppy seeds. Pour the butter mixture evenly over the rolls of dough. Bake until golden brown, then sprinkle the wraps with parsley and serve.

Slices of ham and cheese on top of dough.

Tips For The Perfect Dish

  • This recipe works best with a tube of pizza dough, because it’s already in a rectangle shape and easier to roll out. You could also use two 8-ounce cans of crescent roll dough sheets.
  • You can prepare the rolls up to 24 hours in advance. Simply store the rolls unbaked in a covered dish in the refrigerator, then uncover and bake when you’re ready to eat.
  • Leftovers will stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • You can serve the pinwheels as-is, or offer a dipping sauce such as honey mustard sauce or homemade ranch dressing.
  • Use a serrated knife to make it easier to slice the pinwheels.

Quick Tip

Choose thin slices of ham and Swiss so that you end up with the perfect ratio of bread, meat and cheese.

Rolled up ham, cheese and pizza dough circles in a baking dish.

Recipe FAQs

How do you roll a perfect pinwheel?

To roll a perfect pinwheel, you’ll want to make sure you have a tight seal as you go. Start by folding one edge of the dough over, then squeeze to make sure everything is sticking together before you continue the process. If you stop to squeeze everything together a few times before you reach the end, your fillings will not fall out when you slice the pinwheels. I also recommend using a serrated knife for slicing.

How many pinwheels per person?

I typically plan to serve two pinwheels per person as a light meal or hearty appetizer. If you’re having a gathering where you will have a lot of other appetizer options, you can plan on one pinwheel per person.

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Dough rolled up with ham and cheese and topped with a poppy seed butter in a ceramic dish.

Flavor Variations

While this recipe is delicious as-is, you can very easily change up the ingredients to suit your tastes.

  • Meat: Instead of ham, use thinly sliced turkey, bacon, roast beef or even salami.
  • Cheese: Swap out the Swiss cheese for slices of cheddar cheese, mozzarella, havarti, mozzarella or gouda. You can also add some cream cheese for added flavor and texture.
  • Toppings: Add some other flavors to your melted butter such as Worcestershire sauce, sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning, Cajun seasoning, minced dried onion or fresh chives.
Ham and cheese pinwheels stacked on a serving plate.

You simply can’t go wrong with ham and cheese rolls for a unique and hearty snack offering!

More Easy Appetizer Recipes

Ham and Cheese Pinwheels Video

Love This Recipe?

Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

4.97 from 31 votes

Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

AuthorSara Welch
Ham and cheese pinwheels are an easy savory party snack.
These hot ham and cheese pinwheels are rolls loaded with plenty of meat and swiss, then topped with a butter poppy seed sauce and baked to golden brown perfection. I serve ham and cheese roll ups at every party and there are never any leftovers!
Time
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Serves 12

Ingredients 

  • 1 tube refrigerated pizza dough
  • 3/4 lb ham very thinly sliced
  • 8 ounces swiss cheese very thinly sliced
  • 8 tablespoons butter melted
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • cooking spray
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley optional

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9″x13″ pan with cooking spray.
  • Unroll the pizza dough onto a non-stick surface and roll it into a large rectangle, roughly 13″x8″ in size. 
  • Layer the ham on top of the pizza dough to cover it completely, then layer the cheese in the same fashion.
  • Starting at one of the long ends, tightly roll up the dough, jelly roll style, pinching the end to seal. 
  • Cut the loaf crosswise into 12 equal sized pieces, then arrange in the prepared pan.
  • Whisk together the butter, brown sugar, Dijon mustard and poppy seeds, then pour evenly over the rolls. 
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with parsley if desired, then serve.

Notes

  1. You can also make this recipe with crescent roll sheets instead of pizza dough, use 2 of the 8 ounce cans.
  2. The rolls can be stored unbaked for up to 24 hours in the fridge, simply cover with foil and then bake them when you’re ready.

Nutrition

Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 690mg | Potassium: 106mg | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 390IU | Calcium: 177mg | Iron: 1.3mg

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Have made these several times and they turn out great. I make pizza dough for these and go with about half the butter.

    No leftovers for sure.

  2. I’m snowed in and only have frozen pie crusts and puff pastry-can either be used or wait til next week? I have every thing else😀

      1. 5 stars
        You can also buy the frozen bread loves in grocery store thaw rollout and make or make a quick pizza dough to roll out and fill. Or even pillsbury pizza dough 👏👏 which ever you find more convenient

  3. I have not made these yet. We travel/camp 3-4 mos with friends & these are the prefect appetizers or dinner with a salad, can’t wait to fix. I’m going to be the hit of the campground. Thank you

  4. 5 stars
    Made these for lunch with the girls along with a salad. I actually doubled the recipe – I have lots of extras to freeze and reheat as an appetizer or lunch . Whipped up quickly – loads of flavour – they all wanted the recipe.