Mexican Tortilla Pinwheels

This recipe for Mexican tortilla pinwheels is two types of cheese, black beans and colorful veggies all rolled up inside tortillas and cut into rounds. The perfect make-ahead snack or appetizer!

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A while ago I made these rainbow veggie pinwheels and they’ve turned out to be one of the most popular recipes on this site! They’ve been on tons of websites (most recently Redbook magazine!), been pinned almost 100,000 times and have been the featured recipe in kids cooking classes around the country. It’s been really fun to see the outpouring of positive feedback. I decided it was high time I made another pinwheel recipe which is how these Mexican tortilla pinwheels were born.

These Mexican tortilla pinwheels start with extra large tortillas. I went with green spinach tortillas simply for the fun color, if you can’t find them, regular tortillas work just as fine. I make a zesty cheese spread with cream cheese, chili powder and cheddar cheese which is spread on top of the tortillas. Next comes black beans and finely diced bell peppers. I used red, orange and yellow bell peppers because of the multi-color factor, I’ve found my kids are more willing to eat their vegetables if they are bright and appealing. You can absolutely use just one color bell pepper, but I would avoid green bell peppers in this recipe because they tend to be a little bitter.

I got a care package in the mail a few weeks ago from Cento filled with some amazing olive oil, vinegar and canned goods. I used their organic low sodium black beans in these Mexican pinwheels which ended up being a great choice. After all of the toppings are on the tortillas, I roll them up tightly and slice them into pinwheels. I like to garnish the top with more chopped bell pepper, black beans and a sprinkling of cilantro. You could also serve these pinwheels with a side of salsa for dipping.

One of the great things about this snack is that it’s easy to put together and can be made ahead of time for stress free entertaining. I even serve these tortilla pinwheels as a light lunch with a side salad. Regardless of how you serve these Mexican tortilla pinwheels, they’re sure to be a crowd pleaser!

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4.78 from 9 votes

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Mexican Tortilla Pinwheels

This recipe for Mexican tortilla pinwheels is two types of cheese, black beans and colorful veggies all rolled up inside tortillas and cut into rounds. The perfect make-ahead snack or appetizer!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 minute

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 290 kcal

Author Dinner at the Zoo

Ingredients

• 4 large spinach or regular tortillas burrito size
• 8 ounces of cream cheese softened
• 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder or more to taste
• 1 cup of canned black beans drained and rinsed, plus more for garnish
• 1 cup of finely chopped red orange and/or yellow bell pepper, plus more for garnish
• 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

Instructions

1. In a bowl mix together the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and chili powder. You can add additional chili powder to taste if you like more of a kick.
2. Spread the cream cheese over the entire surface of each tortilla.
3. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of black beans and 1/4 cup of bell pepper on one end of each tortilla.
4. Roll up the tortillas tightly. You can add a dab of cream cheese on the end to hold the rolls together if needed.
5. Slice the tortilla rolls crosswise into pinwheels.
6. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 8 hours prior to serving. Serve sprinkled with cilantro and additional black beans and bell pepper if desired.

Nutrition Facts

Mexican Tortilla Pinwheels

Amount Per Serving

Calories 290 Calories from Fat 189

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 21g 32%

Saturated Fat 11g 55%

Cholesterol 59mg 20%

Sodium 438mg 18%

Total Carbohydrates 23g 8%

Dietary Fiber 5g 20%

Sugars 6g

Protein 11g 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Things You’ll Need (or Want!)

Spinach Wraps I like to use spinach tortilla wraps for this recipe, they taste great and look so festive! You can find them at most grocery stores with the regular tortillas.

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Folding Cheese Grater I always shred my own cheese, the pre-prepared kind doesn’t taste as good because it’s coated with anti-caking agents. I love that this cheese grater folds flat for easy storage!

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Offset Spatula I like to use an offset spatula to spread the cream cheese mixture onto the tortillas, it goes much quicker and I always get an even layer!

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