These veggie pinwheels are a rainbow of colorful fresh veggies with ranch flavored cream cheese, all rolled up inside a spinach tortilla wrap. The perfect back to school lunch!
Rainbow veggie pinwheels are easy finger foods for families on the go and are perfect for home, school, or work lunches. Sometimes when I want a lunch that is easy to eat anywhere I make these veggie pinwheels with some homemade chex mix or some chips and a little container of this dill dip.
Where has the summer gone? It feels like June was just yesterday and now today is our first day back at school! Along with the new school year comes the need for healthy and easy back-to-school lunch options. Turkey sandwiches can get kind of boring, which is why I have been working on some more creative ideas like these rainbow veggie pinwheels!
How Do You Make Rainbow Veggie Pinwheels?
Let’s talk about how to make rainbow veggie pinwheels. I took a large tortilla, added a layer of ranch spread and then layered on a rainbow of thinly sliced veggies. I used red bell peppers, carrots, yellow bell peppers, spinach and shredded purple cabbage, but you could swap out for other colorful veggies if you prefer. Other great options would be broccoli, green beans, orange bell pepper, thinly sliced zucchini or yellow squash, or cucumber.
Pretty right? You want to keep the veggie layers thin so that the pinwheels will hold together. The tortilla gets rolled up tightly and then sliced into pinwheels. My girls were thrilled with these, one of them said they reminded her of a veggie sushi! I used my homemade ranch dip powder for the spread but store bought ranch powder will work fine too. It works best to cut the vegetables into long strips; if you cut them small they’ll be more likely to fall out of the pinwheels. You can add a little shredded chicken or sliced deli turkey for extra protein if you prefer, but that’s totally optional and honestly I think these veggie pinwheels are pretty perfect as is.
I’ve included a video that shows you just how simple it is to make the rainbow veggie pinwheels. Enjoy!
Other Recipes You’ll Love
- Monte Cristo Sandwich
- Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches
- Taco Pinwheels
- Ham and Cheese Pinwheels
- Mexican Tortilla Pinwheels
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Veggie Pinwheels Video
Rainbow Veggie Pinwheels
Ingredients
- 4 large tortillas
- 2/3 cup whipped cream cheese (can use light)
- 1 tablespoon dry ranch powder (you can also use store bought)
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper strips
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrot strips
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced yellow bell pepper strips
- 1/2 cup baby spinach leaves
- 1/2 cup shredded purple cabbage
- 1 cup cooked shredded chicken (optional)
Instructions
- Mix together the cream cheese and ranch powder until thoroughly combined.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the 4 tortillas.
- Leaving a 1 inch border on all sides, lay out 2 tablespoons of each vegetable in rows across the tortillas; top with shredded chicken.
- Roll up each tortilla tightly; if the ends don't stay shut you can add a bit more cream cheese to seal. Cut crosswise into pinwheels and serve.
Notes
Little Helpers: The kids can actually make these themselves with your supervision, just give them a spoon or spatula to spread the cream cheese instead of a knife.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on August 9, 2015 and was updated on August 14, 2017. This post was originally sponsored by Smart & Final.
Karla says
May 15, 2019 at 10:24 amHi! I found this while looking for a simple wrap recipe for a family party next week – I’m going to try them! But a question – the recipe calls for whipped cream cheese, but in your video it looks like you used normal cream cheese. Which do you recommend? I’m asking as I’m dealing with dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan individuals and I can’t find a dairy-free whipped cream cheese. Thank you!
Sara says
May 15, 2019 at 10:40 amYou can use regular cream cheese, just make sure it’s softened first!
Diana says
May 15, 2019 at 12:41 amThese rolls are so cute! Thank you for the fantastic recipe.
Vickie Casey says
April 14, 2019 at 3:35 pmSimilar to this Rainbow Pinwheel was served at a high school art exhibit. Theirs featured olive and pimento. Afterward, I searched online and found your recipe. Thanks!
Alicia says
March 11, 2019 at 1:04 pmHow long will these be good for if I make them ahead?
Sara says
March 11, 2019 at 2:13 pmYou can make them up to 8 hours in advance!
Angela says
March 9, 2019 at 5:32 amThese look delicious and easy to put together. I’m going to make these for a St. Patrick’s day gathering using the “Rainbow and Pot of Gold” theme!
Renée says
January 11, 2019 at 10:19 amHave done this several times for cocktail parties. Very much a hit. I used the Fiesta Ranch dry mix with the cream cheese. Absolutely love it, such an added flavor!! Make a few hours ahead and just roll , out on a plate, refrigerate and cut later. Works great!!
Edward @ Foodaciously says
December 5, 2018 at 1:56 pmThese are just the cutest rolls ever 🙂 Veggie sushi maki style! Definitely to try this Christmas as appetizer (or better yet, after Christmas feast to cleanse the system)
Sarah says
November 8, 2018 at 8:37 amThank you for such a fantastic recipe! I wanted to make something vegetarian for a work staff meeting/potluck that people besides me would actually eat. The recipe was so easy, tasted delicious, and the pinwheels were a hit! First thing to get eaten as a matter of fact and coworkers raved about how delicious they tasted. 🙂 Thank you!
Sara says
November 8, 2018 at 11:30 amSo glad they were a hit! Thanks for reporting back!
Catherine says
October 2, 2018 at 6:39 pmThis recipe has it all: simple, healthy, filling, travels relatively well, and nice presentation. I made these while camping (precut the veggies and mixed ranch and cream cheese at home) and they were enough to satisfy 2 hungry campers after a 4 hour bike ride. I think the ranchy cream cheese might be the secret ingredient; they tasted way better than I thought they would. Thanks for posting this awesome recipe!!
Sara says
October 2, 2018 at 9:44 pmSo glad to hear you enjoyed them, thanks so much for reporting back!
Sharon says
February 10, 2018 at 9:39 amI make these often when I need to bring an appetizer to a get-together. Easy, tasty, healthy!
Sheri says
January 6, 2018 at 9:07 amMade these added a bit of wasabi, served with ginger and more wasabi, YUM