Walnut Cranberry Pinwheels

Little appetizers made with tortillas are often called pinwheels and they are very popular! Not only are they easy to make and quite delicious too, but they are adaptable to any occasion! This particular pinwheel is stuffed with a slightly sweetened cream cheese and chopped cranberries and toasted walnuts – they are so delicious!

Early in the day, on every Christmas Eve, you can find me in the kitchen. Christmas Eve at our house is all about food, movies, and complete relaxation. Obviously the most important thing is the food! Right!? We have all heard many times over that food is the glue that brings everyone together. And, I’m the one to make sure our appetizers are abundant and delicious – just like these Walnut Cranberry Pinwheels!

For the past few years, I’ve made some version of a pinwheel sandwich or appetizer. We all love them! I usually make the filling the day before. And then on Christmas Eve, I quickly assemble them before we pile out plates and gather in the living room to watch our favourite holiday movies.

What do you prepare on Christmas Eve? I will prepare these or another version of pinwheels. There’s always lots of crackers, chips, breads, etc. for dipping. John.e will not survive without a veggie platter, cheese, hummus, and dips. I have a few go-to hummus recipes here, and some great dip recipes here too. One has to have baked and cold dip options!

WELCOME TO A LORD BYRON CHRISTMAS!

I’m going to tell you all about this recipe and how you can make it in your home this holiday season, but first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. I know we’re getting closer to the big day, so it’s time to get to the holiday-themed recipes! Over the past decade, I have built a reputation for sharing series-type recipes. The most popular would be my annual 24 Cookies of Christmas, which was fashioned after an advent calendar. But, I have others that are only 12 days, which were fashioned after the 12 Days of Christmas.

This particular recipe is a part of my second holiday series for this year. So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Cranberry Recipes Series. Just like every other series that I’ve shared over the years, this one will also see a new recipe shared each day for the next 12 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday recipes year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW AND NEVER MISS ANOTHER RECIPE!

Traditionally, every year I share a series of recipes that you might already be familiar with. For example, I’ve previously shared 12 Holiday Trifles, 12 Holiday Bars & Squares, and even these 12 Edible Holiday Wreath recipes! Also, some of my favourite recipe collections from previous years are my 75 Homemade Gifts from Your Kitchen, my 50 Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Christmas Recipes, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! And, just in case you’re curious, you can see previous annual posts for my 24 Cookies of Christmas Series here!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Cream Cheese – Use the block-style cream cheese. Full fat works best.
• Cranberries – I’m using fresh cranberries which have been finely chopped in a food processor. I would not recommend you use frozen cranberries. They will have too much moisture and your cream cheese will be too wet.
• Walnuts – For optimum flavour, toast the walnuts first.
• Mayonnaise
• Honey – This adds just a little sweetness. It’s needed to offset the tartness of the cranberries and the slightly sourness of the cream cheese.
• Fresh Parsley
• Salt and Ground Black Pepper
• Flour Tortillas

HOW TO MAKE WALNUT CRANBERRY PINWHEELS

In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, honey, salt, and ground black pepper until creamy and smooth. Next, stir in the cranberries, walnuts, and parsley. Cover the bowl with a tight fitting lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for a minimum one hour.

Pile the tortillas into a neat pile. Use a sharp knife to trim away about 3/4 of an inch from the left and right sides of the tortilla and discard. Lay the tortillas out into a single layer onto a clean table or countertop. Evenly share the cranberry mixture over the tortillas. Spread the mixture as evenly as possible over the entire surface of each tortilla. Working from one end, roll each tortilla gently, but firmly. The roll should be tight, but not so tight as to squeeze the mixture out the end. Slice the rolls into one inch slices either on a diagonal like I did, or just straight across the roll. Plate, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve immediately, or cover with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated.

Walnut Cranberry Pinwheels will keep in the fridge for 3-5 hours. After that time, the tortillas will soak up some of the moisture from the cranberry mixture. They are still delicious and edible, but might not be as presentable if you are serving these to anyone other than your family or friends. Enjoy!

TOASTING WALNUTS

The first thing you should do is to toast your walnuts. How do you do that? It’s very simple! To be perfectly honest, this applies to any nuts or seeds, not just the nuts in this recipe. If you are not familiar with toasted nuts, then please try it just once. You will probably never revert to using nuts in your cooking or baking again without toasting them first!

I have tried using non-stick frying pans for toasting, but nothing works as well as a stainless steel pan. You could use a cast iron pan, but since they get very hot and retain heat so well, it’s easier to burn the nuts. See the frying pan in this picture? That’s the exact one that I use all the time. I’m not suggesting you run out and buy this same cookware set, but I want you to see the pan – remember, do not use non-stick if possible. You’ll get better results will plain stainless steel.

So, unlike most cooking where you’re required to preheat first, you don’t want to apply that same rule to toasting nuts. Add the nuts to a cold pan. Place the pan on the burner and turn the heat on – no higher than medium and probably even less if using a gas burner.

Keep the nuts moving about. I use a rubber spatula. Once you start to smell that warm and toasty aromatic smell, pay close attention. The nuts will take on a slightly golden colour. Don’t let them get too dark. Once you’re satisfied, immediately remove them from the hot pan and transfer them to a dinner plate where they can be spread out to cool.

USE BLOCK-STYLE CREAM CHEESE

Blocks of Philadelphia cream cheese was all I was ever used to while growing up.  And, we never ate bagels, in fact, I can remember the first time I had a bagel.  It was in 1991.  My sister used to work at a coffee shop in a little town in Northern Ontario.  This coffee shop sold bagels that were sliced and buttered on both sides.  Tucked inside was a thick slice of cheddar cheese, or – you guessed it! – a really thick shmear of cream cheese. 

These bagels weren’t toasted at all.  If you wanted, they would warm them in the microwave, but that was about it.  That was my introduction to bagels.  I’m surprised I like them at all given that my first experience wasn’t even mediocre.

Later in life, I found cream cheese dips, and I became highly dependent on Philadelphia’s Dill Pickle Dip.  I ate so much of that stuff with bags and bags of chips.  I think those two things were my main source of fuel throughout my college years!

Then, one day, I found whipped cream cheese and was quite surprised at how light and fluffy it was!  And, they come in all different flavours too.  I love the hot and spicy type.  But, for my Walnut Cranberry Pinwheels, we’re going to stick to the solid block of cream cheese that I’m used to and love.  The added ingredients in this recipe need the harder/firmer, block-style cream cheese so that it can be evenly distributed and suspended.  And, I feel that the block style cream cheese has a more pronounced flavour which stands up well to the fresh cranberries.

O CRANBERRY, CRANBERRY, WHEREFORE ART THOU CRANBERRY?

Have you been reading my blog for any length of time? If you have, you will already be aware of what I’m about to discuss. If you haven’t, it’s important that you understand how frustrating it can be to be a food blogger at times. Food bloggers are always working ahead of schedule. When it comes to Christmas recipes, for example, we are baking cakes and cookies as early as September! In fact, I finished the recipe you’re reading here and the photographs you’re seeing in November 2025!

We do this so that we can test the recipes to make sure that they will work for you at home. The recipe needs to be plated and styled. Photographs need to be taken. We have to write up the post and make sure we please the folks at Google, otherwise, our recipes run the risk of being buried in cyberspace somewhere. There are many other steps that I’m skipping here, but all of it is to say that we need the time to get the recipes out to you a few weeks before you need them.

Now, as a huge fan of Christmas baking – the 400+ Christmas recipes here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen are proof of that – there’s one thing that frustrates me every single year. There’s a tremendous lack of things like fresh cranberries for many months of the year. Don’t even get me started on holiday confections like Hershey’s chocolate or candy canes! I do hope that you try this recipe and that it is easy for you to find fresh cranberries where you live!

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 200 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!