The classic flavor combination of cheddar cheese and apples come together in these delicious puff pastry pinwheel appetizers. You assemble them ahead of time and they are great warm or at room temperature, so they are perfect for parties.
Flaky puff pastry wrapped around a savory filling of apples, thyme and cheddar cheese. These fun appetizers are perfect for fall.
Plus you can assemble them ahead of time and slice and bake them when you are ready. They were a big hit with our crowd and I am sure they will be with yours as well.
If you are looking for a tasty and flaky apple appetizer idea, you are in the right place. These yummy pinwheels are loaded with onion, apples, herbs and cheese.
Because you use store bought puff pastry, they are easy to put together. And the resulting appetizers are really flavorful.
Making the Pinwheels
You will want to dice your apples and onion relatively thin. That way it is easy to slice the puff pastry pinwheels when the time comes.
You can peel your apples if you want. I tend to leave the peel on.
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Because they are diced fine, the texture isn’t a problem. Plus a lot of the nutrients are in the peel.
To remove some of the moisture, you will want to cook the apples and onion down a little bit. Do this in a large skillet with a little bit of butter, or use bacon grease if you have it.
If you are using frozen puff pastry dough, make sure it is defrosted. Then lay the pastry out flat and roll it out just a bit.
Make sure the filling is completely cooled so you don’t met the butter in the pastry dough. We usually use sharp cheddar, but gruyere or gouda would be delicious as well.
Serving Your Apple Cheddar Appetizers
These pinwheels are fabulous served warm. However, they are also wonderful at room temperature.
So you don’t have to worry if they won’t all be eaten at once. Plus they travel well if you are taking them with you to a potluck or carry-in.
Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container and warm them for a few seconds in the microwave before eating them. They are best fresh, but they are pretty good rewarmed as well.
Apple Cheddar Pinwheels
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 large apples use ones that are good for baking
- ½ cup mild onion diced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups sharp cheddar grated
- 17 oz container puff pastry
Instructions
- If using frozen puff pastry, defrost it.
- Wash and core the 2 large apples, then finely dice them. Peeling it is not necessary but you can if you prefer.
- In a large skillet, melt the 2 Tablespoons butter over medium to medium-high heat. Sauté the ½ cup mild onion and apples until the onions are translucent. Stir in the ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper and 1 teaspoon dried thyme. Then cool the apple mixture completely.
- Unroll the 17 oz container puff pastry. Spread with apple mixture and sprinkle with 2 cups sharp cheddar.
- With a long side of the dough facing you, roll the dough around the apple mixture. (You want the roll to be long.) Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least a half hour.
- Preheat your oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet or two with parchment paper.
- Cut the roll into ½-inch slices and arranged pieces on the lined baking sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
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I was instantly drawn to this post, because I am a huge fan of cheese and the picture just looked delicious. I need to try these, although is it bad when I am thinking I wouldn't want to share them? # WAYWOW
Make two batches! Share one and hide the other 😉 Thanks for stopping by!
I can't get over how cute these are! I don't think I've had cheddar and apple together since I was a kid. Now I'm wondering why that's the case, LOL. These look so yummy Carlee! 😀
Ha! It's time to start putting them together again! Thanks, Jessica!
These sound fantastic. At the catering company I work for we do a pinwheel with sausage, mushroom and parmesan, I am definitely forwarding this to my boss to use as a fall alternative to the regular pinwheels. I am sure that everyone will be reaching for a second as soon as they get a bite of the first.
Oooh, that version sounds delicious too! A little sausage with the apples would be good too. So many possibilities! Thanks, Nikki!
Such a great looking appetizer! I love cheddar and apples together!
Thank you, Heather! It's one of those classic combos!
Brilliant! I doff my cap to the expert.
Thank you! We really need to work together on a meal, you smoke the meat and I'll make the fixin's.
Oh yum! I am so glad I stopped by today. I could live off of appetizers! Believe it or not, I have never used puffed pastry. I usually use crescent rolls for things like this, but am definitely going to try this soon. Thanks for sharing!
Me too! Well, appetizers and desserts anyway 😉 Puff pastry is a lot of fun to play with and gives a good crunch. You'll have to give it a try. I should try these with crescents too though, I bet that would be good as well! Thank you!
I love apple and cheddar together and I have a feeling I wouldn't be able to stop eating these! Look great.
It's easy to keep reaching back for more. Thanks, Caroline!
I have always loved apples with cheddar cheese so talk about the perfect appetizer this time of year! Johnagolds are always my favorite for baking. I love that you added some thyme in there, seems like the perfect seasoning complement. This Apple extravaganza has got me so excited!
I love Johnagolds too! I picked up a bunch of honey crisp for just eating and have been doing some baking with pink ladies. It is fun watching the rotation of apples at the orchard. I can't wait to go get more! Thanks, Andrea!
The older I get the more I prefer small casual gatherings over large shindigs. These are the perfect little apps to set out for folks to enjoy with a cocktail before dinner.
I like doing the big ones too, it gives me a good excuse to make a ton of food. It's just hard to keep the food coming and feel like you got to spend any quality time with your guests. So small and casual was a good break! Thanks, Wendy!
Looks like a perfect accompaniment to my Friday night glass of wine!
That sounds like a pretty great Friday night! Thanks, Shelby!