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CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Turkey Cranberry Pinwheels

Easter· Holiday Favorites· sandwiches & wraps· snacks· Summertime Favorites· Tailgating Recipes
November 21, 2019

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Turkey Cranberry Pinwheels – Leftover turkey is rolled into a wrap with a cranberry rosemary cream cheese spread and dried cranberries and then sliced into little pinwheels. It’s a great way to use Thanksgiving leftovers!

Turkey Cranberry Pinwheels

Years ago, wraps were given a bad rap (no pun intended) because of their false healthiness – many people perceived wraps as the healthier option, but in reality, they were just as high in calories as sandwiches, if not worse. The truth is – I love a great wrap! I used to eat them a lot in high school and really enjoyed them. But just like the rest of the world, I turned my back on them.

Recently, I found a new wrap at my local deli that targeted the sweet and salty craving that many of us enjoy – especially me. The wrap was a turkey and cranberry wrap and it was delicious! I love the cranberry and turkey flavors together. When it comes to topping my carved turkey with a sauce, I always go for the cranberry sauce over the gravy.

Despite this killer combo, I thought there was much more that could be added to the wrap to send it over the top. So I took those two ingredients and added in my secret weapon – a cranberry and rosemary cream cheese spread. This is exactly what the wrap needed!!

And to make the wrap perfect for serving, I made them into pinwheels. I know you guys love a great appetizer!

I present to you my Turkey Cranberry Pinwheels!

Plate of Turkey Cranberry Pinwheels Turkey Cranberry Pinwheels on a plate with sprigs of rosemary

How to make these pinwheels

Pinwheels are one of the easiest appetizers that you can make. The ingredients and process are both so simple. For the ingredients, there are just four main ones:

  • Leftover turkey breast meat
  • Dried sweetened cranberries
  • Cream cheese spread
  • Wrap

The only thing you need to prepare before assembling the pinwheels is the cream cheese spread. It is made by mixing soft cream cheese, chopped rosemary, cranberries, and garlic powder. Once that’s ready, you spread in all over the wrap.

Mixing bowl of soft cream cheese, chopped rosemary, cranberries, and garlic powder Spreading the cream mixture across the wrap

Next, layer on the turkey and then sprinkle on the cranberries. Tightly wrap up it up and use the cream cheese to seal it together.

Adding slices of turkey to the cream on the wrap

Finally, the logs are cut into pinwheels and ready for serving!

Closeup on Turkey Cranberry Pinwheels

Tips & Tricks

  1. To ensure the pinwheels have a uniform round shape, you need to place the ingredients in an even layer across the wrap. Therefore, when you roll it up and slice it, the pinwheels have a tight, even corkscrew shape.
  2. Don’t skimp on the cream cheese spread. Not only does it add so much flavor to the wrap, it acts like the glue to keep all the ingredients together.
  3. You can easily make these pinwheels ahead of time. I suggest making the logs and wrapping in plastic until it’s time to serve. Once it’s serving time, unwrap them and slice into pinwheels.
Print Recipe

Turkey Cranberry Pinwheels

Leftover turkey is rolled into a wrap with a cranberry rosemary cream cheese spread and dried cranberries and then sliced into little pinwheels. It's a great way to use Thanksgiving leftovers!
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Servings: 10 servings

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1 6-ounce bag dried sweetened cranberries
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 6 wraps any flavor
  • 1 pound turkey breast diced

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, add softened cream cheese, chopped rosemary, and garlic powder. Measure ¼ cup of dried cranberries and give them a rough chop. Add to bowl with other ingredients. Using a spoon, mix together until completed combined.
  • Grab 1 wrap and spread about 2 tablespoons of cream cheese mixture evenly over the wrap. Add turkey evenly all over the wrap in one layer. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of dried cranberries over the turkey.
  • Starting at the bottom of the wrap, roll the wrap tightly into a long tube, using a little cream cheese to act as a "glue" on the other end of the wrap. This ensures that the wrap doesn't unravel when the pinwheels are cut. Repeat with the 5 remaining wraps.
  • Cut the logs into 1-inch pinwheels. Serve immediately. Alternatively, you can cover with plastic wrap and store for up to 2 days.

Pin for later:

Turkey Cranberry Pinwheels photo collage

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9 Comments

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Comments

  1. Steph says

    November 22, 2019 at 10:53 am

    Yum, what a fun lunch idea for leftovers. My daughter would love these. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  2. Monica says

    November 21, 2019 at 11:25 pm

    I definitely want to make these with our leftover turkey! Also, who skimps on cream cheese? 😉

    Reply
  3. Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says

    November 21, 2019 at 10:47 pm

    These pinwheels are screaming Thanksgiving!! I am pinning this to make later. Thanks for sharing!!

    Reply
  4. Erika says

    November 21, 2019 at 8:51 pm

    I love pinwheels and these are perfect for the season!

    Reply
  5. Annissa says

    November 21, 2019 at 8:40 pm

    The cream cheese filling in these wraps looks amazing! What a wonderful combination of flavors. Can’t wait to try this with a low-carb wrap.

    Reply
  6. Whitney says

    November 21, 2019 at 7:44 pm

    The cream sheese recipe is so simple yet sounds so delicious! Great idea for leftover turkey!

    Reply
  7. Anita says

    November 21, 2019 at 7:14 pm

    This is very pretty and delicious. A perfect way to use up those leftover Thanksgiving turkey, and will be a really light and easy lunch. 🙂

    Reply
  8. Erin says

    November 21, 2019 at 5:40 pm

    These look delicious! Love turkery and cranberry! Would be perfect to bring to a holiday party!

    Reply
  9. Paula @ I'm Busy Being Awesome says

    November 21, 2019 at 4:26 pm

    I love this, I need to keep it around as a lunch idea

    Reply

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