Description
Easy Christmas Cranberry Roll-Ups are a festive, make-ahead appetizer combining creamy cheese filling, tart dried cranberries, and soft flour tortillas. These colorful pinwheels are simple to prepare, perfect for holiday entertaining, and customizable with nuts or fresh herbs to add extra flavor and texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Creamy Filling
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups good-quality crumbled feta cheese
- â…” cup finely chopped fresh chives (or green onion tops)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Assembly
- 3 cups dried cranberries (Craisins or similar)
- 8 large flour tortillas (10-inch, room temperature)
- 4 tbsp cream cheese (for sealing edges)
- ½ cup chopped toasted pecans or walnuts (optional, for crunch)
- 1 tsp orange zest (optional, for a citrusy holiday touch)
- Fresh dill and parsley (optional, to swap for chives or garnish)
Instructions
- Make the Filling: In a large bowl, beat together softened cream cheese, crumbled feta cheese, finely chopped fresh chives, garlic powder, and freshly ground black pepper until smooth and spreadable. This creamy mixture forms the base of the roll-ups.
- Assemble the Roll-Ups: Spread a thin, even layer of the cheese mixture over each flour tortilla. Then sprinkle generously with dried cranberries, pressing lightly so they stick to the cheese layer for even flavor in every bite.
- Roll & Seal: Tightly roll up each tortilla into a log shape. Use a little of the extra cream cheese along the edge of each wrap to seal the ends and prevent unrolling. Wrap each roll tightly in plastic wrap to maintain shape.
- Chill: Refrigerate the wrapped roll-ups for at least 1 hour. Chilling firms up the filling, making the roll-ups easier to slice cleanly and helping flavors to meld together.
- Slice & Serve: After chilling, remove plastic wrap and trim off the ends of each roll. Using a sharp serrated knife, slice each roll into 8 pinwheels. Arrange the pinwheels on a serving platter and optionally garnish with extra fresh herbs like dill or parsley for a pretty presentation.
Notes
- For added crunch, mix in ½ cup chopped toasted pecans or walnuts into the filling.
- Add 1 tsp orange zest to the cheese mixture for a bright citrus flavor.
- Swap chives for a mix of fresh dill and parsley for a fresh herbal twist.
- These roll-ups can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator wrapped tightly to save prep time on the day of serving.
- Use a serrated knife to slice the roll-ups to avoid squashing the pinwheels and to get clean edges.
