Is there any more popular food that you just have to make when you’re doing baby led weaning than pinwheels? I first started making pinwheels for Dex when he was a tiny baby and I’ve never stopped. My second son felix absolutely loved these pinwheels too!
Not only are pinwheels fab for babies, but toddlers love them too, they’re great to pop in a lucnhbox for snacks on the go. Read on to discover our favourite pinwheels recipe that is super quick to prepare and makes the perfect baby led weaning snack!
Pinwheels for babies (and toddlers too!)
Pinwheels are perfect for baby led weaning as they are large enough for baby to pick up and munch on (helping improve their fine motor skills) and they come out of the oven lovely and soft so they’re easy for baby to gum on if they have no teeth.
Not just that, but they can be chucked in a lunch box or tupperware and taken out for playdates so you have an easy baby led weaning snack that can be devoured on the go. Pinwheels are fab for building up your freezer stash and are super versatile – no matter what ingredients you’ve got in your fridge / freezer, you can make a delicious and healthy snack for babies and toddlers to enjoy!
How to make baby led weaning cheese, tomato, spinach and ham pinwheels
I start by preheating the oven to 180C (ours is a fan) and wilting a couple of handfuls spinach over the sink with boiling water. There are several ways to wilt spinach (including on the hob), but I find this method to be the quickest and easiest.
While the spinach wilts, I make sure the puff pastry is out of the fridge so it’s at room temperature when I am ready to start using it. Meanwhile, I start prepping the other ingredients that’ll make up the pinwheels’ filling.
As I previously mentioned, you can add whatever fillings you like, but our favourite is a mixture of cheese, tomato, spinach and ham.
First I spread over a very thin layer of tomato puree before adding grated cheese, sliced ham and the wilted spinach.
Next I roll the pastry back into a log shape and cut slices into it with a very sharp knife.
Once brushed with egg wash, I place the pinwheels on a linked baking tray and bake them for around 15 minutes.
You’ll know when they’re ready as they will turn a lovely golden brown and you will be able to see the cheese bubbling away.
Leave them to cool for at least fifteen minutes before offering them to your baby.
More puff pastry recipes:
What pastry do you use?
Us mums are super busy and when you are weaning a baby it can feel like the chores never end in between cleaning up between meals, all the milk feeds and the sleepless nights – that’s why I like to make my recipes as simple as possible.
For that reason, I don’t make my own puff pastry (duh!) and instead make sure I buy sheets that are ready to pop in the oven. I have purchased puff pastry that you can roll out yourself before now, but really, it just overcomplicates the recipe and doesn’t add any flavour or taste – so what’s the point?
What other fillings can you try when making pinwheels for babies?
The world is your oyster when it comes to pinwheel fillings to offer your baby. Some of our favourites include:
- Nutella and banana
- Pepperoni, cheese and tomato
- Garlic butter and cheese
- Chicken and leek
- Salmon and cheese
- Bacon and cheese
How do you serve these baby led weaning pinwheels?
When offering these pinwheels to babies I simply give them one or two on their highchair tray and let them have at them!
As the pastry is quite flaky, you may find the baby led weaning mess is huge with these! A good coverall bib will help!
How long can you keep these pinwheels for?
These pinwheels can be placed in an airtight tupperware container and kept in the fridge for five days. (If of course they last that long!)
You can reheat them if you prefer to give your baby a hot (warm) snack. Simply pop them on a low heat in the oven for 5 – 10 minutes. Alternatively, they can be eaten cold.
Can these baby led weaning pinwheels be frozen?
Yep, these pinwheels can be frozen! Please ensure you fully defrost them before reheating them or offering them to your baby. You can store them in your freezer for up to one month.
Related Post: Baby Led Weaning Must Have Product Guide
Wow, these look delicious. Once we get the reflux under control we’ll be trying these for real.
I made these today with some different veggies. They were so easy and went down a treat. Now I have loads in my freezer for handy snacks. Thanks for sharing xx
Which way do you roll the pastry up? Using the shortime side or the long side? Sorry for my baby brain question!
Short side 🙂 xx
Finally got around to trying these and both me and the little one loved them. I’m looking forward to trying out more combinations!
Ah fantastic! You have to try banana and nutella!
Hi. What age do you recommend giving these from?
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