These Gochujang Cheddar Pinwheels are an easy and delicious snack or appetizer. They use frozen puff pastry, gochujang, and sharp cheddar.
Have you ever cooked with gochujang? If you haven't, now's your chance.
What is gochujang?
Gochujang is a Korean fermented red chili paste. It's spicy, but also savory, and a little bit sweet. It's loaded with umami flavor and just a little bit makes food taste so good!
You can find gochujang in the Internationa aisle of a well-stocked grocery store, or in an Asian market. I buy mine at H-Mart.
You can add it to stews, meats, noodle dishes, salad dressing, and more.
Today I'm adding it to pastry-based appetizers to make these Gochujang Cheddar Pinwheels.
These pinwheels are rich and flaky, gooey and cheesy. They're loaded with savory flavor and just a little spice. Best of all, they're super easy to make, with the help of frozen puff pastry.
They're the perfect appetizer to serve at a dinner party, or as a snack to serve while watching sports.
How to make Gochujang Cheddar Pinwheels:
These flaky, savory pastries are so easy to make that you don't even have to worry about prepping them ahead of time. Simply make them while you're visiting with your guests or during an intermission in the game.
One thing to note about making these pinwheels though is that the puff pastry does need to be thawed ahead of time. Read the instructions on the package, but I find that the best way to do this is to move it from the freezer to the fridge the day before you plan to make these.
Getting ready to make these is as simple as turning on your oven and lining a baking sheet with some parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Then roll or fold out the puff pastry sheet, and spread with the gochujang. Sprinkle the cheese and green onions evenly over the sheet, and roll the whole thing into a log, as if you were making cinnamon buns.
Cut the log into 12 equal pieces using a large, sharp serrated knife, then use your silicone brush to brush on the egg wash. Sprinkle the rolls with sesame seeds (if you want - this is totally optional), and bake them.
These don't take long to bake - only about 15 minutes, and you can start eating them within minutes of taking them out of the oven.
Gochujang Cheddar Pinwheels Ingredients:
The ingredient list to make these delicious appetizers is short - only 5-6 ingredients plus a little tap water is all that's needed:
- Water - just a teaspoon to make the egg wash
- Large egg - to brush the rolls with to help them brown in the oven
- Frozen puff pastry - You can find this in the frozen foods aisle near the other baking ingredients like frozen bread dough and pie crusts. Make sure to thaw it according to the instructions on the package (usually overnight or at least several hours in the fridge)
- gochujang - find this in the international aisle of a well-stocked supermarket, or in an Asian market
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Green onion
- sesame seeds - these are totally optional. Feel free to skip if you don't like them or don't have any.
Want more appetizer recipes?
Gochujang Cheddar Pinwheels Nutrition Notes:
Note that the nutrition information in the recipe below uses only ½ of an egg for the calculations, as you will have lots of egg wash left after you brush the tops of the gochujang cheddar pinwheels. Use the leftovers to make scrambled eggs if you like, or you can easily double the recipe using two sheets of puff pastry.
The nutrition information also uses 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds. Omitting sesame seeds, or using more will not significantly impact the nutrients in your pinwheels.
The nutrition information in the recipe below is for one pinwheel.
Gochujang Cheddar Pinwheels
Equipment
- Box Grater or other cheese shredder
Ingredients
- 1 large egg see note
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1 sheet puff pastry thawed according to directions on the package
- 2 Tablespoons gochujang
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 green onion thinly sliced
- sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- Set oven to 425°F. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or silicone baking sheet liner. Set aside.
- Using a fork, whisk 1 large egg together with 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Unfold or roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured countertop. Gently roll out the sheet so that it measures 10 inches square. Leaving a ½-inch border along the top edge of the pastry, spread 2 Tablespoons gochujang evenly over the pastry (spread it all the way to the remaining 3 edges). Sprinkle 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese and the thinly sliced green onion evenly over the gochujang, avoiding the ½-inch border at the top.
- Starting at the bottom edge (the edge closest to you), carefully roll up the pastry into a log (use a bench scraper to help you roll it up if the pastry sticks to the counter). Once you get to the top, lightly brush the ½-inch border with the egg mixture. Gently press the seam closed with your fingers.
- If you plan to bake the pinwheels right away, cut the log into 12 equal pieces with a serrated knife, being careful not to squish the pastry too much. Place the pieces on the baking sheet, leaving at least 1 inch between the pieces, reshaping them to circles if needed. Gently brush the tops and sides of the spirals with the egg mixture making sure not to leave large puddles of egg around the pieces. Sprinkle lightly with sesame seeds if desired.
- Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the pastry is golden brown, about 13-17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Sian Raphael says
What temperature should the oven be at?
Carissa says
Oops! Bake these (and all puff pastry) at 425°F. Thanks for letting me know that I forgot to add the oven temp. 🙂