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!
- Let There Be Mess! – Our Bibs help nurture adventurous, independent eaters and protect clothes and highchair seats. Parents love the convenience and speedy post-meal clean-ups, and experts endorse them for rich developmental opportunities for children.
- Making Parents’ Lives Easier – Features easy-to-wipe, 100% waterproof material in on-trend, stylish Scandi designs to make cleaning up a breeze, saving parents 30 minutes daily. Crafted from premium, super-soft fabric, it withstands the messiest of meals.
- The No. 1 Way to Wean – Weaning your baby is a wonderful experience, and our bibs help manage the mess, leaving you free to enjoy the weaning journey with your little one. Our Coverall Bibs are a must-have for developing babies up to 36 months.
- How To Use – Put your child’s arms through the bib, drape it over their shoulders, and fasten at the neck. Drape the Coverall around your high chair tray and fasten underneath with the adjustable strap. Use with our Handi Cutlery to help master control.
- Why Bibado – We are a British brand on a mission to make a positive difference for children and parents in the feeding and messy play space. We do this by designing products that provide practical solutions that empower, educate, and help you have fun.
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.
- KEEPS FOOD FRESHER FOR LONGER: Airtight, leakproof containers with Sistema easy-locking clips and flexible seals
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- INCLUDES: 6 rectangular food containers; 1 x 2.2 L, 3 x 1 L, 2 x 400 ml
- CARE INSTRUCTIONS: Dishwasher (top rack), microwave (without lid), fridge and freezer-safe; designed and made in New Zealand; phthalate and BPA-free
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.
- Zeal EcoBagz are a great eco-friendly alternative to throw away single use bags and containers. They are versatile and perfect for storing snacks on the go.
- Use them again and again. Zeal EcoBagz are versatile and easily washable making them perfect for storing different foods in the fridge, freezer, or on the go.
- Dishwasher, fridge and freezer safe, our durable bags are easy to wash and care for and can be used to keep food fresh in the fridge and freezer.
- Made from tough high-grade BPA free PEVA, our EcoBagz are food safe and free from odours. The clear plastic also makes it easy to identify what’s inside without labelling.
- Great for taking sandwiches to the office, school, picnics, camping and generally on the go. Helping the planet to stop using single use plastics.
Related Post: Baby Led Weaning Must Have Product Guide
Pinwheels Baby Led Weaning
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 10 pinwheels 1x
Description
The ultimate baby led weaning snack. These pinwheels for babies are super simple to make and make the perfect on-the-go weaning food.
Ingredients
- 1 sheet of ready to bake puff pastry
- 180 grams spinach
- 50 grams cheese
- 100 grams of sliced ham
- tomato puree
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 200C (180C fan)
- Let the puff pastry rest at room temperature for ten minutes before unrolling it to add the pinwheel fillings.
- Boil your kettle and add the spinach to a colander. Once the kettle has boiled, carefully pour the boiling water over the spinach so it wilts. Rinse with cold water and then carefully squeeze the moisture out of the spinach until you're left with a small ball. Chop into smaller pieces with scissors.
- Grate cheese into a bowl.
- Slice the ham into smaller chunks.
- Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- Once the puff pastry has rested for ten minutes, add the toppings carefully starting with the tomato puree, then ham, followed by cheese and spinach. Spread them evenly across the pastry.
- To create your pinwheels, roll the puff pastry back into a log shape. Once rolled, cut into it every 5cm and place each pinwheel on your lined baking tray.
- In a bowl, add an egg and whisk well with a fork. Add the tablespoon of milk and whisk again. Use this mixture to brush onto the pastry.
- Pop the baking tray in the oven and bake for around 15 minutes. You'll know that they're ready when the cheese is bubbling and the puff pastry has turned a lovely golden brown.
- Leave to cool fully before serving to baby.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Additional Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Baby Led Weaning
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 71
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 165
- Fat: 4
- Saturated Fat: 1
- Unsaturated Fat: 2
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 5
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 5
- Cholesterol: 30
Author: Nicola Hughes
Nicola has weaned both of her boys using the baby led weaning method. She loves nothing better than creating simple recipes that anyone can recreate, using as few ingredients as possible. All of her recipes have been tried and tested by both Dexter and Felix and have their seal of approval!
Сialis
Thursday 21st of March 2019
Hi there, I enjoy reading all of your post. I wanted to write a little comment to support you.
Lucy
Saturday 22nd of December 2018
Hi. What age do you recommend giving these from?
Neena
Tuesday 26th of December 2017
Finally got around to trying these and both me and the little one loved them. I’m looking forward to trying out more combinations!
mummytodex
Sunday 21st of January 2018
Ah fantastic! You have to try banana and nutella!
Ethan's Mummy
Thursday 23rd of March 2017
Which way do you roll the pastry up? Using the shortime side or the long side? Sorry for my baby brain question!
mummytodex
Thursday 23rd of March 2017
Short side :-) xx
Lucy's Locket
Thursday 8th of December 2016
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