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These chickpea pinwheels are perfect as a quick lunch, snack, or game day appetizer! They’re filled with protein and fiber, require no cooking, and take just 10 minutes to put together (all while tasting like your favorite jalapeno poppers).
save this recipe!For someone who cooks for a living, my lunches are always hit or miss. I’m either excited for a new recipe to test or too worn out to make anything, so I end up with just a tray of veggies and hummus.
To counter this, I’ve been meal prepping some grab-and-go lunches like these chickpea pinwheels! And with it being football season, I decided to go the jalapeno popper route, so they can also be a make-ahead vegetarian appetizer.
the easy party snack idea
- So Fast: Seriously, they take 10 minutes to whip up, and they store great!
- Simple Ingredients: You can find everything at any grocery store (that is, if you don’t already have everything on hand).
- Fiber and Protein: I feel like most game-day snacks lack fiber so they don’t make you feel the best. But, that’s where this chickpea pinwheel appetizer shines with protein and fiber!
Reader rating
“Made last night for a football watch party & they were a hit! Served with ranch and TJ’s tzatziki on the side. Will def be making again!!” —Kiley
grab these ingredients
Jump down to the recipe card for exact measurements.
- Chickpeas: I use canned chickpeas that are drained and rinsed for convenience, but dried ones you cook yourself work great, too! Just be sure to dry the chickpeas well.
- Cheeses: Like any good jalapeno popper app, this one has cream cheese and shredded cheddar.
- Onion and Jalapeno: The key is to finely dice them so you get a little in every bite. This also helps the vegetarian pinwheels roll up nice and tight.
- Tortillas: I find the low-carb tortillas actually roll the best, which is key for cold tortilla roll-ups. Grain-free tortillas (like those from Siete) typically are not pliable at all unless heated, so you may need to warm them up a bit before filling and rolling.
Sarah’s tips for working with jalapenos
- Wear gloves! Seriously, your eyes will thank you (if you happen to rub your eyes after cutting the peppers).
- Remove the seeds so you get the flavor of jalapeno without it being overly spicy.
- Taste the jalapeno first because (especially in the summer) they can vary a lot in spice level.
if your tortillas are breaking
Tortilla brands and types all vary in how pliable they are. If yours seems to be breaking when rolling, heat it for 10 or so seconds in the microwave before rolling. If they keep coming unrolled, wrap them tightly in foil and leave them to chill in the fridge longer before slicing.
Let’s mix it up
If you want to take this recipe for a few spins, try one of these variations:
- Less Spicy: If you’re worried about the spice, swap the jalapenos for poblano peppers.
- Vegan Bacon: For a next-level vegetarian finger food idea, stir in some vegan bacon bits!
- More Protein: Try swapping some of the cream cheese for Labneh or blended cottage cheese to up the protein.
P.S. these are best served with a dip, like sour cream, yogurt tzatziki, or my kefir ranch dressing.
Jalapeno Popper Chickpea Pinwheels
Ingredients
- 2 15-oz cans chickpeas, drained, 425 g cans
- 4 oz cream cheese, 113 g
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese, 56 g
- ¼ cup finely diced jalapeno, about 1 medium jalapeno
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion, about ¼ of an onion
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 to 3 large tortilla wraps
Instructions
- Mash: Add 2 15-oz cans chickpeas (drained) to a large bowl. Use a potato masher or forks to mash the chickpeas into a chunky puree.
- Mix: Stir in 4 oz cream cheese, ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese, ¼ cup finely diced jalapeno, ¼ cup finely diced red onion, ½ tsp garlic powder, and ¼ tsp salt.
- Spread: Spread a thin layer of the chickpea mixture onto 2 to 3 large tortilla wraps.
- Slice: Roll each tortilla tightly*, then slice into 1 inch pieces. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!more no-cook chickpea recipes
Edible Chickpea Cookie Dough (Vegan)
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Chickpea “Tuna” Salad
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15-Minute Buffalo Chickpea Wraps
15 minutes
Looking to make your chickpea jalapeno popper rollups for my book club next week. In the video it looked like you had a dipping sauce to go with them? Looking forward to trying a bunch of your recipes! Thank you!
I just served them with ranch but they’re also really great with sour cream! Happy eating!
What is serving size and nutrition information
Hi Brenda! The serving is one fourth of the entire recipe, and I just published the nutrition information under the recipe. Thanks so much for pointing out that that was missing. Happy eating!
How are there not tons of positive feedback messages on this recipe!?!?
I just made these and… Oh my my, so good!
I did not mash with a fork, I’m lazy in the kitchen. I put the onions, jalapeno, and chickpeas in the food processor 😬. But it worked perfectly so it’s fine. If I am being honest, I added more salt than the recipe calls for but that is a personal preference thing. These are going to be even better after getting refrigerated and cut up!
I am taking them to a family Halloween night and I know they will be a huge hit! (And NO I will not tell anyone they are more healthy, that will be my secret!)
Thanks for making my day with your comment Amanda, I hope everyone enjoys them on Halloween!
Could these be air fired? Like the previous comment, would like to serve at my next bookclub! Thanks for the great recipe
I haven’t tried air frying this one, but I do think it would work. I did pan fry them in a little olive oil to get them crispy on the outside and that was really tasty!
I found this recipe to be a bit bland. I added a ton more salt, double the jalapeños and the whole block of cream cheese, but it’s still missing something. The one thing I love about it is that it is quite healthy (despite my bacon addition! lol h
Thanks for sharing your feedback Tori!
Delish! I used some jalapeño cream cheese and added some lemon and cracker pepper!!
Good to dip crackers and veg in as well
Oh my gosh, the lemon addition sounds wonderful, Laura. Thanks so much for letting us know how it went!
Assume using pickled jalapeños will work too. But curious if anyone has tried heating up like a quesadilla … may need slightly higher cheese to bean ratio…but could be interesting?
I pan fried some of these leftovers on the stove in just a little bit of olive oil so the outsides got a little crispy and it was so good!
Made last night for a football watch party & they were a hit! Served with ranch and TJ’s tzatziki on the side. Will def be making again!!
Thanks for the kind review Kiley!
These are great, kinda like what I imagine a Jalepeno chicken salad would taste like (been a vegetarian so long I’ve never tried that!) but they are nice and very easy. I had a cheap masher that wasn’t working great, so I put on some gloves and just hand squished the mixture, which helped a lot and was kinda therapeutic.
Love hearing that Sandy, thanks for trying it!
I made this for me and my husband for lunch. It packs so well, very yummy and filling!
I’m so thrilled to hear that you both loved it Anna. Happy eating!