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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
5 minutes
15-Minute Buffalo Chickpea Wraps
15 minutes
So good!
These are so easy and so good! Perfect for my lunch meal prep this week
Big smiles over here, hope you enjoy your lunches Kaci!
These are too good!!! So easy, delicious, and protein-packed 🙂
Thanks for the kind words Alfonso, happy eating!
I used a small cuisinart prep/chop gadget to purée the chickpeas. Much easier than mashing. Ended up using 8oz cream cheese and about 1/2 cup of diced pickled jalapeños (wasn’t really getting the flavor with fresh ones.) I felt it needed a little more oomph so after testing a few red pepper spices (ground red, cayenne etc) I settled on a sprinkling of tajin across the surface of the mixture, stirred really well and sprinkled a bit more on the pinwheels while plating. Maybe I’m thinking more buffalo chicken flavor? I don’t know. Still super easy to make and quite tasty!
Hi Alicia! Thank you so much for leaving such a thoughtful review. The tajin sounds like such a tasty addition! Happy eating!
These are absolutely delicious. I added a tiny bit of lemon pepper and seasoned salt and they were SO good. This one made it to my top three favorite chickpea recipes.
Thanks for making my day with your comment, I’m pumped this made it into your top three!
I tried this recipe and it turned out wildly better when I pan-seared it! After slicing the rolls into pinwheels, I sprayed a pan with canola oil and seared each side, adding another quick spray before flipping. Cooking on medium heat for under five minutes was perfect — it didn’t take long to warm up, and the flavor really came alive. The cream cheese and shredded orange cheese melted beautifully, giving it that creamy, rich texture that tastes amazing when hot or warm.
I used Tortilla Land raw tortillas, which are pretty small, but I still got four servings from the recipe. I had it for lunch 4 days in a row, though it wasn’t quite filling enough on its own, so I added a Clif protein bar to round out each lunch. Next time, I’m going to experiment with ways to make it more satisfying for a full lunch — maybe add vegan bacon on top of each pinwheel with cheese sprinkled on top?
Pan searing sounds so tasty! Vegan bacon would also be good and would add a little crunch. Happy eating!
In the video I saw you using a dipping sauce. Do you have a sauce or a sauce recipe you recommend to go with these?
I like these with ranch! 🙂
This was absolutely delicious! I rolled mine in sliced turkey rather than a tortilla as I’m limiting my gluten intake.
So happy you loved it Meg, happy eating!
These are so good! I made 4 tortillas. Im thinking about heating them up a few minutes so the tortillas aren’t so soggy
We’ve had a lot of readers make this crispy in the air fryer and they say it’s delicious. Happy eating!
Is one serving just one piece?
Hi Jane! A serving of this recipe is one quarter of the entire batch. It will depend on how large your tortillas are and how thinly you slice them 🙂