Pizza pinwheels for babies have quickly become one of our go to weaning meals now that we’re firmly on the finger foods part of our baby led weaning journey. Once you’ve discovered the joys of puff pastry pinwheels or roll ups you’ll find them a quick, simple and delicious addition to the meal rota – perfect for lunchtimes whether you’re on the go or at home. These pizza pinwheels for babies form our simple base and from here we’ve been adding ingredients depending on what we’ve got in the fridge which makes them super flexible. Not that we mind them plain, pizza pastry pinwheels aren’t just for baby led weaning or toddlers, they’re great for all ages… even adults!
If you’re wondering how to serve pizza for babies, look no further, a pizza pinwheel is the best of both worlds. Easy, travel friendly servings with all of the taste of pizza!
Roll Ups or Pinwheels?
Did you know that roll ups and pinwheels are the same thing? You can make a roll up or a pinwheel with either pastry or regular slices of bread. You cook the pastry (usually puff pastry) in the oven, and the bread ones are served cold. Usually you’ll find that the bread recipes are drier ingredients so that the sheets don’t go soggy. Here, our recipes are all referring to pastry roll ups or pinwheels. As for which term you should use, it’s entirely up to you. They taste delicious either way!
What Age Can My Baby Have Pinwheels?
Your baby can have pinwheels as soon as they’re able to wean. For most children this will be around six months of age onward. There are a couple of major signs to look out for in order to decide if your child is ready for weaning. These include whether your child has strong neck muscles and head control, and whether they’re able to sit up properly unaided. You’ll also want to look for an interest in food. If you’re not sure, you can find out more about it in our weaning readiness article, it’s got everything you need to know in there!
Why Are Pinwheels So Good For Babies?
Pinwheels are great because you don’t need to worry about utensils such as forks and spoons for weaning. They’re the perfect finger food for on the go and great enjoyed warm or cold. The texture is ideal for baby led weaning as well; soft enough for your baby to eat with ease, but firm enough to allow it to hold shape when lifted or moved.
Can You Reheat Pizza Pinwheels?
Yes! Pizza pinwheels can be reheated really easily in the microwave. If you don’t have a microwave, you can warm them in the oven for 5-8 minutes to heat them through. Pizza pinwheels are delicious warm but they’re just as good cold, if you can’t reheat them, don’t worry, you won’t be missing out. Reheating can make the pastry a little softer and the pinwheel a bit floppier which has pros and cons for weaning.
How Do You Reheat Baby Pinwheels?
You can reheat pinwheels for your baby with ease. To do so, place your pinwheels on a microwave safe plate, and heat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes until heated through thoroughly. Be sure to check your pinwheels afterward, particularly the underneath as these can get very hot. Allow your pinwheel to cool slightly before serving to avoid any burns!
How Many Days In Advance Can You Make Pinwheels?
Pinwheels keep pretty well if stored in an air-tight container. For optimum taste and texture, consume them within one day of making. However, your pinwheels should be fine stored in a refrigerated space for 48 hours. Can you make pizza pinwheels the night before? Of course. All that happens is that once fully cooled, the pastry and cheese go back to a firmer state. This means that a cooled pinwheel is a lot firmer for your baby to eat than a warm or room temperature one.
Why Are My Pinwheels Soggy?
A couple of things can make your pinwheels soggy. With pizza pinwheels, this can include having too much tomato sauce in there. As your pinwheel cooks in the oven, butter will melt within the pastry, the cheese melts and the sauce warms, this can quickly mean that the bottom becomes soggy. Once your pinwheel is cooked and partially cooled enough for the cheese to solidify, move them to a cooling rack to allow the underneath to cool fully.
When re-heating in the microwave, you may find the same happens – moisture is trapped under the pinwheel which can cause sogginess. Don’t worry, they still taste just as good! To avoid this, lift it off of the plate before serving and allow them to cool slightly. You could also try turning your pinwheel over when heating it up and cooking it for half the time on each side. This will allow any moisture to disperse more evenly!
Recipe: Pizza Pastry Pinwheels
Ingredients:
Pre-rolled puff pastry sheet
Small jar of tomato pasta sauce (we use Tesco no added sugar sauce) or tomato puree
Handful of grated cheddar cheese
Oregano
Chopped up ham (optional – chop to roughly adult finger nail size)
Milk to brush on top (optional!)
Method:
- Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees (fan) and prepare a flat baking sheet.
- Unroll your pre-rolled puff pastry sheet keeping the non stick paper on it, use this so that your pastry doesn’t stick to your work surface. We used half a sheet of pastry at a time, storing the other half in the fridge until needed.
- Spoon a small amount of pasta sauce onto the pastry and spread it around until covered. You want it to be generously covered but not sloppy, particularly if using a pasta sauce. If using a thicker tomato base (such as pizza base or tomato puree) then you can spread this further as the flavour is more intense.
- Sprinkle on your chopped ham or other toppings if using.
- Lightly sprinkle oregano. We used roughly 1tsp to cover half a sheet of puff pastry.
- Cover with grated cheese – you don’t need too much as otherwise it will leak out once rolled.
- Take the long side of the pastry and start to roll it up on itself, giving you a long, thin sausage at the end. You want to keep it quite tightly rolled otherwise fillings will fall out.
- Using a sharp knife, cut your rolled pastry into discs every 2-3cm.
- Lay the pastry discs on your flat baking sheet. Don’t put them too closely together as they will puff out as you cook! Brush with milk if using – this helps them brown on top.
- Cook for 20 minutes or until crisp and golden. Remove from heat, allow to cool and enjoy!
For a simple weaning friendly meal, we like pairing ours with some cooked frozen mixed vegetables, perfect for little fingers to practice their fine motor skills and already chopped up for you!
Got the pinwheel bug? We’ve collected 21 of our favourite pinwheel recipes for you to try out, including our ham and cheese roll ups which are perfect for on the go.
For more baby led weaning recipes, check out our extensive list of favourite meal ideas here!
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