Pumpkin Pecan Pinwheels

Thanksgiving is heading your way, and you want something fun, small, healthy, and sweet to serve as an appetizer or dessert. Pumpkin Pecan Pinwheels it is! This sweet take on the savory appetizer will have your guests raving. They are the perfect addition of holiday flavor to your table, and at only 50 calories each, you can pop a few as well. 

Everything about these pinwheels makes them perfect for holiday gatherings. They’re easy to make ahead, easy to make in general, easy to reheat, require only a few ingredients, and they celebrate two delicious flavors – pumpkin and pecans. Store-bought crescent dough is used to save some time. And it’s delicious so why not use the shortcut when you can? It’s spread with pumpkin, pecans, and honey for a bit of sweetness and crunch. Baked to golden perfection, these pumpkin pecan pinwheels will be devoured in seconds. 

Three reasons why you need to make this recipe! 

They are a simple, sweet holiday treat. 

Even if it’s not for a gathering, it makes for a fun family dessert or just a snack to have lying around the house. Grazing snacks are definitely a part of the holidays, so why not have something flavorful but low-calorie to munch on? 

You can have these baked up in less than an hour. 

There’s not a lot of prep that goes into these. No chopping or peeling. Spread the filling on the dough, roll, cut and bake! It’s easy as pie. (Easier, actually!) 

It’s a great way to use up any leftover pumpkin puree. 

If you’re tired of pie and cookies or even all coffee being pumpkin spiced, try these pinwheels. It uses pumpkin as a filling, but the main flavors come from the pecans and honey. You still get the holiday feel without it being overwhelmingly about the pumpkin. 

Ingredients you need to make Pumpkin Pecan Pinwheels: 

• 1 package Pillsbury reduced fat crescent rolls
• ½ cup canned pure pumpkin puree 
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons chopped pecans
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

How to make Pumpkin Pecan Pinwheels (step by step): 

1. Unroll the crescent dough and separate it into two pieces- 4 crescent rolls to each piece. Pinch together any holes there might be.
2. Spread ¼ cup of the pumpkin puree onto each piece of dough. Top each with 1 tablespoon of honey (pro tip: put the honey in a small zip lock bag, cut off the tip and drizzle to spread evenly). Then top each piece with 1 tablespoon of chopped pecans.
3. Roll up the dough pieces (long way) and put them in the freezer for 30 minutes.
4. After they come out of the freezer, preheat the oven to 375F and spray a large baking sheet with some nonstick cooking spray.
5. Using a serrated knife, cut each roll into 10 pieces. I find the best way to cut into neat rolls is to “saw” with the serrated knife slowly into the dough then once you have broken through push down quickly to finish your cut. Place the pinwheels on the cookie sheet. You may want to use a knife to help place them so they don’t stick to whatever you cut them on.
6. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl,  then sprinkle it on top of the pinwheels.
7. Bake in the oven for approx 10-12 minutes- until the dough looks golden brown. Serve the pinwheels warm.

Makes 20 pinwheels. Nutrition info for 1 pinwheel: Calories 50,  Fat 1.75 g, Saturated fat .45 g,  Carbs 7.6 g,  Fiber .24 g, Sugars 3 g, Sodium 88 mg, Protein 1 g. 

WW Points 

• Pillsbury reduced fat crescent rolls 27 points
• Canned pure pumpkin puree 0 points
• Honey 10 points
• Chopped pecans 3 points 
• Sugar 0 points
• Cinnamon 0 points 

2 points per pinwheel based on the WW app recipe creator.  

If you’re using an older version of WW, check out these points below. 

2 smart points each 

1 point plus, old WW program

Different ways to change up this recipe: 

• Each pinwheel is 2 points, but you can drop it to 1 point each by using Allulose instead of honey. Allulose is similar to Stevia, in that it’s an artificial sweetener that comes from a plant. But it’s got the same consistency as honey. It can now be found in most local grocery stores for a reasonable price. It has no calories and no sugar. 
• You can sprinkle cinnamon into the filling as well as on top of the pinwheel if you love the flavor. 
• Substitute the pecans for mini white chocolate chips – it would be delicious and still in the holiday spirit. 

Tips and Tricks for Making Pumpkin Pecan Pinwheels: 

• Freezing the roll makes it much easier to cut without “smashing” the pinwheels, and it helps keep the filling inside so it’s a crucial step. If you absolutely don’t have time to freeze the roll, still use a serrated knife to cut, but “saw” back and forth gently all the way down. Even pressing down slightly on the knife will smash the roll and the filling. 
• You can make the rolls ahead of time and freeze them overnight. It makes them very easy to cut. Baking time will need to be a little longer though, so just watch them for an extra 3-5 minutes. 
• Once baked, you can keep them on the counter for a day or two, but after that store them in the fridge. They don’t freeze well once baked, so plan to consume them within 7 days. 

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• Turkey Sausage Rolls
• Top 17 Healthy Snacks at Trader Joe’s
• Cream Cheese Roll Ups