Apple Pinwheels With Caramel Icing
Want the flavor of caramel apple pie without making a crust? These apple pinwheels wrap a cinnamon brown sugar apple and pecan filling in flaky puff pastry, then get drizzled with melted caramel. You’ll have a dozen in about 30 minutes, which makes them a great fall breakfast treat or an easy dessert for a crowd.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Caramel Apple Pinwheels
- Serves: 12
- Main Ingredients: puff pastry, packed cup dark brown sugar, all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, peeled and diced apples, chopped pecans, butter or margarine, caramel baking bits
- Why You'll Love It: These easy caramel apple pinwheels include a cinnamon sugar-spiced apple and pecan filling wrapped in puff pastry with caramel icing on top.
These were my very first time working with puff pastry, adapted slightly from a Pepperidge Farm apple pecan pastry recipe, and I was surprised at how sturdy and easy it was. If you love apple desserts, my old-fashioned apple pie and apple dumplings are family favorites too.
Why These Apple Pinwheels Work
Cutting a little butter into the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon makes a crumbly filling that clings to the diced apples and pecans instead of turning runny. Puff pastry holds up to all that filling when you roll it like a cinnamon roll, then bakes up light and flaky. A simple drizzle of melted caramel bits finishes them with that caramel apple flavor.
Ingredients for Apple Pinwheels
Puff pastry: Thaw one sheet on the counter for about 40 minutes and save the other in the freezer.
Apples: Granny Smith is the classic choice, but any crisp apple works.
Dark brown sugar: I use dark for a richer flavor, but light works fine.
Caramel baking bits: Kraft caramel bits melt smooth for drizzling.
You’ll find the exact amounts in the recipe card below.
Helpful Tips Before You Start
- Flour a sheet of waxed paper to roll the pastry on, then just fold it up and toss it for easy cleanup.
- Dice the apples small so the pinwheels roll up neatly.
- Leave about an inch of bare pastry around the edges so you can seal the roll.
- Start checking the pinwheels at 15 minutes, though they may need closer to 30 to turn golden.
How to Make Caramel Apple Pinwheels
1Make the Crumb Mixture
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Stir together the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon, then cut in the butter until crumbly.
2Add the Apples and Pecans
Peel and dice the apples, then stir the apples and pecans into the crumb mixture.
3Roll Out the Pastry
Unfold the thawed puff pastry on a floured surface, roll it to about 15×10 inches and brush the top with water.
4Spread the Filling
Spread the filling over the pastry, stopping about an inch from the edges.
5Roll It Up
Roll the pastry up tightly like a cinnamon roll.
6Slice
Cut the roll into 1-inch slices.
7Arrange in the Pan
Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and set the pinwheels in it about 2 inches apart.
8Bake
Bake for 15 to 30 minutes, until the pastry is light golden brown, then move the pinwheels to a wire rack to cool.
9Drizzle with Caramel
Melt the caramel bits in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring until smooth, then drizzle over each pinwheel with a spoon.
Serving and Storing
Serve them warm with a cup of coffee for a fall brunch, or with a scoop of ice cream and homemade whipped cream for dessert. They’re a hit at Halloween parties alongside chocolate caramel apples and jack-o-lantern Halloween apple pie, and there are more ideas in our list of easy Halloween treats and desserts.
Puff pastry gets soggy as it sits, so keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for only a day or two and rewarm them in the oven or air fryer.
Apple Pinwheels FAQs
Can I use other nuts or spices?
Yes. Chopped walnuts work in place of pecans, and apple pie spice is a nice swap for the cinnamon. Two tablespoons of toffee bits in the filling are tasty too.
What else can I use instead of caramel?
A simple vanilla glaze, cream cheese icing or a dusting of powdered sugar all work.
Can I use crescent dough instead of puff pastry?
Puff pastry is sturdier and holds the chunky apple filling better, so I’d stick with it for these.
Caramel Apple Pinwheels
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry
- 1 packed cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups peeled and diced apples
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 1 bag Kraft caramel bits 11 ounces
Instructions
- Place the puff pastry sheet on a platter and allow it to sit at room temperature for 40 minutes before beginning.1 sheet puff pastry
- In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in margarine. Peel and dice apples. Add chopped apples and pecans to the dry ingredients.1 packed cup dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 cups peeled and diced apples, 1 cup chopped pecans, 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
- On a floured surface, unfold the pastry sheet. Roll out until it is approximately 15×10. Brush water over the top of the pastry sheet.1 sheet puff pastry
- Place the filling mixture into the center of the pastry sheet and spread it until it is an inch from the sides. Roll it up jelly-roll style.
- Cut it into one-inch slices. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and place the cut slices in it about two inches apart.
- Bake at 375 for 15-30 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove them from the baking dish and allow them to cool on wire racks.
- Melt the caramels in the microwave. Drizzle the melted caramel over each pinwheel. Enjoy and impress!1 bag Kraft caramel bits
Puff pastry rules–it is a staple during the holidays in our home–>almost all appetizers start w/puff pastry here. Will definitely add this recipe to my Christmas list of finger foods & desserts!! I wonder if I can wait that long . . . probably not.
This recipe looks absolutely amazing. I usually buy frozen caramel apple desserts but I’m definitely going to try this one. I have the munchies just reading this recipe.
Hi! Thank you for this yummy idea! I needed something different for a staff meeting this week. These will definitely be gobbled up!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Christy! I just made this! I kept thinking about it every day after I saw this post, and knew I just had to make it! They were delicious! I had never used puff pastry either, and unfortunately mine didn’t hold up quite as well as yours did. Maybe I did something wrong, but they were kinda droopy- still tasty though! This is an amazing little fall dessert to serve guests with coffee or hot apple cider!
I made these this past weekend. I lowered the temperature by 25 degrees and baked mine for almost 25 minutes. Mine came out golden brown and very flakey, the apples were tender but not mushy in the least. My family loved this recipe, reminded me of apple pie with pecans. I will be making this again soon.
Mmmm I’ve never used puff pastry either! I’ll have to check to see if our local store has it 🙂
You’re amazing! 🙂 The caramel was the perfect touch, especially, with Autumn here. I am looking forward to trying this.