Breakfast
Sausage Pinwheels Recipe 
... from Aunt Sandy's Kitchen
- Serves: 30-32 pinwheels
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Chilling Time:30 minutes
- Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Calories: 84 to 89 kcal each
These easy sausage pinwheels are made with breakfast sausage, cream cheese, shredded cheddar, red pepper flakes, and refrigerated crescent dough. Each slice bakes into a warm, savory spiral with a creamy cheese filling and golden crescent crust.
Serve these sausage and cream cheese pinwheels for breakfast, brunch, holiday mornings, game day, showers, church gatherings, or as an easy party appetizer. The dough can be rolled and chilled ahead of time, then sliced and baked when you are ready to serve.
🛒 Ingredients
Instructions
- Cook the sausage. Place the breakfast sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until browned, breaking the sausage into small crumbles as it cooks.
- Drain and cool. Drain the excess grease from the cooked sausage. Set the sausage aside and allow it to cool slightly before adding it to the cream cheese mixture.
- Make the filling. In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, crushed red pepper flakes, and drained sausage. Mix until the ingredients are evenly combined.
- Unroll the dough. Unroll the crescent dough sheet onto a clean, flat work surface. Gently press the dough into an even rectangle without stretching it too thin.
- Add the sausage mixture. Spread the sausage and cream cheese filling evenly over the crescent dough, leaving a small border around the outside edges.
- Roll into a log. Beginning at one short end, roll the dough tightly around the filling to form an even log.
- Wrap and chill. Wrap the sausage-filled log securely in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Freeze for at least 30 minutes. Alternatively, refrigerate the log for at least 1 hour, or until firm enough to slice cleanly.
- Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Slice the pinwheels. Unwrap the chilled log and cut it into approximately ½-inch-thick slices. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet, leaving space between them.
- Bake. Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the crescent dough is baked through and the pinwheels are golden brown. Allow them to cool for several minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
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Recipe Notes
- Allow the cooked sausage to cool slightly before mixing it with the cream cheese. Very hot sausage can soften the filling and make the dough harder to roll.
- Softened cream cheese is easier to mix and spread than cold cream cheese.
- Drain the sausage thoroughly so excess grease does not make the filling oily or cause the pinwheels to become soggy.
- Chilling the log is important. A firm log holds its round shape and produces cleaner slices.
- Use a sharp knife and wipe the blade between cuts when necessary. A gentle sawing motion will help prevent the dough from being compressed.
- Regular, mild, hot, or sage breakfast sausage may be used, depending on the flavor your family prefers.
- For a milder recipe, reduce or omit the crushed red pepper flakes. For more heat, use hot breakfast sausage.
- Watch the pinwheels closely near the end of baking because oven temperatures and baking sheets can affect browning time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use crescent roll triangles instead of a dough sheet?
Yes. Unroll the crescent roll dough, place the triangles together, and firmly pinch the perforated seams closed before adding the sausage filling.
Can sausage pinwheels be made ahead of time?
Yes. Prepare and wrap the filled dough log, then refrigerate it until firm. Slice and bake the pinwheels shortly before serving so the crescent dough remains fresh and golden.
Why should the sausage pinwheel log be chilled?
Chilling firms the cream cheese filling and crescent dough. This makes the log easier to slice and helps the pinwheels hold their spiral shape while baking.
Can I refrigerate the roll instead of freezing it?
Yes. Freeze the roll for at least 30 minutes or refrigerate it for at least 1 hour. The roll is ready to slice when it feels firm and holds its shape.
What kind of sausage works best for sausage pinwheels?
Regular breakfast sausage provides a classic flavor. Hot, maple, or sage sausage may also be used, but flavored sausage will change the final taste of the pinwheels.
Why did my sausage pinwheels spread while baking?
The dough may have become too warm, the log may not have been chilled long enough, or the filling may have contained too much grease. Chill the log until firm and drain the sausage well.
Are sausage pinwheels a breakfast or an appetizer?
They work as both. Serve them with eggs, fruit, or grits for breakfast and brunch, or place them on an appetizer tray for holiday parties, game day, showers, and family gatherings.
How should leftover sausage pinwheels be stored?
Allow the pinwheels to cool, place them in a covered container, and refrigerate them. Reheat only the amount you plan to serve so the crescent dough does not become overly dry.
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