These chocolate and banana puff pastry pinwheels are an easy treat to bake with kids, they take juts 5 minutes to prepare and they use a lighter chocolate spread meaning less sugar, but all the taste. There are lots of different ways to fill pinwheels, but this banana and chocolate sweet version is our favourite.
If you are looking for an easy sweet treat to make with the kids, then give these chocolate and banana puff pastry pinwheels a try. Just some store bought pastry, chocolate spread and mashed banana and you have yourself a delicious rainy day activity.
If you are looking for other ways to use puff pastry, why not try our Cheese Straws, Easy Asparagus Tart or Cranberry and Brie Bites.
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Why You Will Love It
- Easy to adapt - We went with banana and chocolate, but there are so many other flavour combinations you can go with. We have given a few options below.
- Just 5 minutes prep time - These are so quick and easy to make, with just 5 minutes in the kitchen.
- Great fun for kids to make - Kids will love getting messy with mashing the banana and spreading the chocolate spread on the pastry.
- Only 211 calories per pinwheel - These mini pinwheels are just 211 calories making them a light treat.
- Uses lower in sugar chocolate spread - We used a lighter chocolate spread, to keep the sugar in these down, and let the natural sugar from the bananas shine through.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Puff pastry - We "cheated" and used store bought. We hardly ever make our own pastry, as they store bought one is just as good and saves so much time. These chocolate puff pastry pinwheels are meant to be quick and easy, and using store bough pastry means they only take 5 minutes to prepare.
- Banana - Banana helps to add some natural sweetness to these. As you would expect, they do give them a banana flavour, so it isn't one for those that really don't like banana. But, the chocolate is the main flavour in this.
- Chocolate spread - The star of the pinwheels! The great thing about these is that we have used our homemade healthier Nutella, which is lighter than store bought. But, you can also buy a reduced sugar chocolate spread. There are quite a few options in the supermarkets now, so take a look. The nutritional information reflects that we used our homemade version.
- Egg - This isn't essential, but we find that brushing egg on before they go in the oven helps them to get nice and crispy.
Variations
The great thing about pinwheels is that the flavour options are almost endless. If you want sweet, but don't want chocolate, then you can swap the chocolate spread for jam instead.
If you aren't a fan of banana, then some chopped up fresh berries like strawberries and raspberries work well, or even some cherries. Chocolate and cherry go so well together.
Also, when the kids are in charge of making these, they like to add rainbow sprinkles. They end up looking a total mess, but the kids love them.
Step by Step
One: Roll the pastry out and spread the chocolate spread over it.
Two: Gently roll up the pastry until you have a log. Slice the log into 12 pieces.
Three: Put on a lined baking sheet and brush a little egg on top of each one. Put in a preheated over at 190°C/375°F/Gas 5 for 20 minutes until browned. Leave to cool before serving.
Chocolate Pinwheels
If you are going down the sweet pinwheels route, then chocolate is always an excellent choice. We lightened these up by using our Homemade Healthier Nutella. It is less sugar, but still all of the flavour!
You could use any chocolate spread you like though, and there are some really great lower sugar ones on the market at the moment. Jim Jams is a favourite of ours.
What to Serve Them With
This is the perfect afternoon treat to serve with a hot drink. Make yourself a tea or a coffee, or maybe try one of these recipes for something a little different:
- Cinnamon Coffee
- Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate
- Cinnamon Mocha
- Pumpkin Spiced Latte
- Peppermint Hot Chocolate
- Chai Tea Latte
Extra Tips
- The nutritional information is for making these with our homemade Nutella. If you use real Nutella, or a reduce sugar chocolate spread, then this will change the nutritional information.
- If you don't like banana, then you can mash up raspberries instead.
- A sprinkle of cinnamon sugar is a delicious addition to these pinwheels.
- Make sure there is plenty of space between each pinwheel on the baking tray, as they will spread.
- Make sure you leave them to cool for a while when they come out of the oven. The banana and chocolate filling will be very hot when it first comes out of the oven. You don't need to let them totally cool though, as they are best served warm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you certainly can use frozen puff pastry. We always try to keep some puff pastry in the freezer because there is so much that you can do with it.
You can store these in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you don't want to eat them cold from the fridge, you can put them in the microwave for 30 seconds.
No, you don't have to brush the pastry with egg before it goes into the oven, but we find that it adds colour and shine and helps them to crisp up a little.
It is easy to make a vegan version of these. A lot of store bought puff pastry is already vegan, but always check the box to make sure. Then, simply use your favourite vegan chocolate spread and skip the egg.
More Chocolate Recipes
If you’ve tried this chocolate pinwheel recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Chocolate and Banana Puff Pastry Pinwheels
Ingredients
- 375 g (13.25 oz) Puff pastry
- 6 tablespoon Chocolate Spread
- 2 Bananas - small; mashed
- 1 Egg - whisked
Instructions
- Preheat your over to 190°C/170°C(fan)/375°F/Gas 5.
- Roll 375 g Puff pastry out and spread 6 tablespoon Chocolate Spread over it. Add 2 Bananas on top.
- Gently roll up the pastry until you have a log. Slice the log into 12 pieces.
- Put on a lined baking sheet and brush each one with 1 Egg. Put into the oven for 20 minutes until browned.
- Leave to cool before serving.
Recipe Tips
- The nutritional information is for making these with our homemade Nutella. If you use real Nutella, or a reduce sugar chocolate spread, then this will change the nutritional information.
- If you don't like banana, then you can mash up raspberries instead.
- A sprinkle of cinnamon sugar is a delicious addition to these pinwheels.
- Make sure there is plenty of space between each pinwheel on the baking tray, as they will spread.
- Make sure you leave them to cool for a while when they come out of the oven. The banana and chocolate filling will be very hot when it first comes out of the oven. You don't need to let them totally cool though, as they are best served warm.
Nutritional Information
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Jenny says
These look delicious. 83% less sugar in the chocolate spread is fantastic too
Laura H says
I love Jim Jams myself and think it's a much healthier alternative to nutella so would love to make these!
Louise says
Ooh, these look super tasty!! I've never heard of Jim Jams chocolate spread before, but it sounds absolutely delicious. Looking out for it next time I shop :)
Louise x
nicol says
now im drooling. I would never have thought of adding mashed bananas like that.
adriana says
Wow these look SO good!! I definitely need to try making these - two of my favorite flavors! Yum!