Vegan pickle roll ups are a ridiculously easy, no cook appetizer that a kid could make. They’ve got an addictive combination of salty, creamy, and crunchy. Plus, a punch of protein for staying power.
Serve this tasty, bite-sized appetizer at parties and holiday gatherings. Or pop them into your child’s lunchbox.
The first time I heard about pickle roll ups, I was in junior high. For a class assignment, we had to do a demonstration for our classmates.
I don’t remember the subject of my own demo. But I do remember my friend, Amy, showed how to make pickle rollups. She slathered a slice of ham with cream cheese, rolled it around a dill pickle, and cut it into sushi-style circles.
The ingredients seemed an unlikely trio. But in combination, they somehow worked!
You had smokiness from the ham, creaminess from the cream cheese, plus crunchiness and a hit of salt from the pickle.
Growing up in Iowa, it’s surprising I’d never encountered pickle wraps before then. They are popular in the Midwest. That’s why they’re also known as Midwest sushi, Iowa sushi, and Minnesota sushi.
After seeing Amy’s demo, I’d make pickle roll ups on the regular for parties, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or even just an afternoon snack.
Obviously the original recipe wasn’t vegan. However, with some easy store-bought swaps, these vegan ham and pickle roll-ups deliver the same nostalgic flavors in a short amount of time.
They’re great for football tailgates, family gatherings, potlucks, or to have on hand for a quick, protein-packed snack you can grab and go. You could even use them as a garnish on a vegan Bloody Mary!
In this post:
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this recipe.
Vegan ham: Tofurky vegan ham slices are perfect for this! They are just the right size, thickness, and pliability. If you can’t find Tofurky ham slices, use any other vegan ham or plant-based deli slices you like.
(I’ve had good luck finding Tofurky vegan ham at Target by using their app or website. Search for the product. Then switch store locations, as needed, to find one close to you that has it.)
Pickles: Choose whole dill pickles. Pickles sold in the refrigerated section work especially well, because they have the most crunch.
When you’re buying them, I recommend looking at the jars in the store and selecting one with the most pickles that are roughly the same length as the vegan ham slices (about 4-inches). Claussen minis work pretty well.
Vegan cream cheese: For the easiest spreadability, choose a cream cheese that is nice and soft. Miyoko’s original cream cheese is my favorite, and that’s what I used here. Kite Hill or Treeline cashew cheese would also work.
I don’t recommend Trader Joe’s cream cheese for this recipe, because it’s very thick, hard, and not easy to spread on something softer than a toasted bagel.
Tip: If you find out too late that your vegan cream cheese is overly hard, you can either let it come to room temperature to soften. Or you can whip it in a bowl with a fork and a splash of non-dairy milk until it’s softer and airier.
Step by step instructions
This section shows how to make this recipe at a glance with process photos of the steps. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.
1. Start by spreading non-dairy cream cheese on two slices of vegan ham. Blot a pickle on a clean kitchen towel to dry it. Then put it in the middle of one of the slices.
2. Roll up the pickle with the vegan ham. Then put that rolled pickle seam side down onto the second slice of vegan ham, and roll it up again.
3. Continue until you’ve wrapped all of your pickles.
Put the pickle roll-ups into an airtight container, and transfer to the refrigerator to chill. This helps the cream cheese to firm up again and solidify everything. It also makes it easier to slice them. (If you have to skip this part, that’s okay, they just may not slice quite as neatly.)
4. Once they are ready, move the pickle roll-ups to a cutting board. Cut them into even pieces of about an inch.
Tip: For even slices, cut the roll in the middle first. Then cut each of the halves in half.
Make them your own
Make this easy, kid-friendly recipe your own by varying the ingredients.
Vary the vegan deli meat: Instead of vegan ham, use vegan turkey, vegan bologna, vegan roast beef, or whatever type of plant-based deli slices you enjoy. Just be sure to choose one that’s very pliable and won’t crumble when rolling.
(I’d skip Field Roast slices, which are good on sandwiches, but can be a little dry or breakable for rolling.)
Vary the amount of deli slices: If you’d prefer, roll the dill pickle in just one vegan ham slice instead of two. The ham flavor will be less prominent, obviously, and it will stretch your package of deli slices further.
Or if you want a more substantial appetizer, add another slice of vegan ham with non-dairy cream cheese to each roll.
Choose a different pickle size: Instead of using whole, full-sized pickles, use a pickle spear, plank, or even cornichon. If you’re using a very small pickle, you can fold one deli slice in half and use that to wrap.
Swap out plain non-dairy cream cheese: Use a different spreadable flavored vegan cheese like scallion, everything, cheddar, caramelized onion, or garlic herb. Or add a swipe of stoneground mustard to the vegan ham, along with non-dairy cream cheese.
Add extra flavorings to the cream cheese: Before spreading your non-dairy cream cheese on vegan ham, stir in delicious extras like chopped scallions, freshly chopped dill, minced garlic, minced jalapenos, prepared horseradish, or everything but the bagel seasoning.
Storage
Store dill pickle wraps in an airtight container in the fridge, or cover them in cling wrap. They can be made a day or two in advance – in slices or whole. Then simply remove them from the refrigerator and serve.
Any remaining leftovers can be stored 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
Cucumber pickles don’t freeze well. So I do not recommend freezing vegan dill pickle roll ups.
More easy appetizers
If you would like to try more simple appetizers like this one, check out these tasty recipes:
- Pickle de gallo
- Vegan pigs in a blanket
- Olive oil bread dip
- Rainbow fruit & veggie platter
- Olive tapenade
- Warmed Castelvetrano olives
- Buffalo hummus pinwheels
- Vegan pizza bagels
- Polenta fries
For more easy dishes, check out this round-up of vegan recipes with 5 ingredients or less.
If you try this recipe and love it, let me know! Leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It truly makes my day and is such a help!
📖 Recipe
Easy vegan pickle roll ups
Ingredients
- 14 slices vegan ham about one package Tofurky ham
- 14 Tablespoons vegan cream cheese
- 7 medium-sized dill pickles
Instructions
- Blot pickles dry on a clean kitchen towel.
- Spread vegan cream cheese on two slices of vegan ham. (Use about a Tablespoon per slice.)
- Put a dill pickle in the center of one of the slices. Roll up the pickle with the vegan ham. Then put that rolled pickle seam side down onto the second slice of vegan ham, and roll it up again.
- Continue spreading cream cheese on the slices and rolling up pickles until all of them have been wrapped.
- Put the pickle roll-ups into an airtight container, and put in the refrigerator to chill. This helps the cream cheese to firm up again and solidify everything. It also makes it easier to slice them. (If you have to skip this part, that's okay, they just may not slice quite as neatly.)
- Once the vegan ham and pickle roll ups have chilled, move them to a cutting board. Cut them into even pieces of about an inch.(For even slices, cut the roll in the middle first. Then cut each of the halves in half.)
- Serve right away, or cover them in cling wrap and refrigerate until serving time.
David
Delicious, and so easy to make!
Cadry Nelson
So glad you enjoyed them!