Egg Roll Wrappers Are Your $3 Secret to Deliciously Easy Homemade Snacks

Jan 19, 2024

You've likely seen them in your supermarket's refrigerated aisle: egg roll wrappers. Next time you're in the store? You might just want to add them to your cart! That's because while the thin squares of dough are essential when making traditional egg rolls, they're also super-versatile and can be filled with any ingredient — from mac and cheese to seasonal squash — and fried, baked or air-fried to crunchy perfection. This transforms the takeout staple into a scrumptious snack that's inexpensive and fun to make.

Haven't worked with egg roll wrappers before and hesitant to try? It's easier than you'd think! First for Women Test Kitchen Director Susan Chiusano shares her number one tip for keeping the wrappers soft along with three recipes that use them. Keep reading to unwrap the wonders of egg roll wrappers!

Egg roll wrappers are made from a dough consisting of flour, salt, water and, sometimes, beaten egg. This dough is kneaded, rolled thin and cut into squares. The end result is an egg roll wrapper (or skin) that's ready to fill with your favorite ingredients. They're widely available in the refrigerated section of your local grocery store, usually near the dairy section.

It's easy to mix up egg roll and spring wrappers while at the store. And while they're made from the same type of dough, egg roll wrappers are thicker than spring rolls wrappers. This gives egg rolls a crunchy and chewy texture once fried or baked, which is different from the thin, crispy shell that spring rolls have.

Using store-bought egg roll wrappers like Twin Dragon Egg Roll Wrappers (Buy from Walmart, $3.32) is way more convenient than making them yourself. However, the wrappers can dry out quickly if they sit uncovered for too long — making it hard to roll and seal them properly.

Susan's easy solution: "Keep wrappers covered with a damp kitchen towel — that way they don't dry out before you can roll them up for egg rolls," she says.

When you're set to make the egg rolls, grab one wrapper at a time, fill with ingredients, brush the edges with egg or water and roll. (Check out this video below from The Woks of Life to see how to wrap egg rolls so the fillings are secure within the wrapper.)

Ready to get rolling? If so, you can try this Blazin' Chicken Egg Rolls recipe that's got the right balance of spicy and salty flavors. Susan and the rest of our test kitchen team also have three egg roll wrapper recipes you'll absolutely love. Whether you enjoy a simple vegetable egg roll or one with a more unique filling, these recipes showcase just some of the delicious ways you can use these wrappers!

Nutty Manchego cheese and a touch of sage add scrumptious flavor to our gourmet hors d’oeuvres made easy with egg roll wrappers.

Ingredients:

3 cups (¼-inch diced) butternut squash, about 13 oz.

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. dried sage

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

1 cup grated Manchego cheese

8 egg roll wrappers, halved crosswise

1 egg, beaten

Directions:

Active: 30 mins

Total time: 1 hr, 5 mins

Yield: 16 servings

Heat oven to 375°F. Coat baking sheet and large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat skillet over medium heat . Add squash, onions, garlic, sage, salt and pepper; cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add ¼ cup water; cover. Over medium-low heat, cook until squash is just tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to bowl; cool. Stir in cheese.

On surface, arrange wrappers. Dividing evenly, place filling along one short side of each wrapper. Brush opposite short sides with egg; wrap wrapper around filling, overlapping short sides and pressing to adhere. Place seam side down on baking sheet; brush top with egg.

Bake 11 to 13 minutes until lightly browned. Let stand 10 minutes before serving

Convenient coleslaw mix makes it a snap to roll up these crunchy bites of mmm.

Ingredients:

4 cups coleslaw mix

½ cup diced red pepper

2 scallions

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 tsp. grated peeled fresh ginger

1 tsp. soy sauce

6 egg roll wrappers

1 egg, beaten

Directions:

Active: 20 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Yield: 6 servings

In medium bowl, combine coleslaw mix, red pepper, scallions, cilantro and ginger. Spoon about ½ cup filling along one end of wrapper, leaving ½” border. Brush edges of wrapper with water.

Fold 2 opposite short sides in about ½-inch over filling. From side closet to filling, tightly roll up to enclose filling. Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers.

Place rack in air fryer toaster oven. Heat to air-fry bake at 350°F.

Line air fryer toaster oven pan with parchment paper; place egg rolls seam side down on top. Brush top of spring rolls with beaten egg. Air-fry bake until lightly browned and dough is baked through, about 15 minutes.

This deliciously fun spin on a takeout fave is toss-together easy with boxed mac and cheese.

1 (7.25 oz.) package Macaroni & Cheese Dinner Thick & Creamy with cheese sauce packet (Buy from Walmart, $1.12)

½ cup (2%) reduced-fat milk

4 Tbs. butter

3 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley

10 egg roll wrappers, from 1-lb. package

3 to 4 Tbs. oil

Directions:

Active: 1 hr.

Total time: 1 hr.

Yield: 10 servings

Place baking sheet in oven; heat to lowest setting. Prepare macaroni & cheese according to package directions with sauce packet, milk and butter (instead of margarine). Stir in bacon and parsley; cool.

Working with half of wrappers at a time, place wrappers diagonally on surface. Dividing equally, spoon half of macaroni mixture into center of each, about ½ cup per wrapper. Brush edges with water. Fold bottom corner up over filling. Fold two opposite corners on right and left sides over center; starting from bottom, roll up to enclose filling. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

In large nonstick skillet, heat 2 Tbs. oil over medium heat. In 3 to 4 batches, cook rolls seam-sides down, turning, until golden, 7 to 8 minutes, adding more oil as needed, and transferring cooked egg rolls to baking sheet to keep warm while cooking remaining egg rolls.

For more fun budget-friendly recipes, read the stories below:

Egg Roll in a Bowl Is a Low-Carb Twist on the Takeout Classic — That Tastes Even Better!

Smokehouse Chef’s Easy Secret To Your Best-Ever Fried Bologna Sandwich

These ‘Lazy’ Air-Fryer Cinnamon Rolls Are Rich, Indulgent — And Ready in 13 Minutes

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