There’s something utterly magical about biting into a cookie that looks as festive as it tastes. That’s exactly why this Christmas Pinwheel Cookies Recipe has become a holiday favorite in my kitchen — colorful swirls, sweet buttery dough, and that sprinkle-crusted finish just scream celebration.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
This recipe ticks all my boxes for holiday baking: it’s fun to make, incredibly festive, and always brings a smile when those pinwheel spirals emerge fresh from the oven. Plus, it’s a lovely way to get the whole family involved.
- Colorful and Festive: The red, green, and white spirals create cookies that look like holiday art on a plate.
- Perfect Texture: Soft yet slightly crisp edges with a buttery melt-in-your-mouth feel.
- Customizable Fun: You can swap sprinkles or food coloring shades to suit your own twist or party theme.
- Great Make-Ahead Option: The dough chills for a few hours, making it stress-free to prepare in advance.
Ingredients & Why They Work
Each ingredient plays a key role in creating that classic buttery sweetness and the structure to hold those pretty swirls that make this Christmas Pinwheel Cookies Recipe so special. Here’s the scoop on what you’ll need and why it works best.
- All purpose flour: Gives the dough just the right balance of tenderness and structure.
- Baking powder: A pinch helps the cookies rise lightly without getting cakey.
- Salt: Enhances flavor and balances the sweetness.
- Unsalted butter: Softened for creamy texture and rich flavor; room temp makes mixing easier.
- Light brown sugar & granulated sugar: The combo adds depth of flavor and perfect sweetness with a hint of chewiness.
- Egg: Acts as a binder and adds moisture for that melt-in-your-mouth softness.
- Pure vanilla extract: Brings warmth and complexity to the flavor profile.
- Red & green food coloring: For those iconic festive swirls — use gel or paste for vivid color without altering dough texture.
- Holiday sprinkles: Adds crunch and an extra dash of sparkle around each cookie’s edge.
Make It Your Way
One of my favorite things about this Christmas Pinwheel Cookies Recipe is how easy it is to personalize. Whether you want to make them gluten-free, add a pinch of peppermint extract, or swap sprinkles for mini chocolate chips, you’ve got options.
- Variation: I once added a touch of cinnamon to the dough and loved the subtle warmth it added — a small twist that really made these cookies feel even more cozy and festive.
- Dietary Modifications: For gluten-free, I use a 1:1 baking flour alternative and it holds together beautifully with a bit of extra chill time.
- Seasonal Changes: Swap the holiday sprinkles for pastel colors to transform these into a spring pinwheel treat.
Step-by-Step: How I Make Christmas Pinwheel Cookies Recipe
Step 1: Mix the Dry Ingredients
Start by whisking together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. This mix ensures the rising agent is evenly distributed, so your cookies will have just the right texture—light, not too dense. I always set this aside before creaming the butter; it keeps things moving smoothly.
Step 2: Cream Butter and Sugars
Beat softened butter with both brown and granulated sugar until the mixture is smooth and pale—usually about 2 minutes on medium speed. This step is where you build that buttery, sweet base, so don’t rush it. Then add your egg and vanilla, mixing until everything is combined and silky.
Step 3: Combine Wet and Dry
Slowly add your flour mixture to the butter mixture, stirring until no flour streaks remain. Be gentle here—overmixing can make cookies tough, and that’s the last thing we want for these tender treats.
Step 4: Color Dividing and Rolling
Divide the dough into three equal portions. Add red food coloring to one, green to another, and leave the third natural. Knead each until the color is fully incorporated (wear gloves if you want to keep your hands spotless!).
Roll each portion on a lightly floured surface into roughly 12×8 inch rectangles. Layer with green on the bottom, white in the middle, and red on top, then roll up from the long edge as tightly as you can to form a log. The tighter, the cleaner your pinwheels will be!
Roll the log in holiday sprinkles, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Patience here is key — chilling solidifies the dough, making slicing neat and the patterns pop beautifully.
Step 5: Slice and Bake
Preheat your oven to 350°F (or 160°C for fan ovens) and line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice the chilled log into ¼-inch thick cookies, place them cut side down, and bake for 8-10 minutes. Don’t forget to rotate your baking sheets halfway through for evenly baked cookies.
Once they look slightly puffed and have light golden edges, pull them out and let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Top Tip
From countless batches, I’ve learned a few tricks to make these cookies sparkle on the plate and in taste. Since it’s a multi-step process, these tips help you impress without the stress.
- Chill Time is Essential: Don’t skip the fridge step — it keeps your dough firm so the pinwheel pattern stays sharp when slicing.
- Use Gel Food Coloring: It provides vibrant color without softening the dough like liquid types might.
- Roll Tightly: The firmer you roll the dough into the log, the prettier and more defined your pinwheels will be.
- Don’t Overbake: Keep a close eye toward the end to prevent dry edges — a slightly soft center is perfect.
How to Serve Christmas Pinwheel Cookies Recipe
Garnishes
While the cookies are festive on their own, I like to serve them on a bed of fresh pine sprigs or scatter some extra holiday sprinkles around the platter for a playful touch. If I’m feeling fancy, a light dusting of powdered sugar mimics winter’s first snow perfectly.
Side Dishes
These cookies pair wonderfully with a steaming cup of hot cocoa or a spiced holiday tea. For parties, I’ll set out a variety of cheeses and nuts alongside for a sweet-savory buffet that guests adore.
Creative Ways to Present
I’ve wrapped stacks of these cookies in clear cellophane tied with a bright red ribbon as charming gifts, and for cookie exchanges, I arrange them in festive tins in a spiral pattern to echo their own design. It’s little details like this that can make holiday gatherings extra special.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
I keep leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. They stay soft and flavorful, though I recommend pairing with fresh drinks as the sprinkles can lose their crunch over time.
Freezing
If you want to freeze, slice the dough log before baking and freeze the slices on a tray, then move to a container once firm. You can bake from frozen by adding a couple of extra minutes to the bake time—super convenient for last-minute baking.
Reheating
To refresh the cookies, pop them in the oven at 300°F for 3-5 minutes to revive crisp edges and warm them through. It’s like biting into fresh-baked magic all over again.
Frequently Asked Questions:
For thicker cookies, roll your dough rectangles slightly shorter and wider before layering, then roll the log less tightly. Also, chilling the dough longer before slicing can help keep the shape robust.
Yes, natural food colorings like beet or spinach powder can work, but they may produce subtler colors and slightly alter the dough texture. Test a small batch first to see how the color holds up after baking.
Store them in an airtight container at room temperature to keep them fresh for up to a week. For longer storage, you can freeze the baked cookies in a sealed bag or container.
Keeping the dough chilled is crucial. Let the rolled dough log chill for at least 3 hours before slicing, which helps the colors stay distinct. Avoid overmixing the dough when adding food coloring.”
Final Thoughts
Honestly, I keep coming back to this Christmas Pinwheel Cookies Recipe year after year because it brings a vibrant splash of joy to the baking table. There’s something so satisfying about how the swirls unfold, how those buttery flavors mingle with festive colors and crunchy sprinkles. Give it a try next holiday season — I promise it’ll become one of your go-to recipes too, and you’ll love sharing them as much as I do.
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Christmas Pinwheel Cookies Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 40 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Festive and colorful Christmas Pinwheel Cookies featuring vibrant red, green, and white swirls, coated with holiday sprinkles. These buttery, soft cookies are perfect for holiday celebrations and gift-giving, with a fun layered dough technique that creates a beautiful spiral pattern.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour (360 g)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (225 g)
- ½ cup light brown sugar (100 g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 g)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Coloring and Decoration
- ½ teaspoon red food coloring
- ½ teaspoon green food coloring
- ½ cup Holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, combine 3 cups of all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt; set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a separate mixing bowl, cream together 1 cup softened unsalted butter, ½ cup light brown sugar, and ½ cup granulated sugar until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Mix in 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract until well combined.
- Combine Flour Mixture: Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until no streaks of flour remain, forming the cookie dough.
- Divide and Color Dough: Divide the dough evenly into 3 portions. To one portion add ½ teaspoon red food coloring, to another add ½ teaspoon green food coloring, and leave the third plain. Mix each until the colors are uniform.
- Roll Dough into Rectangles: On a lightly floured surface, roll each color portion into a roughly 12×8 inch (30×20 cm) rectangle.
- Layer the Dough: Layer the rectangles in the order green on bottom, then white, then red on top.
- Roll into a Log: Starting from the long side, tightly roll the layered dough into a log shape. The log may lengthen slightly as you roll.
- Add Sprinkles and Chill: Roll the log in ½ cup of holiday sprinkles to coat it, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to chill and firm up the dough.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) or 160°C for fan ovens. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Slice Cookies: Remove the chilled dough log from the refrigerator. Using a sharp knife, slice the log into ¼ inch thick slices and place them cut side down on the prepared baking sheets, leaving space between cookies.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until the cookies are slightly puffed and lightly golden around the edges.
- Cool Cookies: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Rotate baking sheets halfway through baking to ensure even cooking and browning.
- This recipe yields about 36 to 48 cookies depending on how tightly the dough is rolled.
- Keep the dough well chilled before slicing to maintain distinct color swirls and prevent spreading.
- Scraps of dough collected during trimming can be re-rolled and baked for additional colorful swirl cookies.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
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