Are you looking for a tasty Christmas cookie recipe? Check out these colorful Christmas pinwheel cookies! They're a hit with everyone - soft, chewy, and the perfect festive treat for the holidays.
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Christmas has to be one of my favorite times of year because of all the fun recipes. Kids especially love to participate, and these Christmas swirl cookies are no exception. They’re a fun tradition to make every year, with kids rolling the dough in sprinkles. After all… we know they’re Santa’s favorite.
What you’ll love most is how simple of a recipe this is. They use everyday panty ingredients that you likely already have on hand. You can have a batch of these made in just an hour. These are perfect if you’re looking for a last-minute cookie recipe for Santa or an upcoming cookie exchange.
For more cookie inspirations, check out this post for the 12-Days of Christmas Cookies. There are lots of goodies in there along with my favorite Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies recipe.
Jump to:
- Why You Will Love This Christmas Pinwheel Cookie Recipe
- Ingredients & Substitutions for Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
- How To Make Christmas Pinwheel Cookies: Step-By-Step
- Cooking Tips for Pinwheel Cookies
- Variations for Swirl Cookies
- Recipe FAQ's
- Equipment Needed for Christmas Swirl Cookies
- Serving & Storage Tips
- More Christmas Cookie Recipes
- More To Make And Eat
- Recipe
Why You Will Love This Christmas Pinwheel Cookie Recipe
These are one of the best Christmas cookie recipes. Here’s why we always return to this recipe:
- 🎄Santa’s favorite - The vibrant colors, fun swirl design, and sprinkles scream holiday spirit, so they’re sure to be well-loved by Santa!
- ☃️Fun Christmas tradition - Turn these cookies into a fun annual tradition with the kids. They will love making these fun Christmas cookies every year. Rolling the dough in the sprinkles will be their favorite part!
- ❄️Easiest way to make - Simple ingredients and minimal prep and bake time. You likely already have everything you need in your pantry.
- 🤶Homemade dough - While storebought dough is an option, I find that the homemade dough in this recipe is what makes them so delicious! You have full control over the flavor.
- 🦌Very versatile - These are easy pinwheel cookies and can be adapted to many holidays and special occasions. Try different variations for kids' parties, Easter Sunday, or just an afternoon baking session.
Ingredients & Substitutions for Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
- Unsalted butter - Unsalted butter is best for baking, especially with cookies, as it allows for complete control over the flavor. You’ll notice the added salt with salted butter!
- Sugar - It can’t be a sugar cookie without the sugar! Just enough for the right amount of sweetness.
- Almond extract - Almond extract adds a delicious nutty flavor to your sugar cookie. You can also use vanilla extract, but you’ll want to double the amount as almond is much more potent.
- Egg - The egg provides moisture and allows the cookie to spread while baking.
- Egg yolk - This acts as a binder for your cookie recipe and results in a soft and chewy cookie.
- All-purpose flour - Flour is the base of any good cookie recipe. You can also choose to use almond flour if you prefer.
- Food coloring - You’ll need red and green coloring for these festive pinwheel cookies.
- Sprinkles - Use your favorite Christmas-themed sprinkles that are small enough for the edge of cookies.
How To Make Christmas Pinwheel Cookies: Step-By-Step
Step 1. Start by combining the softened butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl with a stand mixer using the paddle attachment. Mix the ingredients on medium speed until smooth.
Step 2. Add in the egg, egg yolk, and almond extract. Mix on medium speed until well combined, and then scrape the sides of the bowl.
Step 3. Add half of the flour and mix on low speed until combined. Slowly add the remaining flour and mix on low speed until combined. If you’re using a hand mixer, you’ll want to combine the flour with a wooden spoon due to the thickness of the cookie dough.
Step 4. Divide the cookie dough into three pieces, each in a separate bowl. Mix a few drops of food coloring into two of them while leaving one of them plain. Slowly add additional drops of food coloring until you reach your desired shade.
Step 5. Prepare a lightly floured surface and then roll out each cookie dough color with a rolling pin until they’re about ¼-inch thick.
Step 6. Layer each on top of each other in whatever order you desire. I like to start with the plain color on the bottom. Roll the dough until it’s a ¼-inch thick.
Step 7. Roll the dough the long way to form a cookie dough log. Roll a tight log and set it so the seam is on the bottom.
Step 8. Line a large-rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper and add your sprinkles. Roll the cookie dough and press gently to get them to stick to the outside edge.
Step 9. Chill the cookie dough in the fridge for 30 minutes while preheating the oven to 375F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Step 10. After the dough is done chilling, slice the dough into cookies ¼-inch thick with a sharp knife. Lay the pinwheel sugar cookies flat on the cookie sheet an inch apart. Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes until the center is set. Be careful not to overbake, or the cookies will lose their softness.
Step 11. Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy!
Cooking Tips for Pinwheel Cookies
- Make sure to allow your dough time to chill first before cutting your cookies. Room-temperature dough will not only be hard to work with but is more likely to spread while baking. Cold dough is best for that beautiful swirl cookie design!
- Don’t roll out the dough too thin. It’s important to make sure the dough rolls out to be ¼-inch thick.
- Gel food coloring will yield the best results for a vibrant color in your cookies upon baking.
Variations for Swirl Cookies
- Try different flavors - Try using peppermint extract for a more Christmasy flavor.
- Use different colors - You can also make your cookies white and red, white and green, or shades of the same green color.
- Customize for other holidays - Switch up the colors and sprinkles you use depending on the holiday. Halloween could include orange and purple, for example. You can also let kids choose their favorite to adapt it for any time of year. It doesn’t have to be Christmas!
- Use storebought dough - While homemade dough is best, you can also opt for storebought dough if needed. Just make sure it’s chilled before cutting into cookies!
Recipe FAQ's
While parchment paper is the best option, you can also grease a cookie sheet or use a silicone baking mat.
Yes! You can freeze each color separately, all of them rolled up in a log, or even pre-prepared cookies. They will stay good for about three months, making them great for prepping before holiday parties and baking the night before.
No, this is a required step. Chilling the dough makes it easy to work with and prevents the spread and the colors from mixing while baking.
Yes! Store-bought can be used, but remember that the best results are with homemade dough. They will not come out the same when made that way.
If your cookie dough is sticky, it’s a sign there’s too much moisture. Try adding flour a tablespoon at a time.
Equipment Needed for Christmas Swirl Cookies
You don’t need any fancy equipment for this recipe, but I recommend a few things to make the process easier.
- Baking sheet - The rimmed edges help with containing sprinkles when rolling the cookie log.
- Kitchen aid mixer - A stand mixer makes working with thick dough much easier than working by hand.
- Rolling mat - This helps roll out cookie dough so it doesn’t stick to the surface.
- Rolling pin - A good rolling pin makes making cookies much easier. I love this French-style rolling pin.
Serving & Storage Tips
There are many fun ways to serve these cookies at a holiday party or as part of a cookie exchange. You can lay them on a plate or tie them up with string for a cute holiday presentation.
You can store any leftover cookies in an airtight container for about 4 days.
When freezing, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Check out my How to Freeze Cookies post for additional tips and information. This is a great option for making cookies ahead of time.
Be sure to check out my post on How Far in Advance To Make Christmas Cookies?
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
- No-Bake Christmas Cornflake Wreath Cookies
- Spiced Christmas Tree Cookies
- Christmas Cookies with Sprinkles {and a surprise inside}
More To Make And Eat
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Recipe
Easy Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2½ cups AP flour
- red food color
- green food color
- Christmas Sprinkles
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the softened butter and sugar. Mix on medium speed until creamed and smooth.
- Add in the egg, egg yolk and almond extract. Mix on medium speed until combined, then scrape the bowl.
- Add about half of the flour and mix on low speed until combined. Add the remaining flour and mix on low speed until combined. This is a thick dough so if you are using a handheld mixer, you will probably have to mix the flour in by hand with a wooden spoon.
- Divide the dough into three equal portions in their own bowls. Add small amounts of the red and green food coloring to tint the dough. Stir the dough well to totally incorporate the color,and add more color to get the desired shade. Do this a little at a time.
- On a flour surface roll out each color of dough until about ¼ of an inch thick.
- Layer the dough on top of each other and roll the entire pile until it is about ¼ inch thick. I find it looks better if the plain-colored dough is on the bottom.
- Roll the dough, starting on the long end, to create a log. Keep it tight as you roll. Set the log so that the seam is on the bottom of the log.
- Roll the log in your sprinkles and gently press to get them to stick. We placed the sprinkles in a pan large rimmed baking sheet and rolled it that way.
- Chill the log in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. While the dough is chilling heat the oven to 375℉
- Line your baking sheet(s) with parchment and set aside. Using a sharp knife, slice ¼ inch or so size pieces from the log. Place cut side up on your lined baking sheets. Leave about an inch or so between cookies. Bake for 12-15 minutes or just until the center is set and no longer glossy-looking. Do not overbake, or they will not be soft. Remove the pan(s) from the oven. Allow to cool.
- Store these cookies in an airtight container for four days.Freeze these cookies for up to three months.
Notes
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Nutrition
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About Jere'
From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.
Ella
Oh my gosh, these are amazing! They look so fun and different, and taste amazing too. Thank you so much for the GENIUS idea, and easy-to-follow recipe. They're going down a real hit! x