Print

Christmas Pinwheel Cookies Recipe

Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.5 from 141 reviews

These festive Christmas Pinwheel Cookies are a delightful holiday treat featuring vibrant red, green, and plain dough layers rolled into a beautiful spiral pattern. Soft, buttery, and lightly sweetened, these cookies are perfect for gifting or celebrating with family and friends during the holiday season.

Ingredients

Scale

Cookie Dough

  • 2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Coloring and Garnish

  • Red gel food coloring
  • Green gel food coloring
  • Red sanding sugar, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Cream Butter and Sugar: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and sugar at medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat to combine, scraping down the sides as needed.
  2. Combine Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the all-purpose flour, kosher salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients on low speed until combined, forming the dough. Divide the dough into three equal portions.
  3. Color the Dough: Place one dough portion in the mixer bowl, add red gel food coloring, and beat until evenly colored. Repeat for the second portion with green gel food coloring. Leave the third portion plain. Shape each into a ball, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  4. Roll out the Dough: Roll each dough ball between parchment paper into 7-inch squares. Refrigerate the rolled dough, still between parchment sheets, for 15 minutes to firm up.
  5. Assemble Layers and Roll: Stack the dough squares on parchment paper in order: red, green, then plain. Cover with another parchment sheet and roll into a 12×8-inch rectangle. Remove top parchment and tightly roll the dough into a log. Wrap in parchment and freeze for 1 hour to firm up.
  6. Preheat Oven and Prepare Sheets: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  7. Slice and Sugar Cookies: Using a serrated knife, cut the frozen dough log into 1/3-inch slices. Roll edges of each slice in red sanding sugar. Arrange cookies about 1 inch apart on baking sheets.
  8. Bake and Cool: Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until set but not browned. Cool on baking sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

Notes

  • Using gels instead of liquid food coloring prevents altering the dough consistency.
  • Chilling the dough between steps helps maintain the cookie shape while baking.
  • For clean slices, use a serrated knife and keep the dough very cold or frozen during cutting.
  • These cookies keep well stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
  • Red sanding sugar adds a decorative sparkling effect but can be omitted if unavailable.

Keywords: Christmas cookies, pinwheel cookies, holiday cookies, festive desserts, sugar cookies, colorful cookies, baking, Christmas treats

Find it online: https://reemcook.com/christmas-pinwheel-cookies-recipe/