The holiday season is about tradition, and one of our favorites is making Christmas cookies. These festive swirled sugar cookies are not only a feast for your taste buds, but this holiday cookie recipe can feed a crowd, making them a Christmas cookie exchange. Creating these colorful Christmas pinwheel cookies is easier than you think, making them an excellent choice for seasoned bakers and those looking to try their hand at holiday baking.
Why We Love Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
These swirled sugar cookies taste delicious and look stunning on your holiday dessert table. They’re perfect for a festive Yuletide pinwheel treat and are an excellent choice for baking with kids during the holidays.
Whether you’re looking for easy pinwheel cookie recipes, creative holiday desserts, or holiday cookie exchange ideas, these Christmas pinwheel cookies are sure to be a hit at your next holiday gathering.
Ingredients
- 1 Cup unsalted butter
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla
- 1 Tablespoon almond or peppermint
- 3 Cups flour
- 1 Tablespoon baking powder
- ½ Tablespoon Salt
- Red Food Coloring
- ¼ Cup Holiday nonpareil sprinkles
The design of these cookies might seem like an intricate design and an overwhelming cookie, but don’t let that scare you! This is just as easy as any other festive cookie recipes.
The main thing is the layering of two different colored doughs and then the rolling of the dough to make one log.
Once you have the log, you roll it in sprinkles until many sprinkles are pressed into the outer dough.
And then you slice the dough into circles. And bake! See? Not so hard!
Storage, Advance Prep, and Reheating Instructions
- Pinwheel cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days at room temperature.
- If you’d like to make these cookies ahead of time, you can freeze these cookies for up to three months in the freezer. Let them defrost overnight in the fridge before baking. You can freeze them as a cookie log and decorate them before baking or freeze individual cookie slices.
Recipe Tips for Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
There are a lot of different kinds of sprinkles that work well for pinwheel cookies. You can use various types if you prefer, but I like to use holiday nonpareil sprinkles on my own so that they have a consistent shape and texture around the edges. Avoid using any sprinkles with chocolate or made of hard candy (such as candy canes) or large pieces.
When rolling your pinwheel log over the sprinkles, ensure you don’t press down too hard. You want the sprinkles in the dough but don’t want to risk losing the shape.
If you use gel food coloring, ensure you don’t use as much. Start with just a few drops, mix it in, and then add more color as needed. Use the food coloring to play around with the colors! You can choose more subtle or vibrant cookies depending on how little or how much you use.
Substitutions and Variations for Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
- This recipe calls for vanilla flavoring in addition to almond or peppermint. You can choose either depending on your preference, as either would be fine in this recipe.
- I went with white and red for these cookies to keep this recipe simple. However, you can easily change the colors for other holidays or do red and green for a more traditional-looking Christmas cookie.
- Instead of sprinkles, you could try chopped nuts, toasted coconut, or any other fillings!
Christmas Swirl Pinwheel Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup Unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1 tsp Almond flavoring
- 3 cups All purpose flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- Red food coloring
- ¼ cup Nonpareils sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the softened butter and sugar. Cream until smooth.
- Add in the egg, vanilla and almond (if using). Mix thoroughly.
- Add in the flour, salt and baking powder. Mix well, scrape down the sides and mix again.
- Divide the dough in half. Tint one half red until the desired shade is reached.
- Roll out each half of the dough so that it is about ½-⅝ of an inch thick.
- Layer one half on top of the other and roll again to press the two sheets of dough together.
- Carefully, roll up the long length of the dough like you would cinnamon rolls. Cut off the jagged edge if needed to even out the dough.
- Using a baking sheet with sides, place the nonpareil sprinkles in the pan and then gently roll the log of dough and press the sprinkles into the dough.
- Using a serrated knife or a piece of baking string, cut ½ inch thick slices of cookie dough. Place the slices cut side up on the parchment lined baking sheets.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
- Allow to cool before removing from the baking sheet.
Nutrition
Try Other Holiday Ideas
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Christmas Desserts for the Classroom
Decorating with Plants on the Christmas Table
Christmas Dress Up Days – Themes and Ideas
Black and White Christmas Tour
Free McDonald’s Christmas Printable
Dirty Santa Ideas for the Classroom
Tips for Seeing Garvan Gardens Christmas Display
A Trip to Guess and Company Christmas Warehouse in Des Arc
Inspirational Christmas Displays from Guess and Company
Blue Christmas Decorations Ideas
Modern Blue and Red Christmas Decorations
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