These festive, swirled Christmas pinwheel cookies are a holiday favorite thanks to my Grandma’s secret recipe. You’ll feel like a Pinterest champ when you find out how easy it is to make pinwheel cookies from scratch. Soft and buttery, we have these old fashioned cookies every Christmas. And they’re the perfect treat to serve Santa Claus on Christmas Eve!
Want even more holiday baking inspiration? Get in the spirit of the holidays with all these Christmas cookie recipes and these Christmas candy recipes! And don’t miss our gingerbread cookie recipe!
Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
For years, our family has been baking these easy Christmas pinwheel cookies every holiday. Old-fashioned recipes are some of my favorites and this delicious cookie is no exception. They’re quick to make, easy to bake, and even better to eat.
I love how bright and colorful they are — plus, they’re buttery and soft, melting in your mouth with the most amazing flavor.
The basic sugar cookie dough comes together in a perfect batch every time thanks to my Nannie’s famous (<-in our family!) recipe. And, I think, our step-by-step instructions below will make these a breeze.
This Christmas pinwheel cookies recipe will make 24 cookies in a batch. When I’m doing a lot of holiday baking, I make several batches because these little guys always go fast!
They are also an excellent option for gifting to friends, teachers, and neighbors. I pack them with festive tissue paper in little boxes before handing them out. They’re always popular!
More Christmas Cookies Our Family Loves:
- These copycat Doubletree cookies are always popular.
- My boys love helping to bake — and eat! — these red velvet cookies and these lemon sugar cookies.
- If I want to skip turning the oven on, I go for these chocolate peanut butter no-bake cookies and these butterscotch haystacks.
- Other family favorites include these cinnamon roll cookies, apple pie cookies,
- Growing up, I made these peanut butter cookie cups recipe with my grandma every Christmas.
- If you love peanut butter, you’ll want to try these peanut butter oatmeal cookies right away as well.
- Try these chocolate chip cheesecake bars soon, too.
Christmas Pinwheel Cookies Ingredients you will need:
- 1 cup butter
- ½ cup of sugar
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Red food coloring (about ¼ teaspoon gel food coloring or more to get the desired color)
- Green food coloring (about ¼ teaspoon gel food coloring or more to get the desired color)
- 4 tablespoons red, green and white Christmas cake decorating sprinkles
(Full recipe at the end of the post.)
CREATIVE CHANGES:
There are lots of yummy flavor options that you could experiment with — that’s one of the best parts of homemade baking if you ask me! You could also get creative with this basic Christmas pinwheel cookies recipe:
ADDITIONAL LAYERS – You could add a layer of vanilla or chocolate sugar cookie dough inside as well.
ADDITIONAL FLAVORS – You could also flavor one of your layers with peppermint for an even more authentic, festive Christmas cookie. Sometimes my mom will add cinnamon to one layer of dough as well.
How to Make Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
In a large bowl cream together the butter, powdered sugar, egg, and vanilla. Add flour, salt, and baking soda until it forms a soft dough.
Divide the dough into two equal pieces and place each in its own bowl. Add red food coloring to one ball of dough and work it into the dough until uniform in color. And add green food coloring to one ball of dough and work it into the dough until it too is uniform in color.
Engage your kids at this step, they always have fun mixing that color in!
Transfer each ball of dough to its own piece of wax paper that has been lightly floured.
Flour the top of the dough ball lightly and roll out into a rectangular shape about ¼ inch thick. You’ll have a red rectangle and a green rectangle each on its own wax paper.
Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 10-15 minutes. You can stack one rectangle wax paper on top of the other one to chill.
After the dough has chilled, remove from refrigerator. Flip the red dough onto the top of the green dough and peel the wax paper away. Now the red and green pieces of dough are touching and layered.
Trim the ends to form a neat rectangle. This will make it much easier to roll.
Once the dough is pliable using the wax paper that is on the bottom begin to make a log roll of the dough rolling the end up and pulling away the wax paper. If the dough starts to tear just pinch it together.
Place the 4 tablespoons of candy sprinkles onto a rimmed sheet pan.Once the log has been rolled tightly place it directly onto the sprinkles in the pan and roll until coated well.
Wrap the log in wax paper or plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for two hours.
Remove cookie log from the refrigerator and slice with a nice, sharp knife. Place the cookie slices onto a lightly greased cookie sheet with at least 2 inches between each cookie — about 12 per cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes and then remove from the oven and let cool.
How to Store Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
IN THE FRIDGE: If everyone doesn’t gobble up these cookies immediately, you can store in an airtight container on the counter for 3-5 days.
IN THE FREEZER: They can also be well wrapped and stored in the freezer for up to two months.
It’s no wonder everyone in our family begs for this tasty treat during the holidays! I guarantee you’ll love these Christmas pinwheel cookies too!
More Delicious Christmas Desserts
- Neiman Marcus Cookie Recipe
- 7-Up Cookies
- Christmas Crunch
- Salted Peanut Cookies
- Old-Fashioned Five Star Bars
- 29 Cake Batter Cookie Recipes
- Cookie Dough Cupcakes
- 12 Amazing Homemade Cookie Recipes
- Peppermint Stuffed Chocolate Cookies
- Old-Fashioned Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Candy Dream Christmas Cookies
- Minion Sugar Cookies for Christmas
- Easy Gingerbread Man Sugar Cookies
Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Red food coloring about ¼ teaspoon gel food coloring or more to get desired color
- Green food coloring about ¼ teaspoon gel food coloring or more to get desired color
- 4 tablespoons red green and white Christmas cake decorating sprinkles
Instructions
- In a large bowl cream together the butter, powdered sugar, egg and vanilla.
- Add flour, salt and baking soda until it forms a soft dough.
- Divide dough into two equal pieces and place each in its own bowl
- Add red food coloring to one ball of dough and work it into the dough until uniform in color.
- Add green food coloring to one ball of dough and work it into the dough until uniform in color.
- Transfer each ball of dough to its own piece of wax paper that has been lightly floured.
- Flour top of dough ball lightly and roll out into a rectangular shape about ¼ inch thick. So now you have a red rectangle and a green rectangle each on its own wax paper.
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 10-15 minutes. You can stack one rectangle wax paper on top of the other one to chill.
- After dough has chilled remove from refrigerator. Flip the red dough onto the top of the green dough and peel the wax paper away. Now the red and green pieces of dough are touching and layered.
- Trim the ends of the rectangle.
- Once the dough is pliable using the wax paper that is on the bottom begin to make a log roll of the dough rolling the end up and pulling away the wax paper. If the dough starts to tear just pinch it together.
- Place the 4 tablespoons of candy sprinkles onto a rimmed sheet pan.
- Once the log has been rolled tightly place it directly onto the sprinkles in the pan and roll until coated well.
- Wrap the log in wax paper or plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for two hours.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Remove cookie log from the refrigerator and slice.
- Place the cookie slices onto a lightly greased cookie sheet with at least 2 inches between each cookie (so about 12 per cookie sheet).
- Bake for 10 minutes and then remove from the oven and let cool.
Perfect for the holidays!!!