Christmas Pinwheel Cookies

a close up shot of Christmas Pinwheels stacked on top of each other on a cake stand

5 from 5 votes

These fun, festive Christmas pinwheel cookies are perfect for the holidays with layers of swirled sugar cookie dough for the ultimate sweet treat!

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Chill Time2 30

Total Time3

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Christmas Pinwheels Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 112kcal

Ingredients

1¼ cups granulated sugar
1 cup salted butter, softened
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon red liquid food coloring

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the sugar, butter, and vanilla extract. Beat the ingredients on medium until creamy, about 2 minutes.
Use a rubber spatula and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and continue mixing until combined.
Add the flour and baking powder and mix together on the low setting until no streaks of flour are visible.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Divide the dough in half and remove half of it to a piece of parchment paper. Add the food coloring to the remaining dough in the stand mixer bowl and mix together on low speed until the color is uniform.
Divide each half of the dough in half so that you have 2 red and 2 dough-colored pieces. Form each piece into its own separate rectangle. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
After the dough is finished chilling, remove one piece of dough and roll it out on a piece of parchment paper until it is roughly an 11x7-inch rectangle. Repeat with all pieces of dough. Trim the edges with a knife, so you have straight lines.
Once all 4 pieces of dough are rolled out, carefully place one red piece on top of the dough-colored piece. On the other two pieces, place the red on the bottom.
Carefully roll each rectangle into a log. Wrap in plastic wrap and place back in the refrigerator for an additional 1 to 2 hours, or overnight.
When ready to bake these cookies, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Remove 1 log from the refrigerator and carefully slice ¼ to ½-inch-thick cookies, depending on how thick you want them.
Space cookies about 1 inch apart on the baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the cookies are barely starting to brown on the edges. These cookies taste best if they are not overcooked, so watch them carefully.
Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Repeat the steps to finish cooking the remaining log of cookies.

Video

Notes

Don't skip the chilling time. This will help them keep their rolled shape.
While completely optional, we love how these cookies look with sprinkles on the outside. Roll the log in colorful sprinkles before slicing.
These cookies taste best if they are not overcooked, so watch them carefully.

Nutrition