There’s something magical about watching those bright red, green, and snowy white swirls come to life in the oven. This Christmas Pinwheel Cookies Recipe is not only festive but a joy to make — it’s like a holiday party wrapped into a cookie. You’ll love how these colorful treats bring a pop of cheer to your kitchen and your cookie jar!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
I’ve made Christmas Pinwheel Cookies more times than I can count, and each batch still feels special — maybe because of the vibrant colors, the buttery flavor, or simply the fun of rolling and slicing the dough. This recipe is the kind of baking that turns your kitchen into a holiday workshop with smiles to spare.
- Festive and Fun: The swirled colors make these cookies instantly charming and perfect for gifting or party platters.
- Simple Ingredients: You probably have everything on hand, which means it’s easy to whip up even at the last minute.
- Perfect Texture: They're crisp on the edges, tender in the middle—just the right cookie bite!
- Customizable: You can play around with colors, sprinkles, or even subtle flavor tweaks to make this your own seasonal superstar.
Ingredients & Why They Work
This Christmas Pinwheel Cookies Recipe relies on simple pantry staples that combine to create a soft, buttery dough that’s easy to shape and holds those festive colors beautifully. Choosing good-quality butter and using room temperature ingredients will really make your cookies shine.
- All purpose flour: Gives structure to the dough without making it tough or crumbly.
- Baking powder: Just a touch to keep the cookie tender and slightly puffed.
- Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances the buttery flavor.
- Unsalted butter: Room temperature butter creams smoothly with the sugar and gives a rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Light brown sugar: Adds moisture, a hint of caramel, and depth of flavor.
- Granulated sugar: Brings classic sweetness and helps with the cookie’s crisp edges.
- Large egg: Helps bind everything together and adds tenderness.
- Pure vanilla extract: Elevates the flavor with warm, sweet notes.
- Red and green food coloring: The fun part — don’t be shy here, vibrant colors are what make these cookies pop.
- Holiday sprinkles: Adds an extra festive sparkle and slight crunch on the outside.
Make It Your Way
I love tweaking this Christmas Pinwheel Cookies Recipe a bit each year. Sometimes I swap sprinkles for crushed peppermint candy or add a pinch of cinnamon to the dough—it’s fun to mix things up and still end up with that iconic swirl festive look.
- Variation: One year, I experimented with half almond extract instead of vanilla — it was subtle but gave the cookies a lovely nutty undertone that my family adored.
- Dietary tweak: If you want to go gluten-free, try a blend of almond and oat flours, but keep the dough chilled well before rolling to maintain shape.
- Color swap: Feel free to swap traditional red and green for blue and silver if you prefer a winter wonderland theme.
- Sprinkle mix: Use your favorite colorful or themed sprinkles to match your holiday decor—that’s part of the fun!
Step-by-Step: How I Make Christmas Pinwheel Cookies Recipe
Step 1: Mix Dry Ingredients and Cream Butter
Start by combining your flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, cream the softened butter with the brown and granulated sugars until it’s smooth and fluffy—usually about two minutes. This step ensures your cookies have that light but rich texture we all love.
Step 2: Combine Wet & Dry Ingredients
Next, mix in the egg and vanilla to the butter-sugar mixture until fully combined. Then slowly add the flour mixture, stirring gently until there are no streaks left. Avoid overmixing here — you want to keep the dough tender.
Step 3: Divide and Color Your Dough
Divide your dough into three equal portions. Add red food coloring to one portion, green to another, and leave the last one white. Knead each section until the color is even. This is where the fun really starts—the colors should be bright and inviting.
Step 4: Roll, Layer, and Form the Pinwheel
Roll each colored dough into a roughly 12 by 8 inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Layer them carefully with green on the bottom, then white in the middle, and red on top. Starting from the long edge, roll the dough into a tight log. Roll this log in holiday sprinkles and wrap in plastic wrap.
Step 5: Chill and Slice
Pop the wrapped log into the fridge for at least 3 hours. This chilling step is key—it helps the dough firm up so you get those crisp, defined pinwheels when you slice. When you’re ready, slice into ¼ inch rounds and place them on parchment-lined baking sheets.
Step 6: Bake and Cool
Bake your cookies at 350°F (180°C) for about 8-10 minutes, rotating trays halfway through for even baking. You’re looking for just a slight puff and a hint of golden edges. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack — patience here keeps them from breaking.
Top Tip
I’ve learned that the magic behind perfect Christmas Pinwheel Cookies is all in the chill time and gentle handling. Here are a few tips that helped me avoid common pitfalls.
- Chill Thoroughly: Don’t be tempted to skip the 3-hour chilling—it makes slicing clean, pretty pinwheels so much easier.
- Even Rolling: Roll all dough layers to roughly the same thickness so your pinwheels bake evenly and look balanced.
- Slice with a Sharp Knife: Use a sharp, serrated knife to slice—this prevents squishing and preserves your neat spirals.
- Rotate Baking Sheets: Turning the trays halfway through baking ensures every cookie browns evenly without burning edges.
How to Serve Christmas Pinwheel Cookies Recipe
Garnishes
I usually skip extra garnishes because the cookies themselves are so festive, but I like to place them on a pretty holiday plate with a dusting of powdered sugar nearby for a snowy effect. Sometimes a sprinkle of edible glitter adds that extra sparkle if I’m feeling fancy.
Side Dishes
These pinwheel cookies pair beautifully with a warm cup of spiced chai, hot cocoa, or fresh coffee — perfect for a cozy holiday gathering or quiet winter afternoon.
Creative Ways to Present
I love arranging them in rows stacked by colors or even assembling a cookie wreath on a cake platter by overlapping pinwheels in a circle. For gift-giving, wrapping a bundle in cellophane tied with ribbon makes such a sweet, edible present.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Once cooled completely, I store these Christmas Pinwheel Cookies in an airtight container layered with parchment paper to keep them from sticking. They stay fresh and crisp for up to a week, which is usually enough time to enjoy every last one!
Freezing
The dough log freezes wonderfully—wrap it tightly in plastic and foil, and it can chill in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready, thaw overnight in the fridge, slice, and bake fresh. I’ve found this makes holiday baking less stressful.
Reheating
If you want warm cookies, pop them in a 300°F oven for about 4-5 minutes. Avoid microwaving, as that can make them soft or soggy. Warmed this way, they taste just like fresh from the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Absolutely! Gel food coloring actually works brilliantly because it won’t alter the dough consistency as much as liquid colors might. Just add a little at a time until you reach the shade you want.
That can happen if the dough is too warm or dry. Try chilling it longer to firm it up, and dust your surface lightly with flour to avoid sticking. Also, roll gently and evenly to keep the dough pliable.
You can expect about 3 to 4 dozen cookies depending on how thinly you slice your dough log and how tightly you roll it. Usually, a quarter-inch slice works perfectly.
You can try substituting vegan butter and using a flax or chia egg substitute, but because this recipe relies on the egg for structure and moisture, the texture might be slightly different. Still worth experimenting if you want a vegan twist!
Final Thoughts
This Christmas Pinwheel Cookies Recipe has become a holiday tradition in my kitchen — the colors, the buttery texture, the simple joy of rolling up the dough, all wrapped up in a delicious bite. I can’t recommend it enough if you want to add some fun and flair to your cookie plate this season. Trust me, once you try these, they’ll be your go-to festive cookie too.
Print
Christmas Pinwheel Cookies Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 36 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These festive Christmas Pinwheel Cookies feature swirls of red, green, and white dough rolled together with holiday sprinkles. Perfectly soft and lightly golden, these colorful cookies are chilled before slicing to keep their vibrant pattern intact, making them ideal for holiday celebrations and cookie exchanges.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour (360 g)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (225 g)
- ½ cup light brown sugar (100 g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 g)
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Other Ingredients
- ½ teaspoon red food coloring
- ½ teaspoon green food coloring
- ½ cup holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, combine the all purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside for later use.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a separate large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes using a hand mixer or stand mixer.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Beat in the large egg and pure vanilla extract to the creamed butter mixture until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Mix in Flour Mixture: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring until no streaks of flour remain and dough is uniform.
- Divide and Color Dough: Divide the dough into 3 equal portions. Add red food coloring to one portion, green food coloring to another, and leave the third portion white. Mix each until the color is evenly distributed.
- Roll and Layer Dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll each colored dough into roughly 12 by 8 inch (30 by 20 cm) rectangles. Layer the doughs by placing the green rectangle first, then the white on top, and finally the red on top of all.
- Roll into Log and Coat: Starting from the long end, tightly roll the layered dough into a log. Roll the log in holiday sprinkles until coated. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
- Chill Dough Log: Refrigerate the wrapped dough log for at least 3 hours to firm up and set the shape.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Sheets: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) or 160°C if using a fan oven. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Slice and Bake Cookies: Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and slice into ¼ inch thick slices. Place cookies cut side down on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, or until cookies are slightly puffed and lightly golden on edges. Rotate midway for even baking if desired.
- Cool Cookies: Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Rotate cookies halfway through baking to ensure even cooking and browning.
- This recipe yields about 36 to 48 cookies depending on how tightly the dough is rolled and sliced.
- Keeping the dough chilled is essential to maintain sharp, firm colors and to make slicing easier.
- Trimmings of dough create pretty multi-colored swirls and can be baked separately for extra cookies.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg

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