Christmas Pinwheel Cookies

Get ready to wow at your next cookie exchange with the best Christmas Pinwheel Cookies! With colorful swirls and a festive touch, these fun and simple treats are perfect for holiday baking and are sure to brighten any treat table.

It’s the season to get ready to start your Christmas baking. The holiday season can be such an exciting and fun time; discovering new recipes makes it even better. These Christmas Pinwheel Cookies are the perfect addition to your holiday baking repertoire. They work perfectly as a beautiful centerpiece to your holiday table, make great additions to your next cookie exchange, and so much more. 

Get ready to assemble some beautiful and delicious holiday treats. These Christmas Pinwheel cookies are gorgeous. Swirls of green and red, create a beautiful eye-catching dessert. Not only are these cookies absolutely stunning though, they are beyond delicious. Sugary, sweet, and buttery, each bite of these little heavenly treats is sure to impress. 

Why You’ll Love Christmas Pinwheel Cookies

• Festive Appearance: The red, green, and white swirls create a visually appealing and festive treat. They’re perfect for your next holiday party, Christmas Eve movie night, cookie exchange and so much more. 
• Delicious Flavors: The combination of butter, sugar, and vanilla in the cookie dough creates a rich and comforting flavor that many love. They are the perfect, comforting treat over the holiday season. 
• Soft Texture: When baked correctly, these cookies have a soft and slightly crumbly texture that melts in your mouth, making them irresistible. The perfect, melt-in-your-mouth bite. 
• Customizable: You can adjust the colors and decorations to match your holiday theme or personal preferences. This customization adds a personal touch to your baking.
• Easy to Make: These cookies are relatively easy to make. While they are fancy in appearance, the process of making them isn’t difficult. All it takes is a few simple ingredients and a little time. This is one of the best Christmas cookie recipes for beginners to make. 

Ingredients 

The full printable recipe card with measurements and instructions is found at the bottom of the post.

• All-purpose flour 
• Baking powder
• Salt 
• Softened butter 
• Brown sugar
• Granulated sugar 
• Egg
• Vanilla extract 
• Green and red gel food coloring 

How to Make Christmas Pinwheel Cookies

• Step One: Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Combine well with a fork. Set aside.
• Step Two: In a separate large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugars using an electric hand or the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until smooth.
• Step Three: Add in egg and vanilla and mix again until smooth.
• Step Four: Fold in dry ingredients, one half at a time, and blend until smooth. A thick and smooth dough will form.

• Step Five: Separate dough into three equal pieces. Add one piece of dough back into the mixing bowl. Add either red or green food coloring (starting with 3-4 inches of gel) and blend until a solid color forms. Add more gel if a deeper color is desired. Repeat for the other color with another piece of dough (washing the bowl in between).
• Step Six: Once all three portions of dough (original/white, green, and red) are formed, roll each out flat using a rolling pin over a floured surface. Roll out each portion to about ¼ inch thick.
• Step Seven: Add layer on top of one another (red > white/original > green) and use a pizza cutter to cut out a 9×13” rectangle, making all layers the same side. Set aside and separate by color any excess dough from the edges.
• Step Eight: Very carefully pinch in one long side of the rectangle and roll inwards, all moving at the same time. Use a sharp knife to keep the log straight.
• Step Nine: Trim the edges of the log with a knife before wrapping in plastic wrap. Allow to chill for 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F near the end of the chill time.

• Step Ten: After chill time is complete, unwrap the log. Use a sharp knife to cut ½ inch cookies from the log and place them on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper.
• Step Eleven: Bake cookies for 13–15 minutes or until the cookies are just set.
• Step Twelve: When done, allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before transferring to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Equipment Needed

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• Large mixing bowls 
• Electric or stand mixer 
• Spatula 
• Rolling pin 
• Sharp knife 
• Wire cooling rack

What to Serve with Christmas Pinwheel Cookies

Serve your Christmas Pinwheel cookies alongside other holiday treats you love. 

• Crockpot Candied Nuts
• Sugar Pie
• Microwave Peanut Brittle
• Eggnog Pudding Shots
• Christmas Chewy Bars
• Sugar Cookie Christmas Tree

Variations and Substitutions

• Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies: Add a little bit of cocoa powder to the plain dough for a chocolate layer, creating a chocolate pinwheel. If you love chocolate flavor this is a great way to switch it up and create fun Christmas cookies.
• Peppermint Twist: Incorporate peppermint extract into the white dough creating a delicious peppermint punch to the cookie. This will create delicious pinwheel Christmas cookies.
• Jam Filled: Spread a thin layer of your favorite jam or preserves on the dough before rolling it into a log. This will create a delicious fruity punch to the cookies. 
• Nutty Delight: Sprinkle finely chopped nuts over the dough before rolling for a delightful crunch. Adding nuts can also create a delicious crunch with every bite. 
• Sprinkles: Roll the log in colored sprinkles before slicing. The sprinkles will not only add a delightful crunch but they will also deliver a pretty visual experience. 

Storage Instructions

Allow your cookies to cool to room temperature. They can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days. 

Can I Freeze?

Christmas Pinwheel Cookies are perfect for freezing, allowing you to prepare them up to two months before the holiday. Simply store them in a freezer-safe plastic bag and when ready to enjoy, thaw them at room temperature. These festive pinwheel cookies are perfect for making ahead. 

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Measure Accurately: Use proper measuring cups and spoons for precise measurements, especially for the flour. Too much or too little flour can affect the texture of the dough.
• Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure that the butter is truly softened at room temperature. This helps it incorporate more evenly into the dough.
• Chill the Dough: Don’t skip the 2-hour chilling time. Chilled dough is easier to work with and holds its shape better when sliced.
• Layering Dough: When rolling out the different colored dough portions, make sure they are of similar thickness and size. This ensures the layers align properly when rolled together.
• Slice Evenly: When cutting the cookies from the rolled dough, use a sharp knife for clean and even slices. If the dough gets too soft while slicing, briefly return it to the refrigerator to firm up. You can slice the dough thicker if you want to create thick slices of these easy pinwheel cookies. 
• Rolling Technique: Carefully pinch and roll the layered dough into a tight log, keeping it as even as possible. This helps maintain the pinwheel pattern when sliced.
• Trimming: Trim the edges of the dough log before chilling to create neat, uniform pinwheels.
• Food Coloring: Start with a small amount of gel food coloring and gradually add more as needed to achieve the desired color. Gel coloring is concentrated, so it’s easy to go overboard.

Can I Add Sprinkles?

Absolutely! Adding colorful sprinkles is a fantastic way to make these cookies even prettier. Roll your dough log into the sprinkles before slicing. This will make them more colorful and festive and add a delightful crunch. 

Can I Use the Pinwheel Method with Other Cookie Recipes?

Yes, you can definitely use the pinwheel method with other cookie recipes! The pinwheel technique is a versatile way to create visually appealing and fun cookies, and it can be applied to various types of cookie dough. 

Can I Add Other Flavors?

• Citrus Zest: Add the zest of citrus fruits like lemon, orange, or lime to the plain cookie dough for a refreshing, zesty flavor. Citrus zest pairs wonderfully with the sweetness of the cookie.
• Spices: Experiment with warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger. These spices can infuse your cookies with a cozy, holiday-inspired flavor.
• Extracts: Use different extracts to flavor the dough. Almond extract, for example, can add a delightful nutty aroma, while peppermint extract creates a minty, Christmassy touch.
• Flavored Fillings: Before rolling the dough into a log, spread a flavored filling on the rolled-out dough. Options include Nutella, fruit preserves, peanut butter, or even cookie butter for a unique twist.
• Nuts: Finely chopped nuts, such as pecans or walnuts, can be added to the dough for a crunchy texture and nutty flavor. Mix them in before rolling out the dough.
• Chocolate: Add cocoa powder to the dough for a rich chocolatey flavor. You can also mix in chocolate chips or chunks for extra chocolate goodness.
• Mint: Crushed peppermint candies or candy canes can be sprinkled on the dough for a peppermint burst. This is especially fitting for the holiday season.
• Coffee or Espresso: Incorporate instant coffee or espresso powder to give your cookies a subtle coffee flavor, perfect for coffee lovers.
• Liqueur: A splash of your favorite liqueur, such as Amaretto or Bailey’s, can provide a sophisticated, boozy note to your cookies. Make sure not to use too much liquid to avoid changing the dough’s consistency.

Can I Make Ahead?

Yes. You can absolutely make these cookies ahead of time. They can be stored in the freezer for up to two months until you are ready to serve them. Just put them in a freezer bag and pull them out to thaw when you are ready to serve them. 

Christmas Cookies

• Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
• Sweetened Condensed Milk Cookies
• Double Chocolate Meringue Cookies
• Snowball Cookies
• Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

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