These fun red and green Christmas pinwheel cookies are as simple to make as making sugar cookie dough then rolling it together to create a fun swirl look. They’re a festive and delicious treat that makes the perfect addition to any holiday cookie plate!
When it comes to making Christmas treats, there are three types in my mind.
First, classic Christmas cookies like peanut butter blossoms, cut out sugar cookies, and ginger molasses cookies. Maybe even a little white chocolate sugar cookie fudge.
Second, super easy Christmas treats like these chocolate thumbprint cookies and these Oreo truffles. These are the ones that you can whip up in just a few minutes!
And third, fun Christmas cookies. These are the ones that are either fun to make or fun to look at like these festive candy cane cookies and these Elf cupcakes. Sometimes they take a little more effort, but they’re worth it because they’re just so Christmas.
All three have their place, and I typically make all of them every holiday season.
These Christmas pinwheel cookies are the third kind – they’re a little more time-consuming to make simply because you are rolling the dough into pinwheels, but they’re just so fun, it makes them a must-try cookie recipe in my book!
Plus, kids absolutely love the fun swirling colors!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fun design – like I mentioned, the fun pinwheel swirl design always puts smiles on people’s faces, even before they taste how yummy these are!
- Fun to make – these are actually really fun to make, especially if you like making rolled things like these bacon cinnamon rolls!
- Versatile – while I made mine green and red to make Christmas pinwheel cookies, you can totally make these any color you want. Try pink and red for Valentine’s Day, green and yellow for St. Patrick’s Day. You get it!
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Almond extract – if you don’t like almond extract (I love it but know people who don’t) you can substitute it with either butter extract or just more vanilla extract.
- Unsalted butter – make sure your butter is unsalted and softened to room temperature. If you only have salted butter to use, omit 1/4 tsp of the salt.
- Food coloring – you’ll need red and green food coloring for these pinwheel cookies. I like using gel in this particular recipe but really any food coloring would work.
How to Make Pinwheel Cookies
These cookies have quite a few steps but all of those steps are really easy. Just plan out some time to make these then you’ll be good to go!
1 – Make the Cookie Dough
Start by whisking together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Set the bowl aside.
Next, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and sugar on high speed for one minute or until it is creamy.
Once the creamed mixture is creamy, add the egg and egg yolk, milk, vanilla and almond extract then beat for an additional 30 seconds or until well combined.
Now take your dry mixture and add it to the creamed ingredients and mix until all ingredients are fully blended. The dough should resemble a typical sugar cookie dough like this one I used for my sugar cookie bites.
Take your dough and divide it into two equal balls. Place each ball in a separate bowl then add green food coloring to one ball and red food coloring to the other. Mix coloring into dough until the color is even throughout the dough.
Cut two large pieces of plastic wrap and place a ball of dough on each piece. Using your hands, shape each ball of dough into a 5″x5″ square then wrap each square tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.
2 – roll the cookie dough
After the dough has chilled, take both squares of dough out of the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap from both. Place the red square of dough directly on top of the green square, making sure that they line up.
Take your stacked dough and place it on a lightly floured work surface and dust the top of dough with flour as well.
Then use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a 9″ wide by 18″ long rectangle, still with the red and green stacked together.
Starting on a long side of the rectangle, roll the dough into a long log then wrap the log tightly in plastic wrap and chill again for at least an hour.
3 – Bake the Pinwheel Cookies
Preheat your oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Remove the dough log from refrigerator, unwrap the plastic wrap, and place on a cutting board.
Slice the dough into 1/2″ wide cookies then place on the prepared baking sheet.
The cookies will spread out quite a bit so make sure you place them at least three inches apart, which means you’ll only get about nine cookies on a full sized baking sheet.
You can see how much they spread by comparing the two photos of the cookies below.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the edges feel set, but are not browned. The middle of the cookie will be soft, but will set up as it cools on a wire rack after baking.
Let sit on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes then remove from baking sheet to a wire rack and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Tip!
These cookies stack really well once cooled, which makes them great for adding a bunch on a Christmas cookie plate or as a gift. Wrap them up with some colored parchment paper, a little twine, and one of these fun Christmas gift tags for a cute gift idea!
Expert Tips
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days.
Don’t roll dough out larger than 9″ x 18″ or they won’t turn out as pretty because the spirals will be larger and less defined.
Freeze the dough log once wrapped in plastic wrap and bake later. Allow frozen log to sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before slicing, then bake as directed.
Recipe FAQs
These pinwheel cookies are made of two rolls of colored sugar cookie dough rolled out and rolled together tightly to create fun spirals in the cookies.
These Christmas pinwheel cookies freeze great! You can either freeze the rolled log before baking or freeze individual cookies after baking. Just put the cooled cookies into an airtight freezer safe container and freeze for up to three months. Let cookies thaw until they reach room temperature then enjoy.
More Easy Christmas Cookies
If you like these Christmas pinwheel cookies, make sure to check out these fun Christmas cookie recipes too!
- Chocolate chip pudding cookies – these triple chocolate cookies are a chocolate lover’s dream!
- Rolo cookies – chocolate chip cookies stuffed with a Rolo candy inside, they’re a chocolate and caramel delight!
- Soft and chewy snickerdoodles – these fluffy snickerdoodles are a classic cookie that everyone will love!
- Andes mint cookies – 4-ingredient chocolate cookies stuffed with an Andes Mint inside!
- Red velvet white chocolate chip cookies – simple red velvet cookies loaded with white chocolate chips!
Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 2/3 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract see substitution options
- red and green food coloring
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl.3 2/3 cups flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking soda
- Next, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and sugar on high speed for one minute or until it is creamy.1 cup unsalted butter, 2/3 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup sugar
- Add egg, egg yolk, milk, vanilla and almond extract and beat for an additional 30 seconds.1 egg, 1 egg yolk, 1/4 cup milk, 1/4 tsp vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp almond extract
- Add dry mixture to the to creamed ingredients and mix until all ingredients are fully blended.
- Divide dough into two equal balls and place each ball in a separate bowl then add green food coloring to one ball and red food coloring to the other. Mix coloring into dough until the color is even throughout the dough.red and green food coloring
- Cut two large pieces of plastic wrap and place a ball of dough on each piece. Using your hands, shape each ball of dough into a 5"x5" square then wrap each square tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- After the dough has chilled, take it out of the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Place the red square of dough directly on top of the green square, making sure that they line up.
- Take the stacked dough and place it on a lightly floured work surface and dust the top of dough with flour as well. Then use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a 9" wide by 18" long rectangle.
- Starting on a long side of the rectangle, roll the dough into a long log then wrap the log tightly in plastic wrap and chill again for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove dough log from refrigerator, unwrap, and place on a cutting board. Slice the dough into 1/2" wide cookies and place on baking sheet. The cookies will spread out quite a bit so make sure you place them at least 3" apart, which means you'll only get about 9 cookies on a full sized baking sheet.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the edges feel set, but are not browned. The middle of the cookie will be soft, but will set up as it cools. Remove from baking sheet and cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Tips & Notes:
- Almond extract – if you don’t like almond extract (I love it but know people who don’t) you can substitute it with either butter extract or just more vanilla extract.
- Unsalted butter – make sure your butter is unsalted and softened to room temperature. If you only have salted butter to use, omit 1/4 tsp of the salt.
- Food coloring – you’ll need red and green food coloring for these pinwheel cookies. I like using gel in this particular recipe but really any food coloring would work.
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