Dazzling Christmas Cookie Pinwheels Recipe for Festive Bakers

Swirling with festive charm, these christmas cookie pinwheels dance between buttery sweetness and delightful visual appeal.

Bakers adore this colorful pinwheel cookie recipe that brings whimsy to holiday dessert tables.

The spiraling layers create a mesmerizing treat that catches every eye at seasonal gatherings.

Soft dough and vibrant colors combine to make a cookie that feels like edible art.

Each twist represents pure holiday magic and culinary creativity.

Sprinkled with nostalgic joy, these cookies promise to become your new favorite Christmas tradition.

Roll up your sleeves and transform simple ingredients into a delectable masterpiece that will spark smiles and create lasting memories.

Festive Swirled Holiday Cookies: Why You’ll Love Baking Them

• Swirl Up the Holiday Spirit: Create stunning, colorful cookies that capture the festive magic with minimal effort and maximum visual impact.
• Quick Kitchen Adventure: Prepare these eye-catching treats with basic ingredients and simple mixing techniques perfect for bakers of all skill levels.
• Family Bonding Delight: Engage kids and adults in a fun cookie-making experience that encourages creativity and generates joyful memories during holiday gatherings.
• Wow-Worthy Presentation: Impress guests and family with professional-looking cookies that look like they came from a fancy bakery, yet are surprisingly easy to make at home.

What’s in Festive Swirled Holiday Cookies

• All-Purpose Flour: The foundational base that provides structure and texture to the holiday cookies.
• Unsalted Butter: Creates a rich, tender crumb and adds delicious flavor to the cookies.
• Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the cookies and helps create a soft, delicate texture.
• Egg: Binds the ingredients together and adds moisture to the dough.

• Vanilla Extract: Provides a warm, classic flavor that complements the sweet cookie base.
• Baking Powder: Helps the cookies rise and creates a light, soft texture.
• Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances the overall flavor of the cookies.

• Red Food Coloring: Creates a festive red hue for the holiday-themed cookies.
• Green Food Coloring: Adds a festive green color to complement the holiday theme.

Swirled Cookie Instructions, Start to Finish

Step 1: Prepare Dry Ingredients

Grab a medium bowl and whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt until they’re perfectly blended and free of lumps.

Step 2: Create Butter Base

In a separate large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and looks like a cloud.

Gently mix in the egg and vanilla extract, stirring until everything is smooth and well combined.

Step 3: Combine Dough

Slowly add the dry ingredient mixture to the butter base in two separate batches.

Stir gently until the ingredients just come together, being careful not to overmix the dough.

Step 4: Divide and Color

Split the dough into three equal portions.

Leave one portion in its natural color.

Add red food coloring to one portion and green food coloring to another, kneading gently until the colors are evenly distributed.

Step 5: Roll and Layer Dough

On separate pieces of parchment paper, roll each colored dough into a 10-inch square.

Carefully stack the layers with red on the bottom, plain white in the middle, and green on top.

Step 6: Create Cookie Log

Carefully roll the layered dough into a tight log, starting from one side.

Wrap the log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour to firm up.

Step 7: Slice and Bake

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Remove the chilled dough log and slice into 1/4-inch thick rounds.

Place cookies on a lined baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes until the edges are lightly golden.

Swirled Cookie Pro Tips for Bakers

• Refrigerate dough log for at least 1 hour to ensure clean, crisp swirl patterns and prevent spreading during baking.
• Use a sharp, thin knife to cut uniform 1/4-inch thick cookies for consistent baking and professional-looking results.
• Use gel food coloring for vibrant, saturated holiday colors that won't water down the cookie dough consistency.
• Let butter soften naturally at room temperature for 30-45 minutes for smoother, easier mixing and better cookie texture.
• Let cookies cool completely on baking sheet to prevent cracking and maintain their delicate swirled design.

Swirled Holiday Cookies: Fun Recipe Ideas

• Gluten-Free Holiday Cookies: Replace wheat flour with almond or gluten-free blend for celiac or gluten-sensitive bakers.
• Vegan Christmas Swirl Cookies: Swap butter with coconut oil, use flax egg instead of regular egg, ensuring plant-based friendly treat.
• Low-Sugar Holiday Cookies: Substitute sugar with monk fruit sweetener or stevia, reducing overall sugar content for health-conscious individuals.
• Chocolate Marble Variation: Replace red and green colors with cocoa powder and white chocolate swirls, creating elegant chocolate marbled cookies.

Serving Up Festive Swirled Cookies with Style

• Festive Cookie Platter: Arrange cookies on a beautiful holiday-themed ceramic plate with pine branches and cinnamon sticks for elegant decoration.
• Holiday Gift Packaging: Stack cookies in clear cellophane bags tied with red and green ribbons, perfect for gifting to friends and family during Christmas season.
• Cocoa Pairing Paradise: Serve these colorful swirled cookies alongside warm hot chocolate or peppermint mocha for a delightful winter treat that brings comfort and joy.
• Dessert Table Centerpiece: Create a stunning cookie display using tiered cake stands, mixing these swirled cookies with other holiday treats for a spectacular presentation.

Swirled Holiday Cookies – How to Keep Them Fresh

• Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days at room temperature. Keep layers separated with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
• Layer cookies between wax paper in a freezer-safe container. Cookies will maintain quality for 2-3 months when frozen properly.
• Place a piece of bread in the storage container to help maintain cookie crispness and prevent them from becoming stale too quickly.
• Allow cookies to cool completely before storing to prevent condensation and maintain their crisp texture and festive swirled appearance.

FAQs

• How do I prevent the colors from bleeding into each other?

Chill the dough thoroughly before rolling and stacking. Work with cold dough and handle it minimally to maintain clean color separation.

• Can I use gel food coloring instead of liquid?

Yes, gel food coloring works best for vibrant colors without adding extra moisture to the dough. Use sparingly and mix thoroughly.

• What if my dough is too soft to roll?

Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to firm up. If it’s still too soft, add a little more flour and chill again before rolling.

• How do I get perfect swirl patterns?

Roll each color evenly to the same thickness. Use a ruler to ensure consistent square sizes and gentle pressure when rolling the log to create tight, defined swirls.

Christmas Cookie Pinwheels Recipe

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• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 24 1x

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Description

Festive Christmas cookie pinwheels swirl holiday cheer with delightful red and white spirals of buttery dough. Crisp, sweet layers promise delicious memories for winter celebrations you’ll savor with family and friends.

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Ingredients

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Main Ingredients:

• 2 cups (480 ml) all-purpose flour
• 12 tablespoons (170 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
• 1 egg

Leavening and Seasoning:

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Flavoring and Coloring:

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2–1 teaspoon red food coloring
• 1/2–1 teaspoon green food coloring

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Instructions

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl to create a uniform dry mixture.
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and airy using an electric mixer, then incorporate egg and vanilla extract until well blended.
3. Gradually fold dry ingredients into wet mixture, mixing just until a cohesive dough forms.
4. Separate dough into three equal portions. Use gel food coloring to tint one section vibrant red and another festive green, leaving the third portion its natural color.
5. Roll each colored dough portion into a thin, even 10-inch square on parchment paper, ensuring consistent thickness.
6. Layer the dough squares carefully: red at bottom, plain white in middle, and green on top.
7. Tightly roll the stacked dough from one side to create a compact cylindrical log, ensuring minimal air pockets.
8. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 60 minutes to firm up and enhance flavor melding.
9. Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
10. Unwrap chilled log and slice into 1/4-inch thick rounds using a sharp knife.
11. Arrange cookie slices on prepared baking sheets, spacing them slightly apart.
12. Bake for 12-15 minutes until edges are lightly golden and centers appear set.
13. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack.

Notes

• Try natural food coloring like beet juice for red and spinach powder for green to avoid artificial dyes.
• Use room temperature butter and egg for smoother, more evenly mixed dough that creates better cookie texture.
• For gluten-free version, swap wheat flour with almond or gluten-free blend and add extra xanthan gum for binding.
• Chill dough longer than 1 hour for sharper color definition and more stable swirl pattern when slicing cookies.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Desserts, Snacks
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 24
• Calories: 130
• Sugar: 5 g
• Sodium: 60 mg
• Fat: 6 g
• Saturated Fat: 4 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 19 g
• Fiber: 0 g
• Protein: 1 g
• Cholesterol: 20 mg