Christmas Pinwheel Sugar Cookies

Truthfully, I don’t love the decorating aspect of baking. When I do make a cute, themed desserts like these Grinch cookies or my pumpkin cupcakes or mummy cupcakes for Halloween, it has to be EASY.

These Christmas pinwheel cookies are exactly that – so, so simple. Instead of filling a piping bag and trying to pretend I’ve got the skills of a food network decorator, they come straight out of the oven, already cute. 

I’ve got all the tips, tricks, and tools you’ll need to whip up a batch whenever you’re ready. Heck, even though I made them Christmas themed, you could easily make swirl sugar cookies for whatever holiday or event you like.

Ingredients & Supplies You’ll Need

Aside from your standard baking tools and sprinkles, there are a few things I definitely recommend that make a big difference in the coloring and shaping process so that it goes as smoothly as possible.

• Sugar Cookie Dough – Pre-made dough will certainly work. But I am a fan of all things homemade! I used a half batch of my Crisco Sugar Cookies, which is my go-to recipe for all things sugar cookie all year long. 
• Food Coloring – I highly recommend either a high-intensity dye or gel food coloring rather than the standard easter egg dye. The usual food dyes can add too much liquid and affect the texture of the cookie. (I used 8 drops of the high intensity to get the red I liked)
• Silpats or parchment paper – It’s much easier to arrange the layers if you use a movable, nonstick surface. I used my large baking mat and a small silicone mat to sandwich the colors together.

Step By Step Instructions

Once you have your sugar cookie dough and supplies ready, you can get baking! These steps will walk you through exactly how to create the pinwheel and bake your cookies to perfection.

Step 1: Dye the Dough – Separate your dough into two or more equal sized chunks. If you’re doing 3 colors, you’ll need 3 equal sized chunks. Add the desired colors to the chunks and gently work it in. Try not to overhandle the dough or it can get tough.

Step 2: Roll the dough out – On parchment paper or other movable surface, start rolling each dough chunk into a rectangle. For two colors I rolled each out into an 8×11 rectangle. If you have less or more dough, or more colors, you may need to adjust the size.

As long as you’re consistent and each of your colors is rolled out to the same size and thickness, it really doesn’t matter what size rectangle you use.

Step 3: Combine the Colors – Lift each rectangle onto each other. This is where having a mobile surface is helpful. I just flipped my mat with the red dough over on top of the white layer and gently peeled it away.

Step 4: Roll it up! – Starting at one end, roll up the dough by lifting the edge of the parchment or mat and tucking the edge in. Peel the parchment back as you continue to lift and roll it.

You can roll either way. Start at the short end for more swirls in the cookie, or at the long end for smaller cookies.

Step 5: Chill the dough – Wrap the dough in cling film. Once wrapped, roll the dough on the counter with smooth, gentle pressure if you want a perfectly circular cookie, then pop it in the fridge for 1 hour, or the freezer for 20 minutes. That lets it firm up and helps when you coat and slice it.

Step 6: Roll in sprinkles – Arrange the sprinkles you chose on a sheet pan or other rimmed bowl. Then gently roll your pinwheel cookie log in them until the outside is coated.

Step 7: Slice and bake – Use a sharp knife to slice 1/4″ thick cookies and arrange them on a baking sheet at least 1/2″ apart. Bake them in a 350°F oven for 6-8 minutes, or just until the top no longer appears wet. If the edges begin to brown you’ll have crunchy cookies instead of soft cookies. (If you’re using a different dough, the bake time might need to be adjusted, refer to the dough recipe for the recommended time.)

Step 8: Cool and Store – Transfer baked cookies to a cooling rack. Once completely cool they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days without losing quality.

More Recipes to Try

Adding these festive, fun (and EASY) Christmas pinwheel cookies to a gift basket with some homemade hot chocolate mix, snow globe cupcakes, and microwave peanut brittle would make a sweet and delicious gift basket for anyone during the holidays. I hope you enjoy them, and be sure to check out the many other cookie recipes I have on the blog.

• Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
• White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies
• Espresso Chocolate Shortbread
• Spiced Shortbread Cookies