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5.0 from 9 votes

Christmas Pinwheel Cookies

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. 

Prep Time
45 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Chill time
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 33 mins
Servings: 18 cookies
Calories: 238 kcal
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 3 ⅔ cups flour
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
  • ⅔ cup brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp almond extract see substitution options
  • Red and green food coloring

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl.
  2. Next, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and sugar on high speed for one minute or until it is creamy.
  3. Add egg, egg yolk, milk, vanilla and almond extract and beat for an additional 30 seconds.
  4. Add dry mixture to the to creamed ingredients and mix until all ingredients are fully blended.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. 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.

Notes

  • 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. Or freeze individual cookies after baked and cooled in an airtight freezer safe container. 
  • 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.

Nutrition Information

Calories 238kcal (12%) Carbohydrates 31g (10%) Protein 3g (6%) Fat 11g (17%) Saturated Fat 7g (35%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 3g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 47mg (16%) Sodium 105mg (4%) Potassium 62mg (2%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 12g (24%) Vitamin A 348IU (7%) Calcium 25mg (3%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 18cookies

Amount Per Serving

Calories 238

% Daily Value*

Calories 238kcal 12%
Carbohydrates 31g 10%
Protein 3g 6%
Fat 11g 17%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 3g 15%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 47mg 16%
Sodium 105mg 4%
Potassium 62mg 1%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 12g 24%
Vitamin A 348IU 7%
Calcium 25mg 3%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.