Holiday Pinwheel Cookies
Red, green and white swirls in every bite! 🎄 Holiday Pinwheel Cookies look like they came from a bakery, but they’re so easy.
It’s a simple vanilla-almond butter dough divided into thirds, tinted red and green, stacked, rolled into a log and chilled. Then you slice and bake.
The recipe makes about 36 cookies.
Why You’ll Love It
- Slice and bake. Make the log ahead and bake when ready.
- Bakery look. Those swirls are so pretty.
- About 36 cookies. Great for cookie exchanges.
- Vanilla and almond. A classic holiday flavor.
- Festive colors. Red, green and white.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Butter and sugar: Creamed until fluffy.
- Egg, vanilla and almond extract: For flavor.
- Flour, baking powder and salt: The dough base.
- Red and green gel food coloring: For the swirls.
You’ll find the exact amounts and steps in the printable recipe card below.
How to Make It
Cream the butter and sugar, then beat in the egg and both extracts. Mix in the flour, baking powder and salt to make a dough. Divide it into thirds and tint one red and one green, leaving one plain. Roll each into a thin rectangle between parchment, stack them (plain, red, then green), and roll them up tightly into a log. Chill, then slice into rounds and bake until just set, without letting them brown.
Tips for the Best Holiday Pinwheel Cookies
- Roll between parchment. About 1/8 inch thick, without sticking.
- Stack in order. Plain on the bottom, red in the middle, green on top.
- Roll tightly. Start from a long edge so the swirl is tight.
- Chill the log. 2 hours makes slicing clean.
- Don’t brown them. Bake until just set to keep the colors bright.
Aren’t these just the prettiest Christmas cookies? ✨
Holiday Pinwheel Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg and both extracts.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt; mix into the wet ingredients to form a dough.
- Divide the dough into thirds. Tint one portion red, one green, and leave one plain.
- Roll each portion into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick between sheets of parchment.
- Stack the layers (plain on the bottom, red in the middle, green on top), trimming to even rectangles. Starting from a long edge, roll tightly into a log. Wrap and chill 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice the log into 1/4-inch rounds and place on parchment-lined sheets.
- Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until just set (do not brown). Cool on the sheet 5 minutes, then move to a rack.
Notes
- Stack plain on the bottom, red in the middle, green on top.
- Chill the log 2 hours before slicing.
- Bake until just set; do not brown.
