Christmas Pinwheel Spiral Swirl Sugar Cookies – Easy No-Chill Recipe
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Get ready to bake the easiest Christmas Pinwheel Spiral Swirl Sugar Cookies you’ll ever make! These colorful, festive treats require no chilling time, meaning you can have them ready in just 30 minutes from start to finish. Perfect for last-minute holiday baking, these cookies are as delicious as they are beautiful, with a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture and eye-catching swirls of holiday color.
This is the easiest pinwheel spiral cookie recipe you will ever find! No chilling of the dough needed – your amazing colorful swirl sugar cookies will be ready in 30 minutes from start to finish! You can call this recipe “Christmas Pinwheel Sugar Cookies For The Impatient” :)
If you are looking for a recipe for classic Christmas pinwheel swirl sugar cookies, I’m sure you have found that all these recipes are quite time consuming due to the requirement of chilling of the dough. They ask you to chill the dough twice – once for at least 2 hours after the dough is rolled, and another 2 hours after the dough is shaped into the log. That’s a lot of logistics to plan to work around! If you need a recipe that doesn’t require any chilling, so you can make the spiral cookies right away without the wait, THIS IS IT!
Why You’ll Love Christmas Pinwheel Spiral Swirl Sugar Cookies
- Quick and Easy: No need to chill the dough! These cookies can be made in just 30 minutes from start to finish, perfect for when you’re short on time but still want to bake something festive.
- Stunning Appearance: The beautiful swirl design and bright colors make these cookies a showstopper at any holiday event. They’ll add a pop of color to your cookie trays!
- Melt-in-Your-Mouth Texture: These cookies are tender and crisp, with a delicious buttery flavor that melts in your mouth with every bite.
- No-Spread Guarantee: Even without chilling, these cookies hold their shape perfectly while baking, giving you flawless, spiraled treats every time.
- Versatile for Any Occasion: While perfect for Christmas, you can easily swap the colors to suit other holidays like Valentine’s Day, Halloween, or even birthdays!
These pinwheel spiral cookies can be make in 30 minutes flat from start to finish – yay! You don’t need to refrigerate the dough and don’t need to wait for anything. Just make the dough the easy way by combining ingredients in a food processor, roll into a log, slice and bake! It’s the best and easiest Christmas swirl sugar cookie recipe ever!
Ingredients For Christmas Pinwheel Spiral Swirl Sugar Cookies
- Butter: Adds rich flavor and helps create that tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Sugar: Sweetens the cookies and gives them their classic sugar cookie taste.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor of the cookies and balances the sweetness.
- Egg: Helps bind the ingredients together and provides structure to the cookies.
- Baking Powder: Gives a little lift to the dough and keeps the cookies light.
- Flour: The base of the dough that holds everything together.
- Green Food Coloring: Adds festive color to the dough, creating the eye-catching swirls.
- Red Sugar Sprinkles: Coats the outside of the dough log, adding a festive, crunchy finish.
For the exact measurements of the ingredients, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this article.
Another great thing about these amazing colorful swirl cookies is they hold their shape when baked. Many of these types of cookies spread into giant blobs if not chilled before baking, but not these no-chill spiral cookies! Just sliced them and bake them, and they won’t expand by more than half an inch. Their shape stays perfect and the taste is amazing!
Kitchen Tools You Need To Make Christmas Pinwheel Spiral Swirl Sugar Cookies
- Food Processor: Quickly blends the dough ingredients together until smooth.
- Parchment Paper: Helps prevent the dough from sticking and makes rolling it out easier.
- Rolling Pin: Used to flatten the dough into rectangles for the perfect swirl.
- Serrated Knife: Essential for slicing the dough log into even cookie rounds.
- Baking Sheet: Holds the cookies as they bake to perfection.
- Measuring Cups and Spoons: For accurate ingredient measurements.
When you taste these cheerful swirl cookies, you’ll just keep reaching for more. They just melt in your mouth, they are so good! Their texture is so amazing – it’s tender yet crisp – exactly what you want in a sugar cookie!
I’m using the Christmas colors of red, white and green for this classic Christmas pinwheel cookie recipe, but feel free to change out the color for other holidays! You can have blue and white for Hanukkah, red and white for Valentine’s day, orange and brown for Halloween – anything goes!
How To Make Spiral Swirl Pinwheel Cookies
Step 1: Make The Pinwheel Cookie Dough
In a food processor, blend butter, sugar, vanilla and egg, then add flour and baking powder and process until it turns into dough. Divide the dough into 2 parts. Add 1 part back to the food processor, add food coloring and process until dough is fully colored.
Step 2: Make The Log Out Of The Dough
Roll the dough on parchment paper into 2 rectangles of 8×11 inches (same size as a sheet of paper). Put the colored dough on top of the white one.
Start rolling into a log as shown. Don’t worry if the dough breaks, just keep rolling it tight.
Use the parchment paper to help you roll the dough.
When the log is ready, pinch the edges of the dough to seal.
Roll the log in the colored sugar sprinkles to decorate the outside.
Step 3: Slice The Dough Log Into Cookies And Bake
Use a large serrated knife to carefully slice the dough log into cookies.
Bake the spiral cookies in a pre-heated 350F oven for 10 minutes, then allow to completely cool.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve these cookies as part of a festive holiday cookie tray, perfect for parties or gatherings.
- Pair with a warm cup of cocoa, coffee, or iced tea for a cozy holiday treat.
- Add them to a dessert spread alongside gingerbread cookies, chocolate truffles, or other holiday favorites.
- Package the cookies in decorative tins or boxes for gifting to friends and family.
- Arrange them on a colorful platter to showcase their beautiful swirl design at holiday gatherings.
Tips For Success
- Use softened butter: Make sure your butter is soft but not melted for the best dough consistency. This will help the dough come together smoothly and make it easier to roll out.
- Roll the dough evenly: When rolling out the white and green dough, aim for even thickness. This will help the layers stay uniform and give you those beautiful swirls when the cookies are sliced.
- Use parchment paper: Rolling the dough between two sheets of parchment paper will make it much easier to handle, especially when layering the two colors and rolling the dough into a log.
- Don’t worry about breaks: If the dough cracks or breaks while rolling it into a log, don’t panic! Just pinch and press it back together as you roll—it will bake up beautifully.
- Chill the dough briefly if needed: While this recipe doesn’t require chilling, if you find the dough too soft to work with, a quick 10-minute chill in the fridge will firm it up just enough to handle without losing the no-chill convenience.
- Slice with care: Use a sharp, serrated knife to slice the dough log into rounds. Press gently and use a sawing motion to prevent squishing the swirl pattern.
- Bake until just set: These cookies may look slightly underbaked when you pull them out of the oven, but they will firm up as they cool. This keeps them soft and tender.
Variations And Substitutions
- Change the colors: While this recipe uses green and white for Christmas, you can easily switch up the colors for other holidays or themes. Try red and pink for Valentine’s Day, orange and black for Halloween, or blue and white for Hanukkah. You can even make rainbow swirl cookies for a fun, year-round treat!
- Add flavor extracts: Mix up the flavor by adding different extracts to the dough. Almond, peppermint, or lemon extract are great choices that can add a special twist to your cookies. Simply substitute 1/2 teaspoon of your chosen extract for half of the vanilla.
- Sprinkles galore: Instead of just red sugar sprinkles, try using a variety of sprinkles to match the occasion. Christmas-themed sprinkles, multi-colored jimmies, or even sanding sugar can add a unique touch to the outside of your cookie log.
- Gluten-free version: To make these cookies gluten-free, substitute all-purpose flour with a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour blend. Just ensure your baking powder is also gluten-free.
- Dairy-free option: If you need a dairy-free version, you can swap the butter with a plant-based butter alternative. Make sure to choose one that’s suitable for baking for the best texture.
- Add a filling: For an extra surprise, you can spread a thin layer of Nutella, jam, or cinnamon sugar on the white dough before rolling it up with the colored dough. This adds a flavorful layer inside the swirl.
Storage and Reheating
- Room temperature storage: These cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Be sure to keep them in a cool, dry place to maintain their freshness and texture.
- Freezing the dough: If you want to make the dough ahead of time, you can freeze the dough log for up to 3 months. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. When ready to bake, let it thaw in the refrigerator for a few hours before slicing and baking.
- Freezing baked cookies: You can also freeze the baked cookies. Place them in an airtight container with parchment paper between each layer to prevent sticking. They’ll stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, let the cookies sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- Reheating: While these cookies are best enjoyed fresh, if you prefer them warm, you can reheat them in the microwave for 5-10 seconds to soften them slightly before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the dough in advance?
Yes! You can make the dough ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Alternatively, you can freeze the dough log for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, let the dough thaw in the fridge or at room temperature just until it’s soft enough to slice.
What can I do if my dough is too sticky to work with?
If the dough is too sticky, you can chill it in the refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes. This will make it easier to roll out without sticking to the parchment paper. Additionally, you can dust your hands or rolling pin lightly with flour to help prevent sticking.
Can I use different food coloring for the swirls?
Absolutely! You can customize the colors of the dough to suit any holiday or theme. Red, green, blue, or even a rainbow of colors will look beautiful in these swirled cookies.
Why did my cookies spread too much during baking?
If your cookies spread too much, it could be due to a few factors. Make sure your butter is soft but not melted when making the dough. Also, check that your baking powder is fresh, as expired baking powder can cause issues with the dough’s structure. If the dough seems too soft after rolling, you can chill the dough log for 10-15 minutes before slicing and baking to help the cookies maintain their shape.
Can I make these cookies without a food processor?
Yes, if you don’t have a food processor, you can use a stand mixer or hand mixer to make the dough. Simply cream the butter and sugar together, then add the egg, vanilla, and dry ingredients. Once the dough becomes too stiff for the mixer, you can knead it by hand until smooth.
Other Easy Cookie Recipes
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Funfetti Sprinkle Cake Mix Cookies: Bursting with colorful sprinkles, these soft and chewy cookies made from cake mix are a fun and easy dessert for any celebration.
Chewy M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies: Loaded with M&Ms and chocolate chips, these chewy cookies are perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth with every bite.
Maraschino Cherry Shortbread Cookies: These buttery shortbread cookies are dotted with sweet maraschino cherries for a delicious pop of flavor and color.
Matcha Green Tea Cookies with Dark Chocolate Chips: Earthy matcha green tea and rich dark chocolate chips come together in these soft, chewy cookies for a sophisticated and delicious treat.
Soft Applesauce Oatmeal Raisin Cookies: These soft and chewy oatmeal cookies are naturally sweetened with applesauce and packed with plump raisins for a healthier snack option.
Yellow Cake Mix Chocolate Chip Cookies: Made with yellow cake mix, these quick and easy cookies are packed with chocolate chips for a soft and delicious dessert everyone will love.
Easy No-Chill Pinwheel Swirl Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tsp green food coloring
- 1/4 cup red sugar sprinkles
Recommended Kitchen Tools (click the links below to see the items used to make this recipe)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Put butter and sugar in a food processor fitted with a dough blade or steel blade and process for 1 minute or until smooth.
- Add egg and vanilla and process for 30 seconds or until smooth.
- Add flour and baking powder and process for 2 minutes or until it turns into dough.
- Remove the dough from the food processor and divide into 2 equal parts.
- Put 1 part of the dough back into the food processor and add green food coloring to it. Process for 1 minute or until the dough color is uniformly green.
- Put white and green dough on separate sheets of parchment paper and flatten into disks.
- Roll white and green dough into a rectangle shape the size of 8x11 inches (same as a standard sheet of paper - use the paper as a guide for the dough size). Use your hands to help shape the dough into the rectangle, especially the corners. If the dough breaks, just fix it by pinching it together with your fingers.
- Using the parchment paper to help you, turn out the green dough and put it on top of the white dough (the dough part touching), so they are directly on top of each other. Peel off the top parchment paper.
- Roll the dough into a tight log (roll the long side of the dough). Don't worry if the dough breaks - just keep pressing and rolling. When the log is ready, pinch the edge of the dough to seal.
- Put the red sugar sprinkles on a large plate. Put the dough log on top of the sprinkles and roll it around so it's completely covered in red sugar.
- With a large serrated knife, carefully cut off the ends of the log so the sides of the log are even.
- Line 2 baking sheet with parchment paper.
- With a large serrated knife, carefully slice the log into 1/4 inch cookie rounds and place them on the baking sheet at least 1 inch apart.
- Put the spiral cookies in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
- Take the cookies out of the oven (they will seem too soft and undercooked) and let cool completely. After they cool, they will harden into a perfect textured pinwheel cookie!
Notes
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Would love to try, but recipe says “1 cup 2 sticks butter, softened” and I’m confused. 2 sticks of butter are the same as one cup; do you mean add 2 c in total or just one and you’re giving two versions of the measurement amount?
It’s 1 cup total – should have been 1 cup (2 sticks). Thanks for pointing it out!
I loved how they held their shape and didn’t spread out, making them perfect for festive platters, because this part of assembling is always my struggle. Thanks!
Last night my daughter and I made this, and we really enjoyed experimenting with different color combinations and flavors. My other kids loved it, and we ended up baking multiple batches ❤️.