Pinwheel Cookies

There’s just something magical about Pinwheel Cookies. Maybe it’s their whimsical appearance, swirling colors intertwining to create a beautiful treat that’s almost too lovely to eat. Maybe it’s their delicious, buttery taste that melts in your mouth with every bite. Or perhaps it’s the fun we have while baking and creating them. Either way, these cookies are a fun dessert that you need in your life.

Pinwheel cookies are a type of cookie that are known for their distinctive swirl pattern that resembles a pinwheel. This pattern is created through a unique process of layering and rolling different colors or flavors of dough.

Pinwheel Cookies

To make pinwheel cookies, you typically make a basic cookie dough, often flavored with vanilla or almond. The dough is then divided into two equal parts. One part is left as it is, while the other is often dyed with food coloring or mixed with a different flavor to create a contrast. Sometimes, the second half could be a chocolate dough, making for a beautiful and delicious contrast.

The two doughs are then rolled out into thin rectangles and layered on top of each other. The layered dough is rolled tightly into a log, starting from one end to the other. This is where the pinwheel design starts to take shape.The dough log is chilled until firm. Then it’s sliced into rounds, each revealing the beautiful pinwheel pattern. These slices are then baked into cookies.

The result is a batch of cookies with a beautiful swirl pattern. Not only do they look pretty, but pinwheel cookies also offer a delightful combination of flavors in every bite. They are popular during the holiday season, but their fun appearance and delicious taste make them a great choice for any time of the year.

Ingredients

• Butter
• Butter flavored shortening
• Powdered sugar
• Egg
• Vanilla
• Flour
• Pink food coloring
• Pink sprinkles

Recipe Instructions

1. Begin by mixing butter, shortening, sugar, egg, and vanilla until creamy. Add flour and salt, mix until dough forms.
2. Divide dough in half. Add pink coloring to one half.
3. Roll both halves into rectangles. Stack and roll into a cylinder.
4. Cover cylinder with pink sprinkles, wrap, and chill 3 hours or overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare a baking sheet.
6. Cut cylinder into ¼ inch slices, place on sheet with space in between.
7. Bake 11 minutes until lightly golden.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Recipes

• Easy Funfetti Cookies
• Strawberry Cookies
• White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
• Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Homemade Nutter Butter Cookies

If you’ve tried this Pinwheel Cookies recipe or any other recipe on Barbara Bakes, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some pictures of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Pinwheel Cookies

Baking pink pinwheel cookies is a sweet swirl of fun and creativity, turning simple ingredients into whimsical treats that add a dash of delight to any day.

Author: Melissa Griffiths

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going to sleep

Ingredients

• ½ cup of butter brought to room temperature
• ½ cup of butter-flavored shortening
• 1 cup of powdered sugar also known as confectioners’ sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• Pink food coloring
• Pink sprinkles

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the ½ cup of room temperature butter, ½ cup of butter-flavored shortening, 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1 egg, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Use an electric mixer to beat these ingredients together until they’re well combined and creamy.
• Add in the 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon of salt to the butter mixture. Continue mixing until the dough comes together. It should pull away from the sides of the bowl when it’s ready.
• Divide the dough evenly into two separate portions. Leave one portion as is, and to the other, add several drops of pink food coloring. Mix the colored dough until the color is evenly distributed and you’re satisfied with the shade.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out each portion of dough into a rectangle of roughly the same size. Aim for a thickness of about ¼ inch.
• Carefully place one rectangle of dough on top of the other, aligning the edges as closely as possible.
• Starting at one end, roll the dough tightly into a cylinder, similar to making a jelly roll.
• Pour the pink sprinkles onto a large plate or a flat surface. Roll the dough cylinder into the sprinkles, ensuring all sides are well coated.
• Once the cylinder is fully covered in sprinkles, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap.
• Place the wrapped dough in the refrigerator to chill for at least 3 hours, but preferably overnight to ensure the dough is completely firm before cutting and baking.
• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C), and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Slice the chilled dough into disks about ¼ inch thick. Arrange the cookie slices on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about an inch of space between them to allow for spreading.
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 11 minutes, or until the edges just start to turn golden. Be careful not to overbake as the cookies should remain light in color.
• Notes:

Notes

Ensuring the butter is at room temperature helps it to blend more smoothly with the shortening and sugar.

Use a good quality butter-flavored shortening for the best results, as it gives the cookies a rich, buttery flavor.

When adding the food coloring, start with a small amount and add more as needed to achieve the desired color.

Rolling the dough tightly is key for achieving the signature pinwheel shape.

Chilling the dough helps to prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking.

These cookies are quite sweet on their own, but if you wish, you can also ice them with a simple glaze made from powdered sugar, milk, and a bit of vanilla extract.