These Christmas Pinwheel Cookies are soft, colorful spiral sugar cookies rolled in sprinkles. Easy slice-and-bake recipe perfect for holiday trays.

Scale

Whisk dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, use a mixer to beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (about 2–3 minutes).
Add egg and vanilla: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
Combine dry and wet: Gradually mix in the dry ingredients on low speed until a dough forms.
Divide and color dough: Split the dough evenly into three portions. Leave one plain, color one red, and the other green. Use gel coloring for bold, even tones.
Roll out dough: On parchment paper, roll each dough portion into a rectangle approximately 9×12 inches. Layer the rectangles on top of each other (white, red, green), pressing gently.
Form the log: Starting from the long edge, roll the dough tightly into a log, using the parchment to help you.
Add sprinkles: Pour sprinkles onto a tray and roll the log in them to coat the outside completely.
Chill: Wrap the log tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until firm.
Slice and bake: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Slice the log into 1/4-inch thick rounds and place on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 9–11 minutes or until edges are set.
Cool: Let cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack.

Gel food coloring yields more vibrant colors without adding excess moisture to the dough.

Rolling the dough between sheets of parchment makes handling and stacking easier.

Chill the dough log until very firm to avoid smearing the spiral design when slicing.

Use a sharp knife and clean it between slices for perfect rounds.

Baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or frozen for up to a month.