The Best Fluffy Pancakes recipe you will fall in love with. Full of tips and tricks to help you make the best pancakes.
If you’re looking for the perfect holiday baking recipe that is easy, colorful, and guaranteed to impress, these Easy Swirled Christmas Cookies with Festive Sprinkles are about to become your new seasonal go-to. With their eye-catching red and green swirls, buttery soft sugar-cookie texture, and irresistible festive sparkle, these cookies are everything we love about Christmas baking—fun, nostalgic, family-friendly, and absolutely delicious.
This recipe transforms a simple sugar-cookie dough into stunning holiday spirals using a no-fail swirling technique that even beginners can master. No chilling is required unless you want sharp stripes, and the dough is incredibly workable. Kids can help, adults will love them, and they photograph beautifully for holiday cookie boxes, parties, or Pinterest-worthy dessert spreads.
Whether you’re hosting Christmas brunch, preparing gifts for neighbors, filling a cookie tray, or simply indulging in cozy holiday baking, these cookies strike the perfect balance between adorable aesthetics and classic sugar-cookie flavor. Soft, buttery, slightly crisp at the edges, and melt-in-your-mouth tender—they’re the kind of cookies people remember.
Why You’ll Love These Swirled Christmas Cookies
✔ Festive & colorful — the red-and-green swirl creates a candy-cane–inspired look
✔ Easy to make — simple sugar-cookie base + easy swirling technique
✔ Family-friendly activity — kids adore rolling, swirling, and sprinkling
✔ No cookie cutters needed
✔ Freezer-friendly dough — perfect for prepping ahead of holiday parties
✔ Works with any color scheme — make them red/white, blue/white, or pastel for other celebrations
Swirled cookies are often seen in professional bakeries, but home bakers can achieve the same magical appearance with this straightforward method. The secret lies in dividing the dough, adding color, stacking the layers, and rolling them into a log. When sliced, the log reveals perfect spirals—like edible Christmas ornaments.
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg, large
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tbsp milk
- Red gel food coloring
- Green gel food coloring
- ½ cup festive Christmas sprinkles (jimmies or nonpareils)
Instructions
1. Prepare Your Dough
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment.
- In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar for 2–3 minutes until fluffy.
- Beat in the egg, vanilla, and milk.
- Gradually add dry ingredients and mix until a soft dough forms.
2. Divide & Color
- Divide dough evenly into three portions:
- One plain
- One red
- One green
- Tint the two portions with gel food coloring until vibrant.
3. Roll & Stack
- Roll each dough portion between two sheets of parchment into a rectangle about ¼ inch thick.
- Stack them in this order: plain → red → green, trimming edges for neatness.
- Roll the stack tightly from the long end to form a log.
4. Add Sprinkles
- Roll the dough log in sprinkles, pressing gently so they adhere.
5. Slice & Bake
- Cut ¼-inch slices using a sharp knife.
- Arrange on parchment-lined trays, leaving room to spread.
- Bake 9–11 minutes until just set, not browned.
- Cool on a wire rack.
6. Enjoy
- Serve warm, or store airtight for up to 1 week. Cookies stay soft for days!
Tips for Perfect Swirled Christmas Cookies
Use Gel Coloring, Not Liquid
Liquid food dye can soften the dough, making clean swirls harder to achieve. Gel coloring creates bold, vibrant tones without altering the texture.
Trim the Edges for Cleaner Spirals
This step is optional but makes the cookies look polished and uniform.
Slice with a Serrated Knife
A gentle back-and-forth motion helps preserve the swirls and prevents squashing the dough.
Chill for 20 Minutes for Sharp Lines
If you prefer crisp, bakery-style stripes, pop the dough log into the freezer for 20–25 minutes before slicing.
Use Jimmies Instead of Nonpareils for Rolling
Nonpareils sometimes bleed color into the dough. Jimmies hold up perfectly in the oven.
Variations
Candy Cane Swirl
Use red and white only, then add crushed peppermint candy to the edges.
Hot Cocoa Swirl
Replace plain dough with chocolate dough (add 2 tbsp cocoa powder).
Sparkle Swirl
Roll the dough in sanding sugar instead of sprinkles for a glittery finish.
Birthday Swirl
Swap red/green for rainbow colors and roll in rainbow sprinkles—perfect for any celebration.
Storage & Freezing
Store:
Airtight up to 7 days.
Freeze (unbaked):
Wrap the dough log tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Slice and bake directly from frozen—add 1 extra minute to the bake time.
Freeze (baked):
Cookies freeze beautifully for holiday gifting.
Serving Suggestions
- Add them to a Christmas cookie box
- Serve with hot chocolate at holiday parties
- Wrap in cellophane bags for gifting
- Pair with peppermint bark or gingerbread cookies
- Add them to a holiday dessert board
These cookies are delicious enough to enjoy on their own, but they also shine as part of a festive spread. Their bold colors and cheerful spirals make them natural crowd-pleasers.
Easy Swirled Christmas Cookies with Festive Sprinkles
Soft, buttery sugar cookies with festive red and green swirls, rolled in sprinkles and baked to holiday perfection.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla, and milk.
- Mix in dry ingredients until a soft dough forms.
- Divide dough into three portions: plain, red, and green. Tint two portions with gel food coloring.
- Roll each dough portion between parchment into rectangles. Stack plain → red → green.
- Roll tightly into a log. Roll log in sprinkles.
- Slice 1/4-inch thick and bake 9–11 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
Notes
Chill log for sharper swirls. Use gel colors for vibrant dough.
Fun Holiday Fact
Swirled cookies evolved from classic pinwheel cookies, traditionally filled with chocolate layers. Over time, bakers experimented with colored dough, giving birth to festive swirl cookies that have become a modern Christmas tradition.
