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Cookies stacked on white plate with top cookie standing upright.
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4th of July Pinwheel Cookies
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
8 mins
 
Mix up simple ingredients to make these delicious pinwheel cookies! They’re perfect for 4th of July, Memorial Day, and all of your summer parties!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: 4th of july cookie recipe
Servings: 20 cookies
Author: Jackie
Ingredients
  • 1 ½ cups unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar
  • 1 egg at room temperature
  • 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 50 drops of red food coloring more or less to achieve desired color
  • 100 drops of blue food coloring more or less to achieve desired color
Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (325 degrees for convection)
  2. In a large bowl mix together the butter, powdered sugar, egg, and vanilla on low speed until combined. Increase speed to medium and mix until creamy. About a minute.
  3. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and mix on low until just combined.
  4. Divide dough into 3 equal portions. If dough is sticky, dust your hands with a little confectioners’ sugar.
  5. Roll out one cookie dough portion, between 2 sheets of parchment paper, into a 12 inch square, approximately, and set aside. This is the white portion of your pinwheel cookies and will be in the middle between the red and the blue..
  6. Place the 2nd cookie dough portion into the mixing bowl and add 50 drops of red food coloring. Mix on low speed until the food coloring is evenly distributed. Add more food coloring for a deeper color. (see notes)
  7. Roll out the red cookie dough, between 2 sheets of parchment paper, into a 12 inch square, approximately, and set aside.
  8. Place the 3rd cookie dough portion into the mixing bowl and add 100 drops of blue food coloring. Mix on low speed until the food coloring is evenly distributed. Add more food coloring for a deeper color. (see notes)
  9. Roll out the blue cookie dough, between 2 sheets of parchment paper, into a 12 inch square, approximately, and set aside.
  10. Place the cookie dough sheets into the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up just a little to make them easier to handle. You don’t want them too firm.
  11. Carefully stack the cookie by placing the red sheet of cookie dough on the bottom with the parchment side down. Make sure you have enough parchment at one end to help with rolling the cookie dough. If needed, lay a bigger sheet of parchment on the counter and place the red cookie dough on that.
  12. Place the white sheet of cookie dough on top of the red with the parchment side up and carefully remove the parchment from the white cookie dough. If the cookie dough pulls apart, it’s okay, just patch it back together.
  13. Lastly, carefully place the blue sheet of cookie dough on top of the white with the parchment side up and carefully remove the parchment.
  14. Using the parchment paper, start rolling one end of the cookie dough into a log. Use the parchment to start the roll and then carefully pull the parchment away from the cookie dough. Keep rolling in this way until all of the cookie dough is rolled up and formed into a log. You will likely see the red cookie dough start to break as you are rolling. That is normal. Just smooth it back together using your fingers. Refer to step-by-step photos.
  15. Trim each edge of the cookie dough log (see step-by-step photos)
  16. Slice log into ½ pinwheel cookies and place cookies onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Spacing 2” apart.
  17. Bake for 8-10 minutes. 8 minutes will yield softer, chewier cookies. Cook longer for crispier cookies
  18. Cool on pan 2-3 minutes until firm enough to move to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  19. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
  1. Convection oven - preheat to 325 degrees F and bake for 8-10 minutes.
  2. Use parchment paper to line your baking sheet. This will prevent the cookies from sticking and make clean-up easier.
  3. Don't over-mix the dough. Once all the ingredients are combined, stop mixing. Over-mixing can lead to tough, dry cookies.
  4. To accurately divide dough into 3 equal pieces use a kitchen scale. Each dough ball will weigh approximately 14 ounces (this could vary depending on how ingredients are measured).
  5. If dough is sticky, dust your hands with a little confectioners’ sugar. When rolling out dough, you don’t have to roll it into a perfect square. Just be sure all the dough is rolled out to about the same size and is between ⅛-¼ inch in thickness. Place dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper to roll out to avoid sticking.
  6. I recommend trimming the dough after rolling it into a log. However, if you prefer a neater look before rolling into a log, you may trim the edges of the dough before rolling it up.. Keep in mind you may have to still trim the edges of the log after rolling.
  7. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. This will help them set and prevent them from falling apart. If you want a crispier cookie, bake them for an extra minute or two. Keep in mind that they will continue to cook slightly as they cool on the baking sheet.