These delicious and festive spiral Christmas sugar cookies offer a gourmet taste, handcrafted with love. You know what they say… happiness is homemade—especially during the holidays! These cookies have a soft, chewy center swirled in festive colors and sprinkles that add a nice touch and the perfect crunch. Don't let the spiral fool you—these cookies are easy to make and will add a touch of magic to any holiday table!
try us Chocolate Cookies or us Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cookies For a real classic during the holidays!
Why our recipe?
- Soft and chewy sugar cookies with a festive spiral of Christmas colors.
- The edges are rolled into a crunch with the most delicious sprinkles.
- Perfect for any holiday party, cookie exchange or friendly neighbor gift.
Rolling Christmas Sugar Cookies are the ultimate holiday treat! Perfect for holiday cookie exchanges, gifts to neighbors, or sharing at festive gatherings, these cookies bring all the holiday vibes to any celebration. The hardest part? Don't keep it all to yourself!
Material notes
- Butter: You'll want to use salted butter and make sure your butter is softened before mixing.
- Cream Cheese: Make sure your cream cheese is softened before adding it.
- Corn Syrup: Don't skip this as it will keep your cookies soft and pliable.
- Vanilla Extract: We like to use pure vanilla extract but fake vanilla can work in a pinch.
- Almond Extract: If you can't or don't want to use it, you can substitute extra vanilla extract in a 1:1 ratio.
- Baking Powder: Don't skip this ingredient. Baking powder will help give the cookie dough a light, fluffy texture that will help soften it.
- Baking Soda: Don't skip this ingredient. Baking soda helps the cookies get the perfect golden brown color and makes them chewy.
- Gel food coloring: You can find it at your local grocery store or craft store in the baking aisle.
Gel vs. Regular Food Color
This recipe uses gel food coloring instead of regular food coloring. Regular food coloring is watery and can make your cookie dough too wet. Gel food color, on the other hand, has a thick, gel-like consistency and is more concentrated, so you only need a small amount to achieve bright, even colors.
This sugar cookie recipe has a mild flavor. For a stronger flavor, double the amount of almond extract. An additional 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract may seem like a small amount, but it provides a stronger flavor. If you're allergic or don't like almond extract, you can leave it out or replace it with more vanilla extract.
Alternative sprinkling methods
This recipe calls for you to roll the individually cut cookies in sprinkles, but you can also do it the other way around and roll the whole dough log in sprinkles before slicing. This method provides more uniform coverage and can be faster overall, but it tends to be messier and you use more sprinkles because you're covering a larger surface. If you're up for the challenge, here's how to do it:
- After gathering and rolling the dough into a log, lightly moisten the outer surface with a small amount of water or milk to help spread.
- Spread a generous layer of sprinkles on a clean, flat surface such as parchment paper, a baking mat or a clean baking sheet.
- Gently sprinkle the log of dough, pressing lightly so they stick evenly. Sprinkle more on any uncovered spots as needed.
- Chill the sprinkle-coated log for 10-15 minutes to firm up, then slice into individual cookies as directed.
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These spiral cookies are perfect for any occasion, not just Christmas! Change the colors and you can celebrate anything!
Easter: Use pastel pinks, yellows and lavenders. Roll the edges with pastel sprinkles.
Fourth of July: Use red, white and blue gel food coloring for the dough and sprinkle the edges with star shapes.
Halloween: Choose two layers of orange and black swirls or a combination of orange, black and purple, then coat the edges with black sugar crystals or spooky-themed sprinkles.
Valentine's Day: Use two layers of pink and white swirls, and decorate with heart-shaped or red sprinkles, or use three layers of pink, red and white.
Storage instructions
shop Once cookies are completely cooled, transfer to an airtight container or large resealable plastic bag. Store at room temperature away from heat and moisture. This way it will stay fresh for up to 5 days.
