Halloween Pinwheel Cookies are the perfect sweet and chewy sugar cookies with swirled purple and orange dough that are great for parties.
I’ve shared Fourth of July Pinwheels and Christmas Pinwheel Cookies in the past, and this version is the ultimate colorful treat to bake for October. The fun, tasty Cookie Recipe makes the perfect shareable snack.
Why You’ll Love Halloween Pinwheel Cookies?
- Slice-and-bake dough makes serving large groups easy, and the logs can be prepared in advance when you want to get a head start on Halloween treats.
- Bold orange and purple swirls make these cookies a great eye catching addition to dessert tables and treat trays.
Sabrina’s Halloween Pinwheel Cookies Recipe
These Halloween Pinwheel Cookies are a fun, colorful treat that instantly stands out on any dessert table. The bold swirls make them look impressive, but the process is surprisingly simple. Rolling the colorful dough together creates a visually engaging spiral in every slice. Any time you want a festive cookie without a lot of decorating, here’s your choice! And for an impressive Halloween party spread, put out a plate of these Halloween swirl cookies with other seasonal favorites like Dirt Cupcakes, Apple Nachos, and Butterfinger Bars. Don’t forget to read my Tips and Tricks below to get the spookiest cookies around.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar , packed
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon orange gel food coloring
- 1/2 teaspoon purple gel food coloring
Instructions
- Add the butter, brown sugar and sugar to a stand mixer on medium-high speed and cream until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined.
- In a large bowl sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
- Add the flour mixture to your stand mixer on low speed in small batches until just combined.
- Separate the dough into two equal halves.
- Add food coloring to each of the bowls and mix until smooth and evenly colored.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Cut each colored dough into two pieces.
- Roll the four balls of dough into 10×6″ rectangles.
- Layer the orange dough rectangles on top of the purple dough rectangles
- Roll the dough into two logs (roll so the cookie log is long and skinny, rolling up from the widest side), wrap tightly with saran wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Slice the cookies 1/4″ thick and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, but do not let them brown.
Nutrition
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Chef’s Note
To easily blend the ingredients, let them come to room temperature before mixing. This helps the them mix smoothly. It’s ideal to use room temperature eggs and butter to create an emulsion and avoid chunks of unblended ingredients.
Table of contents
Can this be made ahead of time?
Yes, if you want to bake the cookies ahead of time, follow the recipe instructions, then place cooled cookies in an airtight container to keep fresh at room temperature for up to 3-5 days. Alternatively, you can prep the dough in advance and wait to bake it until the day you serve the cookies. Follow the directions up until you roll it into tight pinwheel logs. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap, and place in the fridge or freezer. On the day you plan to serve, slice the dough into ¼ inch slices and bake.
How to Store
- Store: Keep at room temperature for up to a week. If you have leftovers, package them in a ziplock bag or another airtight container to keep them fresh. You could also place them in the fridge to store for up to 2 months.
- Freeze: Put the cookies in a freezer bag with wax paper between layers to stop them from freezing together during storage. Keep frozen for up to 6 months.
- Serve: Place them on the counter and let them come back to room temperature if they were refrigerated or frozen.
Tips and Tricks
Avoid common mistakes and make the most beautiful and delicious Halloween cookies with these tips.
- Make shaping pinwheel cookies easy!
- Roll the dough logs tightly to form a tight spiral that stays together. This is easiest to do when working with chilled dough and using parchment or wax paper to help you roll it.
- Avoid spreading during the baking time
- If the dough is too warm, the butter will be soft, leading to the cookies spreading out and losing shape while baking. To avoid this, put the dough in the fridge after mixing and shaping it.
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