These delicious and festive spiral Christmas sugar cookies deliver a gourmet taste, handmade with love. You know what they say… Happiness is homemade—especially during the holidays! These cookies feature a soft, chewy center swirled with festive colors and are rolled in sprinkles that add a beautiful 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 tablescape!
Try our chocolate crinkle cookies or our 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 in the most delicious sprinkle crunch.
- Perfect for any holiday party, cookie exchange, or friendly neighbor gift.
Swirled Christmas sugar cookies are the ultimate holiday treat! Perfect for holiday cookie exchanges, gifting to neighbors, or sharing at festive gatherings, these cookies bring all the holiday vibes to any celebration. The hardest part? Not keeping them all for yourself!
Ingredient Notes
- Butter: You will 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.
- Corn Syrup: Don’t skip on this as it will keep your cookies soft and pliable.
- Vanilla Extract: We like to use pure vanilla extract but imitation vanilla can work in a pinch.
- Almond Extract: If you can’t or don’t want to use this, you can substitute for additional 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 which will help make it soft.
- Baking Soda: Don’t skip this ingredient. Baking soda helps the cookies achieve the perfect golden brown color and helps make them perfectly chewy.
- Gel Food Coloring: You can find this in your local grocery store or craft store in the baking aisle.
Gel vs Regular Food Coloring
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 coloring, on the other hand, has a thicker, 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 flavoring. For a strong flavor, double the amount of almond extract. The extra 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract may seem like a small amount, but it provides a strong flavor. If you are allergic or do not like almond extract, you can simply leave it out or replace it with more vanilla extract.
Alternative Sprinkle Method
This recipe calls for you to roll individually sliced cookies in sprinkles, but you can also do it the opposite way and roll the entire dough log in sprinkles before slicing. This method provides more uniform coverage and can be quicker overall, but it also tends to be messier and uses more sprinkles since you’re coating a larger surface. If you’re up for the challenge, here’s how to do it:
- After assembling and rolling the dough into a log, lightly moisten the outer surface with a small amount of water or milk to help the sprinkles stick.
- Spread a generous layer of sprinkles on a clean, flat surface, such as parchment paper, a baking mat, or a clean baking sheet.
- Gently roll the dough log over the sprinkles, pressing lightly to ensure they adhere evenly. Sprinkle more on any uncovered spots as needed.
- Chill the sprinkle-coated log for about 10-15 minutes to firm it up, then slice it into individual cookies as directed.
More Holiday Applications
These spiral cookies are perfect for any occasion, not just Christmas! Switch up the colors and you can celebrate just about anything!
Easter: Use pastel pink, yellow, and lavender. Roll the edges in pastel sprinkles.
Fourth of July: Use red, white, and blue gel food coloring for the dough, and roll the edges in star-shaped sprinkles.
Halloween: Opt for 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
Store in an airtight container or large resealable plastic bag after the cookies have completely cooled. Store at room temperature away from heat and moisture. Will stay fresh this way for up to 5 days.
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