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Spiral Cookies are my absolute favorite cookie recipe – all year long. I love making them for the 4th of July with red and blue sanding sugar, but you can make these all year with ANY colors. They’re soft and crunchy, buttery and perfectly sweet!
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4th of July Spiral Cookies
Everyone will admire the patriotic swirl on these spiral cookies but they’ll love the flavor more: these 4th of July cookies are buttery, soft, and have just the right amount of sugar! They’re like butter cookies but rolled with sugar – absolutely delicious!
Although I’m baking these specifically for the Fourth of July, they can be made for any holiday or special occasion. All you need to do is follow this simple recipe and change out the color of the sanding sugar.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- The flavor of these is one of our absolute favorites – I add almond extract for a delicious twist!
- They’re soft but also crunchy from the sugar inside.
- You can make them ahead and even freeze the cookies!
Ingredients needed
- Sugar: I’m using granulated sugar in the cookie dough mixture to sweeten these sugar cookies
- Butter: I like to use unsalted butter since we don’t want the cookie dough to taste too salty. Make sure your butter is at room temperature so it will be easier to mix.
- Almond extract: this adds a wonderful flavor to any baked goods, but if you don’t like almonds or are allergic, you can use lemon or vanilla extract instead.
- Sanding sugar: depending on your occasion, use any colors you like. Since this recipe is for the 4th of July, I’ll be using red and blue colored sugar.
How to make spiral cookies
- Cream a cup granulated sugar and butter in the bowl. Using butter that’s at room temperature makes this creaming process so much easier.
- Add almond extract, salt, and egg and mix all together until evenly combined.
- Slowly stir in your flour and mix until just combined. It’s going to make a nice thick dough.
- Divide the cookie dough into two pieces.
- Cover the top of your dough with wax paper. The dough should be sandwiched in the wax paper.
- Press the dough flat with your hands. Then use a rolling pin to evenly press the dough into a rectangle shape.
- Sprinkle the sanding sugars in lines across the dough. Alternate between red and blue stripes (or whatever colors you’re using). Repeat with the second half of the dough.
- Roll up the dough carefully. It may be a bit tricky, especially if your home is hot but let the wax paper help you.
- Chill your rolled doughs in the refrigerator until firm for about 1 hour up to overnight.
- Slice rolls of cookie dough into inch-thick slices. Place the slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Since these cookies don’t have any baking powder, they don’t spread at all so you can place them close together if you need to.
- Bake at 350° for 6-9 minutes or until the edges begin to brown.
Expert tips
- You may want to rotate the baking sheets halfway through baking depending on how your oven bakes, to ensure even baking.
- You don’t have to be exact when rolling these out, that’s why I love this recipe.
- Peel off wax paper in between pressing and rolling to avoid the dough from sticking to the paper.
FAQs
Can you freeze spiral cookies?
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to one month.
How far ahead can you make cookie dough?
About a day before. You can make the cookie dough and allow to chill to bake for the next day.
Are pinwheel cookies soft?
Yes, these pinwheel cookies are just like your regular, soft sugar cookies.
4th of July Spiral Cookies
These 4th of July Spiral Cookies are perfect for the holiday! An easy sugar cookie dough recipe is rolled with red and blue sugar to look like a firework! Everyone loves these cookies!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chill time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter softened
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ¼ cups (273g) all-purpose flour
- About ¼ cup red colored sugar
- About ¼ cup blue colored sugar
Instructions
- Cream sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (You can also use a hand mixer.) Add almond extract, salt, and egg and mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Slowly stir in your flour and mix until just combined.
- Divide dough into two pieces. Place one half on wax or plastic wrap spread out on your counter. Cover the top with another sheet of wax paper or plastic wrap. Use your hands or a rolling pin to press the dough into a 8-inch rectangle (oblong is fine). Alternating colors, sprinkle sugars in lines across the dough. Use the bottom sheet of wax paper or plastic wrap to help you roll the dough. Repeat with the second half of dough. Wrap rolls in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator until firm, about 1 hour (overnight is fine).
- Heat oven to 350°. Slice rolls of cookie dough into 1/4-inch slices. Place on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or a silpat baking mat.
- Bake 6-9 minutes until the edges begin to brown. You may want to rotate the cookie sheets halfway through baking. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet and then remove to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to one month.
Recipe Video
Recipe Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 87kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 31mg | Potassium: 10mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 150IU | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
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Last Updated on June 27, 2023
What a great idea! Excellent use of any leftover sprinkles from all the holidays and much “cleaner” than icing cookies and then putting sprinkles on them.
Another new fan from theFrugalGirls.com
That is so smart, and you could make them for any holiday or party theme! I am going to have to try it with my kiddos this year 😉
New fan from theFrugalGirls.com!
Thanks for sharing your fun and yummy recipe with us at Cast Party Wednesday. I hope you come back and visit us tomorrow.
Thanks again.
I hope to see you there!
These are great. So easy and colorful. Perfect for any holiday or occasion, we just swap the colors. Thank you for linking up at Joy of Desserts. 🙂
I think they look great! Not just a fun holiday cookie but one that’s good to eat:@)
Oh my gosh! I just love these!!! You are so clever!
love these! great idea for the 4th!
These are cute! A great and fairly easy way to have a festive dessert 🙂
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I’m loving exploring yours!!
I love this idea! We do a big block party on the 4th and this is the perfect side dish to share.
On another note…I’m actually a huge fan of Phineas and Ferb. One of my fav kid shows. 🙂
Too cute! I’ve loving all the roll up sugar cookie recipes I have been seeing lately. It’s so much easier, especially for summer when you don’t want to be slaving over an oven very much. Love adding the spinkles to give it a sweet swirl! Thanks for sharing!!
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