Sprinkled Spiral Cookies Recipe (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Megan Porta · This post may contain affiliate links.

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Say goodbye to boring and hello to sprinkles and color! These Spiral Cookies are fun! Red for Christmas, pink for a girl party or blue for pool-side snacks. They’ll make any occasion brighter and more fun!

Sprinkled Spiral Cookies Recipe (1)

Original post: December 2011 | Updated: December 2020

I first made these colorful spiral cookies from Sprinkle Bakes back in the wee early years of my blog. Not only are these spiral cookies pretty, but they are also deliciously tasty.

And you can imagine how much kids enjoy them! I heard someone say once after I made them, “Ooo, look! A Grinch cookie!” The green swirls do strangely remind me of the Grinch’s long, swirling fingers.

Sprinkled Spiral Cookies Recipe (2)

How To Make Sprinkled Spiral Cookies

These cookies are versatile because they are great year round and easy to adapt with fun colors. They promise to be a hit!

Prep The Dough

STEP 1

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugars in a food processor and process to mix. Add butter and process until the mixture has a cornmeal consistency. Add the vanilla and process until mixture just forms a ball.

STEP 2

Divide the dough in half and return one half to the food processor. Add almond extract, gel food coloring and 2 Tbsp flour to the food processor until just incorporated.

STEP 3

Roll out each half of the dough between sheets of wax paper into an 8×11-inch(ish) rectangle, with a 1/4-inch thickness. Leaving the wax paper on the dough, stack on a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.

Assemble The Cookies

STEP 4

Pour 1 cup of multi-colored sprinkles in a shallow dish.

Sprinkled Spiral Cookies Recipe (3)

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and peel off the top pieces of wax paper from each half of dough. Flip the colored dough half over onto the white dough half so that dough is touching dough.

Remove the top sheet of wax paper and trim the long edges with a sharp knife so that the sides are straight and parallel with one another.

Sprinkled Spiral Cookies Recipe (4)

STEP 5

When the dough becomes just pliable, roll it into a log beginning with a long edge. Gently curl the edge with your fingertips and do your best to avoid creating air pockets.

Carefully lift the log into the sprinkle-filled dish.Gently roll it around until the outside is completely coated with color.

Wrap the dough log in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to slice, about 4 hours.

Sprinkled Spiral Cookies Recipe (5)

Bake The Cookies

STEP 6

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.

Slice the cookie log into 1/4-inch-thick discs and bake on parchment-lined baking sheets for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the cookies are no longer shiny. Move the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe Notes

  • If you have any scraps of dough leftover, just roll them out in worm like strips, bake them and enjoy a treat! They won’t need to bake as long so keep an eye on them.
  • The green swirl is fun for Christmas, but any color would be just as fun. Bright yellow for a spring-time cookie? Orange for a Halloween cookie? A swirl of colors for a birthday cookie?
  • Use a piece of 8.5×11 paper as a guide when rolling out and measuring the dough rectangle.
Sprinkled Spiral Cookies Recipe (6)

To Sprinkle or Not To Sprinkle

If you’re not usually a sprinkles kinda person – just wait! These cookies need the sprinkles for two reasons.

  1. You will enjoy the crunch it gives to each bite of your cookie because they are a soft sugar cookie on their own.
  2. The extra pretty look it gives these cookies (and only these if that’s what works for you) make them more festive, and are worth picking up a bottle and rolling these cookies into them!

Gel vs Liquid Food Coloring

This recipe calls for you to use gel food coloring. Could you use liquid food coloring? Sure. But here’s a few reasons to switch over to gel.

  • It is thicker, it has a viscous texture.
  • Gel food coloring is concentrated and helps achieve a more vibrant color.
  • It does cost a little more but you won’t use as much and achieve a more true color that you were hoping to attain.
  • Gel food coloring will stain your fingers, so you might want to wear plastic gloves.

Storing Spiral Cookies

You made these tasty show-stopping cookies so be sure after they have completely cooled to place them in a air-tight container or a ziploc bag. You can enjoy them over the next few days if you can keep your hands off them!

Sprinkled Spiral Cookies Recipe (7)

Best Dessert Recipes

  • No bake strawberry pie is a great dessert for gatherings of any kind. It is super easy to prepare and it is packed with delicious strawberry flavor!
  • Gingerbread Poke Cake = the marriage of Gingerbread Cookies and cake! This cake is beyond delicious and a total crowd pleaser.
  • Creamy banana cheesecake is the perfect way to use up ripe bananas. So delectable and satisfying! Top it off with caramel sauce for good measure!
  • This carrot cake recipe made without nuts is the way to go! It is moist, flavorful, perfectly spiced and topped with yummy cream cheese frosting!
  • Snack bites take less than 10 minutes to make and you probably have all of the ingredients sitting in your pantry. Kids adore them! Great after school or anytime snack with no preservatives or unknown ingredients.
  • Almond Cookiesare melt-in-your-mouth delicious and super easy to make! They are topped with an almond glaze and a touch of orange zest that will leave you wanting more (and more and more)!
  • Monkey bread with cream cheese hiding inside! Stuffing the dough with gooey-ness makes a delicious treat. Prepare to WOW your guests!

Will you help add value to Pip and Ebby?
If you make this recipe and love it, stop back and give it a 5-star rating⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a comment. THANK YOU!

Sprinkled Spiral Cookies Recipe (9)

Sprinkled Spiral Cookies Recipe

Say goodbye to boring and hello to sprinkles and color! These Spiral Cookies are super fun. They make every occasion brighter and more exciting!

4.50 from 8 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Refrigerate: 3 hours hours

Servings: 24

Calories: 175kcal

Author: Megan Porta

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter cubed
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 1 tube gel food coloring any color
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup multi-colored nonpareil sprinkles

Instructions

  • Combine the 2 cups of flour, baking powder, salt and sugars in a food processor and process to mix. Add butter and process until the mixture has a cornmeal consistency. Add the vanilla and process until mixture just forms a ball.

  • Divide the dough in half and return one half to the food processor. Add the almond extract, food coloring and 2 Tbsp flour and mix until just incorporated.

  • Roll out each portion of dough between sheets of waxed paper into an 8×11-inch rectangle, with ¼-inch thickness. Stack the dough, leaving in the wax paper, onto a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.

  • Pour the sprinkles into a shallow dish. Remove the dough from fridge and peel off the top pieces of wax paper from each dough half. Lift one and flip it over onto the other half so that the doughs are touching. Remove the top sheet of wax paper and trim the long edges with a sharp knife so that the sides are straight.

  • When the dough becomes just pliable, roll the dough beginning with a long end into a log. Gently curl the edge with fingertips and try to avoid creating pockets of air. Carefully lift log into the dish with the decors and roll until outside is completely coated. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to slice, about 2 hours.

  • Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.

    Slice the cookie log into 1/4-inch-thick discs and bake on parchment-lined baking sheets for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the cookies are no longer shiny. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

  • If you have any scraps of dough leftover, just roll them out in worm like strips, bake them and enjoy a treat! They won’t need to bake as long so keep an eye on them.
  • The green swirl is fun for Christmas, but any color would be just as fun. Bright yellow for a spring-time cookie? Orange for a Halloween cookie? A swirl of colors for a birthday cookie?
  • Use a piece of 8.5×11 paper as a guide when rolling out and measuring the dough rectangle.

Nutrition

Calories: 175kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 36mg | Potassium: 14mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 294IU | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg

Did you make this recipe?If you loved this recipe, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below!

Sprinkled Spiral Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you put sprinkles on before or after baking cookies? ›

You can also try adding sprinkles to your cookies before baking, but depending on the recipe, they may melt in the oven.

What makes cookies chewy instead of crispy? ›

The ingredients you use and how you shape your cookies both play an important role in whether your cookies turn out crispy or chewy. The type of flour and sugar you use, if your cookie dough contains eggs, and whether you use melted or softened butter all factor into the crispy-chewy equation, too.

How to make package cookies taste homemade? ›

Here are some easy switches you can make to upgrade your cookie mix and give it a homemade taste.
  1. Butter Instead of Margarine. ...
  2. Substitute margarine or shortening for butter using a 1:1 ratio. ...
  3. Coconut Oil Instead Of Other Fats. ...
  4. Maple Syrup Instead Of Granulated Sugar. ...
  5. Vanilla Extract. ...
  6. Almond Extract. ...
  7. Rum and Ginger. ...
  8. Cheesecake.

What does baking powder do in cutout cookies? ›

Baking powder simply adds carbon dioxide to the equation, providing a more forceful pressure that encourages a dough to spread up and out.

How to get sprinkles to stick to cookies before baking? ›

Brush your cookies with egg white 1st to help the sprinkles stick. After baking you need icing or a glaze before adding sprinkles or they won't stick. Enjoy!

What does brown sugar do in cookies? ›

Brown sugar, meanwhile, is dense and compacts easily, creating fewer air pockets during creaming—that means that there's less opportunity to entrap gas, creating cookies that rise less and spread more. With less moisture escaping via steam, they also stay moist and chewy.

How do you make cookies soft and chewy vs hard and crisp? ›

Different types of sugars affect the texture because they absorb different amounts of water. Remember moisture is the key! White sugar creates crispier cookies and brown sugar creates chewier cookies.

What is a substitute for butter in Betty Crocker cookies? ›

On the other hand, if your cookie recipe calls for melted butter, vegetable oil can be subbed, because it has a similar consistency.

What happens if I put baking soda in my cookies instead of baking powder? ›

However, if you're in a pinch, the substitution is one teaspoon baking soda equals three teaspoons baking powder. Baking soda is also much stronger than baking powder and, by trying to provide enough leavening, you may wind up with an unpleasant metallic, salty taste in the final baked product.

What happens if you forgot to put baking soda in cookies? ›

Without baking soda or baking powder, these cookies will remain a little flatter then other recipes but because of the eggs and creaming of the butter and sugars in this recipe they will still puff up a little in the oven. They will have crispy edges and a soft, chewy center.

Can you put sprinkles on unbaked cookies? ›

The easiest thing to do is to brush the tops of the cookies with a little bit of water or milk, using just enough to dampen the cookie dough and no more. This will help the sprinkles stick and won't change the finished appearance of the cookie when you're done baking.

How to get sprinkles to stick to dry icing? ›

Before you add your sprinkles, lightly mist the frosting or glaze with a spray bottle filled with water. This will help the sprinkles adhere better.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Mr. See Jast

Last Updated:

Views: 5788

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (75 voted)

Reviews: 82% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Mr. See Jast

Birthday: 1999-07-30

Address: 8409 Megan Mountain, New Mathew, MT 44997-8193

Phone: +5023589614038

Job: Chief Executive

Hobby: Leather crafting, Flag Football, Candle making, Flying, Poi, Gunsmithing, Swimming

Introduction: My name is Mr. See Jast, I am a open, jolly, gorgeous, courageous, inexpensive, friendly, homely person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.