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Peppermint Swirl Cookies A plate of peppermint swirl cookies coated in sugar, with red and white spiral centers and crushed peppermint pieces sprinkled on top.

Peppermint Swirl Cookies

Festive red-and-white Peppermint Swirl Cookies with a dramatic spiral pattern, soft chewy texture, and bright mint flavor. They look bakery-professional but are easy to make with simple sugar-cookie dough. Perfect for Christmas cookie exchanges and make-ahead holiday baking.
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Cookies, Dessert, Holiday Baking
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Best peppermint swirl cookies, Easy peppermint swirl cookies, Old fashioned peppermint swirl cookies, Peppermint Pinwheel, Peppermint swirl cookies recipe
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Chill Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 35 cookies
Calories: 115kcal
Cost: $14

Equipment

  • 1 Rolling Pin (For flattening dough evenly)
  • 1 Sharp knife (For clean slicing of chilled dough log)
  • 2–3 Baking sheets (Lined with parchment)
  • As needed Parchment paper (For rolling, layering, and baking)
  • As needed Plastic wrap (For chilling dough)
  • 1 Wire cooling rack (To cool cookies evenly)

Ingredients

Vanilla Dough

  • 1 cup butter - softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2.5 cups all-purpose flour - spooned & leveled
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder

Peppermint Dough

  • 1 cup butter - softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 2.5 cups all-purpose flour - spooned & leveled
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • — — Red gel food coloring - Use gel for vibrant color

Optional Decorations

  • As desired — Crushed candy canes - Roll edges for crunch
  • As desired — White chocolate - For drizzling
  • As desired — Powdered sugar - Dusting
  • As desired — Red sanding sugar - For sparkly edges

Instructions

  • Prepare two sugar-cookie doughs: one vanilla and one peppermint (red-colored), creaming butter and sugar, then adding egg and extract, and mixing in dry ingredients. Chill at least 1 hour.
    A mixing bowl filled with flour, powdered sugar, crushed candy canes, and softened butter being combined with a whisk to make peppermint cookie dough.
  • Roll each dough into rectangles and layer peppermint dough on top of vanilla, pressing lightly to adhere.
  • Roll the layered dough tightly into a log using parchment, wrap, and chill 2 hours or overnight. Optional: freeze 30 minutes for cleaner slices and roll in sanding sugar.
    A close-up of a tightly rolled log of pink and white cookie dough, showing a clean spiral pattern for peppermint swirl cookies.
  • Slice the chilled dough log into ¼-inch rounds and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10–12 minutes until edges just begin to turn golden.
  • Cool completely, optionally decorate with white chocolate or powdered sugar, and store in an airtight container (or freeze baked cookies/dough logs).
    A plate of peppermint swirl cookies coated in sugar, with red and white spiral centers and crushed peppermint pieces sprinkled on top.

Notes

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Nutrition

Serving: 25g | Calories: 115kcal (6%) | Carbohydrates: 15g (5%) | Protein: 1g (2%) | Fat: 5.5g (8%) | Saturated Fat: 3.5g (22%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1.3g | Cholesterol: 20mg (7%) | Sodium: 55mg (2%) | Potassium: 15mg | Fiber: 0.2g (1%) | Sugar: 8g (9%) | Vitamin A: 150IU (3%) | Calcium: 7mg (1%) | Iron: 0.5mg (3%)
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