Cinnamon pinwheel cookies always look more complicated to make than they are. But you know what, it sort of doesn’t matter because when you taste them, all that matters is the flavor.
Similar to a cinnamon roll, these slice and bake cookies have flavors of warm sweet cinnamon swirled inside buttery deliciousness. They’re so good, that they’ll make you want to cozy up with a hot chocolate, a cup of tea, or some delicious Warm Toffee Apple Cider while wearing your favorite sweater and big fluffy socks.
Easy Cinnamon Pinwheels
Pinwheel cookies are one of my go-to treats because they always look so pretty and fancy, yet they’re crazy easy to make.
These have the perfect ratio of soft cookie to brown sugar cinnamon filling which makes them pretty irresistible.
Another great thing about them is that you can make them in batches and because they freeze incredibly well, they’re awesome to take out and bake up midweek on the fly.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Sugar cookie dough – To make my life easier, I used premade sugar cookie dough that comes in the rolls, found in the refrigerator section at the grocery store. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can easily make your own cookie dough from scratch.
- Cinnamon – Cinnamon powder comes in a few different kinds, believe it or not. While there are Saigon and Korintje cinnamon that have their own flavor profile, the more available types are Ceylon and Cassia. Ceylon has a lighter, more delicate cinnamon flavor that has hints of citrus, which makes it perfect if you want a more subtle cinnamon flavor to your cinnamon roll cookies. Cassia is bolder, pungent, and spicy and will give the cookies that warm kick of cinnamon that’s classic. Cassia cinnamon is what most grocery stores have on their shelves and it’s the type I prefer to use.
- Brown Sugar – Use light, brown or demerara sugar. The darker the sugar, the more molasses that’s been added so you’ll have notes of those flavors in the filling.
- Butter – I prefer to use salted butter because the bit of salt the butter has in it will help accentuate the sweetness of the cookie. Margarine can also be used, but the rich buttery flavor won’t be as prevalent, but they’ll still be delish!
- Optional Pinwheel Glaze and Nuts – This is a mixture of powdered sugar and milk to drizzle over the cookies after they’ve cooled. Also optional is a sprinkle of crushed nuts of your choice – walnuts, pecans or even almonds would work beautifully here. Purely optional but it adds a delicious and decorative touch.
How To Make This Cinnamon Pinwheels Recipe
- STEP 1 – Cut the dough into thick circles, sprinkle flour on the board, and lay the circles out.
- STEP 2 – Roll out the dough into a rectangle. (See below for tips). Mix sugar, cinnamon, and butter to create the filling. Spread the filling over the dough, leaving some space at the edges.
- STEP 3 – Roll up the dough, using a spatula to help. Wrap the dough roll in cling film and chill in the fridge.
- STEP 4 – Preheat the oven and prepare a baking tray with parchment paper. Slice the chilled dough roll into circles and place them on the tray. Bake until the bottom edges are lightly golden.
- STEP 5 – Cool the cookies on a rack. Once cool, spread with icing and sprinkle with nuts if desired.
Please look below in the printable recipe card for exact ingredient amounts of detailed instructions to make these swirled cookies.
The Secret To That Perfect Pinwheel Swirl
Here are some tips for making the cookies turn out with that beautiful swirl found in professional pinwheel cookies.
- Dough Rolling – It’s important that when rolling out the dough, it’s the same thickness throughout. This helps with even baking and great color and texture.
One of the easiest ways to achieve an even thickness is to place a chopstick on either side of the dough and roll the dough with the rolling pin resting on either side so it rolls the dough all the same thickness. You can always use a ruler as well, but I find the chopstick method easier.
Also, when rolling out the dough, I like to either flour the board/counter, or, place the dough on a large piece of parchment paper, and then cover the dough with another piece of parchment. - Chilling – Do NOT skip this step. Chilling the dough makes it firmer and then your slicing will be so much easier and more even. The chilled dough won’t buckle and squish as you slice the pinwheels.
- Drizzle – If you decide to put the optional drizzle on the cookies, be sure to wait until the cookies have completely cooled or the drizzle will melt if the cookies are too warm and cover up your perfect pinwheel swirl.
- Parchment – Using parchment paper or a silicone mat will help keep the cookies in shape and swirl perfect!
Customizing Your Cinnamon Roll Cookies
It’s super easy to make this recipe unique to you by switching up a few things.
- Try adding even more warm spices into the cinnamon swirl mixture like cardamom and/or nutmeg.
- Zesting some oranges and adding it to the sugar cookie dough is an excellent idea that I think I’ll try the next time I make these! Orange and cinnamon are classic flavor friends.
- Instead of the powdered sugar glaze, try melting some white or dark chocolate and drizzling that over the tops.
Storing and Sharing
Once baked, the cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container for a week, or two in the fridge. You can freeze the baked cookies for up to a month. Alternatively, just like my 4 Ingredient Butter Cookies, you can freeze the rolled logs unbaked for up to three months provided the logs are wrapped in clingfilm and kept in a freezer-friendly container.
To thaw, leave them in the fridge overnight and then slice when you’re ready to bake.
These adorable pinwheel treats make wonderful gifts when placed in pretty packaging around the holidays. Like all the other holiday cookies I have on my desserts page, they are ideal to add to platters for dessert trays along with other pretty squares and cookies.
Did you make this easy 4 Ingredient Cinnamon Pinwheel cookie recipe? Please leave a ***** star rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment giving me your thoughts about it! Thank you for stopping by The Salty Pot today and I hope you have a wonderful day!
~Joanne
Cinnamon Pinwheels
Cinnamon Pinwheels are beautiful cookies that have a buttery sugary dough with a delicious swirl of warm cinnamon sugar filling. These cookies are easy to prepare, making them perfect for beginner bakers, and they’re great for gifting or enjoying with a cup of coffee or tea. Simple ingredients, big flavor!
Ingredients
- 16 ounces of sugar cookie dough
- 1 tbsp. cinnamon
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 3 ½ tbsp. brown sugar
- Optional: Cookie glaze and crushed nuts. (See notes)
Instructions
1. Sprinkle the counter with a light dusting of flour. Cut the premade dough roll into ½-inch-thick circles. Lay out the circles.
2. Roll out dough into a rectangle 6x12 inches, ¼ inch thick.
3. Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add the butter and mix with sugar and cinnamon. The texture should be like 'sand'.
4. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over top the rolled cookie dough, leaving a small margin on the rectangle.
5. Roll up the dough starting from the short side of the rectangle. (See notes below).
6. Divide the roll in half and cover with clingfilm like a sausage. Twist knots around the ends and chill the pieces for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.
7. Preheat the oven to 350. Line a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Slice the rolls with a sharp knife into ½-inch-thick circles and place them on the baking tray.
8. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the bottom edge is very lightly golden. The cookies will remain light in color on top. Cool the cookies on a cooling rack. Spread with icing and sprinkle with nuts as desired.
Notes
Icing glaze:
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons water or milk
Mix together, starting with 1 tablespoon of water (or milk) for desired consistency.
Crushed nuts can be any nut you prefer. I like walnuts, pecans, pistachios or even almonds. Crush them with a mallet or mince them with your knife very very fine for sprinkling on top of the cookie.
The best tip for this recipe is to be sure you chill the dough before slicing. Chilling the dough will help it firm up, and make slicing the cookies much easier and will help maintain that perfect cinnamon swirl.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 112Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 74mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 0gSugar: 10gProtein: 1g
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Leave a Reply