Halloween Pinwheel Sugar Cookies

Swirl red and white sugar cookie dough into creepy pinwheels, then add a spooky candy eye for a Halloween treat that's both delicious and ghoulish.

371 min Serves 36 Medium American

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These Halloween pinwheel sugar cookies feature red and white dough rolled together into spiral slices, baked until golden, and topped with a single candy eye for a spooky look. The dough requires chilling twice—first for two hours, then for at least four hours after rolling—to achieve clean swirls and a round shape. Perfect for parties, each cookie is a fun, eye-catching bite.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Red food coloring

Candy eyes

Directions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each, then mix in the vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture, beating just until incorporated, scraping the bowl as needed.

Remove half of the dough, shape it into a square, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

Add red food coloring to the remaining dough in the mixer and mix until evenly colored. Shape this dough into a square, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate both doughs for 2 hours.

Take both doughs from the fridge. Cut each square in half to make two white rectangles and two red rectangles. Place each piece between two sheets of wax paper and roll into a 1/8-inch thick rectangle. Peel off the top wax paper from each, then layer each red sheet on top of a white sheet, making two stacks of red-on-white dough.

Starting from the shorter side of each rectangle, tightly roll it into a log. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and stand it upright inside a glass. Place the glasses in the fridge for at least 4 hours to prevent flat sides.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or Silpats. Using a sharp knife, cut the logs into 1/4-inch slices and arrange them on the sheets about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are just lightly golden. Remove from the oven and immediately press a candy eye into the center of each cookie. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.