These Pink Swirl Cookies are soft, buttery sugar cookies with a beautiful pink pinwheel design. Easy to make and perfect for celebrations, baby showers, Valentine’s Day, and cookie exchanges, this festive swirl cookie recipe delivers bakery-style looks with simple pantry ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Pink gel food coloring
Instructions
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until fully combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until a soft dough forms.
- Divide dough evenly into two portions. Leave one plain.
- Add pink food coloring to the second portion, mixing until evenly colored.
- Roll each dough portion between parchment paper into rectangles about ¼-inch thick.
- Place the pink dough on top of the plain dough and gently press together.
- Starting from the long edge, roll tightly into a log to form the swirl.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until firm.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Slice dough into ¼-inch thick rounds and place on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, until edges are set but not browned.
- Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Gel food coloring gives the most vibrant pink without thinning the dough.
- Chilling the dough is essential for clean swirl shapes.
- Cookies will firm up as they cool—avoid overbaking.