These Strawberry and Vanilla Pinwheel Sugar Cookies are soft, tender, and full of classic flavor. A simple vanilla sugar cookie dough is paired with a lightly sweet strawberry dough, then rolled together to create those pretty pinwheel swirls. They have just enough strawberry flavor to stand out without overpowering the vanilla, making them a fun but familiar cookie for any time of year.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
Recipe Name: Strawberry and Vanilla Pinwheel Sugar Cookies
Ready In: about 3 hours (including chill)
Yield: 20 cookies (when cookies are sliced ½" thick)
Texture: tender, buttery, soft
Flavor Profile: light strawberry and vanilla
Get to Know This Cookie
Use the buttons below to get a quick overview or ask questions before you bake.
These Strawberry and Vanilla Pinwheel Sugar Cookies are soft, tender, and full of classic flavor. The vanilla keeps the cookie grounded while the strawberry adds a gentle fruit note and a pop of color. The pinwheel swirl makes them look bakery-style, even though there are several steps.
If pinwheel-style cookies are your favorite, here are a couple of other recipes you might enjoy baking next. My apple cranberry walnut swirl cookies or cinnamon orange pinwheel cookies are both pretty and delicious.
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Ingredients
Ingredients you'll need:
- Butter unsalted
- Sugar white
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Strawberry extract
- Freeze-dried strawberries
- Pink coloring gel
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Kosher salt
- Pink jimmies (optional)
Ingredient Tips
Crispy Green seems to be the only brand that is sold locally in my area. So I could not test them against one another. But Best Products Reviews did the testing for 10 Best dried strawberries of 2026 and Crispy Green came out on top.
How to Make Strawberry and Vanilla Pinwheel Sugar Cookies
Start by making one full batch of sugar cookie dough before dividing it into two portions. This keeps the base texture the same for both flavors and helps the vanilla and strawberry doughs bake evenly.
Prep
I wanted to add real strawberry flavor to the cookie dough, and one of the best ways to do that is by using freeze-dried fruit that has been reduced to a powder. There are several ways to accomplish this. You can use a blender or a food processor, but I did not want to drag mine out of the cabinet, so here is an easier method.
1. Add the freeze-dried strawberries to a plastic baggie. I use the ones that have the zip shut tops.
2. I have a dowel that I use to crush the dried fruit. I also roll the pin over the baggie for as many times as it looks like it has mostly powder in the baggie.
3. I then use a sifter to get most of the bigger pieces separated from the powder. I do press some of this through to get as much of the strawberries as I can.
4. This is all that is left that is hard and not going get any smaller so I discard this amount.
Make the Cookie Dough
I make the cookie dough for both the vanilla and the strawberry at the same time and flavor the strawberry after I divide the dough in half.
5. In a bowl weigh or measure the sugar and set it aside. In another bowl weigh or measure the flour. Add to the flour the baking powder, baking soda, and the kosher salt. I run a whisk through the flour mixture to blend.
6. In a mixer bowl cube the butter.
7. If your butter is room temperature it only take a minute or less to cream the butter. If it is cold it will take a couple of minutes.
8. Add the sugar to the creamed butter and mix for 3 minutes.
9. Next add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until the egg is mixed into the butter-sugar mixture. Scrape down the bowl.
10. Add the flour mixture about a third at a time. I do not over mix the flour since it can cause my sugar cookies to be a little tough. Add the cookie dough to a pastry mat.
11. Don't worry about the loose flour pieces. You want to knead the cookie dough together so that the butter absorbs the flour. I shape it into a log shape to make it easier to weigh.
Divide and Flavor Dough
12. I weighed my cookie dough log and it came out to 833 grams. Making one 416 grams and the other was 417 grams was a good split. I took one of the halves and add it to a dish and spread it out with my finger tips.
13. I added 1 drop of the pink fuchsia coloring gel. Then added the strawberry extract and the freeze-dried strawberry powder on top of everything.
14. Using my fingertips, work everything together until the color and flavor are evenly mixed throughout the dough. I fold it over many time to make sure the extract and the strawberry powdered are worked though.
A Note About Rolling Sugar Cookie Dough
Rolling sugar cookie dough can sometimes feel a little tricky, especially when the dough is soft. The key is temperature. If the dough feels sticky or difficult to handle, chilling it briefly makes a big difference. A lightly floured surface and parchment paper also help keep the dough from sticking while you roll. Taking your time here keeps the pinwheel layers neat and makes slicing much easier later on.
Roll Out the Dough
I decided on the outside layer to be the vanilla since I was going to add some sprinkles onto the outside layer.
15. Roll out the vanilla layer to about 12"X 9" on a piece of parchment paper. This makes it easy to slide onto a sheet pan if you need to chill the dough between handling.
16. Roll out the strawberry dough on a separate piece of parchment paper. I make it about the same size but I leave about ½" around the edges less than the vanilla layer.
17. Take the strawberry rolled out dough and slid it onto a sheet pan and refrigerate for about 5 to 7 minutes.
When you pull the strawberry dough out of the fridge it will be stiff enough to turn over and place it on top of the vanilla layer. Lightly press down on the strawberry dough so you can get rid of any air pockets. It should also be stiff enough to move it around if you need to. I cut a little of the vanilla dough just to square up the ends.
Now it is time to roll the dough for the pinwheel.
Create the Pinwheel Swirl
This is where the temperature of the dough makes all the difference. If the dough is too soft, it can be difficult to roll without cracking or tearing.
18. I start by lifting the parchment paper up a little to get the roll started. If it starts to crack lengthwise, stop and pinch the cracks together, smoothing them out before continuing. Then roll a little more.
If you start to get too many cracks chill the dough for a couple of minutes. Don't chill for too long or it will get stiff and you will not be able to roll the dough at all.
19. Roll it to a log and smooth it out before wrapping it in plastic wrap.
20. You want to lay this in something that has a curve to it so it stays round, I use a baguette pan.
You can make your own holder by taking a center cardboard roll of your paper towels and cutting it in half lengthwise.
Chill for at least two hours. The firmer the dough is, the easier it will be to slice cleanly.
Slice and Bake
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C) and line two cookie sheet pans with parchment paper.
21. I like a little sprinkles on my cookie slices but if you want to cover the outside of the log let the dough warm just a little so when you are roll the log over the sprinkles they stick to the dough.
22. Then with a sharp knife slice the cookies about ½" thick. You can do them ¼" to ⅜" of an inch and get more cookies. This is your choice, thinner cookies might need a minute less of bake time.
23. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350°F (175°C or 180°C). Move to a cooling rack once they are out of the oven.
Enjoy!
Storage Tips
Sugar cookies are easy to store. A container with a lid will keep the cookies good for five to seven days. Mine live right on my counter for anyone passing by who wants something sweet.
FAQs
Yes. One drop of strawberry gel gives the dough a medium pink color when baked. For a brighter pink, a second drop can be added if you prefer a stronger color.
You can keep the wrapped dough in the fridge for up to 3 days before slicing and baking.
Can I Freeze This Cookie?
I do not typically freeze cookie dough when testing my recipes, so the instructions above reflect how this cookie was baked and stored. If you'd like to explore general freezing options for this cookie, the AI tool below can provide additional information.
More Sugar Cookies
Recipe
Strawberry and Vanilla Pinwheel Sugar Cookies
Barbara HallWould you like to save this recipe?
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Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) Butter unsalted
- 1 cup (200 g) Sugar white
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) Vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) Strawberry extract
- 12 grams (0.42 oz) Freeze-dried strawberries
- 1 drop Pink coloring gel
- 3 cups (375 g) All-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon (6 g) Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (2 g) Baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) Kosher salt
- Pink jimmies (optional)
Instructions
- To add strawberry flavor to the cookie dough, crush the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder using a food processor or rolling pin. Sift out any large pieces. Weigh or measure the sugar in a small bowl and set it aside. In another bowl, weigh or measure the flour, then add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Run a whisk through the flour mixture to blend.
- Mix one full batch of dough for both parts of the pinwheel. The strawberry flavor will be added after the dough is mixed and divided. Cube the butter directly into the mixer bowl and cream it on medium speed. Add the sugar and mix for 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the egg and vanilla extract and blend until combined.Turn the mixer to a low speed and add the flour mixture about one third at a time. Try not to overmix, as the dough will be kneaded on a pastry mat to bring everything together.
- Place all of the dough and any loose pieces onto a pastry mat. Do not worry about the flour bits, as they will be incorporated as you knead the dough. Form the dough into a log and weigh it. Mine weighed 833 grams, which I divided into two portions of 416 grams and 417 grams.Take one half and place it in a bowl. Flatten it slightly with your fingers, then add the strawberry extract, freeze-dried strawberry powder, and 1 drop of pink coloring gel. Work everything together until fully combined.
- Each half of the dough will be rolled out on its own sheet of parchment paper. First, roll out the plain vanilla dough into a rectangular shape about 12" × 9". Roll out the strawberry dough on a separate sheet of parchment paper to about 12" × 8". I like to leave about ½" around the top and bottom edges of the rectangle.By now, the strawberry dough will be very soft, so slide the parchment paper with the strawberry dough onto a sheet pan and refrigerate it for 5-7 minutes.
- Take the chilled strawberry dough. It should be stiff enough to turn upside down and place on top of the rolled-out vanilla dough. It should also be firm enough to move slightly so you can center it over the vanilla layer. Trim the short ends so the edge pieces will have a clean pinwheel effect. Lightly press down on the strawberry dough to remove any air pockets before rolling.
- If the dough becomes too soft at any point, chill briefly before continuing. Lift the parchment paper along the long side of the combined dough and gently begin to roll. If the vanilla dough starts to crack, stop and pinch the cracks together, smoothing out the seam. Place the dough on a sheet pan and refrigerate for a couple of minutes if needed.Return the dough to the counter and continue rolling. You may need to pinch and smooth additional cracks as you go, so take your time. Once the dough is fully rolled, smooth the outside and wrap it in plastic wrap. I use a baguette pan to cradle the log and keep it round, or you can use the cardboard center from a paper towel roll cut in half lengthwise. Chill for 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C or 180°C) and line two cookie sheet pans with parchment paper. Unwrap the cookie log. If you plan to add jimmies to the outside, let the dough sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften slightly.Spread the jimmies on a piece of parchment paper, then roll the log over them, gently pressing so they stick to the dough. Add as many as you like. Slice the log into ½" pieces and place half of the slices onto one of the prepared sheet pans. If you prefer more cookies, slice them a little thinner.Bake for 10-12 minutes, then move the cookies to a cooling rack once they come out of the oven.
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NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.
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