Cherry Pecan Pinwheel Cookies
A fun take on Christmas Pinwheel Cookies, these Cherry Pecan Pinwheel Cookies are a fun twist on the classic date pinwheel cookie for a bright and sweet Christmas cookie the whole family will love.
Cherry Pecan Pinwheel Cookies Recipe
Dates can be a polarizing fruit.
While I like them in our black bean brownies or other healthy desserts as a natural way to add sweetness, the somewhat grainy-gummy texture is not for everyone. Not to mention the boring brown color does nothing to enhance the aesthetics of our Christmas baking, so we thought we’d swap out the dates in a classic date pinwheel cookie for a festive alternative that is a bit more universally liked.
These cherry pecan pinwheels feature a buttery, brown sugar cookie dough that just melts in your mouth with a homemade candied cherry and pecan jam swirled throughout the cookie. The result is a sumptuous, rich cookie that is incredibly satisfying with notes of nuts, caramel and fruit.
Of course, you can use our base recipe and include dates, cranberries or any other favorite Christmas fruit in place of (or alongside) the cherries, if you desire.
This recipe requires refrigerating the cherry pecan jam overnight, so be sure to plan ahead. You also need to refrigerate the dough for at least an hour so I tend to prepare both the night before and then just assemble the cookies the following day.
For this recipe, I used Millican Pecan’s Pecan Pieces. I didn’t realize what a difference there could be between pecan brands, but these are so incredibly fresh and flavorful. They also have delicious snack options like the Sweet and Spicy Pecans which are perfect for the holidays. My next order, I’m trying their Pecan Butter and the Caramel Pecan Coffee! (And by the way, this is not sponsored – I just really love them.)
How to store these cherry pinwheel cookies: Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Can this cherry pecan pinwheel cookie dough be frozen? Yes, you can either freeze the base cookie dough, freeze the slices and uncooked pinwheel cookies after rolling out the dough and filling with the cherry pecan jam OR freeze the baked cookies. Lay the cookies in flat layers, separated by parchment or wax paper and store in an airtight freezer container for up to one month. (This set of freezer containers is a crazy bargain.)
This recipe is also featured in our Classic Christmas Cookies ebook, where we have gathered 40 of our favorite Christmas cookie recipes – from Peanut Butter Buckeyes to Easy Shortbread, Cream Cheese Mints to Toffee Biscuits!
These cookies all share a few things in common:
- They are easy enough for the kids to help make
- They require no special ingredients requiring visits to 5 different grocery stores
- They are Christmas classics that everyone will be excited to see at the Cookie Exchange
- And they are delicious!
To make your holiday baking even easier, we’ve included several tips to ensure the best results so you can just focus on having fun with your kids and trust that these cookies will turn out perfectly, every time.
Grab your copy of our Classic Christmas Cookies ebook:
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Cherry Pecan Cookie Ingredients
For the Cherry Pecan Filling:
- Maraschino Cherries, chopped
- Pecans, chopped
- White Sugar
- Water
For the Brown Sugar Cookie Dough:
- All-Purpose Flour, sifted
- Brown Sugar
- Shortening
- Butter, room temperature
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Cinnamon
- Salt
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.
Tip: you can use a mixture of green and red maraschino cherries for a festive touch.
Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Medium Saucepan
- Mixing bowl
- Electric mixer <– this is a great hand mixer if you don’t want to make the investment into a stand mixer
- Cutting board
- Rolling pin
- Sharp kitchen knife
- Cookie Sheets
- Cooling racks <– I have and love these tiered cooling racks, they save so much counter space and are also oven-safe
- Small bowls
How to Make Cherry Pinwheel Cookies
For the Cherry Pecan Filling:
Chop the cherries and place in a medium-sized saucepan.
Add the white sugar and water to the saucepan and place over medium-high heat.
Bring the cherry mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer until liquid is thick, about 10-12 minutes.
Remove saucepan from heat and allow to cool.
Once cool, stir in the pecans then transfer to a container with a lid and refrigerate overnight.
For the brown sugar cookie dough:
In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and butter until completely combined.
Add in the brown sugar and salt and beat for 1 minute.
Add the vanilla and eggs and beat until well incorporated.
Beat in the cinnamon, then mix in the flour until no dry patches remain.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (or wrap the dough with plastic wrap) and refrigerate for at least one hour.
To Assemble the Cookies:
Preheat oven to 375F.
Divide the dough into two equal portions. Set one aside.
On a clean, lightly floured surface, roll out one half of the dough into a 1/8″ thick rectangle.
Spread half of the cherry pecan mixture over the rolled dough, avoiding the inch around the dough edges.
Roll the dough into a log shape, then slice the cookies 1/2″ to 1″ thick (personal preference).
Place the sliced cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.
Repeat the rolling, filling and slicing of the dough with the other portion of dough as the first batch bakes.
After removing cookies from the oven, allow to set for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Pin this Festive Cookie for your Holiday Baking:
Grab your free printable recipe card for our cherry pecan pinwheel cookies recipe:
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Cherry Pecan Pinwheel Cookies
A sumptuous brown sugar cookie with a cherry pecan swirl, these Cherry Pecan Pinwheel Cookies are a fun twist on a classic Date Pinwheel cookie that the whole family will love. It freezes beautifully so you can enjoy these Christmas cookies all season long.
Ingredients
For the Cherry Pecan Filling:
- 16 oz Maraschino Cherries, chopped
- 1 cup Pecans, chopped
- 1/4 cup White Sugar
- 1/2 cup Water
For the Brown Sugar Cookie Dough:
- 4 cups Flour, sifted
- 1 1⁄2 cups Brown Sugar
- 1⁄2 cup Shortening
- 1⁄2 cup Butter
- 3 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1⁄2 teaspoon Salt
Instructions
For the Cherry Pecan Filling:
- Chop the cherries and place in a medium-sized saucepan.
- Add the white sugar and water to the saucepan and place over medium-high heat.
- Bring the cherry mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer until liquid is thick, about 10-12 minutes.
- Remove saucepan from heat and allow to cool.
- Once cool, stir in the pecans then transfer to a container with a lid and refrigerate overnight.
For the brown sugar cookie dough:
- In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and butter until completely combined.
- Add in the brown sugar and salt and beat for 1 minute.
- Add the vanilla and eggs and beat until well incorporated.
- Beat in the cinnamon, then mix in the flour until no dry patches remain.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (or wrap the dough with plastic wrap) and refrigerate for at least one hour.
To Assemble the Cookies:
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Divide the dough into two equal portions. Set one aside.
- On a clean, lightly floured surface, roll out one half of the dough into a 1/8" thick rectangle.
- Spread half of the cherry pecan mixture over the rolled dough, avoiding the inch around the dough edges.
- Roll the dough into a log shape, then slice the cookies 1/2" to 1" thick (personal preference).
- Place the sliced cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Repeat the rolling, filling and slicing of the dough with the other portion of dough as the first batch bakes.
- After removing cookies from the oven, allow to set for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Orchard Fresh Raw Pecan Halves 1-Pound | Millican Pecan since 1888 | San Saba, Texas -
Amazon Brand - Happy Belly Maraschino Cherries in Glass Jar, 10 Ounce
-
French Rolling Pin (17 Inches) –WoodenRoll Pin for Fondant, Pie Crust, Cookie, Pastry, Dough –Tapered Design & Smooth Construction - Essential Kitchen Utensil
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
48Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 135Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 44mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 1gSugar: 10gProtein: 2g
Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.
I hope your family loves these cherry pecan cookies as much as mine did!
For more scrumptious cookies, check out our full cookie recipe collection here:
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