Cream Cheese Jam Pinwheel Cookies Recipe
These cream cheese and jam pinwheels are one of those cookies that look way fancier than the effort required. The cream cheese dough comes together quickly and rolls out like a dream – no fussy cutting or special tools needed. You just spread with jam, roll it up, and slice.
I love making these around the holidays since you can prep the dough logs ahead and keep them in the fridge or freezer until needed. The cream cheese gives the cookies a tender, almost pastry-like texture that pairs perfectly with whatever jam you choose. They’re not too sweet either, making them ideal for afternoon tea or coffee. Plus, kids get a kick out of helping roll and slice them.
What you need for Cream Cheese Jam Pinwheel Cookies
Ingredients You’ll Need For This Recipe
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
- Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
How to make Cream Cheese Jam Pinwheel Cookies
1. Start by taking butter and cream cheese out of the fridge about an hour before baking. They need to be truly softened – when you press your finger into them, it should leave an easy indent but not be melty.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. This helps distribute the leavening evenly – no one wants to bite into a clump of baking powder!
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, cream cheese, and sugar together until it’s really light and fluffy – about 3-4 minutes. Don’t rush this step! The mixture should turn several shades lighter and look almost whipped.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl – that cream cheese likes to stick. Mix in the vanilla extract.
5. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing on low speed just until combined. The dough will be soft but not sticky. If it’s too sticky to handle, it needs about 30 minutes in the fridge.
6. Divide the dough in half. Working with one portion at a time, roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper into a 12×10-inch rectangle. The parchment prevents sticking without adding extra flour, which would make the cookies tough.
7. Remove the top piece of parchment. Spread half the jam in a thin, even layer, leaving a 1/2-inch border on all sides. The jam should be just thick enough to cover the dough – too much will make rolling difficult.
8. Here’s the fun part: Using the bottom parchment to help, start rolling from the long side, lifting and peeling the parchment away as you roll. You want a nice tight roll – think sushi! If the dough gets too soft to handle, pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes.
9. Wrap each roll in parchment or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. This firms up the dough so you can get nice clean slices.
10. When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
11. Slice the chilled rolls into 1/4-inch thick rounds. If the roll starts getting soft while you’re slicing, put it back in the fridge – cold dough means rounder cookies.
12. Place cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are just barely starting to turn golden. The centers should still look slightly soft – they’ll set up as they cool.
13. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Once completely cool, dust with powdered sugar if you’d like.
The cookies will keep in an airtight container for about a week, with the jam keeping them nice and soft. If you’re stacking them, place parchment paper between layers to prevent sticking.
🔍 Recipe Notes & Tips
- Room temp ingredients are crucial – cold cream cheese = lumpy dough
- Don’t overwork the dough or cookies get tough
- Any seedless jam works – raspberry and apricot are my go-tos
- Chill dough if it gets sticky while rolling
- Sharp knife + cold dough = cleanest slices
- If edges get ragged while cutting, reshape the slice before baking
- Parchment paper is your friend – don’t skip it
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
- Perfect with:
– Coffee or tea (especially Earl Grey)
– Hot chocolate
– Cold milk
– Dessert wines like Moscato - Serve on their own or as part of a cookie platter
- Great addition to afternoon tea spreads
🎯 Make it Work for
- Holiday cookie boxes (use red jam for Christmas)
- Baby/bridal showers (use pink/blue jams)
- Cookie swaps (they travel well)
- Bake sales (they look fancy but aren’t hard)
- Afternoon tea parties
- Make-ahead dessert for dinner parties
📦 Storage & Leftovers
- Room temp in airtight container: 7 days
- Freezer (baked cookies): up to 3 months
- Freeze dough logs: up to 2 months
- Thaw frozen dough overnight in fridge
- Don’t store in fridge – makes them tough
- Layer with parchment to prevent sticking
Cream Cheese Jam Pinwheel Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
- Powdered sugar for dusting optional
Instructions
- Start by taking butter and cream cheese out of the fridge about an hour before baking. They need to be truly softened – when you press your finger into them, it should leave an easy indent but not be melty.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. This helps distribute the leavening evenly – no one wants to bite into a clump of baking powder!
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, cream cheese, and sugar together until it’s really light and fluffy – about 3-4 minutes. Don’t rush this step! The mixture should turn several shades lighter and look almost whipped.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl – that cream cheese likes to stick. Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing on low speed just until combined. The dough will be soft but not sticky. If it’s too sticky to handle, it needs about 30 minutes in the fridge.
- Divide the dough in half. Working with one portion at a time, roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper into a 12×10-inch rectangle. The parchment prevents sticking without adding extra flour, which would make the cookies tough.
- Remove the top piece of parchment. Spread half the jam in a thin, even layer, leaving a 1/2-inch border on all sides. The jam should be just thick enough to cover the dough – too much will make rolling difficult.
- Here’s the fun part: Using the bottom parchment to help, start rolling from the long side, lifting and peeling the parchment away as you roll. You want a nice tight roll – think sushi! If the dough gets too soft to handle, pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Wrap each roll in parchment or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. This firms up the dough so you can get nice clean slices.
- When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Slice the chilled rolls into 1/4-inch thick rounds. If the roll starts getting soft while you’re slicing, put it back in the fridge – cold dough means rounder cookies.
- Place cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are just barely starting to turn golden. The centers should still look slightly soft – they’ll set up as they cool.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Once completely cool, dust with powdered sugar if you’d like.
