These Pinwheel Cookies are a treasured family favorite straight from Grandma’s cookbook! Delicious vanilla cookie dough is rolled up with a sweet raisin filling that bakes into the most nostalgic treat. They’re the perfect Christmas cookies but just as delicious any time of year.

Even if you’re not a raisin lover, trust me, your whole family will fall for these!

These pinwheel cookies are sneaky little delights with delicious raisin-filled swirls, simple to look at but impossible to stop eating. They’ve been a hit with my cousins for years, and now we keep the tradition alive in our own kitchen.

I’ll never forget standing in my grandma’s kitchen, pouring the vanilla and feeling trusted to help. Baking these cookies instantly brings back those warm, silly, perfect memories. Grab a kid, make a batch, tell some stories, and pass the magic (and the vanilla) along.

Pinwheel Cookies Ingredients

This great recipe has two parts: the cookie dough and the raisin pinwheel filling. I’ve seen recipes online for date pinwheel cookies, but my family has always made the filling with raisins.

Here’s what you’ll need to make pinwheel cookies:

• Vanilla Extract: Boosts flavor and adds warmth
• Shortening: Provides structure and tenderness for the cookie dough
• Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps with spreading
• Brown Sugar: Adds moisture, chewiness, and rich flavor
• Eggs: Bind the dough and add moisture
• All-Purpose Flour: Forms the base of the cookie dough
• Salt: Enhances all the flavors
• Baking Soda: Helps cookies rise and brown
• Raisins: Sweet filling for the pinwheel center
• Water: Moistens the raisin filling

How To Make Grandma’s Pinwheel Cookies:

Don’t let the pretty pinwheel pattern fool you into thinking these cookies are tough to make! These Christmas pinwheel cookies require little prep work and are super simple t