Finnish Apricot Jam Pinwheel Cookies, so pretty and delicious. Not to mention, so much fun to make. The cream cheese in the dough makes the texture rich and melt-in-your-mouth tender. Add them to a holiday cookie platter for instant charm.
Why You'll Love Them
- Playful design: their pinwheel shape makes them look festive and unique.
- Irresistible flavor: the tangy cream cheese dough pairs beautifully with the sweet jam filling.
- Fun to make: crafting the pinwheel shape feels like a creative project as much as baking.
Ingredients
- flour
- baking powder
- softened unsalted butter
- room temperature cream cheese
- sugar
- vanilla extract
- egg
- a pinch of salt
- apricot jam
- melted butter
- powdered sugar, optional
See recipe card for quantities.
A Treasure of a Recipe
As a matter of fact, I first discovered these Apricot Jam Pinwheel Cookies in a small Italian cookbook devoted entirely to cookies. I fell in love with them right away. What makes them special, other than their shape, is the cream cheese in the dough, which gives them a rich, soft texture that practically melts in your mouth. After some visual search, I found out they are actually Finnish cookies. I decided to make them for our annual virtual cookie exchange.
The Sweetest Season 2025
This recipe is part of The Sweetest Season, an annual virtual cookie swap co-hosted by Erin of The Speckled Palate and Susannah of Feast + West. Every year, some of us food bloggers get together to share new holiday cookie recipes to make and give. I have been participating since 2017.
Again, this year, we are raising money for Cookies 4 Kids' Cancer, which is a recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to funding research for new, innovative and less-toxic treatments for childhood cancer. Since 2008, Cookies for Kids' Cancer has granted nearly $18 million to pediatric cancer research in the form of 100+ research grants to leading pediatric cancer centers across the country. From these grants have stemmed 35+ treatments available to kids battling cancer today.
Help us raise money for this important cause! Donate through our fundraising page.
Another exciting thing is that Cookies for Kids' Cancer is in a matching window with their friends at OXO, meaning OXO will be matching every dollar raised through the end of 2024, up to $100,000. Whatever money we raise will automatically double on our fundraising page!
The dough
These Finnish Apricot Jam Pinwheel Cookies have cream cheese in the dough, so the texture is rich and soft and just melts in your mouth. The dough is quite easy to make. Follow the steps below.
- Step 1: In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, cream cheese, and sugar and combine until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla extract. Then, slowly add the flour mixture and mix until you obtain a soft dough.
- Step 2: Divide the dough into two balls, wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mat.
Rolling and cutting the dough
- Step 1: Take the dough out of the fridge. Working one piece of dough at a time, roll it to somewhat of a square.
- Step 2: Then, cut the edges to make a square approximately 25x25 cm.
- Step 3: With the help of a ruler, mark the square dough into little squares of 5 cm each.
- Step 4: Following your marks, cut into individual square pieces 5x5 cm each.
Filling and shaping the pinwheels
- Step 1: Spoon a little jam, not too much, into the center of the squares, cut the angles diagonally, almost to reach the center, but not straight through.
- Step 2: Take one corner and fold it into the center of the square and over the jam.
- Step 3: Take the corner to the far left and fold it into the middle overlapping your first fold.
- Step 4: Then, take your far right corner and fold it into the middle again, overlapping the two folds.
- Step 5: Take the last far right corner and again, fold it into the middle, overlapping your previous folds, thus making a pinwheel shape. Use a little water to press the edges into the jam and into each other. Repeat for all the squares. Do the same with the other piece of dough (or freeze for later use as I did. This dough can be used for other festive shaped cookies).
- Step 6: Place the pinwheels on the prepared baking sheets. Brush the tops with melted butter. Optional, sprinkle with chopped pistachios.
Top Tips
- Use water or melted butter to press the edges into the jam and into each other. This helps them stick well together and prevent the corners to lift from the center when they bake.
- Look for a thick jam or preserve. I used Bonne Maman. Apricot jam is traditional, but you can use whatever jam you like.
Lastly, bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden at the edges. Let cool on a rack. Enjoy!
Perfect for Any Occasion
Jam pinwheel cookies are versatile:
- Add them to a holiday cookie platter for instant charm.
- Wrap them up as edible gifts for friends and family.
- Serve them with tea or coffee for a cheerful afternoon treat.
Final Thoughts
Baking Apricot jam pinwheel cookies is pure joy. From shaping the dough into playful pinwheels to savoring their melt-in-your-mouth texture, they're a treat that delights both the baker and the lucky tasters.
Happy holiday baking from our kitchen to yours!
More Christmas cookies
Looking for more cookie recipes? Try these from previous editions of The Sweetest Season:
Finnish Apricot Jam Pinwheel Cookies
Finnish Apricot Jam Pinwheel Cookies, so pretty and delicious. Not to mention, so much fun to make. The cream cheese in the dough makes the texture rich and melt-in-your-mouth tender. Add them to a holiday cookie platter for instant charm.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 50 pinwheel cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert, Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Finnish
Ingredients
- 250 g flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 90 g softened unsalted butter
- 90 g cream cheese at room temperature
- 100 g sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- a pinch of salt
- apricot jam
- 1-2 tablespoons melted butter
- powdered sugar, optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In another large bowl, add the butter, cream cheese, and sugar and mix until smooth.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract, and mix.
- Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until you obtain a soft dough.
- Divide the dough into two balls, wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mat.
- Take the dough out of the fridge. Working one piece of dough at a time, roll it to somewhat of a square.
- Then, with a ruler, cut the edges to make it a square approximately 25x25 cm.
- With the help of the ruler, mark the square dough into little squares of 5 cm each.
- Following your marks, cut the dough into individual square pieces 5x5 cm each.
- Spoon a little jam, not too much, into the center of the squares, cut the angles diagonally, almost to reach the center, but not straight through.
- Take one corner and fold it into the center of the square and over the jam.
- Take the corner to the far left and fold it into the middle overlapping your first fold.
- Then, take your far right corner and fold it into the middle again, overlapping the two folds.
- Take the last far right corner and again, fold it into the middle, overlapping your previous folds, thus making a pinwheel shape. Use a little water to press the edges into the jam and into each other. Repeat for all the squares. Do the same with the other piece of dough (or freeze for later use as I did. This dough can be used for other festive shaped cookies).
- Place the pinwheels on the prepared baking sheets. Brush the tops with melted butter. Optional, sprinkle with chopped pistachios.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden at the edges. Let cool on a rack.
- Optional, dust with icing sugar.
Notes
You could use different jams other than apricot.
You can freeze half of the dough for later use. It's a great dough for shaped Christmas cookies.
I love baking and kneading dough because it takes me to a happy place in my soul.
Erin says
Nicoletta, these Finnish Apricot Jam Pinwheel Cookies are absolutely stunning! The cream cheese dough giving them that rich, melt in your mouth texture is such a brilliant touch, and the apricot jam makes them look so bright and charming. They feel like the kind of cookie that instantly elevates a holiday platter. So beautifully done!
Thank you so much for participating in this year's Sweetest Season and bringing another delicious cookie recipe to the virtual celebration. I am so appreciative for you and everyone who joins me in this yearly and am always blown away with the generosity. I hope you and yours have the happiest holiday season!
Thank you so much, Erin! I look forward to our virtual cookie exchange every year. Thank you for hosting and inviting me. I had so much fun making these pinwheel cookies. They are truly a delight. Happy Holidays from us!
Kathryn says
These are beautiful, fun and so perfect for Christmas cookie platters! My kids love the fun shape of these cookies and the pretty color. Thanks for another delicious recipe!
Thank you! A fun addition to a holiday cookie platter, indeed!
Michaela Kenkel says
What gorgeous cookies! I have never made anything like this, but with that apricot jam - I am 100% sold!