Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe· 4.3 from 3 reviews

These 5-ingredient, candy corn cookies are decked out in true Halloween style! And best of all: they’re every bit as tasty as they are easy to make!

You guys know me, I love an elaborate, show-stopper of a dessert. But sometimes... Sometimes I just don’t have the time... or the energy... or the motivation... or the desire to make that sort of thing. Sometimes you just need something that meets you at the intersection of easy, delicious and fun. Like these pinwheel candy corn cookies (weird waxy texture need not apply).

How to make candy corn cookies

First, make your sugar cookie dough.

Second, divide the dough into three equal parts. Tint one part yellow, one part orange and leave the other part plain.

Flatten each piece of dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for approximately 20 minutes.

Third, roll each piece of dough out on a lightly floured surface until it’s a rectangle about ½" thick. Stack your dough yellow, orange, white.

Finally, roll your dough into a log and refrigerate for about 40 minutes. Slice, bake and enjoy!

How to make perfect candy corn cookies

Haven’t made sugar cookie swirls before? No worries! Here are some expert tips to help you make them perfectly the first time around.

To get equal amounts of dough in each color, I recommend weighing them. Each piece should be approximately 8.4 oz.
Don’t skip or shorten those refrigeration times! This dough needs that time to become firm enough to be workable.
Once you’ve stacked your layers of colored dough, gently go over them with a rolling pin to make sure the layers stick together.
To make sure you have a perfect swirl, trim the edges of your dough once they’re stacked and stuck together. A pizza cutter works well for this.
The best tasting sugar cookies are the kind that are taken out just before they start to brown. You can tell they’re done when the tops are no longer shiny.
Storage: These cookies will keep for 3-4 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
Freezing: Alternatively, you can store these cookies in the freezer for up to 3 months. Simply stack them in layers separated by wax paper and seal them in an airtight container.

Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear how it went in the comments below. Better still, snap a photo and tag it on Instagram with #thesimplesweetlife. I love seeing your creations!

Recipe

Candy Corn Swirl Cookies

candy corn cookies and candy corn laid out against a dark backdrop

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.3 from 3 reviews

These 5-ingredient, candy corn inspired sugar cookies are decked out in true Halloween style! And best of all: they’re every bit as tasty as they are easy to make!

Author: The Simple, Sweet Life
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 9 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 9 minutes
Yield: 24 cookies 1x
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Food coloring in yellow and orange

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Instructions

Cream the butter in the bowl of a kitchen mixer. Add the granulated sugar and beat until combined.
Scrape the sides. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and again mix until combined.
Add the all-purpose flour 1 cup at a time, beating between each new addition.
The dough should be pliable but not sticky once you've added all the flour. If the dough is still sticky, add more flour (about ¼ cup at a time) until the dough is no longer sticky.
Separate the dough into 3 equal parts and tint one yellow, one orange and leave the other plain.
Flatten the dough into discs, wrap and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.
Once the dough is firm, roll each color out into a ½" thick rectangle.
Stack the dough one on top of the other with yellow on the bottom, orange in the middle and the plain dough on top.
Starting on the long side of the rectangle, roll the dough into a log. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 40 minutes.
Once the dough is firm, cut the cookies into ½" thick discs and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Bake at 350F for 8-9 minutes, or until no longer shiny on top.

Notes

To get equal amounts of dough in each color, I recommend weighing them. Each piece should be approximately 8.4 oz.
Don’t skip or shorten those refrigeration times! This dough needs that time to become firm enough to be workable.
Once you’ve stacked your layers of colored dough, gently go over them with a rolling pin to make sure the layers stick together.
To make sure you have a perfect swirl, trim the edges of your dough once they’re stacked and stuck together. A pizza cutter works well for this.
The best tasting sugar cookies are the kind that are taken out just before they start to brown. You can tell they’re done when the tops are no longer shiny.
Storage: These cookies will keep for 3-4 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
Freezing: Alternatively, you can store these cookies in the freezer for up to 3 months. Simply stack them in layers separated by wax paper and seal them in an airtight container.

Sugar cookie recipe adapted from Make Bake Celebrate

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cookie
Calories: 111
Sugar: 8.5g
Sodium: 56mg
Fat: 7.6g
Saturated Fat: 4.8g
Carbohydrates: 10.8g
Fiber: .1g
Protein: .5g
Cholesterol: 20mg

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Update Notes: This post was originally published in October of 2013 but was republished with step by step photos and tips in October of 2018.

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