Name: Colorful Wreath Butter Cookies Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 32 min
Cuisine: Western
Ingredients: 100 g unsalted butter at room temperature; 50 g icing sugar; 1 egg white; 1 tsp vanilla extract or essence; ½ tsp salt; 100 g all-purpose flour; 60 g cornstarch; Red gel food colouring; Sprinkles

There’s something magically festive about a batch of sweet, buttery cookies popping out of the oven, especially when they’re as joyful and vibrant as this Colorful Wreath Butter Cookies Recipe. The swirls of red and green, combined with a tender crumb, make these cookies irresistible—and they’re surprisingly easy to whip up.

The image shows several round cookies with one swirl layer made from red and cream dough twisted together in a ring shape. The cookies have small green, red, and white round sprinkles scattered evenly over the surface. One cookie in the middle has a red and white twisted string looped through its center hole. The cookies are placed directly on a white marbled surface, spaced out with some sprinkles scattered around them. photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients & Why They Work
Make It Your Way
Step-by-Step: How I Make Colorful Wreath Butter Cookies Recipe
Top Tip
How to Serve Colorful Wreath Butter Cookies Recipe
Make Ahead and Storage
Frequently Asked Questions:
Final Thoughts
Colorful Wreath Butter Cookies Recipe

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This is one of those recipes I never get tired of making, especially around the holidays when those bright, cheerful colors just scream celebration. Not only do these cookies taste heavenly, but they’re also a fun project that lets you get creative with piping and decorating.

Vibrant and Festive: The colorful dough stripes create a stunning wreath design that’s both eye-catching and playful.
Simple Ingredients: With pantry staples like butter, sugar, and flour, you can gather everything easily without special trips.
Perfect Texture: These cookies have the ideal balance—crisp edges with a melt-in-your-mouth center.
Fun to Make: The piping process feels like craft time in the kitchen, making it enjoyable to bake with family or friends.

The image shows several round cookies shaped like wreaths, each with two thick layers swirled together, one bright red and one white, creating a striped effect. The cookies are decorated with small round sprinkles in red, green, and white, scattered on top and around them. One cookie in the foreground is tied with a red and white striped string through the center hole. The cookies rest directly on a white marbled surface with soft natural lighting, giving a fresh and festive look. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 2:3 --v 7

Ingredients & Why They Work

This recipe comes together beautifully because of how each ingredient plays its part. Butter brings richness and tenderness, icing sugar keeps things sweet and smooth, and cornstarch adds just the right delicate texture to the dough. Here’s what you’ll want to know about each:

Flat lay of a small pile of pale yellow unsalted butter, a small white ceramic bowl filled with fine white icing sugar, a single whole clean white egg, a few green vanilla beans pods and a small white bowl with clear vanilla extract, a pinch of coarse salt crystals on the marble, a small mound of white all-purpose flour, a small heap of white cornstarch powder, a dollop of vibrant red gel food coloring in a small white bowl, and a scattering of multicolored round sprinkles arranged neatly around them, all placed on a clean white marble surface, soft natural light, photo taken with an iPhone, professional food photography style, fresh ingredients, white ceramic bowls, no bottles, no duplicates, no utensils, no packaging --ar 2:3 --v 7 --p m7354615311229779997

Unsalted butter: Using room temperature butter helps it blend in smoothly, ensuring those cookies stay tender but keep their shape when piped.
Icing sugar: This fine sugar blends effortlessly with butter, giving the dough a silky texture—avoid granulated sugar here for best results.
Egg white: This binds the dough without adding fat, helping the cookies come out crisp but still tender inside.
Vanilla extract or essence: Adds that warm, cozy flavor that makes these cookies feel homemade and comforting.
Salt: Just a pinch enhances all the sweetness and balances flavors perfectly.
All-purpose flour: The main structure builder, but used sparingly to keep the cookies soft.
Cornstarch: This is my little secret for extra tenderness and melt-in-your-mouth quality.
Red gel food colouring: Gel colors don’t change dough texture and offer vibrant color without extra liquid.
Sprinkles: Make these extra festive with colorful sprinkles—choose nonpareils or tiny stars for a whimsical look!

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Note: You'll find the complete list of ingredients, along with their exact measurements, in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Make It Your Way

I love making these colorful wreath butter cookies in the classic red-and-green combo, but you can absolutely tweak the colors or add your favorite flavors. Let your creativity shine, whether it’s swapping sprinkles for chopped nuts or adding a twist of lemon zest.

Variation: One holiday, I tried adding matcha powder for green dough and swapped vanilla for almond extract—it gave the cookies an unexpectedly lovely depth and an elegant color palette.
Dietary swap: If you want to keep it dairy-free, try using vegan butter—the texture’s slightly different, but it still pipes well and tastes great.
Seasonal twist: Around Valentine’s Day, pink and white dough piped in heart shapes make for a sweet gift.

Step-by-Step: How I Make Colorful Wreath Butter Cookies Recipe

Step 1: Cream Butter and Sugar Until Fluffy

Start by whisking the room-temperature unsalted butter with icing sugar. I like to use a hand mixer or stand mixer here to beat it until it’s pale and creamy—this step creates that lovely airy texture which helps the cookies stay tender yet hold their shape.

Step 2: Add Egg White and Flavors

Next, pour in the egg white and whisk it well to combine. This thins the dough just enough for piping but keeps it sturdy. Stir in your vanilla extract and salt to balance the sweetness.

Step 3: Fold in Dry Ingredients Gently

Now, sift together the all-purpose flour and cornstarch, then fold them into your butter mixture using a spatula. The goal here is to mix just until combined—you don’t want to overwork the dough or your cookies will turn tough.

Step 4: Divide and Color Your Dough

Weigh the dough and split it evenly into two portions for balanced coloring. Add red gel food coloring little by little to one portion until you get a vibrant hue you love. The other half stays plain, but you can add green if you want that classic holiday duo.

Step 5: Pipe Color Stripes onto Plastic Wrap

Put each dough color into its own piping bag. On a piece of plastic wrap, pipe stripes of dough side by side, no more than two layers thick—this prevents the colors from blurring too much when you roll them. Then, carefully roll the plastic wrap into a tight cylinder, trimming any excess. This creates your multi-colored dough “log.”

Step 6: Pipe Your Wreath Shape

Slip your dough cylinder into a large piping bag fitted with a star nozzle about 1 cm wide. Pipe onto a parchment-lined baking sheet in a circular motion, shaping lovely little wreaths. Don’t worry if the circle edges look uneven at first—gently tapping with your finger smooths everything out beautifully.

Step 7: Sprinkle and Bake

Finish by sprinkling colorful sprinkles over the top—that bit of crunch and sparkle makes these cookies extra special. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 10 to 12 minutes until the cookies are dry to the touch but still pale—no golden edges here, trust me!

Top Tip

I’ve made these cookies many times now, and a few little tricks make all the difference between a good cookie and a showstopper wreath you’re proud to share:

Room Temperature Butter: Always start with soft butter—not melted! It helps create the perfect dough consistency for piping.
Use Gel Colors: Gel food coloring gives that bright saturation you want without changing dough moisture—you really see those festive reds and greens pop.
Piping Bags & Nozzles: Don’t skimp on the size of the nozzle; a 1 cm star nozzle gives you that beautiful ridged wreath effect and prevents dough clogging.
Beware Overbaking: These cookies don’t get golden like typical cookies—pull them out when they’re dry and pale to keep them tender inside.

How to Serve Colorful Wreath Butter Cookies Recipe

Christmas wreath cookies - Serving Suggestion

Garnishes

I love sprinkling these wreaths with festive colored nonpareils or tiny metallic dragees—the little crunch and sparkle make the cookies feel extra special for holiday gift-giving or parties.

Side Dishes

These cookies pair wonderfully with a hot cup of spiced chai, mulled wine, or even a simple glass of cold milk. Their buttery richness cuts through warm drinks beautifully, making them dessert table favorites.

Creative Ways to Present

For gift-giving, I like to stack them in clear cello bags tied with ribbon and a sprig of holly. At parties, arranging them on a tiered cake stand alongside a few fresh pine branches creates a festive centerpiece that guests can’t resist.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

Once completely cooled, store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They stay fresh and crisp for about a week—if they soften, a quick re-bake at low temperature brings back that just-baked texture.

Freezing

I like to pipe the dough into wreath shapes ahead of time, freeze them on a tray, then transfer to a bag. This way, I can bake fresh batches whenever I want without starting from scratch—plus, the freezing doesn’t dull the colors or flavor.

Reheating

For day-old cookies, warming in a 150°C (300°F) oven for 3–5 minutes revives their crispness without drying them out. Just keep a close eye so they don’t brown.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I use regular liquid food coloring instead of gel?

You technically can, but liquid food coloring adds moisture to the dough which can affect texture and piping. Gel or paste food coloring is better because it provides vibrant colors without changing dough consistency.

How do I prevent the colors from blending too much when piping?

Pipe only two thin layers of dough stripes onto the plastic wrap and keep the stripes distinct. Rolling the dough tightly into a cylinder also helps maintain the color separation during piping.

What if I don’t have a star nozzle for piping?

A star nozzle adds those pretty ridges and texture, but if you don’t have one, a large round nozzle will work. Just know the appearance will be a bit smoother and the wreath shape less defined.

Can these cookies be made gluten-free?

Yes! Substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend that measures cup-for-cup. Keep the cornstarch in the recipe as it aids tenderness, and be sure to check your blend for consistent results.

Final Thoughts

Making these Colorful Wreath Butter Cookies Recipe has become a holiday tradition for me, and I think you’ll love how rewarding it feels to create something so pretty and delicious with your own hands. Whether you’re baking for family, a gathering, or just a cozy afternoon treat, these cookies bring a burst of festive cheer and buttery goodness you won’t forget. I hope you’ll give this recipe a try—you might just find it becomes your new seasonal favorite!