These Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies are a timeless holiday favorite I’ve loved since childhood. They’re easy to make, taste delightful, and the chocolate-and-vanilla swirl is as pretty as it is delicious.
Table of Contents
- Grab the Ingredients
- How to Make the Recipe
- Helpful Cookie Baking Tools
- Recipe Notes
- More Holiday Cookies from Beyond the Butter!
- Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies Recipe
Grab the Ingredients
This recipe needs just eight common ingredients, many of which you likely already have on hand:
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Light brown sugar
- Unsalted butter
- 1 large egg
- Vanilla extract
- Unsweetened cocoa powder (added after dividing the dough)
How to Make the Recipe
Chocolate pinwheel cookies are straightforward but require chilling time so the dough slices cleanly. Plan for at least 2–3 hours in the refrigerator or chill the dough in the freezer for about 1 hour. Either method makes slicing and baking much easier. Be sure to wrap the dough log tightly with plastic wrap before chilling.
Helpful Cookie Baking Tools
Recipe Notes
- Chilling time is not included in the active prep time listed elsewhere—plan accordingly.
- Bake at 350ºF for 8–10 minutes, until lightly golden at the edges.
- For a sweet, crunchy exterior, roll the dough log in demerara sugar before chilling.
- Store cookies in an airtight container with a slice of bread to keep them soft for several days.
More Holiday Cookies from Beyond the Butter!
Dark Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Homemade Butter Cookies
Chocolate Dipped Graham Cracker Cookies
Classic Snickerdoodle Cookies
Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies
4.43 from 7 votes
Author: Jennifer
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 24 cookies
These cookies pair a vanilla dough with a chocolate dough rolled together into a classic pinwheel. Rolling the dough log in demerara sugar adds a pleasant crunch and sparkle on the outside.
Ingredients
- 2 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Light Brown Sugar, firmly packed
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder to be added after dividing dough
- 1 cup Demerara Sugar for rolling (optional)
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the light brown sugar and unsalted butter on medium-high until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla, mixing until combined.
- Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add the dry mixture until incorporated.
- Divide the dough in half. Roll one half on a lightly floured sheet of wax or parchment paper into a 9″ x 12″ rectangle about 1/8″ thick and set aside.
- Stir the cocoa powder into the other half of the dough. Roll it into a matching 9″ x 12″ rectangle on another lightly floured sheet.
- Invert the chocolate layer onto the vanilla layer so the vanilla is on the outside of the roll. Remove the top sheet and trim any rough edges.
- Carefully roll the two layers together into a tight jelly roll.
- Optionally, roll the dough log in demerara sugar for added crunch.
- Double-wrap the dough log in plastic wrap and chill until firm: 2–3 hours in the refrigerator or about 1 hour in the freezer.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350ºF and set a rack to the second position.
- Slice the chilled log with a sharp knife into rounds about 1/8″ thick and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake 8–10 minutes, until lightly golden around the edges. Cool on the sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to finish cooling.
- Store cookies in an airtight container with a slice of bread to keep them soft for up to a week.
Notes
- Chilling time is separate from active prep and bake times.
- Bake at 350ºF for 8–10 minutes for best results.
- Rolling the dough in demerara sugar gives the cookies a crunchy, caramel-like exterior.
- Keep a slice of bread in the airtight container to help preserve softness.
- Recipe adapted from A Recipe Sampler by St. Andrew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Nutrition
Calories: 144kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 1g
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary based on specific ingredients used.
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