Swirled Chocolate and Vanilla Pinwheel Cookies
These Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies have been a holiday classic for as long as I can remember.
- Prep
- 20 mins
- Cook
- 10 mins
- Total
- 30 mins
- Makes
- 24 cookies
These Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies have been a holiday classic for as long as I can remember. They're simple to make and taste wonderful, and who can resist a cookie with a gorgeous chocolate and vanilla swirl? I certainly can't!
Gather the Ingredients
This chocolate pinwheel cookie recipe needs only eight ingredients, and they're probably already in your pantry! You'll need:
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Light Brown Sugar
- Unsalted Butter
- Egg – just 1 is needed
- Vanilla Extract
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – added after you divide the dough in half
How to Make the Recipe
These chocolate pinwheel cookies are fairly straightforward, but the dough needs time to chill, at least 2-3 hours or overnight. You can also freeze it for about 1 hour.
Whichever method you choose, the dough will be much easier to slice later. Just remember to wrap the log tightly in plastic wrap, twice.
Helpful Cookie Baking Tools
Recipe Notes
- The baking times in this recipe don't include chilling the dough or cooling the cookies after baking.
- The recommended baking time is 8-10 minutes at 350ºF.
- For a bit of sweet crunch on the outside, roll the dough log in demerara sugar! So, so good!
- Store the cookies with a slice of bread in an airtight container to keep them soft for days!
More Holiday Cookies to Bake
Swirled Chocolate and Vanilla Pinwheel Cookies
Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies are perfect for holiday baking! Chocolate and vanilla dough are rolled together into a beautiful swirl, then coated in demerara sugar for a little crunch. They taste fantastic and are a must-make!
- Prep
- 20 mins
- Cook
- 10 mins
- Total
- 30 mins
- Makes
- 24 cookies
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 only after dividing the dough in half
- 1 cup Demerara Sugar, for rolling cookie roll in
Method
- In a medium bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
- With a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the light brown sugar and butter thoroughly on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract.
- Lower the speed to low and gradually add the dry mixture until well combined.
- Divide the dough in half. Roll one half between two sheets of lightly floured wax or parchment paper into a 9″ x 12″ rectangle, about 1/8″ thick. Set aside.
- Mix the cocoa powder into the other half of the dough, then roll it out on another lightly floured sheet of wax or parchment paper into a 9″ x 12″ rectangle.
- Flip the chocolate layer onto the vanilla layer so the vanilla ends up on the outside of the roll. Peel off the top sheet of wax paper and trim any rough edges.
- Carefully roll the 2 layers into a jelly roll.
- If you like, roll the pinwheel log in demerara sugar (optional).
- Wrap the log tightly in plastic wrap, twice, and chill it until firm: in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight, or in the freezer for 1 hour.
- When you're ready to bake, set an oven rack to the 2nd level position and heat the oven to 350ºF.
- Use a sharp knife to slice the chilled dough log into cookies about 1/8″ thick, then place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, until light golden brown on the tops and edges. Let them cool for 10 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container with a slice of bread for up to a week.
Baker’s notes
- Baking times here don't include chilling the dough or cooling the cookies.
- The recommended baking time is 8-10 minutes at 350ºF.
- For a bit of sweet crunch on the outside, roll the dough log in demerara sugar! Sooo, so good!
- Store the cookies with a slice of bread in an airtight container to keep them soft for days!
- Adapted from A Recipe Sampler by St. Andrew's Evangelical Lutheran Church
