These Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies are a holiday favorite I remember from childhood. They’re easy to make, taste delightful, and who can resist a cookie with a pretty chocolate-and-vanilla swirl? I certainly can’t.
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
You only need eight common ingredients for these Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies—most are likely already in your pantry. You’ll need:
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Light Brown Sugar
- Unsalted Butter
- 1 Egg
- Vanilla Extract
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (added after dividing the dough)
How to Make the Recipe
This is a straightforward cookie recipe, but chilling the dough is important. Chill the wrapped cookie dough log in the refrigerator for 2–3 hours or overnight, or speed things up by freezing for about 1 hour. Chilling firms the dough so you can slice even cookies for baking.
When rolling, double-wrap the log tightly in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn or drying.
Helpful Cookie Baking Tools
Recipe Notes
- Chilling and cooling times are not included in the active prep/cook times.
- Bake at 350ºF for 8–10 minutes, until lightly golden around the edges.
- For a sweet, crunchy exterior, roll the cookie 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
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Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies combine a vanilla layer and a chocolate layer rolled together into an attractive swirl. Rolling the dough in demerara sugar before chilling adds a pleasant crunch to the exterior—perfect for holiday cookie trays.
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, add after dividing dough
- 1 cup Demerara Sugar, for rolling (optional)
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
- With a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle, cream the light brown sugar and unsalted butter on medium-high until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing until combined.
- On low speed, gradually add the dry mixture until a cohesive dough forms.
- 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; set aside.
- Blend the unsweetened cocoa powder into the other half, then roll the chocolate dough to the same size on another sheet of paper.
- Invert the chocolate layer onto the vanilla layer so the vanilla is on the outside of the roll. Remove the top paper and trim any uneven edges.
- Carefully roll the two layers into a jelly roll.
- Optional: roll the dough log in demerara sugar for added crunch.
- Double-wrap the log in plastic wrap and chill until firm—2–3 hours in the refrigerator, overnight, or about 1 hour in the freezer.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and place a rack in the second position.
- Slice the chilled dough into rounds about 1/8″ thick with a sharp knife and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake 8–10 minutes, until the tops and edges are lightly golden. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to finish cooling.
- Store in an airtight container with a slice of bread to keep cookies soft for up to a week.
Notes
- Times listed do not include chilling or final cooling time.
- Bake at 350ºF for 8–10 minutes for best texture.
- Rolling the dough log in demerara sugar adds a lovely crunchy-sweet exterior.
- Keeping a slice of bread in the cookie container helps maintain softness.
- Recipe adapted from A Recipe Sampler by St. Andrew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Nutrition
Calories: 144kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary based on specific ingredients used.
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