These Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies are a holiday classic I can remember since I was little. They’re simple to make, taste wonderful, and who can say no to a cookie with a beautiful chocolate and vanilla swirl? I know I can’t!
Table of Contents
Grab the Ingredients
Only eight ingredients are needed to make this chocolate pinwheel cookies recipe—and they’re more than likely already in your pantry! You’ll need:
- All Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Light Brown Sugar
- Unsalted Butter
- Egg – you only need 1
- Vanilla Extract
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – you’ll add this after dividing the dough in half
How to Make the Recipe
Chocolate pinwheel cookies are a fairly straightforward recipe to make, but they do require time to chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2-3 hours or overnight. You can also place them in the freezer for about 1 hour.
Whatever chilling method you use, it will be much easier to slice the cookies later for baking. Just remember to tightly double-wrap the roll of cookie dough in plastic wrap.
Helpful Cookie Baking Tools
Recipe Notes
- The baking times noted in this chocolate pinwheel cookie recipe do not include dough chilling or the cooling of cookies after they are baked.
- Recommended baking time for this recipe is 8-10 minutes at 350ºF.
- For a little bit of sweet crunchiness on the outside, roll the chocolate pinwheel cookie dough log in some demerara sugar! So, so good!
- Keep a slice of bread with your cookies in an airtight container to keep them soft for days!
More Holiday Cookies from Beyond the Butter!
Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies
Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies are perfect to make over the holidays! They’re a combination of chocolate cookie dough and vanilla cookie dough rolled together into a beautiful swirl, then rolled in demerara sugar for a bit of sweet crunchiness on the outside! They taste fantastic and a definite must make!
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
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set to the side.2 cup All-Purpose Flour, 1 tsp Baking Powder, 1/4 tsp Salt
- Using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the light brown sugar and unsalted butter together thoroughly on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.1 cup Light Brown Sugar, 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter
- Add in the egg and vanilla extract.1 Large Egg, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Switching the mixer speed to low, gradually add in the whisked dry mixture until well combined.
- Divide the dough in half. Roll half of the dough on a lightly floured sheet of wax or parchment paper to form a 9″ x 12″ rectangle, approx. 1/8″ thick. Set aside.
- With the other half of dough, blend in the unsweetened cocoa powder and then roll out the chocolate dough onto another lightly floured sheet of wax or parchment paper to a 9″ x 12″ rectangle.2 tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Turn the chocolate layer onto the vanilla layer (so the vanilla layer will be on the outside of the roll). Remove the wax paper from the top and trim any rough edges of the rectangle.
- Carefully roll the 2 layers of dough into a jelly roll.
- Roll the pinwheel cookie dough roll in demerara sugar (optional step).1 cup Demerara Sugar
- Double wrap the roll of cookie dough securely in plastic wrap and chill until form. You can chill the dough either in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight – or – chill in the freezer for 1 hour.
- When ready to bake, adjust the oven rack to the 2nd level position and preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Using a sharp knife, slice the chilled cookie dough log into cookies approximately 1/8″ thick and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until they are a light golden brown on the top and edges. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- Keep cookies stored in an airtight container with a slice of bread for up to a week.
Notes
- Recipe times noted do not include dough chilling time or cooling of cookies after they are baked.
- Recommended baking time for this recipe is 8-10 minutes at 350ºF.
- For a little bit of sweet crunchiness on the outside, roll the chocolate pinwheel cookie dough log in some demerara sugar! Sooo, so good!
- Keep a slice of bread with your cookies in an airtight container to keep them soft for days!
- Recipe adapted from A Recipe Sampler by St. Andrew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
Nutrition
Calories: 144kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 48mg | Potassium: 36mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 128IU | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information provided above is an estimate only and will vary based on specific ingredients used. See Nutritional Disclaimer for more info.
Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!
This dough is so dry. It was a nightmare to roll out. It ended up falling apart because it was so dry. I’m not a novice baker either. very disappointing.
I haven’t had this much fun baking in a long time! There is something so satisfying about rolling the dough and then cutting into it to see the gorgeous vanilla and chocolate swirls. Not to mention they taste incredible. Rolling them in the sugar at the end is just the cherry on top. Cannot wait to make again. Thanks so much Jennifer xxo
Thank YOU, Belinda, for making them and for sharing the link to your FB group! I appreciate it so much!
The chocolate dough requires a bit more butter due to the fact that a dry ingredient has been added.
Hello! I was just wondering if this cookie comes out crunchy? My grandma used to make these cookies every Christmas, and sadly after she passed, no one has the recipe. Every time I try to find a recipe online, they state they are soft – and the ones I grew up eating were crunchy! Thank you!
These, I’d say, are a mix of both. Their centers are chewy but have a slightly crispy outside. Hope this helps!
These cookies turned out great, but I could barely get 2 dozen put of this recipe and I followed it exactly. How do you get 6 dz??
I’m so sorry about that! I’m not sure why that says 6 dozen either. I’ve updated it to say 2 dozen because I usually get around 25 or so. If I roll them into a smaller cookie and cut them thinner I can sometimes get a few more. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I tried taste very good have to work on the rolling part
I loved this recipe! The cookies turned out beautiful and tasty… the only problem was that they finished too fast! 😉