Pinwheel Cookies are the perfect cookie to bake for the upcoming holiday season. I love making pinwheel cookies for Thanksgiving or Christmas (or both).
They feel special with the chocolate-vanilla swirly look they sport—almost like old-fashioned candy. And if you’re looking for more holiday treats to make, check out 20 Easy Holiday Desserts.
Pinwheel cookies are made by molding two flavors of cookie dough: vanilla and chocolate. These slice-and-bake style cookies are a little more labor intensive than your average chocolate chip cookie, but they’re worth the extra effort for the beautiful spiral design.
While these pinwheel cookies require a little more effort, you don’t have to be a professional baker to pull off this look! The following recipe is very easy to prepare.
Ingredients:
- all purpose flour
- baking powder
- Salt
- butter (unsalted)
- Granulated White Sugar
- vanilla extract
- Dark Chocolate (chips or bars)
There are no tricky ingredients required for this cookie recipe. If you love to bake, you probably already have everything you need to make pinwheel cookies.
directions:
Prepare the vanilla and chocolate cookie dough, then shape each into a rectangle. Stack and roll up. Cut into biscuits, exposing the swirled interior.
Bake at 375°F for 8-10 minutes. Easy! Once they’ve cooled, you can serve them at your next holiday get-together or gift them to friends or neighbors.
Tips for making pinwheel cookies:
- You don’t need to chill the dough before shaping.
- You can freeze the dough. It’s best to do this after you’ve already formed the two flavors into a roll. Then you can just slice the frozen dough and bake when done.
- It’s okay if the dough cracks or bumps as you shape it. Just squeeze it back together while you work. No problem!
- You can use parchment paper to roll up the doughs once they are formed into rectangles.
Other Holiday Cookie Recipes:
FAQ
How long can I store these cookies?
If you store them in an airtight container, they can taste fresh for up to a week.
Can I add flavors other than chocolate?
Yes. You could omit the melted chocolate from the recipe and flavor half of the batter with an extract like peppermint or lemon. You can also use food coloring to make the swirl patterns red, yellow, or any other color you prefer.
Can I Freeze Pinwheel Cookies?
Yes, you can freeze the cookies after baking. Another option is to freeze the dough once the two flavors have been rolled into a block. This allows you to cut and bake the dough from the freezer before quickly baking fresh cookies.
Can I melt chocolate in the microwave?
Yes. You can use a bain-marie on the stovetop for this recipe, or melt chocolate in the microwave in 30-second increments.
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Vanilla and chocolate flavored cookies with a festive swirl design
instructions
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In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Put aside.
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In the bowl of a food processor, cream together the butter and sugar. You can also do this with a hand mixer or by hand.
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Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
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Add the dry ingredients and mix until a ball of dough forms.
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Take half of the dough out of the bowl and set aside.
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Melt the chocolate in a water bath. You can also do this in a small bowl in the microwave in 30-second increments.
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Add the melted chocolate to the mixing bowl with the remaining half of the batter. Blend until combined.
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Roll out each dough into a large rectangle. You will need extra flour to dust the surfaces as you work.
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Lay one rectangle on top of the other. Then roll them into a log. If needed, you can use parchment paper on the outside to roll them up.
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Cut the stem into thin biscuit slices. Place on a baking tray covered with baking paper.
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Bake at 375°F for 8-10 minutes. After baking, transfer to the refrigerated shelf.
nutrition
nutritional information
Pinwheel Cookies
amount per serving
% Daily Value*
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Note: Nutrition is automatically calculated using Spoonacular for your convenience. Where appropriate, we recommend using your own nutritional calculations.
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