Enjoy classic chocolate and vanilla pinwheel cookies using this tried-and-tested homemade recipe. These mesmerizingly beautiful and delightfully soft pinwheel cookies come together by layering and rolling chocolate and vanilla cookie dough together. The best part about these slice-and-bake cookies? You only need to make 1 dough! Follow my in-depth tutorial and video for recipe success.
One reader, Christi, commented: โLove this recipe for pinwheel cookies! My grandma used to make these. Love the swirls, the vanilla and chocolate combo, and the buttery taste! I made a few dipped in chocolate, but these cookies are so good they can stand alone. Thank you, Sally, for the detailed instructions and the video! โ โ โ โ โ โ
Look into the pinwheel cookiesโฆ you are getting hungryโฆ very hungryโฆ
Have you ever made pinwheel cookies before? I have a recipe for these slice-and-bake style cookies in Sallyโs Cookie Addiction, but this one is very slightly different. (Though the end result is the same!) The main difference is that I use cocoa powder + milk for the chocolate dough today, instead of melted chocolate. I find the chocolate dough more pliable this way, and itโs easier to roll up with the vanilla dough to make that characteristic swirl. Both recipes work.
Todayโs recipe actually uses the same base dough as mint chocolate checkerboard cookies and these neapolitan cookies, but since pinwheels have the tendency to overspread, I add a *touch* more flour. This gives you extra insurance, just in case the dough starts to get a bit sticky.
Itโs All Made From the Same Dough
What I love most about this recipe is that, like my cookbook version, these neapolitan cookies, and these mint chocolate checkerboard cookies, itโs all made from one base dough. Weโll add some cocoa powder and milk to half the dough to make the chocolate portion. I also love adding a little espresso powder because it really deepens the cocoa flavorโI always use it in chocolate cake.
Some pinwheel cookie recipes have you make two completely separate doughs. So I appreciate the convenience of this version! You can spend more time perfecting your swirl. ๐
Love a good swirly slice-and-bake cookie? Try these cinnamon roll cookies!
Whatโs the Texture Like?
They may look like crunchy cookies, but theyโre surprisingly soft in the centers, thanks to the soft chocolate dough and the extra egg yolk. If you can handle a sticky chocolate dough, youโll be rewarded with a soft cookie! Letโs get started.
Let Me Walk You Through This Process
The full printable recipe is below, but there are some key points I want to walk you through before you begin. The process can be tricky if you arenโt fully prepared, so let me set you up for success!
The base dough is very similar to my sugar cookies, butter cookies, chocolate butter cookies, and spritz cookies. You need these ingredients:
Not many notes on the ingredients as these are all fairly common in a bakerโs kitchen! Two things, though: (1) Make sure you use proper room temperature butter for creaming. (2) Weโre adding an extra yolk to the dough for softness. Trust me on thisโ1 egg is not enough and 2 eggs is too much. So, just like a batch of extra moist and soft chocolate chip cookies, use 1 whole egg + 1 extra egg yolk.
(Note the photo above shows 2 eggs, but you donโt need that second egg white.)
Make the Dough & Chill It Briefly
The dough comes together with a mixer fairly quickly. After itโs all mixed together, divide it in half. Donโt get worried if itโs not perfectly evenโif one portion of the dough is a little less than half, use that one for making the chocolate dough, since youโre going to add more ingredients to it:
Place half of the dough back into the mixing bowl and add cocoa powder, milk, and the optional espresso powder:
Now you have 2 doughs: vanilla and chocolate. Using lightly floured hands, shape each into small rectangles, about 1 inch thick, and about 4ร5 inches. (The exact measurement doesnโt matter much here, but it will when you go to roll the doughs out after chilling.) You can use flour on the counter and your hands when youโre shaping the vanilla dough, but you can use cocoa powder instead when youโre working with the chocolate dough. (Or just stick with flour.)
Wrap doughs up and chill for just 60โ90 minutes. The point is to chill the doughs just long enough so theyโre easier to roll out and handle, but also still pliable and bendy. If the doughs chill too long, theyโll be too stiff. 60โ90 minutes is your sweet spot! If youโre making these as part of a marathon holiday cookie baking day, this is the perfect amount of time to tackle quick no-chill recipe like shortbread cookies.
Tip: The chocolate dough is stickier than the vanilla dough. Itโs not quite as sticky as these double chocolate chip cookies, but cocoa powder usually produces a sticky dough. Thatโs why, when we roll the doughs together to make the pinwheel design, we have the vanilla dough on the bottom. Vanilla will be on the outside of the cookie. If we swapped them and had the chocolate dough on the outside, the cookies would spread even more.
How to Roll Pinwheel Cookies
Are you ready to roll? Let me walk you through this. I promise you can do it.
After the blocks of dough chill in the refrigerator, itโs time to shape the pinwheel cookies. Place a piece of parchment paper on your work surface, and sprinkle it with flour to keep the dough from sticking.
Rolling Tip: I layer the parchment paper sheet on top of a silicone baking mat, to keep it from sliding all over the counter. You could also tape the edges of the parchment to the counter before you begin rolling. I find these doughs stick less to parchment vs. silicone baking mats, so thatโs why I roll out on parchment. Do not roll the doughs out on your counter because youโll have a difficult time lifting/transferring them.
Remove the vanilla dough from the refrigerator. (Keep the chocolate dough in the fridge for now.)
Roll the vanilla dough into an 8ร14-inch rectangle, between 1/8โ1/4 inch thick.
Another Rolling Tip: Flip the dough every now and then in between rolls, to make sure itโs not sticking. Add a little more flour if needed to prevent sticking. Use your hands to straighten out the sides. You can see me do this in the video below.
Return the rolled-out vanilla dough to the refrigerator (simply lift up the parchment and place the whole thing in the refrigerator), and then work on the chocolate dough. Dust your rolling pin and work surface with cocoa powder and roll out the chocolate dough to about the same size as the vanilla, or slightly smaller.
Carefully pick up the chocolate dough and layer it over the top of the vanilla dough. Pat it down gently to rid any air bubbles from between the layers.
Tip: If youโre having trouble getting the doughs to line up nicely, see the Troubleshooting section below. You can straighten up the edges with your hands.
Working from one of the long edges, begin rolling. Go slowly, and try to roll it as tightly as possible. You can kind of meld the doughs together with your fingers at the beginning to get the roll started. (You can see me do this in the video tutorial below.) If you notice bare or cracked spots of vanilla dough, just patch it up with your fingers as you go. Doesnโt have to look perfect.
Chill the Dough Logs for 2 Hours
Youโll end up with a log of dough thatโs about 14 inches long. Slice it in half. Wrap up both logs of dough, and chill them in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, and up to 4 days. This chilling time can be much longer than the first, because weโre done rolling/shaping the dough and it no longer has to be pliable.
Letโs Slice & Bake the Cookies
When youโre ready to bake, use a sharp knife to slice each dough log into 14 cookies, about 1/2 inch thick. If any of your cookies look a little misshapen, you can reshape into a circle before you put it on the baking sheet. (Again, you can see me doing this in the video below.)
Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet and bake.
How to Prevent Pinwheel Cookies From Over-Spreading
These pinwheel cookies have a tendency to spinโฆ I mean, spreadโฆ out of control, so we want to keep this dough cold. Make sure you chill the dough for at least the minimum amount of time whenever the recipe instructs. 2 tips:
- Any time you arenโt working with a dough, place it back in the refrigerator. When youโre working with either the vanilla or the chocolate dough, keep the other one in the refrigerator.
- You can also place the baking sheets with the sliced cookies on them in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes before baking, to help set their shape. (Or put all of the sliced cookies on a plate to refrigerate if your refrigerator doesnโt have enough room for a baking sheet.)
Troubleshooting Pinwheel Cookies
- Vanilla dough is sticking to parchment: Place the whole thing back in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, then use flour-dusted fingers to patch it back together as best you can.
- Chocolate dough is tearing when I try to move it: Place the whole thing back in the refrigerator if you can for 10 minutes. Use cocoa powder- or flour-dusted hands to patch anything back together.
- Chocolate & vanilla doughs arenโt lined up evenly: Thatโs fine, tear off any overhanging pieces of chocolate dough, and use it to patch any areas that need some.
- I canโt get it to be an even rectangle: Use a pizza cutter to slice off any uneven edges.
- Chocolate and vanilla swirls are separating in baked cookies: Make sure that you pat down any air bubbles between the chocolate and vanilla doughs before you roll them together. Also, it could be that youโre adding a little too much flour when youโre rolling out the doughs. This is great for keeping the dough from sticking, but can also make it difficult for the 2 doughs to stick together. Next time, try using an egg wash with the extra egg white and 1 Tablespoon water. Brush the egg wash on the vanilla dough before layering on the chocolate dough. (This is a step in my cookbook, but I omit it here. I find ridding air bubbles between the doughs usually solves the issue.)
Variations
- Tinting the Dough: Feel free to tint the vanilla dough. After dividing the dough in half, beat in a little gel food coloring. If youโre skipping the chocolate dough (see next), you can tint both doughs OR you can leave 1 dough white and tint the other half.
- Skipping the Chocolate/Adding Flavor Extracts: Yes, you can skip the chocolate and tint one or both of the doughs a color so the pinwheel design shows. Feel free to keep the flavor of both dough halves vanilla, or add another extract, such as peppermint or coconut. See recipe Note below.
- Roll Dough Logs in Sprinkles or Coarse Sugar: After chilling the logs of dough, you can roll in sprinkles or coarse sugar before slicing and baking.
- Chocolate Dip: Like these chocolate ginger cookies, pinwheels are extra delicious with a dip in melted chocolate. I sprinkled the chocolate with some shimmery gold sprinkles. Who doesnโt love sparkly Christmas cookies?!
Or try a mint chocolate version, like these checkerboard cookies. Flavor/tint the vanilla dough just as you do in that recipe.
For another slice-and-bake favorite, try my brown sugar shortbread cookies next.
Print
How to Make Pinwheel Cookies
- Prep Time: 4 hours, 15 minutes (includes chilling)
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours, 35 minutes
- Yield: 28 cookies
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These buttery slice-and-bake pinwheel cookies are a delicious (and beautiful!) swirl of chocolate and vanilla, which start with 1 basic cookie dough. For best success, watch the video tutorial and read through the recipe and Notes before starting. I also have a troubleshooting section above.
Ingredients
Base Cookie Dough
- 2 and 2/3 cups (333g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Dough
- 2 Tablespoons (10g) unsweetened natural or dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk
- optional: 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
Optional for Dipping
- 6 ounces (170g) white, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate, finely chopped (see Note)
- optional: sprinkles
Instructions
- Make the dough: Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until creamed, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
- Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. Dough will be thick and sticky. Remove from the mixing bowlโno need to rinse out the mixing bowl.
- Divide the dough in half: You should have a little less than 2 lbs. of dough, or somewhere between 800โ900g. Divide the dough in half. Note: Itโs ok if the portions arenโt exactly half. If one half is slightly smaller, use that one for the chocolate dough.
- Make the chocolate dough: Place half of the dough back into the mixing bowl. Add the cocoa powder, milk, and espresso powder (if using). Beat on low speed until dough is combined.
- Shape & chill for 60โ90 minutes: The doughs are sticky, so just do your best in this step. Place both doughs on a lightly floured work surface. (Tip: I like to use cocoa powder as my โflourโ for handling/rolling the chocolate dough.) With lightly floured hands, carefully form each dough into a 1-inch-thick rectangle block, about 4ร5 inches in size. Wrap both dough blocks up in plastic wrap, parchment paper, or aluminum foil. Refrigerate for 60โ90 minutes. The *key* is to only refrigerate until the dough is less sticky, but still pliable enough to bend and shape. Chilling any longer will make it difficult to roll together. If you need to chill it for longer than 90 minutes, make sure you let it sit at room temperature for 15โ30 minutes before continuing with the next step.
- Roll out the doughs: Remove vanilla dough from the refrigerator and unwrap. Keep chocolate dough in the refrigerator. Lightly flour a piece of parchment paper. Note that I like to place the parchment paper on top of a silicone baking mat to prevent it from sliding all over the counter, or you can tape it down. (Do not roll the doughs directly on the counter because you may have a hard time lifting/transferring them.) Using a lightly floured rolling pin, begin rolling out the vanilla dough. Flip the dough every now and then between rolls to ensure itโs not sticking to the parchment. Roll out to an 8ร14-inch rectangle, and use your hands to ensure the sides are straight and smooth. The thickness will be between 1/8โ1/4 inch. Set the dough aside, and itโs most helpful if you refrigerate the vanilla dough at this time. Pick up the vanilla dough using the parchment paper and place the whole thing in the refrigerator as you roll out the chocolate dough. Lightly dust another piece of parchment paper with flour or cocoa powder. Using a lightly floured (or cocoa powder-ed) rolling pin, roll the chocolate dough out to an 8ร14-inch rectangle, or very slightly smaller. Remove vanilla dough from the refrigerator. Carefully peel the chocolate dough off the parchment and do your best to line it up on top of the vanilla dough. Flatten the chocolate dough on top as best you can, gently patting it down to remove any air bubbles between the layers of doughs. Patch any torn chocolate dough pieces back together. And feel free to use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to straighten up any uneven edges.
- Roll into a log: Starting with a long side, tightly roll the 2 doughs together, making sure there are no gaps between them. You can use the parchment paper under the vanilla dough to assist in rolling. Go slowly, and try to roll it as tightly as possible. You can kind of meld the doughs together with your fingers at the beginning to get the roll started. (You can see me do this in the video tutorial below.) If you notice bare or cracked spots of vanilla dough, which usually happens (donโt worry!), just patch it up with your fingers as you go. Doesnโt have to look perfect. Once you have your log of dough, cut it in half, so you have two 7-inch-long dough logs.
- Chill for 2 more hours: Wrap each dough log in plastic wrap, parchment paper, or aluminum foil and refrigerate for 2 more hours and up to 4 days.
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Slice and bake: Slice each log into 14 1/2-inch-thick cookies.
- Arrange cookies about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheetsโexpect these cookies to expand quite a bit in the oven. If the dough got a little soft from working with it, chill the cookies on the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before baking. Bake for 14โ15 minutes or until very lightly browned around the edges.
- Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Optional chocolate dipping: Coarsely chop the chocolate. Melt in a double boiler or the microwave. If using the microwave, stir every 20 seconds until itโs smooth. Dip half of each cooled cookie into the chocolate. Add sprinkles on top of chocolate, if desired. Allow chocolate to completely set at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
- Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for 1 week. Refrigerate cookies dipped in chocolate after a few days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Baked cookies freeze well up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature, if desired, before serving. You can shape the cookie doughs into the pinwheel logs and chill in the refrigerator for up to 4 days (see step 9), or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then continue with step 10.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats | Parchment Paper Sheets | Rolling Pin | Cooling Rack | Double Boiler (optional for melting chocolate) | Gold Shimmer Sprinkles
- Tinting the dough with food coloring: If you want to tint the vanilla dough a color, you absolutely can. After dividing the dough in half, beat a couple drops (depends on how vibrant you want the color) of gel food coloring into the vanilla dough. If youโre skipping the chocolate dough (see Note below), you can tint both doughs (such as 1 dough red and 1 dough green) OR you can leave 1 dough white and tint the other half (such as white/vanilla and red/peppermintโsee Note below about adding flavor extract).
- Can I make these without the chocolate/add another flavor? Yes, but youโll want to tint half of the dough so the pinwheel design shows. (See Note above.) You can keep the flavor of both dough halves vanilla, or add another extract such as peppermint or coconut. If you want the entire dough flavored, go ahead and add 1 teaspoon of your favorite flavor extract when you add the vanilla extract. If you only want to flavor half of the dough, beat 1/2 teaspoon extract into half of the dough before the 1st chill (replace step 5).
- Rolling in Sprinkles or Coarse Sugar: After chilling the logs of dough, roll in 1/2 cup (about 100g) sprinkles or coarse sugar before slicing and baking. If the sprinkles/coarse sugar are not sticking to the dough, use a pastry brush to brush the dough very lightly with a little water, and then try coating again.
- Chocolate for Dipping: The best chocolate for melting and dipping is the โbaking chocolateโ bars found in the baking aisle of the grocery store. I typically use Bakers or Ghirardelli brands. You can use white, semi-sweet, or dark/bittersweet. Do not use chocolate chips because they contain stabilizers, which prevent them from melting into the correct consistency.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I used this recipe to instead make otter face cookies for a bake sale at my kidsโ school, which is the schoolโs mascot. The chocolate and base cookie doughs made it easy for me to make this two tone cookie, with the chocolate cookie at the bottom, and the base dough on top with 1/4 of it cut away with a scalloped and crimped edge to suggest that furry lighter area of the otterโs face. Used left over chocolate dough to make eyes, nose, and whiskers separately, all โgluedโ together with melted chocolate. With chilling the cut cookies beforehand, they did not spread much while baking, which is just what Iโd hoped for. Great taste too!
I was surprised at how simple these were to make and how great they looked. My family loved them. I love your recipes, theyโre always a hit!
Wonderful cookies, just as described! Iโm tossing out my previous pinwheel recipe, these are so much better!
I want to make peppermint pinwheels so instead of the chocolate dough Iโd just dye that half red or pink. What Iโm wondering is should I keep the vanilla extract for that half or not because Iโm also adding peppermint extract.
Hi Anika, you can keep the vanilla extract and add peppermint. See recipe notes for more details!
First time making these cookies and it was a success! I need to get more practice with rolling the rectangles after the intial chilling but they sliced and baked beautifully. And were fairly round with a nice strong chocolate swirl!
This recipe was a winner. They look gorgeous and taste every bit as good as they look. I would be happy to send a photo if youโd like to see. I didnโt flour the parchment before rolling, but it didnโt seem to matter. However, next time I make these, I will chill the two layers of dough well before marrying them. Also, making the rolled log perfectly round makes a better looking result. Mine wasnโt perfectly round, but looked beautiful nevertheless. Thank you for a great recipe.
These cookies are awesome I roll the log in red and green sprinkles for that Xmas look. I was wondering. Can you make the log and freeze it for a while. The defrost in the fridge before cooking?
Hi Steve, yes! See recipe Notes: You can shape the cookie doughs into the pinwheel logs and chill in the refrigerator for up to 4 days (see step 9), or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then continue with step 10.
Yes, you can freeze the log too, i did. I made the dough a week ahead and froze it. Thaw in the fridge 24 hours, then place on counter for an hour or so when ready to use. They were wonderful
I made these cookies for a cookie swap at work and everyone loved them! Recipe is easy to follow and cookies came out with an amazing texture and flavor.
Labour intensive but a good cookie.
Crisp edges but soft chewy centre.
These cookies are absolutely delicious! I baked them last yesr for the first time and they were gone in no-time. They now belong to my Christmas baking repertoire thanks a lot Sally. Greetz from Spain
I made these last year, with great response, so I was wondering if I could just double the recipe to make a large batch, instead of making the dough twice. And if so, do I just double all the ingredients?
And also, last night I mixed a batch of the checkerboard cookies but havenโt baked them yet. I forgot to add the tbsp of milk to the chocolate dough. What purpose does the milk serve, and will it ruin the batch I just made because I omitted it? The dough didnโt seem too dry. Thank you!
Hi Tess! Most cookie recipes double well, as long as your mixer is large enough to handle the volume. If you forgot the milk in that recipe, we wouldnโt worry too much! Especially if the dough didnโt seem too dry.
Is it possible to turn the chocolate into red velvet?
Hi Chrissy, red velvet has a fairly different flavor, so this recipe would take a lot more testing to change, Iโm afraid.
Made this with green and red colouring for Christmas and these were amazing! Canโt wait for cookie palooza โ24!
I made these last year and gave out to our neighbors as Christmas gifts along with some other cookies. I had one or 2 break and my husband and I ate those. After tasting one, I wish more had broken Delicious recipe! Very easy to follow and make for a beautiful piece for any cookie platter. โค๏ธ Safe to say I will be making 2 batches of these this year!
I found this recipe really problematic; I think there must be a mistake in the proportions. The dough was not at all sticky, and in fact wouldnโt come together at all until I added an additional egg yolk and some 1/2 and 1/2. Also, the dough is really bland, with little/no flavor. So I started over using a different recipe.
Hi Dede, was your flour over measured by chance? Be sure to spoon and level (or use a kitchen scale) to ensure just the right amount, otherwise the dough could become too dry. It should be thick and sticky as written. Thank you for giving these a try.
I used this recipe to try making pinwheel cookies for the first time and I was so happy with how they turned out! The instructions and video are nice and clear so makes the recipe easy to follow. The cookies taste delicious! Will definitely be making these again!
1st pinwheel cookie recipe that ever worked for me. I had given up. But trusting your recipes, I tried again. Glad it did. I will make these in my Granddaughters college colors. She is in the marching band. Thank you !
I love all your recipes including this one. Youโre amazing Sallyโจ
I just had one problem. My cookies spread too much I think and got really thin. I tried refrigerating and even freezing them more, but they always spread a lot. I was wondering if I should put more flour orโฆ?
Also I made this recipe without the chocolate and added barberry and chia seedsโฆ Everyone loved it a lot
There are quite a few factors that can go into cookies spreadingโthis post on how to prevent cookies from spreading will be a helpful resource to review. Thank you for giving these cookies a try!
Hi I have a question, are the texture of these cookies soft, chewy, or sportive dry??
Hi Shylah, they may look like theyโll be crunchy cookies, but theyโre surprisingly soft in the centers, thanks to the soft chocolate dough and the extra egg yolk. We hope you love them if you give them a try!
Thank you! I did make the recipe and it was amazing!!
I did not expect these to be this good. The texture and flavor are just amazing they are sooooo much better than store bought. I cut them very thin and they came out very light. I cant get over their texture itโs so good.
Do you think I could I wrap the dough when it is in the log form and freeze it. And then when I want to bake them take them out of the freezer and into the fridge for a bit until ready to cut up and bake?
Hi Riley, absolutely. You can shape the cookie doughs into the pinwheel logs and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then continue with step 10.
If I had to halve this recipe, how would I halve the eggs? We donโt have enough room for the full batch and wonโt be able to finish it.
Our general rule for halving an egg is to crack it open, beat the yolk and white together with a fork, measure the volume (should be a few Tbsp), then use half.
I am wondering if I could cut this recipe in half because these are too many cookies.
Absolutely, simply halve all ingredients. You can use one full egg.
Cookies came out great! We use to buy at La Panier in Seattle when they had them. Now I can make anytime I want.
This recipe reminded me of the Pillsbury slice and bake cookies that were a thing of childhood. They were so easy, and taste almost like shortbread, can become a new cookie plate staple! They have a simple but good flavor.
beautiful cookies! the only thing is the cookie itself was dry and the plain dough was tasteless .but the chocolate dough i would make just as a plain cookie!!!!