Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies are buttery, slice-and-bake Christmas shortbread cookies with a delicious swirl of chocolate and vanilla dough — all made from one basic cookie dough. They’re easy to make yet look impressively beautiful!
If you are looking for easy slice-and-bake cookie recipes, try our cardamom cookies or the Christmas icebox cookies next!
Why You'll Love These Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies
These easy Christmas shortbread cookies are buttery, yummy, and eggless, making them perfect for holiday baking! Add these eggless Christmas cookies to your Christmas cookie box ideas, or make a batch for your next Christmas cookie exchange. They also freeze well, so you can bake ahead for a stress-free holiday season!
These buttery pinwheel cookies are perfect for gifting, sharing, and adding to your Christmas cookie box. Whether you need yummy holiday cookies for a cookie exchange or Christmas cookies to freeze for later, these festive slice and bake Christmas cookies will come in handy!
-maria doss
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Tips for Success
- Chill the dough log: Refrigerate the dough log for at least 2 hours (or up to 1 day) before slicing and baking. This helps the cookies hold their shape and prevents the beautiful swirl pattern from spreading.
- Cut even-sized discs: Make sure each slice is the same thickness. Uneven discs will bake unevenly — the thinner ones may brown before the thicker ones are done.
- Don’t roll directly on the counter: Roll out the dough on parchment paper for easy lifting and stacking; this prevents tearing and sticking.
- If the dough sticks to parchment: Place the dough (on the parchment) in the fridge for about 15 minutes to firm it up, then continue rolling — it will be much easier to handle.
- Uneven chocolate and vanilla layers: If the dough layers don’t line up perfectly, no worries! Simply tear off any overhanging chocolate dough and use those pieces to patch any thin or uneven spots.
- Make ahead: The rolled dough log can be frozen for up to 2 months. Transfer it to the fridge overnight to thaw, then slice and bake as directed.
More Easy Slice and Bake Cookies
Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (113.5 gms) 1 stick, at room temperature
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar (62.5 gms)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup + 3 tablespoons all purpose flour (142.5)
- 1 ½ tablespoons cocoa powder (9.4 gms)
Instructions
- Make vanilla dough. Add the butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt to a medium bowl. Beat with a handheld electric mixer for about 2 minutes, until smooth and creamy. Add the flour and mix on low speed, gradually increasing to medium, until the dough comes together and looks slightly sticky. Do not overmix.
- Make Chocolate Dough. Transfer half of the dough to a separate bowl. Add the cocoa powder to the remaining dough and beat until fully combined.
- Roll. Shape the vanilla dough into a rectangular disc and roll it between two sheets of parchment paper to about ⅛-inch thickness. Repeat the same process with the chocolate dough.
- Shape into a log. Carefully remove the top sheet of parchment from one rolled dough and gently place the other dough on top, aligning as best as you can. Don’t worry if the layers aren’t perfect — simply trim any overhanging dough and use it to patch thin or uneven spots. Gently roll the layered dough into a tight log. If the dough cracks or sticks to the parchment, chill it in the fridge for 10–15 minutes before rolling. Wrap the log in parchment and roll it lightly on the counter to slightly lengthen it; this helps remove air bubbles and ensures the two dough layers stick together.
- Chill. Place the dough log, still wrapped in parchment, in the fridge and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
- Bake. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a sharp knife, slice the dough into ¼-inch-thick pieces and arrange them on the baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart.Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the cookies are golden, rotating the pan halfway through for even baking. Cool in the pan.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
How to make pinwheel cookies?
Variations
These vanilla and chocolate pinwheel cookies are mildly sweet, crisp, and buttery — delicious all on their own. However, you can easily dress them up for the holidays, especially when adding them to your Christmas cookie tray. Here are a few fun ideas:
Dip in melted chocolate: Melt semi-sweet chocolate chips with a dash of vegetable oil in the microwave, then dip half of each cookie into the melted chocolate. Place on parchment paper to set for a glossy, festive finish. You can also top them with crushed candy canes like in chocolate sugar cookies.
Make filled pinwheel sandwiches: Spread a layer of Nutella or any chocolate filling between two pinwheel cookies for a decadent sandwich treat. The Nutella ganache from the butter cookies will be delicious too!
Fill with jam: Add a touch of fruitiness by spreading strawberry, raspberry, or apricot jam between two cookies, just as we did for the Christmas tree cookies.
Add almonds: Sprinkle finely chopped or sliced almonds between the rolled vanilla and chocolate dough layers before rolling, then chill and bake for a nutty twist.
Peppermint version: Add a few drops of peppermint extract to the chocolate dough for a refreshing, festive flavor perfect for the holidays.
More easy cookie recipes for the holidays
If you’re looking to expand your holiday baking, these Christmas cookie recipes are sure to delight! From classic favorites to unique twists, there’s something for every festive cookie tray.
- Gingerbread Star Cookies are a festive treat, soft, warmly spiced, and perfectly shaped without spreading. Easy to decorate and elegant on your holiday cookie tray!
- Pecan Snowball Cookies are irresistibly buttery and nutty, with a delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture that crumbles with every bite.
- These Gingerbread Cookie Cups are a fun and unique twist on the classic gingerbread cookies!
- Cashew Snowball Cookies are eggless, buttery, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Packed with cashew nuts and flavored with ground cardamom, they are perfect for Christmas or anytime.
- Italian Lemon Ricotta Cookies are the ultimate holiday cookies - soft, tender, cake-like cookies, with a rich ricotta flavor.
- Pie Crust Cookies using pie dough are simple, delicious, and so fun. Makes a tasty snack!
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Hi, I’m Maria! I share easy, flavor-packed dinners, high-protein meals, and irresistible baking ideas. If you’ve ever asked, “Don’t know what to cook tonight?” you’re in the right place. And yes—there’s plenty here for breakfast, snacks, and dessert too. More about maria ->
