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Your holiday baking won’t be complete without these easy-to-make espresso chocolate pinwheel cookies! Each swirled cookie has an amazing flavor combination of sweet vanilla and rich chocolate espresso dough. Those flavors are paired with a best-of-both-worlds texture that matches crispy edges with a soft center–exactly what you want when you bite into a fresh cookie! With their festive swirl pattern, these are the perfect holiday cookies to serve at parties or to send as a gift to friends and family.

Chocolate and vanilla pinwheel cookies in a pile on the table

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Reasons to Bake These Pinwheel Cookies
Chocolate Pinwheel Cookie Ingredients
Make the Pinwheel Cookie Dough
How To Roll the Pinwheel Dough
Slice and Bake the Pinwheel Cookies
How to Store the Baked Cookies
How to Store the Cookies
Troubleshooting Pinwheel Cookies
More Holiday Cookie Inspiration
Espresso Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies

Reasons to Bake These Pinwheel Cookies

These buttery and tender holiday cookies bring together two complementary cookie doughs, one vanilla, and one espresso chocolate. Each dough is simple to make, and the cookies are baked using a classic slice-and-bake method that works reliably every time. Although the swirl pattern step can be a little tricky at first, my easy-to-follow recipe steps will help you get to swirled success in no time.

Vanilla and chocolate pinwheel cookies bring an indulgent mix of vanilla, espresso, and chocolate into one magical cookie that’s both sweet and decadent. When you bite into these cookies, the chocolate espresso flavor does stand out as the dominant note, but the cocoa and subtle hint of vanilla still come through, balancing everything beautifully.

For more delightful Christmas cookie recipes, my Pistachio Shortbread Cookies or Cranberry Orange Cookies are just the ticket. You’ll also love my Peppermint Snowball Cookies.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this delightful holiday cookie:

Unbleached All-Purpose Flour: Flour provides the structure for the cookie and ensures that it holds its shape.
Baking Powder: This gives a slight rise to the cookies and a slightly chewy texture in the center.
Unsweetened Chocolate: Adds a delicious chocolate flavor and melted chocolate ensures the dough stays soft and easy to work with.
Unsalted Butter: Butter adds rich flavor and moisture, helping to produce a soft, tender cookie. Make sure to use room-temperature butter for the best texture and to ensure the dough comes together.
Granulated Sugar: Granulated sugar helps give these cookies crisp edges with a light browning on the bottom edge and sides of the cookie.
Pure Vanilla Extract: Good quality, pure vanilla extract gives the vanilla dough a subtle and sweet vanilla flavor.
Instant Espresso: The espresso adds a subtle coffee flavor while also enhancing the rich chocolate flavor of the unsweetened chocolate. You can make the cookie without the espresso if you prefere.
Large Egg: This binds the cookie dough together and adds moisture to the cookie.

Pinwheel cookie ingredients: all purpose flour, granulated sugar. salt, egg, vanilla, unsweetended chocolated, espresso powder, baking powder

Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1: Sift the all-purpose flour into a large bowl, then whisk in the baking powder and salt.

Butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Step 2: Combine the butter and sugar in a stand mixer bowl. Mix on medium-low until creamy, about 1 minute, then scrape the bowl.

Butter, sugar, and an egg mixed together in the bowl of stand mixer

Step 3: Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until the egg is fully incorporated.

Step 4: Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until the egg is fully incorporated.

Pinwheel cookie dough in the bowl of stand mixer.

Step 5: Add all the dry ingredients to the batter and mix on low speed until the ingredients are thoroughly combined and the dough starts to form a ball.

Half of the pinwheel cookie dough with melted chocolate added to the dough

Step 6: Divide the dough in half. Add the melted chocolate to the mix on medium speed until the chocolate is fully incorporated.

Two pieces of cookie dough each shaped like a rectangle. One is vanilla the other is chocolate. They're both the same size

Step 7: Shape the two pieces of dough into rectangles or squares.

Step 8: Tear off four 14-inch pieces of wax paper. Place the vanilla dough on a sheet and shape it into a square. Cover the dough with another wax sheet, then roll it out to 1/8-inch thick, forming a 9x9-inch square. Trim the edges and use the excess to square off the corners.

The vanilla pinwheel cookie dough is rolled into a square between two pieces of wax paper

Step 9: Place the vanilla dough on a sheet and shape it into a square. Cover the dough with another wax sheet, then roll it out to 1/8-inch thick, forming a 9x9-inch square.

The chocolate pinwheel cookie dough is rolled into a square between two pieces of wax paper

Step 10: Set the first piece of vanilla dough aside and repeat these steps with the espresso chocolate dough.

Step 11: Stack the two pieces of dough (each still sandwiched between the two pieces of wax paper) on top of a board or baking sheet and refrigerate for 20 minutes. The dough is sticky, so it will only be chilled long enough to make it easier to handle and roll.

How To Roll the Pinwheel Dough

Step 12: Remove both the vanilla and chocolate dough from the refrigerator.

The vanilla pinwheel cookie dough on a piece of wax paper

Step 13: Peel one side of wax paper off the vanilla dough, then press it back on lightly. Flip the dough over and remove the top piece of wax paper.

The chocolate and vanilla pinwheel cookie doughs pressed together

Step 14: Use the wax paper to help place the chocolate dough on top of the vanilla dough, lining up the edges as closely as possible.

The pinwheel cookie dough rolled into a log with the ends cut off

Step 15: Use the wax paper under the vanilla dough to help roll the dough into a tight cylinder. This will create the pinwheel pattern. Trim the ends so the cylinder has nice, straight ends.

The pinwheel cookie dough log wrapped in wax paper

Step 16: Wrap the swirled dough in the wax paper and twist the ends to close the wax paper.

Step 17: Chill the dough again for 60-90 minutes.

Slice and Bake the Pinwheel Cookies

The pinwheel cookie dough log sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds. You can clearly see the swirls of vanilla and chocolate dough

Step 18: Unwrap the dough and place it on a cutting board. Cut the dough into even 1/4-inch slices.

Step 21: Place the cookie slices an inch apart on the baking sheet. Bake until the bottom edges of the cookies just turn a light brown. While the first set of cookies is baking, return the other sliced cookies to the refrigerator.

The unbaked pinwheel cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet

Step 19: Place the cookie slices on a prepared baking sheet

The baked pinwheel cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet

Step 20: Bake until the bottom edges of the cookies just turn a light brown.

Step 21: Take the cookies out of the oven, let them rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack with a spatula to cool.

How to Store the Baked Cookies

You can store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 10 days. They’re a fantastic cookie to make in advance if you have a cookie swap or event coming up. Just know that the texture does change slightly over a few days, losing the crispiness and becoming more soft throughout.

A large stack of pinwheel cookies, with a smaller stack behind it

How to Store the Cookies

Troubleshooting Pinwheel Cookies

There are gaps between the vanilla and chocolate dough. After stacking the doughs lightly press the two doughs together to remove any air bubbles. Also when rolling the doughs together, go slow making sure the leading edge is tucked under.
The dough is sticking to the wax paper. If the dough is sticking to the wax paper, return it to the refrigerator and chill for another 10 minutes.
The doughs aren’t evenly lined up. This is okay. Take a sharp knife or pizza wheel and line up the edges.
Cookies are dry cookies: Overbaking can lead to dry cookies. Keep a close eye on them and bake just until the edges are set.

Hosting a cookie swap? Need a fun cookie to bring to a holiday gathering? I’ve got all the recipes you need!

If you make this yummy espresso flavored cookies please leave a rating and a comment below.

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