Slice and bake peanut butter chocolate swirl cookies with turbinado sugar coating. These pinwheel cookies are great for holiday gift boxes!
Cookies are a great idea no matter what the season or reason. These peanut butter chocolate swirl cookies are perfect for celebrations of all sorts.
During the holiday season, these shortbread pinwheel cookies are wonderful for cookie assortment gift boxes. They stay fresh for at least a week after baking!
These slice and bake cookies are made with a shortbread cookie base. The freshly baked cookies will be delicate and fragile straight from the oven. As the they cool, the cookies will regain structure.
They will be slightly crisp and little crumbly. They’re the kind of shortbread cookie that melts in your mouth! The peanut butter chocolate cookies aren’t very sweet. They’re on the lighter sweet side (I say 7/10 sweet).
The cookie doughs are easy to make. However, assembling does require a bit of time and patience. The rolled up cookie log has to be chill for at least two hours before baking. However, there is a make ahead and freeze option!
Pinwheel Cookie Ingredients
Pinwheel swirl cookies are made using two cookie doughs. The doughs are made with roughly the same ingredients with the exception of the flavoring component.
One dough is flavored with peanut butter, while the other dough is flavored with unsweetened cocoa powder. The following contains notes and commonly asked questions regarding key ingredients:
- Unsalted Butter : Unsalted butter allows you to control the flavors of the dough. However, if you prefer to use salted butter, omit the salt listed in the recipe.
- Smooth Peanut Butter : For best results, use no-stir homogenous smooth and creamy peanut butter such as Jif or Skippy. Natural peanut butter that require stirring before use tend to separate during the cookie dough chilling step.
- All-Purpose Flour : For best results, measure flour using a kitchen scale. Otherwise, use the spoon and level method if you prefer to measure by volume (such as cups).
- Cocoa Powder : There are two basic types of cocoa powder- natural and Dutch-processed. You may use either. Natural tends to results in a paler chocolate dough. Dutch-processed will result in a darker colored chocolate dough. However, flavor will remain the same.
- Turbinado Sugar : Coarse brown sugar crystals. The most popular brand is Sugar In The Raw. You may omit the sugar coating. Alternatively, swap in demerara sugar, sparkling sugar, or pearl sugar for the coating.
Assembly Instructions
- Prepare cookie doughs. Start by mixing the peanut butter dough. Scrape out contents and shape into a rectangle. Use the same mixing bowl to prepare chocolate dough. Scrape out contents and shape into a rectangle.
- Chill doughs for at least one hour. Stack rectangle doughs on top of each other. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill for at least one hour up to 24 hours.
- Roll and chill. Roll the two doughs together into a log. Chill cookie log. Wrap log tightly in parchment paper and plastic wrap. Chill for at least two hours until log is solid, or up to three days.
- Slice log into 1 cm thick rounds.
- Brush egg whites around cookie and roll in turbinado sugar.
- Bake!
Tips for Round Slice and Bake Cookies
For best results, ensure cookie log is properly chilled! The log should be solid. Keep in the fridge for at least two hours (up to 3 days).
During the first hour of chilling, remove log every 20 minutes to gently re-roll log. Roll while the log is still encased in parchment paper and plastic wrap. Roll to ensure a smooth round shape. Do this for a total of three times.
For extra protection, store the cookie log inside a paper towel roll! Cut a slit lengthwise down the paper towel roll. Slice the cookie dough log inside. The rounded towel roll prevents the cookie dough from forming a flat bottom.
Use a ruler to mark cookie log at 1 centimeter intervals. Work quickly to prevent the cookie log from softening too much. Use a sharp knife to slice log into 1 cm thick rounds.
Make Ahead and Freeze Option
These cookies are a bit time consuming. Have no fear! These pinwheel cookies can be made in advance and kept in the freezer for later use.
Follow instructions until you have assembled the 15-inch cookie log. Wrap the log well in parchment paper and plastic wrap. Keep in the freezer for up to one monthn.
Remove frozen log from the freezer. Thaw overnight or up to 36 hours in the fridge. Then, slice and bake as directed.
You may also pre-slice the log before freezing. Defrost slices in the fridge for a few hours. Bake as directed. This way, you can bake off a small batch whenever you have a peanut butter chocolate swirl cooking craving!
Cookie Variations
- Peanut Butter Jelly Pinwheel Cookies: Make peanut butter dough as directed. Omit the cocoa powder in second dough. Replace with equal amount powdered freeze dried strawberries (or raspberries).
- Cookie Sandwiches: Use marshmallow fluff, peanut butter, pastry cream, or ice cream to sandwich two peanut butter chocolate pinwheel cookies together.
- Freeze for Later Use: Pre-slice cookie log before freezing. Defrost slices in the fridge for a few hours (3-6 hours). Bake as directed. This way, you can bake off a small batch at a time!
Related Cookie Recipes
Peanut Butter Chocolate Swirl Cookies
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Dough:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, (170 g), softened, room temp
- ¾ cup granulated sugar, (150 g)
- ½ cup smooth peanut butter, (130 g)*
- 1 large egg, room temp
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, (260 g)*
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, *
Chocolate Dough:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, (170 g), softened, room temp
- ¾ cup + 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, (175 g)
- 5 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, (30 g)
- 1 large egg, room temp
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, (260 g)*
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, *
Baking:
- 1 large egg white
- ½ cup turbinado sugar, or as needed
Instructions
Peanut Butter Dough:
- Prepare five sheets of parchment paper cut to 10×15-inches. Use two sheets for peanut butter dough, reserve two sheets for chocolate dough, and remaining sheet for assembly. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using an electric hand mixer), beat together butter and sugar until smooth. Add peanut butter and mix until incorporated. Add egg and vanilla. Mix until well combined. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed to ensure thorough mixing.
- Add in flour and salt. Mix on low speed until there are no longer any dry streaks of flour. Scrape down bowl as needed. The dough will look sticky.
- Place dough on one of the parchment cutouts. Place second parchment paper on top. Use a rolling pin to roll dough into a rectangle the same size as parchment paper. Place dough on half sheet baking sheet. Set aside while you prepare chocolate dough.
Chocolate Dough:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using an electric hand mixer), beat together butter and sugar until smooth. Add cocoa powder and mix until incorporated. Add egg and vanilla. Mix until well combined. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed to ensure thorough mixing.
- Add in flour and salt. Mix on low speed until there are no longer any dry streaks of flour. Scrape down bowl as needed. The dough will look sticky.
- Place dough on one of the parchment cutouts. Place second parchment paper on top. Use a rolling pin to roll dough into a rectangle the same size as parchment paper. Place dough on half sheet baking sheet on top of peanut butter dough. Tightly cover baking sheet with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least one hour up to 24 hours.
Assembly:
- Remove chilled doughs from the fridge. Unstack the doughs and place on a flat clean surface. Allow to sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes* to soften.
- Peel the top parchment from the peanut butter dough. Peel the top parchment from the chocolate dough. Position peanut butter dough lengthwise, with the long side facing you (parallel to you). Invert chocolate dough and place exposed chocolate dough over peanut butter dough allowing ½-inch of the peanut butter dough to be exposed underneath. That means ½-inch of the chocolate dough will hangover on the top.
- Peel off the parchment paper from the chocolate dough. Fold the exposed ½-inch peanut butter dough directly over the chocolate dough. Lift up the parchment paper under the peanut butter dough and use it to gently fold and roll the peanut butter and chocolate doughs into a 15-inch log.
- Remove the parchment backing. Use remaining parchment paper to roll over log. Roll the log back and forth to tighten the spiral. Wrap lightly in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for at least two hours up to 24 hours. During the first hour, remove log and reroll it (while still encased in parchment and plastic wrap) to ensure a round shape cookie every 20 minutes, for a total of three times.
- At this point, wrapped roll may be stored in the fridge for up three days or kept frozen for up to a month.*
Baking:
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper or reusable silicone baking mat.
- Remove cookie log from the fridge. Remove plastic wrap and parchment paper covering. Use a sharp knife to slice cookie log into 1-cm thick rounds.
- Using a pastry brush, wet the edges of the cookie with egg white. Roll the wet edges into turbinado sugar or coarse sugar.
- Space cookies evenly on prepared sheet tray and bake for 12-15 minutes, rotating sheets midway through baking. Bake until cookies are lightly golden and set along the edges. Cool cookies in sheet pan for 3-5 minutes. Then, use an offset spatula to transfer warm cookies to wire rack to further cool.
Notes
- Peanut Butter: for best results use no-stir homogenous smooth peanut butter like Jif or Skippy. Natural peanut peanut butter that require stirring may separate during dough chilling.
- Flour: for best results weight dry ingredients. If using cup measurements, use the “stir and spoon method.”
- Salt: Recipe uses Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal = 1/2 teaspoon Morton kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt.
- Cocoa Powder: use any kind of unsweetened cocoa powder such as Dutch-processed, natural, black, etc.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Love it! I forgot to do the egg wash and turbinado sugar, but it didn’t need it. It was a big hit when I shared them with friends. Will definitely make them again.
Thank you! So glad you and your friends enjoyed it!
Loving these cookies and the pics!I agree chocolate and peanut butter together = love
Thanks! Yes, chocolate and peanut butter are a match made in heaven!
I love the idea of having this cookie dough on hand to bake whenever a craving hits! There is absolutely nothing like freshly baked cookies (especially PB and chocolate ones)!
I like cookie doughs that I can freeze because I end up eating too much when I bake off all the dough!
These do look tasty and unique. I have seen swirled cookies before but they usually are two different types of dough. Classic flavors, which means these will disappear quickly. Also, thanks for the tip on the paper towel rolls, good to know.I do donations of baked goods and this looks like a great recipe so I am saving this. Glad I stopped by and have a great day!
Thank you for stopping by, Tina!