Swedish Checkerboard Cookies
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Add a touch of Scandinavian charm to your Christmas celebrations with my Swedish Checkerboard Cookies. These delightful treats feature alternating squares of buttery vanilla and rich chocolate dough, creating a striking checkerboard or chessboard pattern! Perfect for holiday gatherings or gifting, these cookies are elegant yet simple, making them a must-have on your festive Christmas dessert spread. Learn how to easily make your own homemade checkerboard cookies with this step-by-step guide!
What are Checkerboard Cookies?
Checkerboard cookies, or Schackrutor as they are known in Sweden, are a beloved part of Scandinavian holiday baking. The name literally translates to “chess squares” and their neat, geometric design reflects the Scandinavian love of clean lines and minimalism. These cookies are as pleasing to the eye as they are to the palate, making them a cherished addition to Christmas cookie spreads. Some of the earliest recipes I could find for Swedish schackrutor are from the early 20th century, though I am not entirely sure how old this recipe is! They certainly looks like something that would be popular to eat in the 1910s to 1920s.
See my recipe for Striped Schackrutor here - my dad’s Polish childhood cookie!
Why You’ll Love This REcipe:
Beautiful Design: The striped or checkerboard pattern of these cookies adds a touch of sophistication to any holiday spread and is so strikingly beautiful!
Buttery and Crisp: The melt-in-your-mouth texture and subtle sweetness make them a perfect pairing with tea or coffee.
Fun to Create: Rolling and assembling the contrasting doughs into patterns is both satisfying and entertaining, making it a great activity to share with family or friends.
Gathering Ingredients:
Butter. For the best results, have your butter around 62° F (16° C) so that is softened but not overly warm.
Sugar.
Eggs. You will need 2 egg yolks and 1 egg white for this recipe, at room temperature.
Vanilla Bean Paste. If you do not have vanilla bean paste, you can substitute the paste for vanilla extract.
Flour.
Salt.
Milk. Any type of milk can be used for this recipe.
Cocoa Powder. For this recipe, I recommend using Dutch processed cocoa powder over unsweetened cocoa powder.
How to Make the Dough:
Step One: In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg yolks and vanilla bean paste, beating them into the butter mixture until well combined, about 2 minutes more. Then, add the flour and salt, mixing until a dough begins to form, another 3 to 4 minutes. Finally, cream in the milk and beat on medium speed for a further 3 minutes.
Step Two: Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. To easily do this, weigh your dough on a kitchen scale and divide that number in half.
Step Three: Return one half of the dough to the mixer and set the second half aside for now. To the portion of dough in the mixer, beat in the cocoa powder until it no longer has any streaks of color in it, about 3 minutes.
Step Four: Shape both halves of dough into rectangles that measure about 3 x 8-inches (8 x 20-cm). Try your best at this, as the dough will be soft. Then, wrap each rectangle loosely in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour.
How to Shape Checkerboard Cookies:
Step One: After chilling, remove the dough from the refrigerator and unwrap it. Flatten or square off any rounded edges or sides that have become warped to make the rectangles as square as possible.
Step Two: With a sharp knife, slice each rectangle into 3 equal sized slices, lengthwise. Wipe off your knife with a damp towel between cuts to prevent the doughs from blending together. Each slice should measure about 1 x 8-inches (2.5 x 20-cm). You should have 6 pieces total.
Step Three: Then, slice each 1 x 8-inch slice into 3 equal sized strips, lengthwise. You should have 18 long rectangles total. Don’t forget to wipe off your knife in between for the cleanest cuts and lines.
IMPORTANT: If your dough is becoming too warm, sticky, or greasy, pop it back into the refrigerator at this point. This dough needs to remain as cold as possible to prevent the cookies from spreading.
Step Four: With a pastry brush, dust off any excess flour from the dough pieces. Arrange 3 pieces of the dough next to each other, making an AB pattern (black, white, black). Brush the sides with a bit of the beaten egg white. Then, stick the 3 pieces of dough together gently, being careful not to make an indentations with your fingers.'
Step Five: Brush the top of this layer with more egg white. Then, stack on 3 more pieces of dough, brushing them with egg white, and repeat with a third layer of dough. You are making a checkerboard pattern, so align your dough colors accordingly.
Step Six: Now, you have one cookie block Repeat this same process with the remaining 9 pieces of dough to make a second block. Wrap both blocks with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours more and up to 2 days.
Step Seven: Remove the dough from the refrigerator. With a sharp knife or bench scraper, slice each block into 1/2-inch (1-cm) thick cookies, from the shorter end. The cookies should be about 3 x 3-inches (8 x 8-cm) big. Slice off any rounded edges to square up the cookies as much as possible.
Step Eight: Arrange the sliced cookies on the baking sheets about 2-inches (5-cm) apart. If the cookies have become too warm, pop them back into the refrigerator for about 20 minutes or freezer for about 5 to 10 minutes.
Step Nine: Bake the cookies for 9 minutes or until they are set and the edges are slightly golden brown. Remove the trays from the oven and leave the cookies to rest on the trays for 5 more minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
Troubleshooting Checkerboard Cookies:
Weigh Your Ingredients. It’s always a good idea to weigh your baking ingredients as everyone’s cup of flour weighs differently! For these cookies, if the dough is too soft, it will spread while baking. You want to make sure that the flour measurement is as accurate as possible, so use a kitchen scale. If you do not have a kitchen scale, measure your flour by spooning it into your measuring cup and leveling it with a knife.
Prevent Spreading. To prevent your cookies from spreading, make sure to keep your dough as cold as possible. Chilling the dough helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much and enhances their flavor. The chilling process is very important so do not adjust or skip times! If you feel that your dough is becoming soft, sticky, or greasy pop the cookies back into the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes or into the freezer for about 10 minutes.
Uniform Sizing: Use a ruler or straight edge to ensure the strips are even for a neater design, though it can be unpredictable how they will transform while baking.
Serving Suggestions:
Pair these easy checkerboard cookies with a cup of glögg (Swedish mulled wine), hot cocoa, or coffee for a cozy holiday treat. Their elegant appearance makes them a standout addition to cookie platters, while their delicate flavor complements other holiday desserts beautifully.
Want to make your checkerboard cookies in a different pattern? Try making my Striped Schackrutor recipe!
Final Thoughts:
Swedish Checkerboard Cookies are a timeless holiday classic that beautifully balance simplicity and elegance. Their striking design and buttery, chocolatey flavor make them a joy to bake, share, and enjoy. Bring a taste of Scandinavian tradition to your Christmas celebrations with this easy to make checkerboard cookie recipe!
xoxo Kayla
Swedish Checkerboard Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (232 g) salted butter, softened
- 3/4 cups (150 g) granulated sugar
- 2 egg yolks, room temperature
- 2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups (344 g) all-purpose flour
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) milk, any kind
- 1 tbsp (6 g) Dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten
Instructions
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg yolks and vanilla bean paste, beating them into the butter mixture until well combined, about 2 minutes more. Then, add the flour and salt, mixing until a dough begins to form, another 3 to 4 minutes. Finally, cream in the milk and beat on medium speed for a further 3 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. To easily do this, weigh your dough on a kitchen scale and divide that number in half.
- Return one half of the dough to the mixer and set the second half aside for now. To the portion of dough in the mixer, beat in the cocoa powder until it no longer has any streaks of color in it, about 3 minutes.
- Shape both halves of dough into rectangles that measure about 3 x 8-inches (8 x 20-cm). Try your best at this, as the dough will be soft. Then, wrap each rectangle loosely in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour.
- After chilling, remove the dough from the refrigerator and unwrap it. Flatten or square off any sides that are warped to make the rectangle as square as possible. With a sharp knife, slice each half into 3 slices, lengthwise. Wipe off your knife with a damp towel between cuts to prevent the colors from blending together. Each slice should measure about 1 x 8-inches (2.5 x 20-cm). Then, slice each 1 x 8-inch piece into 3 equal sized strips, lengthwise. You should now have 18 long rectangles. Chill your dough at any stage in this process if it is getting too soft!
- With a pastry brush, dust off any excess flour from the dough pieces. Arrange 3 pieces of the dough next to each other, making an AB pattern (black, white, black). Brush the sides with a bit of the beaten egg white. Then, stick the 3 pieces of dough together gently, being careful not to make an indentations with your fingers. Brush the top of this layer with more egg white. Then, stack on 3 more pieces of dough, brushing them with egg white, and repeat with a third layer of dough. You are making a checkerboard pattern, so align your dough colors accordingly.
- Now, you have one cookie block Repeat this same process with the remaining 9 pieces of dough to make a second block. Wrap both blocks with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours and up to 2 days.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (177° C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and set these aside for now.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator. With a sharp knife or bench scraper, slice each block into 1/2-inch (1-cm) thick cookies, from the shorter end. The cookies should be about 3 x 3-inches (8 x 8-cm) big. Slice off any rounded edges to square up the cookies as much as possible.
- Arrange the sliced cookies on the baking sheets about 2-inches (5-cm) apart. If the cookies have become too warm, pop them back into the refrigerator for about 20 minutes or freezer for about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Bake the cookies for 9 minutes or until they are set and the edges are slightly golden brown. Remove the trays from the oven and leave the cookies to rest on the trays for 5 more minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
- The cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for about 4 to 5 days. They can also be frozen after baking and enjoyed later!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
101Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
