Prepare to embark on a delightful baking journey with these truly exceptional **Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies**. Imagine a profoundly rich, chewy chocolate cookie, generously studded with premium chocolate chips, that hides a glorious secret within: a plump, soft marshmallow. As these culinary wonders bake, the marshmallow transforms into a molten, irresistibly gooey pool, creating a warm, comforting center that perfectly complements the decadent chocolate. These aren’t just cookies; they’re an experience, a symphony of textures and flavors that will captivate your taste buds and impress everyone lucky enough to try them.
There’s an undeniable magic that happens when chocolate and marshmallow come together. Much like the comforting embrace of hot chocolate on a cold day, the pairing of a rich, chewy chocolate cookie with a warm, gooey marshmallow center creates an unparalleled treat. This recipe takes that classic combination and elevates it into a truly unforgettable cookie that’s perfect for any occasion, from a casual family dessert to a show-stopping party offering. You’ll find these cookies are not only incredibly delicious but also surprisingly simple to prepare, requiring no special equipment or advanced baking skills.
Craving more marshmallow-infused delights? Explore these fantastic recipes: S’mores Chocolate Chip Cookies, Gooey Marshmallow Brownies, and Toasted S’mores Cupcakes. Each offers a unique way to enjoy the delightful texture and sweetness of marshmallows.
Why You’ll Absolutely Love This Recipe
These chocolate marshmallow cookies are destined to become a staple in your recipe collection. Here’s why this recipe truly stands out:
- Irresistibly Chewy Chocolate Cookie Base: The foundation of this recipe is a perfectly crafted chocolate cookie that’s chewy, rich, and bursting with cocoa flavor. Even without the marshmallow, this cookie dough is a delight, but it serves as the ideal vessel for our gooey surprise. The balance of sugars and fats ensures a tender crumb with just the right amount of chewiness that holds up beautifully to the molten marshmallow.
- Gloriously Gooey Marshmallow Center: This is the star of the show! Each cookie encapsulates a marshmallow that bakes down into a warm, liquid center. Biting into one of these cookies reveals a delightful ‘marshmallow pool’ that stretches and melts in your mouth, creating a decadent contrast with the firm exterior of the cookie. It’s an unexpected texture that elevates a simple chocolate cookie into an extraordinary dessert experience.
- No Mixer Required – Effortless Baking: Forget about dragging out your stand mixer or hand mixer! This recipe is designed for maximum ease, allowing you to achieve professional-level results with just a bowl and a whisk or spatula. This makes it perfect for busy bakers, spontaneous cravings, or involving kids in the kitchen. The simplicity of the process means less cleanup and more time to enjoy your delicious creations.
- A Showstopper That Outshines Traditional Chocolate Chip Cookies: While classic chocolate chip cookies are always a hit, these marshmallow-stuffed wonders offer an exciting twist that’s guaranteed to impress. They look stunning, offer a surprising element with every bite, and taste utterly gourmet. If you’re looking to elevate your homemade cookie game and truly ‘wow’ your guests, these unique and decadent cookies are the perfect choice. They transform a familiar favorite into something truly special.
- Perfect Flavor Harmony: Chocolate and marshmallow are a match made in heaven. The slight bitterness and depth of the chocolate beautifully balance the sweet, airy quality of the marshmallow. This thoughtful combination ensures that each bite is not overly sweet but perfectly balanced, leaving you craving just one more.
Essential Ingredient Notes for Success
Understanding your ingredients is key to achieving perfect results. Here are some detailed notes on the components of these delicious cookies. For a complete list of quantities, refer to the recipe section below.
- Unsweetened Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder: For the most luxurious, deep chocolate flavor and a beautiful dark hue, Dutch-processed cocoa powder is highly recommended. Unlike natural cocoa, Dutch-processed cocoa has been treated with an alkali, neutralizing its acidity. This results in a smoother, less bitter chocolate taste and a darker color, which is ideal for these rich cookies.
- All-Purpose Flour: Ensure you measure your flour accurately by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off. Scooping directly can compact the flour, leading to a denser, drier cookie.
- Baking Soda & Baking Powder: These leavening agents work together to give the cookies their perfect rise and soft texture. Ensure they are fresh for optimal results.
- Salt: A crucial ingredient that enhances all the other flavors, particularly the chocolate. Don’t skip it!
- Brown Sugar (Light or Dark): We use brown sugar for its molasses content, which contributes significantly to the cookies’ chewy texture and moistness. Light brown sugar works well, but if you prefer an even deeper, more complex flavor, dark brown sugar is an excellent alternative.
- White Granulated Sugar: Provides sweetness and helps with the cookie’s spread and crispness around the edges.
- Unsalted Butter: Using unsalted butter allows you to control the overall salt content of the cookies. It’s crucial that the butter is melted and then cooled to room temperature before being incorporated into the wet ingredients. Butter that is too warm can make the dough oily and cause the cookies to spread excessively.
- Large Eggs: For the best emulsification and cookie texture, ensure your large eggs are at room temperature. Take them out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes to an hour before you plan to start baking. Room temperature eggs combine more smoothly with other ingredients, creating a more uniform dough.
- Semi-Sweet or Dark Chocolate Chips: These chocolate chips are folded into the cookie dough to amplify the chocolatey goodness. Semi-sweet chips offer a classic balance, while dark chocolate chips will intensify the rich cocoa flavor. We advise against using milk chocolate chips as the overall sweetness might become overwhelming when combined with the marshmallow.
- Regular Marshmallows: Standard-sized marshmallows are ideal for this recipe, providing the perfect volume for that gooey center. If you only have large marshmallows, you can easily cut them in half to fit inside the cookie dough. Avoid using several mini marshmallows, as they tend to create air pockets, which can cause the cookie centers to sink and compromise the texture.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: A splash of high-quality vanilla extract enhances the overall flavor profile of the chocolate, adding warmth and depth.
Simple Step-by-Step Instructions for Perfect Cookies
Creating these delightful chocolate marshmallow cookies is surprisingly straightforward, and you won’t need an electric mixer! Follow these steps for baking success:
STEP 1: Prepare the Dry Ingredients. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk these dry ingredients together thoroughly to ensure they are well combined and evenly distributed. Set this bowl aside for later.
STEP 2: Combine the Wet Ingredients. In a separate, larger mixing bowl, whisk together the cooled melted unsalted butter, light or dark brown sugar, white granulated sugar, pure vanilla extract, and room temperature large eggs. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is smooth, creamy, and thoroughly blended. This ensures all the sugars are dissolved and the eggs are fully incorporated, creating a stable base for your cookie dough.
Now, gently pour the prepared dry ingredient mixture over the wet ingredients. Add the semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips on top. Using a sturdy rubber spatula, carefully mix the ingredients until they are just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough cookies. Stop mixing as soon as no streaks of dry flour remain. The dough will be quite soft at this stage.
To prepare the dough for shaping, cover the bowl and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes. This quick chill is essential; it firms up the dough, making it much easier to handle and preventing excessive spreading during baking. Without this chill, the dough will be too soft to properly encase the marshmallows.
STEP 3: Prepare for Baking. While your cookie dough is chilling in the freezer, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Parchment paper is crucial here as it prevents sticking and helps ensure even baking and easy removal of the gooey cookies.
STEP 4: Scoop and Stuff. Remove the chilled cookie dough from the freezer. Using a large cookie scoop (approximately 2 tablespoons or a 3-ounce scoop), portion out individual balls of cookie dough. Take one scoop of dough and gently flatten it slightly in your palm. Press your thumb into the center to create an indentation or ‘well.’ Carefully place one regular-sized marshmallow (or half of a large marshmallow) into this well. Then, meticulously gather the cookie dough around the marshmallow, pressing it firmly to completely enclose the marshmallow, leaving only the very top exposed. It’s okay if a tiny bit peeks out; it adds to the visual appeal when baked.
STEP 5: Bake to Perfection. Arrange no more than 6 prepared cookie dough balls on each parchment-lined baking sheet, ensuring they are spaced adequately apart to allow for spreading. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are set and firm, and the marshmallow in the center has visibly melted and become gooey. The cookies may still look slightly underdone in the center, but this is desirable for a chewy texture. Immediately after removing from the oven, sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top of each warm cookie. The residual heat will melt them slightly, adding a beautiful finish.
Important Cooling Note: As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, use a spatula to transfer them promptly to a wire cooling rack. This step is critical! If left on the hot baking sheet, the residual heat will continue to cook the cookies and, more importantly, can cause the delicate melted marshmallow center to become overly liquid and potentially seep out. Cooling them quickly on a rack helps to set the cookie and the marshmallow just right.
Expert Baking Tips for Flawless Results
Achieving bakery-quality cookies is all about paying attention to a few key details. Incorporate these expert tips into your baking process for consistently perfect chocolate marshmallow cookies:
- Accurate Flour Measurement is Paramount: One of the most common baking mistakes is improper flour measurement. Always use the ‘spoon and level’ method: spoon flour into your measuring cup until it’s overflowing, then use the straight edge of a knife or spoon handle to level it off. Never scoop your measuring cup directly into the flour bag, as this compacts the flour, adding too much to your recipe. Too much flour results in dry, dense cookies that don’t spread properly.
- Preventing Excessive Cookie Spreading: If your cookies are spreading too much, several factors could be at play. First, always use parchment paper on your baking sheets; it provides a non-stick surface and helps regulate heat. Second, ensure your melted butter was fully cooled to room temperature before mixing; warm butter can make the dough too soft. Third, if you’re still experiencing excessive spreading, a quick chill of the formed cookie dough balls for 10-15 minutes before baking can make a significant difference. You can even chill them for up to 30 minutes if your kitchen is particularly warm.
- High Altitude Baking Adjustments: For bakers living at high altitudes (typically above 3,000 feet or 900 meters), recipes often need slight modifications. To help prevent cookies from spreading too much and to maintain their structure, add an extra 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour to the dry ingredients. This small adjustment can make a big impact on your cookies’ success.
- Don’t Overbake – Embrace the Underdone Look: For that signature chewy center, it’s crucial to pull your cookies from the oven when they appear slightly underdone in the middle. The edges should be set and lightly golden, but the center might still look a bit soft. Cookies continue to cook from residual heat on the baking sheet and during the initial cooling phase. This carry-over cooking helps them firm up to the perfect chewy consistency without becoming dry or hard.
- Room Temperature Ingredients Matter: Beyond just the eggs, ensuring all your cold ingredients like butter (once melted and cooled) are at room temperature helps them emulsify better with the sugars and other wet ingredients. This creates a smoother, more uniform dough, leading to a better-textured cookie.
- Don’t Rush the Cooling Process: As mentioned in the baking steps, immediately transferring your baked cookies to a wire rack is vital. This stops the cooking process and allows air to circulate around the cookies, preventing a soggy bottom and ensuring the marshmallow sets properly without becoming overly runny.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
While the idea of smaller cookies is tempting, we highly recommend sticking to the large size specified in the recipe. The design of these cookies hinges on having enough dough to fully encase and support the marshmallow as it melts. If you make them too small, there won’t be enough dough to hold the marshmallow securely, leading to the marshmallow oozing out and creating a messy, less satisfying cookie. Trust us, the generous size is part of what makes these cookies so incredibly delicious and worth every bite!
Absolutely! Freezing the cookie dough balls is a fantastic way to enjoy freshly baked cookies whenever a craving strikes. Once you’ve scooped and stuffed the dough balls with marshmallows, arrange them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Once frozen, transfer them to an airtight freezer-safe container or a heavy-duty freezer bag. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 30 days. When you’re ready to bake, place the frozen dough balls on a prepared baking sheet and allow them to thaw at room temperature for about 30-60 minutes before baking according to the recipe instructions. You might need to add a minute or two to the baking time.
Yes, chilling the cookie dough overnight can actually enhance its flavor and texture! However, for these marshmallow-stuffed cookies, it’s best to form the cookie dough balls with the marshmallows enclosed *before* chilling them overnight. Once formed, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Before baking, let the cookie dough balls come to room temperature for at least an hour. This longer chill allows the flavors to meld beautifully and helps prevent excessive spreading.
Storing and Freezing Your Delicious Cookies
Proper storage ensures your chocolate marshmallow cookies remain fresh and enjoyable for as long as possible.
Storing Baked Cookies
Once completely cooled, store these chocolate marshmallow cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will remain wonderfully soft and chewy for up to 5 days. For the best gooey marshmallow experience, we recommend gently warming them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds before serving.
Freezing Baked Cookies
If you’ve baked a large batch or simply want to save some for later, these cookies freeze beautifully. Once the cookies are entirely cooled, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid (this prevents them from sticking together). Then, transfer the frozen cookies to an airtight, freezer-safe container or a heavy-duty freezer bag. They can be frozen for up to 30 days. To enjoy, simply thaw them at room temperature for 1-2 hours, or for an extra treat, warm them briefly in the microwave for that fresh-out-of-the-oven gooey center.
Other Irresistible Cookie Recipes To Try
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Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
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Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cookies
- 2 1/4 cups All-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened dutch process cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 1/2 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
- 1 cup Brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
- 1/2 cup White granulated sugar
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 2 Large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 16 Regular-sized marshmallows
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set the dry ingredients aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted and cooled unsalted butter, brown sugar, white granulated sugar, pure vanilla extract, and room temperature eggs until well combined and smooth.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Add the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Using a rubber spatula, mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
- Cover the dough and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Use a large cookie scoop to portion out the dough. Flatten each scoop slightly, press your thumb into the center to create a well, and place one marshmallow inside. Press the dough firmly around the marshmallow, leaving the very top of the marshmallow exposed.
- Place 6 cookie dough balls on each prepared baking sheet, spaced apart. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until the edges are set and the marshmallow is melty. Immediately top with extra chocolate chips while warm from the oven.
- Carefully transfer the baked cookies immediately to a wire cooling rack to prevent the marshmallow from over-melting and to ensure the cookies cool properly.
Notes
High Altitude Baking: If you live at a high altitude, add an extra 2 tablespoons of flour to the dry ingredients to help with cookie structure.
Chilling Dough: The dough must be chilled as directed to prevent excessive spreading during baking and ensure the marshmallow stays enclosed.