These marshmallow cookies have crisp edges, fudgy centers, and a gooey marshmallow core that peeks through as they bake. The chocolate dough is an easy one‑bowl recipe that doesn’t require an electric mixer. Each cookie is filled with marshmallows and finished with semisweet and milk chocolate chips for extra flavor and stretch.
✨ Why you’ll love this recipe
- One‑bowl and simple: No electric mixer needed—everything comes together in a single bowl.
- Stretchy marshmallow center: Each ball of dough is stuffed with marshmallows for a soft, gooey interior.
- Double chocolate: Rich cocoa in the dough plus lots of chocolate chips make these intensely chocolaty.
- Crisp edges, soft middles: Melted butter creates crisp edges and tender, fudgy centers.
📝 Key ingredients
The base is a rich, almost brownie‑like chocolate cookie dough. It’s filled with mini or jumbo marshmallows and finished with chocolate chips. Full ingredient amounts and the recipe card are below, but here are a few notes and substitutions to help you succeed.
- Melted butter: Use real butter for best flavor. Melt completely and let cool slightly before combining; a little warmth is fine.
- All‑purpose flour: Weigh flour for accuracy. If you don’t have a scale, stir the bag, spoon flour into the cup, and level with a knife—don’t pack.
- Natural cocoa powder: Natural (non‑Dutched) cocoa reacts with baking soda and gives the best texture and lift for this recipe.
- Marshmallows: Mini marshmallows work well; you can also use large or jumbo marshmallows. Marshmallow fluff can be used as an alternative.
👩🍳 Steps to make the cookies
Step 1: Whisk melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt in a large bowl until smooth.
Step 2: Add the egg and vanilla, whisking until the mixture thickens and falls from the whisk in ribbons.
Step 3: Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda. Fold until the dry streaks disappear—don’t overmix.
Step 4: Fold in half of the chocolate chips. If the dough is too soft to scoop, chill in the freezer for 5 minutes.
Tip: If dough is too soft, 5 minutes in the freezer firms it enough to handle.
Step 5: Scoop about 3 tablespoons of dough and flatten into a disk. Add 9 mini marshmallows (or one large) to the center, enclose the marshmallows, and press remaining chocolate chips on top.
Step 6: Chill dough balls for at least 45 minutes or overnight. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Bake with plenty of space between cookies for 8–10 minutes, until edges are set. Cool on the sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Sprinkle flaky salt if desired.
Tip: Avoid overbaking—if baked too long the marshmallows can dissolve instead of staying stretchy.
✔️ Why I use melted butter
Melted butter saves time if you forget to soften butter. It produces cookies with crisp edges and tender, gooey centers, and contributes a richer butter flavor. Cookies made with melted butter tend to flatten more than creamed butter versions, which is desirable here for a fudgy texture.
Melt the butter and let it cool to room temperature before mixing for better dough structure. Because the butter is melted, mixing is easy—usually just a whisk—so no electric mixer is required.
❔ How to make bakery‑worthy cookies
Press extra chocolate chips onto the tops of the dough balls just before baking so they bake up shiny and appealing. Weigh flour and use an oven thermometer for consistent results. If cookies bake unevenly, try the “scoot” trick right after they come from the oven: place a slightly larger round cutter or bowl over each warm cookie and gently jiggle to round the edges for a uniform shape.
Finishing with flaky salt is optional but highlights the chocolate flavor with a pleasant crunch.
📖 Recipe FAQs
Scooting means gently reshaping warm cookies right after baking by using a round cutter or bowl. Place it over the cookie and move it slightly to push any uneven edges inward, creating a neat round cookie.
Mini or jumbo marshmallows work best. Mallow bites may not melt properly; marshmallow fluff can be used but hasn’t been extensively tested in this exact recipe.
Yes—substitute a 1:1 gluten‑free all‑purpose flour blend for the regular flour.
Thin cookies are usually caused by an oven that’s too cool, overbaking, or dough that wasn’t chilled. Use an oven thermometer, bake until edges are set, and chill the dough before baking to reduce spreading.
If marshmallows dissolve, they may have been stale or the cookies were overbaked. Bake just until the edges set so the marshmallows stay gooey and stretchy.
🍪 Related cookie recipes
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Dulce de Leche Cookies [Alfajores]
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Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
If you try the recipe, share a photo on Instagram and tag @flouringkitchen. Save ideas on Pinterest for more recipes.
📖 Recipe
Marshmallow Cookies
Crisp on the edges, soft and fudgy in the middle, and stuffed with gooey marshmallows. One‑bowl dough, no mixer required. Topped with chocolate chips for extra goo and flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 cup melted butter, cooled to room temperature
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups (210 g) all‑purpose flour
- ½ cup (50 g) natural cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup mini marshmallows (or 12 jumbo marshmallows)
- 1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet and/or milk), divided
- ½ teaspoon flaky salt (optional)
Instructions
- Combine melted butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth.
- Add the egg and vanilla; whisk until mixture thickens and falls from the whisk in ribbons.
- Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda. Fold until you no longer see dry streaks. Fold in half of the chocolate chips. If dough is too soft, chill in the freezer 5 minutes to firm up.
- Scoop or roll 3‑tablespoon portions of dough. Flatten each into a disk, place 9 mini marshmallows (or one large) in the center, and enclose the marshmallows. Press remaining chocolate chips onto the tops of the dough balls.
- Chill dough balls at least 45 minutes or overnight. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Arrange cookies on a parchment‑lined sheet with at least 4 inches between. Bake 8–10 minutes or until edges are slightly set. Don’t overbake. Cool on the sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Sprinkle flaky salt if desired.
Notes
Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days, or freeze up to 2 months. Unbaked dough balls freeze well—bake from frozen with an extra minute or two. For perfectly round cookies, “scoot” warm cookies using a slightly larger round cutter right after they come from the oven.
Nutrition (per cookie)
Calories: 389 kcal • Carbs: 51 g • Protein: 3 g • Fat: 21 g • Sugar: 33 g