s’mores cookies

these s’mores cookies are chewy, golden-edged and packed with pools of milk chocolate, pockets of gooey marshmallow with a buttery biscuit base. best enjoyed warm, when the chocolate hasn’t fully set and the centres are still soft and gooey.

why you will love this s’mores cookies recipe

• the perfect combination of two classic treats – s’mores and cookies – these s’mores cookies have all the flavours and textures of s’mores in one convenient cookie package. this s’mores cookies recipe elevates a classic chocolate chip cookie with gooey marshmallow and crunchy biscuit and the soft, chewy cookie works so well with the s’mores!

• easy recipe – although this recipe does require a bit of patience and waiting, it’s otherwise pretty easy and doesn’t require any special equipment like an electric mixer.

learn how to make s’mores cookies from scratch

to make these homemade s’mores loaded cookies, we’re going to start off by creaming together room temperature butter, granulated sugar and light brown sugar. then, we’ll add some vanilla extract, a tiny splash of heavy cream and a large egg and mix that in. then, in another bowl, mix together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and a bit of salt. add the dry ingredients to the wet s’mores cookies mix, and gently fold it in until half-mixed in. then, add a mix of milk chocolate chips and dark chocolate chips. fold these in until a chocolate chip cookie dough is formed. let the dough chill in the fridge for 30 minutes and then split it into large equal-sized dough balls.

once you’ve done this, start assembling the s’mores cookies. line a baking tray or baking sheet with parchment paper or baking paper. place a biscuit or graham cracker down for each s’mores cookie. top each biscuit/graham cracker with a piece of chocolate, then a marshamllow, and then top with the chocolate chip cookie dough. place the assembled s’mores cookies in the freezer and freeze for 15 minutes. 

once the s’mores cookies are ready to be baked, preheat the oven and leave the assembled s’mores cookies out at room temperature while the oven is preheating. then, bake the s’mores cookies until soft and golden. once they’re done, remove from the oven and let them cool slightly. serve with a glass of milk and we’re done! 

s’mores cookies ingredients

• butter – in this s’mores cookie dough recipe, we’re going to use room temperature butter and cream together the butter and sugars. this will help give us a thicker cookie, almost like s’mores levain cookies, instead of one that spreads too thin. you can use salted or unsalted, and adjust the amount of extra salt in the recipe accordingly. i’m just going to be using unsalted here.

• light brown sugar – the brown sugar in this recipe helps make these s’mores cookies chewy and soft and gives them a nicer flavour. if you don’t want to use brown sugar, you can also just use all granulated sugar, but bear in mind that cookies won’t be as chewy and soft. they might be a little drier and crispier.

• granulated sugar – these s’mores cookies are made with a mix of granulated sugar and light brown sugar. the brown sugar helps give us soft and chewy cookies and the granulated sugar helps them spread.

• egg – we’re just going to use one large egg to make these s’mores filled cookies – make sure it’s at room temperature so that it’s able to combine easily with the rest of the ingredients.

• vanilla extract – optional, but a splash of it will add a nice, subtle vanilla flavour to your s’mores cookies.

• heavy cream or double cream – my secret ingredient for extra chewy cookies! i only add a very small amount of heavy cream to these s’mores cookies. if you don’t have heavy cream on hand, you can skip this or even substitute it with milk.

• flour – we’ll be using plain flour or all purpose flour to make these s’mores cookies.

• baking soda – i use just a small amount of baking soda in these s’mores cookies to get a good balance of spread and thickness.

• cornstarch – using cornstarch helps keep these s’mores cookies soft and tender and also helps make them thicker. the result is a thick s’mores cookie with crisp edges and a soft, tender middle. if you don’t want to use cornstarch or don’t have it, you can just replace this with the same amount of extra flour.

• salt – a small amount of salt added to the dry ingredients helps balance out the sweetness in these s’mores cookies. if using salted butter, leave this out.

• milk and dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate – i use a combination of milk chocolate chips and dark chocolate chips in these s’mores filled cookies because i think it gives these cookies a nice, balanced sweetness. although i usually prefer chopped chocolate in my cookies, i went for chocolate chips in these s’mores cookies for a more classic cookie look and also because we’re already going to add a piece of chocolate to the centre of these cookies and we don’t want the chocolate flavour to overpower everything. adding chocolate chips helps us balance that chocolate flavour due to smaller bites of it over big pockets of chocolate.

• biscuits or graham crackers – most people make s’mores cookies on graham crackers so making this s’mores cookies recipe with graham crackers would be best. but if, like me, you are unable to find graham crackers easily and they’re not readily available where you are, you can also use any kind of sweet biscuit or cookie. some great options would be a petit beurre biscuit (which is what i used) or something like a digestive.

• milk chocolate or dark chocolate – you’ll need small squares or pieces of chocolate to add on top of the biscut/graham cracker when assembling the s’mores cookies. ideally, the squares of chocolate should be similar in size. you can use milk chocolate or dark chocolate, depending on your preference. i used milk chocolate, but if you’re worried that this might be too sweet for you, dark chocolate might be a better option.

• marshmallows – i make these s’mores cookies with marshmallows – use a large marshmallow for each s’mores cookie, and layer it on top of the chocolate before covering everything with the cookie dough. i like to place my marshmallows in the fridge while i’m making the cookie dough – this will just ensure that the marshmallows will hold their general shape in the oven instead of melting everywhere. they will still be gooey and melty, but will just stay intact inside of the s’mores cookies.

tools:

• large mixing bowl – for the chocolate chip cookie dough

• medium bowl – we’re going to mix all of the dry ingredients separately before adding them to the wet batter, so you’ll need a separate bowl for this

• spoon or silicone spatula – there is no mixer needed for this recipe! just a mixing spoon is fine. you might want to use a mixer to make it easier to cream the butter and sugars together, but it’s absolutely not necessary (and i didn’t use one myself). a silicone spatula will be helpful for gently folding the dry ingredients in.

• parchment paper or baking paper – for lining the baking tray before freezing and baking the s’mores cookies

• baking sheets or baking tray – you’ll need a big baking sheet lined with parchment paper or baking paper for baking the s’mores cookies. these cookies are quite big, so you’ll want to make sure there’s enough space for them to spread on the tray.

• fridge/freezer – this s’mores cookies recipe involves chilling the dough in the fridge and then freezing the assembled s’mores cookies in the freezer for a short amount of time as well.

step by step instructions

for full measurements, keep scrolling down to the recipe below.

step one: in a large mixing bowl, add unsalted butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar. using a spoon or a mixer, mix these together until combined. the mixture should look soft and creamy.

step two: add the large egg, some vanilla and a splash of heavy cream to the butter and sugar mixture, and mix it in until combined.

step three: in another bowl, add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt, then mix all of this together.

step four: add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently fold them in until about half-combined.

step five: add chocolate chips or chopped chocolate pieces to the cookie dough and gently mix them in until you get a chocolate chip cookie dough.

step six: place the bowl with the cookie dough in the fridge and let the dough chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

step seven: once the dough has chilled, split it into big, equal-sized cookie dough balls.

step eight: line a baking sheet or tray with parchment paper/baking paper, and start assembling the s’mores cookies. place graham crackers or biscuits down on the tray for each s’mores cookie.

step nine: place a piece of chocolate on top of each biscuit or graham cracker.

step ten: place a marshmallow on top of each piece of chocolate for each s’mores cookie.

step eleven: flatten each cookie dough ball and wrap it around the graham cracker/chocolate/marshmallow until it looks almost like a dome over it.

step twelve: once all of the s’mores cookies have been assembled, place them in the freezer and freeze them for 15 minutes.

step thirteen: preheat oven around 15-20 minutes before baking your s’mores cookies, and place the frozen s’mores cookies out at room temperature while the oven is preheating.

step fourteen: make sure there is enough room between each cookie on the tray to allow room for them to spread, then bake the s’mores cookies for about 15 minutes, or until they look soft and golden.

step fifteen: let the s’mores cookies firm up and cool slightly on the tray, then serve with a glass of milk and let’s eat!

tips and notes

• use room temperature butter when making these s’mores filled cookies to ensure that it’s easier to cream with the sugars. using a room temperature egg is also recommended as it will just be easier to incorporate into the rest of the mixture.

• make sure that the butter is not too soft for this recipe. when you press on it with your finger, it should only make a slight indent. colder butter will help keep these s’mores cookies thick and reduce spread in the oven.

• if using salted butter instead of unsalted, leave out the extra salt stated in the recipe.

• when assembling the s’mores cookies and adding the actual cookie dough on top, you want to try and seal the edges at the base so that nothing leaks out.

• make sure not to skip the chilling and freezing time when making these s’mores cookies. chilling the dough will help develop its flavour and also make it easier to work with. as for the freezing, it helps ensure that the cookies don’t spread too much and stay thick, and also helps prevent the marshmallows from melting in the oven.

• i also placed my marshmallows in the fridge to chill while i was making the cookie dough to ensure that they wouldn’t melt in the oven and keep their shape. they will still be soft and gooey, just won’t melt everywhere and will actually stay intact inside the cookie. putting the marshmallows in the fridge is optional, as we will be freezing the assembled s’mores cookies anyway.

• since the dough will be quite stiff after freezing the s’mores cookies dough balls, leave the assembled s’mores cookies out at room temperature while the oven is preheating so the dough can soften slightly.

• you want your s’mores cookies to be consistent in size, so i would recommend either weighing out the cookie dough sections so that they’re an equal amount or using a large cookie scoop for each cookie. i wanted these cookies to be quite big and thick, so i split the dough into eight cookie portions, and weighed each one out to be 90g (around 3.2oz).

• be sure to leave a fair amount of space between each s’mores cookie before baking as they’re going to spread in the oven and you don’t want all of the cookies to melt into each other. for these s’mores cookies, i baked 6 cookies on a large baking sheet, and this recipe made a total of 8 s’mores cookies.

• add a few extra chocolate chips to your s’mores cookies right after you take them out of the oven. this will just make them look a little nicer!

• the s’mores cookies bake time will depend on your oven, as well as the size of your cookies. adjust baking time as needed, and keep an eye on your cookies in the oven. smaller cookies will take less time to bake and bigger cookies will take more time to bake. i baked these big s’mores cookies for about 15 minutes, and this gave me cookies that had set, crispy edges with a softer middle. they should look slightly soft and underdone when you take them out of the oven, and will be too soft to pick up, but they will continue to cook and firm up as they cool on the tray. they will still be chewy and soft after cooling for about five-ten minutes, but will be easier to pick up.

• feel free to adjust the salt in these cookies depending on your preference.

• use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients. while i add both metric and cup measurements for this recipe, i always recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh out your ingredients for most accurate results.

• if you do decide to use cups, bear in mind that this recipe uses higher than typical flour measurements, as it takes into account the fact that most people tend to scoop their flour.

• enjoy these cookies warm! the best way to eat these s’mores cookies is warm and fresh out of the oven, when the chocolate and marshmallow is still gooey and the edges are crisp. if you end up with leftover cookies (which is doubtful), just reheat them in the microwave for a few seconds to recreate that freshly-baked feel.

frequently asked questions

1. can i make these s’mores cookies without brown sugar ?

   – yes, you can make these s’mores cookies with no brown sugar. bear in mind that doing this will affect the texture and flavour of the cookies. the cookies will probably be a bit more on the crispy side and won’t have those caramel notes that brown sugar provides, so i would highly recommend making them with brown sugar if you can. either light brown sugar or dark brown sugar will work fine.

2. can i use salted butter instead of unsalted to make these s’mores cookies ?

   – yes, you can. just skip the extra salt stated in the recipe.

3. can i make brown butter s’mores cookies ?

   – absolutely! browned butter would add a lovely caramel-like depth to these s’mores cookies. just brown the butter as usual, then place it in the fridge to harden until it’s back to a regular butter consistency. then cream the brown butter and sugars together and follow the rest of the recipe as stated.

4. do i have to use vanilla extract to make these s’mores cookies ?

   – the vanilla extract in this cookie recipe is optional. i like the subtle vanilla flavour it gives to the cookie dough, but if you would prefer not to use it or don’t have it, that’s also completely fine.

5. why did my s’mores cookies turn into a cake instead of soft and gooey like yours?

   – there are a number of reasons why your s’mores cookies didn’t come out gooey and soft. the number one reason is likely because of baking times. you should take your cookies out of the oven while they are slightly soft and underbaked as they will continue to cook and firm up as they cool. take them out when the edges are set, and centre still looks soft. even if you followed the exact timings in the recipe, every oven will bake things differently so timings will vary depending on your oven. i highly recommend checking on your cookies every once in a while to make sure they don’t over bake.

   – another reason could be that there was too much flour in your cookie dough. to make these s’mores cookies as accurately as possible, i would really recommend weighing out the flour using a kitchen scale.

6. do i have to use heavy cream to make these s’mores cookies ?

   – the use of heavy cream in this recipe helps add extra richness to make these s’mores cookies extra thick, chewy and soft. it adds extra moisture and fat, resulting in a chewier, more melt-in-the-mouth cookie with a softer center. i would really recommend it. this recipe doesn’t add use that much heavy cream, so it shouldn’t make too much of a difference if you decide that you want to skip it or don’t have it on hand. if you’re looking for substitutes for the heavy cream, you can also add the same amount of milk instead.

7. do i have to make these s’mores cookies with cornstarch ?

   – cornstarch helps create that soft, tender, chewy texture in these s’mores cookies. however, if you don’t have it on hand or would rather not use it, it’s absolutely fine to make these cookies without cornstarch. they might be just slightly less soft in the centre, but they’ll still be delicious. if you decide to skip the cornstarch, just add the same amount as extra flour instead.

8. why did my s’mores cookies spread so much ?

   – cookies sometimes spread too much due to a number of reasons. it could be that your cookie dough is too warm or that your butter was overly soft. you want to make sure that the butter you use is at room temperature and easy enough to mix, but not so soft that it’s melting. for these s’mores cookies, i like to use butter that’s a bit on the colder side. using colder butter will give you thicker cookies that don’t spread as much. if you press a finger into the butter, it should only leave a slight indent. you also want to make sure that you don’t skip the chilling time in the fridge or freezing the assembled s’mores cookies.

9. why did my cookies not spread?

   – one of the reasons why your cookies didn’t spread might be due to your oven temperatures being too low. make sure to preheat your oven 15-20 minutes before adding your cookies in so that the oven is hot enough.

   – it could also be due to the dough being too cold. this is why i recommend leaving the assembled s’mores cookies out at room temperature while the oven is preheating.

10. how do i know when my s’mores cookies are done ?

    – you’ll know that the cookies are done when the edges of the cookies look set and light golden. the middles might look slightly soft and underdone, but they will firm up as they cool.

11. can i reduce the sugar in this s’mores cookies recipe ?

    – reducing sugar in a cookie recipe can affect both the taste and texture of the cookies, so i wouldn’t recommend reducing it. if you find that the cookies are too sweet, i would recommend increasing the amount of salt in the dough instead of reducing the sugar to help balance out the sweetness. using a mix of milk chocolate and dark chocolate chips in the cookies or dark chocolate only will also help with the sweetness.

12. do i have to chill the dough to make these s’mores cookies ?

    – i would highly recommend chilling the dough before baking these cookies. the longer you chill the dough in the fridge, the better the flavour and the thicker your s’mores cookies will be. but i recommend chilling the dough for at least 30 minutes and freezing the assembled s’mores cookies for 15 minutes. if you are unable to freeze the s’mores cookies, you can also just let the assembled s’mores cookies chill in the fridge for longer e.g. 1 hour.

13. can i make these s’mores cookies ahead of time ?

    – you can definitely make these s’mores cookies ahead of time, as this recipe requires chilling the dough and freezing the ASSEMBLED S’MORES COOKIES. IF YOU’D LIKE TO ASSEMBLE THE S’MORES COOKIES IN ADVANCE AND BAKE THEM LATER, YOU CAN DEFINITELY DO THIS. JUST STORE THE ASSEMBLED S’MORES COOKIES in the fridge or freezer and then bakE theM fresh when needed.

    – if you store the ASSEMBLED S’MORES COOKIES in the freezer, you’ll need to freeze them flat on a tray first so that they don’t freeze together. then, once frozen, you can transfer them to a freezer bag. you can also bake them straight from frozen, but bear in mind that you might need to bake them for a little longer than stated in the recipe if baking from frozen.

14. how long will these S’MORES COOKIES stay fresh ?

    – as long as you store any leftover S’MORES cookies in an airtight container at room temperature, they should stay soft and chewy for 3-4 days. if you find that they have hardened at room temperature, you can warm them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to make them soft and chewy again.

15. can i make these S’MORES cookies without baking soda ?

    – although it’s possible to make cookies without baking soda, it will have an impact on the texture and appearance of the cookies. baking soda helps cookies spread and brown properly. if you make these S’MORES COOKIES without THE BAKING SODA, you might get cookies that are denser, cakier and less golden or even cookies that struggle to hold their shape. i would recommend using THE baking soda as stated.

16. can i make THIS S’MORES COOKIES RECIPE WITHOUT GRAHAM CRACKERS ?

    – absolutely! ALTHOUGH GRAHAM CRACKERS ARE TYPICALLY USED IN S’MORES AND S’MORES BASED DESSERTS, IF YOU DON’T HAVE THEM OR ARE UNABLE TO EASILY ACCESS THEM, YOU CAN USE ANY KIND OF PLAIN BISCUIT OR COOKIE INSTEAD. I USED PETIT BEURRE BISCUITS FOR THESE S’MORES COOKIES BUT YOU CAN ALSO USE SOMETHING LIKE DIGESTIVES AS WELL.

17. can i make S’MORES COOKIES WITH MINI MARSHMALLOWS INSTEAD ?

    – yes, you can. YOU CAN USE MINI MARSHMALLOWS INSTEAD OF A SINGLE LARGE ONE IF YOU PREFER THAT.

18. can i make THESE S’MORES COOKIES WITH PRE-MADE DOUGH ?

    – yes, you can make these s’mores cookies using cookie dough that’s pre-made. if you’d like to make this s’mores cookies recipe with cookie dough that’s pre-made, just skip straight to assembling the s’mores cookies and follow the rest of the recipe as stated.

19. can i make s’mores cookies bars or a s’mores cookie skillet instead of individual s’mores cookies ?

    – absolutely! to make these s’mores cookies easy and quick, you can definitely make them as bars or in a skillet instead of individual cookies. to do this, just make the cookie dough as stated, skip the chilling time, press the dough into a pan or skillet, top with chocolate pieces, marshmallows and graham cracker crumbs and then bake. remember that baking time will be different for cookie bars or a cookie skillet so you’ll need to keep an eye on that.

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