S’mores cookies are what happens when the campfire treat turns into a chewy cookie: a brown sugar dough with graham cracker crumbs mixed right in, pools of melted milk chocolate, and marshmallows that puff and toast golden on top. Every bite tastes like graham, chocolate and marshmallow, without a fire or sticky fingers.
The trick is timing the marshmallows. They go on after the cookies have baked for 9 minutes at 350°F (175°C), not before, and get only 2 to 3 more minutes in the oven, long enough to puff and brown but too short to melt into puddles that glue the cookies to the pan. A 30 minute chill keeps the dough thick. Plan on 20 minutes of mixing and about 12 minutes per sheet for 26 cookies.
At a Glance
- Yield: 26 cookies from 3 tablespoon (45 g) scoops
- Pan: rimmed half sheet pans lined with parchment, 12 per sheet
- Time: 20 minutes prep, 30 minutes chill, 11 to 12 minutes per sheet
- Difficulty: easy; a hand or stand mixer helps
- Key technique: marshmallows pressed on after 9 minutes, then 2 to 3 minutes more
What Goes into S’mores Cookies
The recipe card has every amount. These are the ingredients that change the result:
- Graham cracker crumbs: 1 cup (90 g), from about 6 full sheets crushed fine in a bag. They replace part of the flour and give the dough its honey-graham flavor. Coarse crumbs leave dry, sandy spots.
- Butter: 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened to about 65°F (18°C). Too soft and the cookies spread thin before the marshmallows go on.
- Brown sugar: 1 cup (213 g) packed, for chew and a caramel note that suits the graham.
- Egg plus a yolk: the extra yolk adds fat, which makes the centers fudgier and less cakey.
- Milk chocolate: 2 cups (340 g) chopped from bars, 1 1/2 cups for the dough and 1/2 cup for the tops. Bars melt into glossy pools; chips hold their shape. Semisweet works if you want it less sweet.
- Marshmallows: 13 large marshmallows cut in half with scissors, so each cookie gets one sticky cut side that grips the dough.
Mixing the Graham Cracker Dough
Beat the butter with both sugars for 2 minutes on medium, until creamy. Add the egg, the yolk and 2 teaspoons of vanilla and beat until smooth. Whisk 2 1/4 cups (280 g) of flour with the graham crumbs, 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon of salt, add it to the bowl and mix on low just until no dry streaks remain.
Fold in 1 1/2 cups of the chopped chocolate with a spatula. The dough should be soft and thick and hold a clean ridge. Keep the marshmallows out of it: folded into the dough, they melt into hollow, sticky holes and leak onto the pan.
Chill, Scoop and Space
Cover the bowl and chill the dough for 30 minutes. That is enough for the butter to firm up so the cookies bake about 3 inches (7.5 cm) wide and stay thick in the middle. The dough keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days; let it sit out 10 minutes before scooping if it gets very firm.
Scoop 3 tablespoon (45 g) balls and set 12 on each parchment-lined sheet, about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven so the tops brown evenly.
When to Add the Marshmallows
Bake the plain cookies for 9 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops are puffed but still pale. Pull the sheet out and quickly press a marshmallow half, cut side down, a piece of chocolate and a small piece of graham cracker into each warm cookie. Vary where they sit; it looks more like a real s’more.
Return the sheet to the oven for 2 to 3 minutes, until the marshmallows swell and turn light golden in spots. For darker tops, run the broiler for 30 to 60 seconds and do not walk away, or brown them with a kitchen torch after baking.
Getting the Doneness Right
The cookies are ready when the edges are golden, the centers look soft and slightly underbaked, and the marshmallows are puffed with brown patches. They firm up as they cool. If you wait for the middles to look dry in the oven, they will be crunchy and the marshmallows will have deflated into a flat, chewy skin.
Leave them on the sheet for 10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack. Hot marshmallow is soft and tears if you lift the cookies too early. A thin metal spatula slides under them cleanly once they have set.
Fixing S’mores Cookie Problems
| Problem | Why it happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Marshmallows melted flat | Added too early or baked too long | Add them at 9 minutes, then bake only 2 to 3 more |
| Cookies spread thin | Warm butter or no chill | Chill 30 minutes and use a cool sheet each time |
| Cookies stuck to the pan | Marshmallow ran onto bare metal | Line with parchment and press the cut side down |
| Dry, sandy texture | Graham crumbs too coarse or too much flour | Crush them fine and spoon the flour, 280 g total |
| Marshmallow tore when lifted | Moved while hot | Wait 10 minutes on the sheet |
Swaps and Add-Ins
- Dark chocolate: use 60 percent bars for a less sweet cookie that balances the marshmallow.
- Mini marshmallows: press 4 or 5 on each cookie instead of a half; they toast faster, so check at 2 minutes.
- Cinnamon graham: add 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients.
- Peanut butter: press a peanut butter cup half into each cookie with the marshmallow.
- Bigger cookies: scoop 1/4 cup (60 g), bake 11 minutes before topping and get about 20.
More s’mores ideas: the no-bake Golden Grahams s’mores bars, a warm s’mores dip for dunking graham crackers, and frozen s’mores cups for warm days. For Halloween there are ghost Peeps s’mores.
Storing Baked Cookies and Dough
Keep the cookies in a single layer, or with parchment between layers, in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. The marshmallow tops stay soft but get stickier over time. To bring back the toasty top, warm a cookie for 10 seconds in the microwave.
Freeze the scooped dough balls for up to 3 months and bake them straight from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes before the marshmallows go on. Baked cookies freeze less well, because the marshmallow turns chewy after thawing.
Building a cookie tray? They sit well next to oatmeal raisin cookies, chocolate crinkle cookies and hot cocoa cookies, and if you like a cookie loaded with everything, try kitchen sink cookies.
S’mores Cookie Questions
Can I put marshmallows inside the dough?
You can, but they melt and leave hollow, sticky pockets. Pressing them on top near the end gives a cleaner, toasted look.
Do I need to chill the dough?
Yes, 30 minutes. Unchilled dough spreads before the marshmallows go on and the cookies bake thin.
Can I use store-bought graham cracker crumbs?
Yes. Use 1 cup (90 g) of fine crumbs, the same as crushing about 6 full sheets yourself.
Why did my marshmallows deflate?
Marshmallows always shrink a little as they cool. If they collapse completely, they were in the oven too long.
Pin the Recipe
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S'mores Cookies
S'mores cookies with graham cracker crumbs baked into a chewy brown sugar dough, melty milk chocolate and toasted marshmallow tops. Bake the cookies for 9 minutes, press a marshmallow half, a piece of chocolate and a bit of graham cracker into each one, then bake 2 to 3 minutes more so the marshmallows puff and brown without melting flat. A 30 minute chill keeps them thick. 20 minutes of prep, 26 cookies, and they stay soft for 4 days in an airtight container.
Ingredients
Cookie dough
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (213 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (90 g) fine graham cracker crumbs (about 6 full sheets)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 1/2 cups (255 g) chopped milk chocolate
Toppings
- 13 large marshmallows, cut in half
- 1/2 cup (85 g) milk chocolate pieces
- 3 full graham cracker sheets, broken into small pieces
Instructions
- CREAM: Beat the softened butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium for 2 minutes.
- EGGS: Beat in the egg, the yolk and the vanilla until smooth.
- DRY INGREDIENTS: Whisk the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda and salt, add to the bowl and mix on low just until combined.
- CHOCOLATE: Fold in 1 1/2 cups of the chopped chocolate.
- CHILL: Cover and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- SCOOP: Scoop 3 tablespoon (45 g) balls onto parchment-lined sheets, 12 per sheet, 2 inches apart.
- BAKE: Bake 9 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops puffed but pale.
- TOP: Press a marshmallow half (cut side down), a piece of the remaining chocolate and a piece of graham cracker into each cookie. Bake 2 to 3 minutes more, until the marshmallows puff and turn golden.
- COOL: Leave on the sheet 10 minutes, then move to a wire rack.
Notes
- Crush the graham crackers fine; coarse crumbs make the dough sandy.
- Chill the dough 30 minutes (up to 2 days) so the cookies stay thick.
- Add the marshmallow halves cut side down after 9 minutes, then bake only 2 to 3 minutes more.
- Done: golden edges, soft centers, puffed marshmallows with brown spots. Cool 10 minutes on the sheet.
- Storage: airtight at room temperature up to 4 days; freeze unbaked dough balls up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
26Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 256Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 147mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 1gSugar: 22gProtein: 3g
