Cookies hold a special place in my heart, and few things bring as much joy as baking a fresh batch. While the classic chocolate chip cookie (CCC) is undeniably a timeless favorite, there’s something truly magical about elevating it to the next level. And what could be better than a classic CCC? A classic CCC, generously stuffed with a gooey marshmallow! Inspired by the rave reviews for my chocolate marshmallow cookies (which my brother famously declared the best cookie he’s ever tasted), this recipe takes that same delightful concept and pairs it with the beloved chocolate chip cookie dough, enhanced by brown butter. The result is an unforgettable dessert that combines familiar flavors with an exciting, melt-in-your-mouth surprise, making it a perfect treat for any occasion or simply to satisfy a sweet craving.

If you’re as passionate about chocolate chip cookies as I am and eager to explore more delightful variations, be sure to check out some of my other popular recipes. You might love my unique butterscotch chocolate chip cookies for a rich, buttery twist, or perhaps these fun and colorful M&M chocolate chip cookies that are a hit with kids and adults alike. For those who enjoy an extra layer of chocolatey goodness, don’t miss these indulgent chocolate filled cookies. Each recipe offers a distinct flavor profile, but all share the same commitment to deliciousness and easy-to-follow instructions, ensuring your baking adventures are always a success.

Why These Brown Butter Marshmallow Chocolate Chip Cookies Are Irresistible!

These cookies aren’t just good; they’re truly exceptional, and here’s why they’ve become a staple in my baking repertoire and a favorite among everyone who tries them:

• These chocolate chip marshmallow cookies are infused with the incredible depth of brown butter. Browning the butter transforms its flavor profile, adding delightful nutty, caramel, and toffee notes that permeate and elevate the entire cookie dough. This simple yet profound step creates a warmth and complexity that you just can’t achieve with regular melted butter, making these cookies truly stand out in a crowd of ordinary chocolate chip cookies. It’s a secret ingredient that brings an unparalleled richness.
• Each generously sized cookie dough ball is meticulously stuffed with a large, fluffy marshmallow, ensuring a truly spectacular and unexpected surprise in every bite. As the cookies bake, the marshmallow inside softens and melts, creating an unbelievably gooey, sweet, and stretchy center that perfectly complements the chewy cookie exterior and rich pockets of chocolate. This delightful textural contrast is what makes these cookies utterly addictive and unforgettable.
• If you’re a fan of classic campfire treats, you can easily make these cookies even more like s’mores! For an extra layer of flavor and a satisfying crunch, simply sprinkle some crushed graham crackers on top of each cookie dough ball just before you pop them into the oven. You could even add a tiny piece of a milk chocolate bar on top alongside the graham crackers for an ultimate s’mores experience, adding another dimension of texture and flavor to these already amazing cookies.

Gather Your Key Ingredients for Perfect Brown Butter Marshmallow Cookies

Creating these sensational brown butter marshmallow chocolate chip cookies starts with selecting the right ingredients. High-quality components are crucial for achieving that perfect chewy texture, rich flavor, and irresistible gooey center. Here’s a detailed look at what you’ll need and why each element plays a vital role in this recipe:

• All-Purpose Flour: This is the backbone of our cookies, providing the necessary structure without making them too dense or cakey. I always recommend using a good quality all-purpose flour for consistent and reliable baking results.
• Unsalted Butter: The true star of the show for these cookies! Using unsalted butter gives you precise control over the overall saltiness of your final product. The process of browning the butter adds an incredible depth of nutty, toasted, and slightly caramel-like flavor. I often opt for European-style butter because its higher butterfat content yields a richer, more flavorful, and delightfully tender cookie, which truly elevates the taste.
• Granulated Sugar & Light Brown Sugar: Our recipe calls for a balanced blend of both these sugars. Granulated sugar contributes to the crispy edges and helps the cookies spread beautifully. Light brown sugar, on the other hand, is absolutely essential for moisture, chewiness, and that signature deep, caramel-like sweetness. Using packed brown sugar ensures accurate measurement for optimal texture and flavor.
• Eggs (Large Egg & Extra Egg Yolk): We utilize one large whole egg and one additional large egg yolk, both ideally at room temperature. The whole egg provides essential structure and moisture, while the extra egg yolk adds remarkable richness, tenderness, and an incredible chewiness to the cookies. Room temperature eggs are crucial as they emulsify much better with the other ingredients, leading to a smoother, more uniform dough.
• Vanilla Extract: A crucial flavor enhancer that complements the deep notes of brown butter and rich chocolate. Use a high-quality pure vanilla extract to infuse the cookies with a warm, inviting aroma and enhance their overall sweetness.
• Baking Powder & Baking Soda: These two leavening agents work in perfect tandem to give our cookies the ideal lift and spread. Baking soda reacts with the acidic brown sugar to create a soft interior, while baking powder provides an additional boost, ensuring a wonderfully chewy and airy crumb.
• Ground Nutmeg & Ground Cinnamon: Just a pinch of these warm spices significantly enhances the overall flavor profile of the cookies. They add a subtle complexity and aromatic warmth that pairs beautifully with both the brown butter and the chocolate. While optional, they are highly recommended for an elevated, gourmet taste.
• Kosher Salt: Salt is a vital ingredient in baking, as it expertly balances the sweetness and intensifies all the other wonderful flavors. I specifically recommend kosher salt due to its larger flake size and less intense saltiness by volume compared to fine table salt. If you choose to use fine salt, be sure to halve the amount specified in the recipe to avoid over-salting.
• Chocolate Chips: I find semi-sweet chocolate chips to be the best choice for their balanced sweetness, preventing the cookies from becoming overly sugary. However, you have the flexibility to substitute them with milk chocolate chips for a sweeter profile, or dark chocolate chips for a more intense and sophisticated chocolate flavor. Using high-quality chocolate will always make a noticeable difference in the final taste.
• Marshmallows: These are the magical surprise at the heart of our gooey cookies! Regular-sized marshmallows work perfectly, but if you only have larger ones, you can easily cut them in half before freezing. Mini marshmallows are also a viable option if you prefer smaller, more frequent pockets of gooeyness, but critically, ensure they are thoroughly frozen when you incorporate them into the dough.

Step 1: Prepare Marshmallows and Brown the Butter. Begin by placing your marshmallows in the freezer for at least 1 hour. This crucial step helps them maintain their shape and prevents them from melting completely and oozing out during baking, ensuring a perfectly contained, gooey center. Next, brown your butter. In a small, light-colored saucepan (a light-colored pan helps you monitor the browning process effectively), melt the unsalted butter over medium-low heat. The butter will first melt, then begin to foam and bubble. Continue cooking and stirring frequently with a heatproof spatula. You’ll observe small white milk solids forming at the bottom of the pan; keep stirring until these milk solids turn a rich, golden brown, and the butter releases a distinct, nutty, toasted aroma. This signals it’s perfectly browned. Immediately pour the browned butter, including all the delightful browned bits, into a large heatproof bowl to stop the cooking process. Allow it to cool slightly, then whisk in the granulated sugar, light brown sugar, vanilla extract, and kosher salt until well combined and smooth.

Step 2: Incorporate Eggs for Richness and Chewiness. Once your brown butter and sugar mixture has cooled down sufficiently (it should be warm to the touch but definitely not hot, to avoid scrambling the eggs), it’s time to add the eggs. Whisk in the large whole egg and the extra egg yolk. Continue whisking vigorously for 1-2 minutes until the mixture becomes wonderfully smooth, light, and glossy. This thorough aeration helps to create a lighter texture in the final cookie and contributes significantly to its signature chewiness. Always ensure your eggs are at room temperature for optimal emulsification and better incorporation into the dough.

Step 3: Combine Dry Ingredients and Chocolate Chips. In a separate medium-sized bowl, gently whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground nutmeg, and ground cinnamon until they are evenly distributed. Gradually add these dry ingredients to your wet mixture, stirring until the flour is just incorporated into the wet dough. It’s crucial not to overmix at this stage, as overmixing can develop the gluten too much, leading to tough rather than tender cookies. Once the dough is mostly combined, fold in the bulk of your semi-sweet chocolate chips. Remember to reserve a small handful of chocolate chips to press onto the tops of the cookies just after baking; this simple trick makes for a more visually appealing, bakery-style cookie.

Step 4: Stuff Each Cookie with a Frozen Marshmallow. Now for the truly fun and unique part of this recipe! Using a large cookie scoop (approximately 3 tablespoons of dough), scoop out uniform portions of cookie dough. Use your clean hands to gently flatten each portion into a disc, making it wide enough to comfortably enclose a marshmallow. Take one of your *thoroughly frozen* marshmallows and place it directly in the center of the flattened cookie dough. The frozen state of the marshmallow is incredibly important here, as it provides a protective buffer against premature melting when the cookies hit the hot oven.

Step 5: Form Dough Balls and Chill. Carefully use your hands to gently fold and form the cookie dough around the marshmallow, ensuring it’s completely enclosed and sealed within the dough. Roll the dough gently between your palms to form a smooth, uniform ball. This meticulous sealing prevents the marshmallow from escaping and potentially burning during baking. Once all your cookie dough balls are formed, place them on a large plate or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Transfer them to the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes, or even longer (up to an hour). Chilling the dough is an absolutely essential step; it helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much in the oven, allows the flavors to deepen and meld, and further ensures the marshmallows stay intact and become perfectly gooey.

Step 6: Bake to Golden Perfection. While your dough chills, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two or three baking trays with fresh parchment paper. Arrange 6-8 cookie dough balls on each prepared baking sheet, ensuring at least 2 inches of space between them to allow for proper spreading. Bake the cookies one tray at a time on the middle rack of your oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown and the centers still look slightly soft and puffed. For a crispier cookie, you can bake for an extra minute or two, but watch them closely. As soon as they come out of the oven, if desired, gently press a few of your reserved chocolate chips onto the warm tops of the cookies. This creates that iconic, appealing bakery-style look. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for at least 5-10 minutes before attempting to move them. They will be very soft and fragile when hot, and this crucial cooling time allows them to set up and become easier to handle. Enjoy your warm, gooey, and utterly delicious brown butter marshmallow chocolate chip cookies!

Ella’s Expert Baking Tips & Tricks for Foolproof Cookies

Achieving cookie perfection is all about understanding a few fundamental principles and techniques. Here are my top tips and tricks to ensure your brown butter marshmallow chocolate chip cookies turn out perfectly soft, chewy, and gloriously gooey every single time:

• I can’t stress this enough: for consistent and accurate baking results, I highly recommend using a digital weighing scale and measuring out your ingredients the metric way. Volume measurements (like cups) can vary significantly depending on how you scoop and level, affecting the hydration and texture of your dough, which in turn impacts the final outcome of your baked goods. Precision with a scale makes a huge, positive difference in achieving consistent, bakery-quality results every time you bake.
• It is absolutely vital to freeze the marshmallows for at least 1 hour (or even longer, up to several hours) before you stuff them into the cookie dough. If the marshmallows aren’t sufficiently frozen, they will melt too quickly in the oven and ooze out through the bottom or sides of your cookies, creating a sticky mess on your baking sheet. Freezing them provides a protective cold barrier, allowing the cookie dough to set and bake around them before the marshmallow truly begins to soften and become delightfully gooey.
• Once your cookies are fresh out of the oven, they will be incredibly soft and delicate. It’s crucial to allow them to cool for a bit on the baking sheet for at least 5-10 minutes. These cookies are quite fragile when hot and might easily fall apart or lose their shape if you try to move them too soon. In my extensive testing, I’ve consistently found that these specific cookies tend to stick stubbornly to wire cooling racks if transferred immediately, so letting them firm up on the parchment paper is a key step for success.
• For that coveted perfectly round, bakery-style cookie shape, here’s a neat and simple trick: immediately after removing the warm cookies from the oven, use a large round mug or a glass that has an opening slightly larger than your baked cookie. Place the mug over a cookie and gently ‘scoot’ it around in a circular motion. This technique beautifully smooths out any irregular edges and coaxes the cookie into a beautiful, uniform circle while it’s still warm and pliable, giving them a professional, polished finish.

The key to perfectly gooey, contained marshmallows is a two-pronged approach. First, I strongly recommend freezing your marshmallows for at least 1 hour (or even longer, up to several hours) before you start preparing the cookie dough. This gives them a cold, stable core that resists rapid melting. Second, after you’ve meticulously stuffed the marshmallows into the cookie dough balls, make sure to chill the cookie balls in the fridge for another 30-60 minutes. This additional chilling step helps the dough firm up around the marshmallow, providing more structural resistance against premature melting. These combined steps effectively stop the marshmallows from entirely melting through the cookie and instead results in that desired perfectly gooey, soft center.

Several factors contribute to creating incredibly moist and chewy cookies. In this particular recipe, the foundation lies in the rich brown butter and a higher ratio of light brown sugar (which naturally retains more moisture than granulated white sugar). Adding an extra egg yolk, as we do here, is another fantastic trick! The increased fat from the yolk adds richness, tenderness, and an incredible, distinct chewiness to the cookies. For an even softer cookie, you could sometimes incorporate an extra tablespoon of cornstarch (or cornflour in the UK) into your dry ingredients, which helps tenderize the crumb. However, I find these brown butter marshmallow cookies are already exceptionally soft and chewy without additional cornstarch due to the thoughtful balance of ingredients and techniques used.

Absolutely! Freezing these cookies is a brilliant way to have fresh-baked treats on demand whenever a craving strikes. For the best results, I highly recommend freezing the unbaked cookie dough balls. Once you’ve formed the dough around the frozen marshmallows, place the cookie balls on a parchment-lined tray and freeze until they are completely solid (this usually takes about 2-3 hours). Then, transfer the frozen cookie dough balls to a freezer-safe bag or airtight container, and they will keep well for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to bake, simply place the frozen dough balls on a baking sheet and bake directly from frozen. You will likely need to add a couple of extra minutes (approximately 3-5 minutes) to the baking time and potentially decrease the oven temperature by 20°F (about 10-15°C) to ensure even cooking without over-browning the edges. You can also freeze baked cookies once completely cool for up to 1 month.

While I haven’t personally tested this specific recipe with marshmallow fluff, it typically behaves very differently from whole marshmallows when baked. Marshmallow fluff has a much higher water content and a looser, more unstable consistency, which means it’s far more likely to melt and spread rapidly, potentially oozing out of the cookies completely and creating a very sticky, challenging situation. For the best results and to achieve the distinct, contained gooey pocket that whole marshmallows provide, I strongly recommend sticking to regular or mini marshmallows for this recipe. If you do decide to experiment with marshmallow fluff, please let me know your results – I’m always curious about new baking adventures!

Gooey Brown Butter Marshmallow Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ella Gilbert

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