Gooey double chocolate cookies with chunks of graham cracker crust and filled with marshmallow fluff. These cookies are a fun, delicious twist on the classic summer treat that you can enjoy anytime—no campfire needed.

The story

Before I get into the somewhat sappy story of these cookies, I have a happy-tears video for you! The other day, my husband showed me this audition from America’s Got Talent and I literally cried. I cried from gratitude for justice and anger that this ever happened, especially so recently.

And if you’ve been wondering how you can contribute to the fight for justice and equality, The Innocence Project is a great option. It’s how Archie Williams was exonerated. They are doing some important work—work that should have been done by our justice system in the first place.

Okay, so now my sappy cookies story. I suppose, in light of Archie’s story, mine isn’t very sappy. But I still love it, because it starts on my honeymoon. My husband and I went to New York for the first part of our honeymoon. We walked dozens of miles in 5 days, exploring everything we could. One of those days we rented a car and drove ton Cooperstown to see the baseball hall of fame. Upon arrival, my husband went straight inside to soak up every moment he could with the memorabilia.

I went to get lunch. Because, lunch.

As much as I love baseball (my husband proposed in our season ticket seats on a private tour of the formerly AT&T Park), I cant skip a meal for a museum. So I found literally the nearest place to get a sandwich and, of course, a cookie.

It was one of the best cookies I’ve ever had. It was a s’mores cookie—chocolate cookie, graham cracker clumps, and globs of marshmallow. I’ve thought about that cookie many times in the last six years.

Today, I recreated it.

I had to do a lot of guesswork, but I think I got this cookie pretty close. It’s a gooey chocolate cookie base with chunks of graham cracker crust stirred in and marshmallow fluff stuffed in the middle then oozing out the sides. It took me all these years to figure out how to replicate all of these pieces—especially the globs of gooey marshmallow that seemed revolutionary at the time. After perusing Pinterest like it’s my job, I started to get a feel for the various ways to use marshmallow(s) in baking, and that’s how I decided stuffed-with-fluff was the best option.

It’s one of my favorite cookies, and I hope you enjoy it, too.

How to make this recipe

Make the graham cracker chunks by pulsing 8 full sheets (each sheet has 4 rectangles) in a food processor until a little finer than breadcrumbs.

Add melted butter and mix/pulse until fully incorporated.

Pour out on a lined baking sheet and press down until it’s all tightly packed. Pop in the freezer while you make the rest of the dough.

Place chocolate chips and butter in a heatproof bowl.

Melt by either microwaving at half power in 15 second intervals, stirring in between, or by placing over a saucepan with 1-2” water brought to a summer and reduced to medium-low, stirring constantly. Once melted, remove from heat and stir. Set aside to cool.

Sift and whisk together dry ingredients.

Mix eggs, sugar, and vanilla until frothy.

Add melted chocolate and mix until smooth.

Mix in dry ingredients on low.

Add frozen graham mixture, breaking into chunks.

Stir, breaking up until all pieces are about M&M size (super exact science here).

Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until solid enough to stay together but still moldable. Scoop about 2-3 tablespoons with an ice cream or cookie scoop. Press a deep hole in the middle, making it as much of a sphere shape as you can and making sure the edges are smoothed out—they’ll be folded over the marshmallow after you fill it.

Fill middle with about 1 teaspoon marshmallow fluff—chilled is easiest to work with.

Fold edges of dough around the marshmallow filling. You may need to piece together a bit of a hat to close it off, but it’s okay to leave some peeking through.

Freeze for 10 minutes then bake at 325 for 9-11 minutes, spaced 2 inches apart.

Let cool on pan. Enjoy warm!

Tips for this recipe

Let the chocolate cool enough

If you add the chocolate to the eggs too soon, they’ll scramble. It’s best to just follow the steps because they give you time to let the chocolate cool enough to not scramble the eggs and create awkward, chewy chunks of omelette in your cookie.

Use any kind of chocolate chips

The type of chocolate a person likes in their s’mores is a very personal—and telling—choice. You have your Hershey’s purist. You have your Ghirardelli fancy. You have your modern gourmet with things like peanut butter cups (my favorite). Thus, you can use milk, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate chips in these cookies. You’ll get a slightly different taste with each, and it should match your s’mores preference fairly accurately.

Press or squeeze graham crackers

To get chunks of graham crackers, you need to either press the mixture into the pan or squeeze it into tiny clumps. I’ve found over the years that it’s easiest to create large clumps of graham/butter mixture, freeze it, then break those into bite sized pieces. Otherwise, you’ll spend forever creating chocolate-chip-sized pieces of what is essentially sand.

Form into cookies if making in advance

If you’re making these in advance, it’s best to shape them into filled cookies, store in an airtight container, and either freeze or refrigerate until ready to bake. The longer the dough chills, the harder it is to form it into a hollow ball, so it’s best to shape them sooner rather than later.

Broil or torch the marshmallow fluff for a campfire taste

You’ll need to be very careful with this, as the fluff will burn quickly. You can either place them under the broiler for 20-30 seconds, watching the whole time, or use a kitchen torch to achieve that toasted look and flavor.

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Gooey S’mores Cookies

prep time: 20 minutes

chill time: 30 minutes

cook time: 8-12 minutes

total time: 1 hour

Servings: 12-16

Ingredients:

8 graham crackers (the full sheet with 4 mini rectangles)

4 tablespoons (2 ounces) butter, melted

8 ounces (weighed) chocolate chips, your favorite kind

6 tablespoons (3 ounces) unsalted butter, cold

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

1 teaspoon baking powder, sifted

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

¼ teaspoon fine ground sea salt

2 eggs, room temperature

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

marshmallow fluff, about half a jar

Instructions:

Make graham crust. Crush graham crackers in a food processor or in a zip baggie with a rolling pin, until a little more fine than breadcrumbs. Add melted butter (can melt in the microwave at hand power in 15 second bursts or on medium-low in a saucepan). Pulse or stir until combined.

Pour onto a lined baking sheet and press down with your fingers or the back of a cup or spoon. Place in the freezer while you make the rest of the dough.

Place cold butter and chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl and melt either over a saucepan with 1-2” simmering water (bring to a boil then reduce to medium-low), stirring constantly, or in the microwave at half power in 15 second intervals, stirring in between. Let cool 5-10 minutes while you prep the rest of the dough.

In a small bowl, sift together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.

In a medium to large mixing bowl, combine eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix with a hand mixer (or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer) on high until frothy, about 1 minute. Stir melted chocolate to prevent any heat pockets from scrambling the eggs then add to sugar mixture and mix on low until smooth, about 1 minute. Add dry ingredients and mix on low until just combined.

Remove graham mixture from freezer and break into squares and add to dough. Stir to combine, breaking up the largest pieces that remain. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes, or until it’s solid but still moldable. You can keep it in the fridge up to 3 days, but it will need to thaw on the counter at least an hour. If possible, shape them into filled cookies and save those in an airtight container if making in advance.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using an ice cream or cookie scoop, scoop out a medium-ish ball of dough, about 3 tablespoons. Press a hole into the middle, keeping it as spherical as possible but also making as large a pocket as you can. Add about a teaspoon or so of marshmallow fluff and seal over the hole as much as possible, adding pieces of dough if necessary.

Place on prepared baking sheet at least 2” apart, with sealed hole on top in case any oozes out. Freeze for 10-15 minutes while the oven preheats. Bake 8-12 minutes, checking at 8 minute, until no longer shiny. Let cool 10 minutes (or completely) on pan.

Enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container for 2-3 days.