You know those days when you just need a cookie? Not just any cookie, but one that’s gooey, messy, and fixes basically everything. That was me last Tuesday.
I’m going to show you how to make the Nutella marshmallow cookies that saved my week. They’re soft, stuffed with melty chocolate-hazelnut goodness, and have pockets of toasted marshmallow that will make you ridiculously happy. This is the one you’re going to want to make, I promise.
What You’ll Need for This Magic
Getting your ingredients ready first is like… the number one rule of not having a meltdown in the kitchen. It’s called “mise en place” if you wanna be fancy, but I just call it “getting your ducks in a row.” Don’t skip this.
Here’s the breakdown for the cookie dough itself. It’s pretty standard stuff, but the amounts are what really matter.
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| All-Purpose Flour | 2 ¾ cups |
| Baking Soda | 1 tsp |
| Cornstarch | 1 tsp |
| Salt | ½ tsp |
| Unsalted Butter | 1 cup (2 sticks) |
| Light Brown Sugar | 1 cup, packed |
| Granulated Sugar | ½ cup |
| Large Eggs | 2 |
| Vanilla Extract | 2 tsp |
And now for the best part—the stuff that goes inside. This is where the real fun happens. Don’t be shy with the Nutella.
| Filling Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Nutella | about ¾ cup |
| Mini Marshmallows | 1 ½ cups |
| Flaky Sea Salt | For sprinkling |
A Few Words on the Ingredients
Look, you can just grab whatever, but if you want these to be amazing, a few small things make a big difference. Your butter needs to be unsalted and at room temperature. Seriously, leave it on the counter for an hour. If it’s too cold, your dough will be lumpy. If it’s melty, your cookies will spread into sad, flat pancakes.
For the brown sugar, make sure you pack it into the measuring cup. It adds moisture and that chewy texture we’re all chasing. And vanilla extract? Use the real stuff. The imitation kind has a weird chemical taste that you can’t un-taste. It’s worth the extra dollar or two.
Pro Tips from My Kitchen to Yours
I’ve made a lot of cookies. A lot. And I’ve made all the mistakes so you don’t have to. Here are the three things that will take your cookies from “pretty good” to “oh my gosh, what is in this?”
1. Chill Your Dough. No, Really.
I know, I know. You want cookies now. But chilling the dough for at least an hour is the most important step. It lets the flour fully absorb the moisture and stops the butter from melting too fast in the oven. This means your cookies will be thick and chewy instead of thin and crispy. Trust me on this. It’s the secret to bakery-style cookies.
2. The Nutella Dollop Trick.
Trying to stuff room-temperature Nutella into cookie dough is a nightmare. It’s sticky, it gets everywhere, and you’ll want to give up. Here’s the trick: scoop little teaspoon-sized dollops of Nutella onto a plate lined with wax paper and pop them in the freezer for about 30 minutes. They’ll turn into solid little Nutella pucks that are a breeze to wrap the dough around. Game-changer.
3. Don’t Overbake!
This might be the biggest cookie crime. You want to pull them out of the oven when they look just a tiny bit underdone in the center. The edges should be golden brown, but the middle should still be soft. They’ll continue to bake on the hot cookie sheet for a few minutes after you take them out. This is how you get that perfect gooey-on-the-inside, chewy-on-the-outside texture.
The Tools for the Job
You don’t need a bunch of fancy equipment. Your kitchen probably has everything you need already.
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Mixing Bowls | For dry & wet ingredients |
| Whisk | For dry ingredients |
| Electric Mixer | Handheld or stand mixer |
| Rubber Spatula | For scraping the bowl |
| Cookie Scoop | A 2-tablespoon size is great |
| Baking Sheets | Two is ideal |
| Parchment Paper | Prevents sticking |
| Cooling Rack | For, well, cooling |
Let’s Make Some Cookies!
Okay, are you ready? We’re going to do this step-by-step. Just follow along, and you’ll be in cookie heaven in no time.
Step 1: Prep Your Nutella & Dry Stuff
First, do that freezer trick I told you about. Scoop about 16 little dollops of Nutella onto a parchment-lined plate and stick it in the freezer. Now, in a medium bowl, whisk together your flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt. Whisking is better than sifting here—it’s faster and does the same job of getting rid of lumps. Set that bowl aside.
Step 2: Cream the Butter and Sugars
In a big bowl with your electric mixer, beat the room-temperature butter until it’s smooth. Then add both the packed brown sugar and the regular white sugar. Mix them together on medium speed for about 2-3 minutes, until it looks light and fluffy, like pale sand. Don’t rush this part. This is where you’re whipping air into the dough.
Step 3: Add the Eggs and Vanilla
Add your eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with your spatula to make sure everything is getting mixed in. After the eggs are in, mix in the vanilla extract. The mixture should look smooth and creamy.
Step 4: Combine Wet and Dry
Now, slowly add your dry flour mixture to the wet mixture in the big bowl. Put your mixer on low speed so you don’t get a cloud of flour all over your kitchen (I’ve done that more times than I can count). Mix just until you don’t see any more white streaks of flour. Over-mixing makes cookies tough, and nobody wants a tough cookie.
Step 5: CHILL THE DOUGH
Yep, I’m saying it again because it’s that important. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge for at least one hour. You can even leave it in there overnight if you want to get ahead. The flavor actually gets better the longer it sits.
Step 6: Time to Assemble!
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Take your dough out of the fridge. Using a cookie scoop or a big spoon, scoop out a ball of dough (about 2 tablespoons). Flatten it in your palm, place one of your frozen Nutella dollops and 3-4 mini marshmallows in the center.
Step 7: Seal ‘Em Up
Now, carefully wrap the cookie dough around the filling, pinching the seams to seal it up tight. If any marshmallow is peeking out, it will melt and burn in the oven, so make sure they’re fully covered. Roll the ball between your palms to smooth it out. Place the dough balls on your prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between them because they will spread a bit.
Step 8: Bake to Perfection
Bake for 10-12 minutes. The edges will be golden, and the tops will be just set. They might look a little puffy and soft in the middle—that’s exactly what you want. As soon as they come out of the oven, sprinkle a tiny bit of flaky sea salt on top of each one. The salt cuts through the sweetness and just makes everything taste better.
Step 9: Cool Down
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5-10 minutes. This lets them set up so they don’t fall apart when you move them. After that, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Or, you know, eat one while it’s still warm and gooey. I won’t tell.
Fun Swaps and Other Ideas
Once you get this recipe down, you can play with it. It’s a great starting point for all kinds of cookie experiments.
- Different Spreads: Don’t have Nutella? Use Biscoff cookie butter, peanut butter, or any other thick, creamy spread. The freezer trick works for all of them.
- Add Some Crunch: Mix in a cup of chopped pecans, walnuts, or even crushed pretzels into the dough for a salty, crunchy bite.
- Chocolate Swap: You can add ½ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips or white chocolate chips to the dough for even more chocolatey goodness.
- Marshmallow Swap: Can’t find mini marshmallows? You can cut a regular-sized marshmallow into four pieces and use that instead.
Making Them Ahead of Time
Life gets busy, I get it. The great thing about this dough is that you can make it ahead of time. You can keep the dough in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Or, you can freeze the stuffed, unbaked cookie dough balls. Place them on a baking sheet in the freezer until they’re solid, then toss them into a freezer bag. They’ll keep for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to bake, you can bake them straight from frozen—just add 2-3 extra minutes to the baking time.
Leftovers and Storage (If You Have Any)
These cookies are best on the day they’re made, especially when they’re still a little warm. But if you somehow have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
A little trick to keep them soft is to stick a slice of bread in the container with them. The cookies will absorb moisture from the bread and stay chewy. If you want to get that fresh-out-of-the-oven gooeyness back, just pop one in the microwave for about 10 seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Why did my cookies spread out and get really thin?
Ans: Your butter was probably too warm, or you didn’t chill the dough long enough. Room temperature butter should still be cool to the touch, not melty.
Q2. The Nutella and marshmallows leaked out of my cookies! What did I do wrong?
Ans: You probably didn’t seal the dough ball completely. Make sure to pinch all the seams shut and make sure no marshmallows are peeking out before you bake.
Q3. Can I make this recipe without an electric mixer?
Ans: Yes, you totally can, it’ll just be a good arm workout! Use a sturdy whisk for the butter and sugar step and make sure you cream it really well before switching to a wooden spoon to mix in the flour.
Q4. My marshmallows disappeared inside the cookie. Where did they go?
Ans: Marshmallows tend to melt and dissolve into the cookie dough as it bakes, creating soft, gooey pockets. If you want more distinct marshmallow, try using vegan marshmallows, as they tend to hold their shape a bit better.
Wrapping Up
See? That wasn’t so hard. You just made what might be the world’s most perfect cookie. They’re a little bit of work, but every single messy, gooey bite is so worth it.
Now go pour yourself a glass of milk, grab a warm cookie, and give yourself a pat on the back. You earned it. If you make these, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and tell me how they turned out or if you tried any fun variations. Happy baking
