Fluffernutter Cookies
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Inspired by the iconic sandwich – these fluffernutter cookies are soft and chewy with the perfect peanut butter flavor and gooey marshmallow fluff!
A classic fluffernutter sandwich is made with white bread, peanut butter and marshmallow fluff. It’s salty, sweet, sticky and gooey. For these fluffernutter cookies, we’re using the iconic flavor combination and skipping the white bread. Chewy peanut butter cookie dough gets wrapped around a dollop of marshmallow fluff. The cookies are surprisingly not too sweet, thanks to the peanut butter, and the marshmallow in the middle is perfectly ooey and gooey.
Marshmallow Fluff vs Marshmallows
A typically fluffernutter sandwich is made with marshmallow fluff – which was my first reason for using fluff, as opposed to marshmallows, in these cookies.
However, I also tested this recipe using both mini marshmallows and regular marshmallows. When using marshmallows stuffed inside the cookie dough, they typically would melt into the dough – leaving you with little to no trace of gooey marshmallow in the baked cookie.
Therefore, I do not recommend using marshmallows in this recipe. Using fluff can lead to sticky fingers – but you’ll have a much better result in the end.
Making Fluffernutter Cookies
This recipe is very straight forward, but does require a little extra time because the cookie dough balls will need to freeze for at least 30 minutes prior to baking. Here’s the rundown.
- Make the Peanut Butter Cookie Dough. You’ll beat together the butter, peanut butter and sugar until smooth – then mix in the egg and vanilla extract. The flour, baking soda, salt and a touch of cornstarch are then mixed into the dough.
- Assemble the Dough Balls. You’ll scoop out about 3-4 tablespoons of cookie dough and flatten into a disc shape. Then drop a dollop of fluff in the middle (I like to use 2 small spoons. Fold the dough around the sides of the fluff – you can either leave a little fluff peaking out the top, or cover it completely with cookie dough (you might need to add a little extra dough to cover the fluff completely).
- Freeze. The cookie dough balls will need to freeze for at least 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can place them in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
- Bake. You’ll preheat the oven and line your cookie sheets – lining is super important so that the sticky marshmallow doesn’t make the cookies stick to the cookie sheet. The cookies will bake from frozen. As they bake, the marshmallow will start to peak through and explode.
- Perfect. When the cookies are fresh from the oven, I like to take a large round cookie cutter or biscuit cutter and place around each cookie. Then gently trace a circular shape. The cookie cutter with mold the cookies into perfect circles. This step is optional, but helps to create perfectly round cookies. Then sprinkle a few chopped peanuts on top
Recipe Tip
Cool the cookies on the cookie sheet. Do not try to transfer the cookies while they’re still warm – otherwise, they will easily fall apart. The gooey marshmallow makes these cookies very gooey.
More Marshmallow Treats to Try and Love
- Fluffernutter Bars – chewy peanut butter cookie dough gooey marshmallow
- Marshmallow Brownies
- S’mores Cookie Bars
Fluffernutter Cookies
Equipment
- Cookie Sheets
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter (112 grams), softened, but not starting to melt
- ½ cup brown sugar (105 grams), light or dark
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- ½ cup smooth peanut butter (about 125 grams), not any variety where the oil sits on top
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour (188 grams)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup marshmallow fluff, about
- ¼ cup chopped peanuts , optional
Instructions
Make the Cookie Dough
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. Mix in the peanut butter. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times to ensure that there are no lumps of butter.
- Mix in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt into the bowl. Beat together, starting with the mixer on a low speed and increasing to medium speed.
Assemble
- Scoop out about 3 tablespoons of dough and flatten into a round disc shape. Using 2 small spoons, drop a dollop of marshmallow fluff (about 2 teaspoons) in the middle of the cookie dough. Gently fold the cookie dough around the marshmallow dollop, leaving a small dot of exposed fluff in the middle at the top. Repeat the process with the rest of the dough.
Freeze
- Freeze the cookie dough balls for 30 minutes, or place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
Bake
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375℉ (190℃). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or baking mats.
- Place the cookies about 2½ inches (6 cm) apart on the lined cookie sheets. (Do not thaw first).
- Bake 1 cookie sheet at a time in the middle of the preheated oven. They'll bake for about 11-13 minutes, or until the tops look set.
Cool
- Cool the cookies on the cookie sheet. Optionally, sprinkle a few chopped peanuts on top of each cookie.
- For perfectly round cookies, when the cookies are fresh out of the oven take a large round cookie cutter or biscuit cutter. It should be bigger than the cookies. Place the biscuit/cookie cutter around a cookie and gently trace a circular shape. The biscuit/cookie cutter will gently mold/press the sides of the cookie into a circle. Note – you are not cutting the cookie into a circle.
Notes
- Peanut Butter: Use smooth, commercially prepared peanut butter. Do not use anything where the oil sits on top of the peanut butter, as this will lead to inconsistent results.
- Storage: Store baked and fully cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Nutrition: Details provided are an estimate only, based on 1 cookie, assuming the recipe yields 14 uniform cookies and all the marshmallow fluff is used.
