These cookies are perfect for people who love coffee and caramelized marshmallows. They're big, chewy, cookies made with melted chocolate chips and marshmallows. They are gooey at first, but firm when when cool and even better if you freeze them.

Espresso Marshmallow Cookies spreading on parchment paper.

Making the Dough

This dough starts differently from most -- no creaming butter required! You'll melt butter and chocolate chips together first, creating a rich chocolate base.

While it cools slightly, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder. I use 1½ teaspoons for a balanced flavor, but go up to 2 teaspoons if you want a bold coffee kick. A pinch of cinnamon adds warmth without overpowering the espresso.

Next, beat the eggs and sugar until thick and pale, then stir in the melted chocolate mixture and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to make a soft dough that will thicken as it stands.

Espresso Marshmallow Cookies dough beings stuffed with marshmallow pieces.

After about 10 minutes, stir in your chocolate chips (or chunks). For the marshmallows, you can mix them in before scooping or stuff them into the center of each scooped ball for less leakage. I prefer the latter -- three frozen marshmallow pieces per cookie, sealed in dough before baking.

Since you're dealing with marshmallows, there's going to be some leakage no matter what. Some cookies will not be perfectly round. Consider that their charm.

Baking Tips

Use any brand of chocolate chips for the melted chocolate. In this case, chips are probably a better choice than chopped dark chocolate because the stabilizers in the chips help add structure to the dough. I've been using Hershey semisweet and Ghirardelli semisweet. Any dark or semisweet should be fine.
Freeze the marshmallows first so they hold their shape longer in the oven. Plus it makes them easier to work with.
Use bread flour for extra chew and structure.
Make sure your eggs are about 50 grams or 135 to 140 (total of 3) when cracked. Egg sizes can vary, and if they are extra large the dough will be looser.
Don't chill the dough until after you've scooped/formed your dough balls. Or just skip chilling the dough completely, wrap it around frozen marshmallows and bake right away. I chill the dough balls out of habit, plus I find it more convenient to bake as many cookies as needed.
Work with parchment for easy cleanup when the marshmallows caramelize. When you pull the cookies from the oven, you can just transfer the whole sheet of parchment paper to the counter and let them cool directly on it.
If and when the cookies ooze marshmallows, use the tip of a spatula to scoot the melted marshmallow inward or trim.

Storage

If making ahead, you can shape all of the dough balls, chill, then put the firm dough balls in the freezer and keep frozen in a zipper bag until ready to bake. You can make them from frozen, but it will take a little longer. The baked cookies also freeze extremely well. Just bake, let cool, wrap tightly and put the wrapped cookies in a heavy duty freezer bag.

Recipe

Marshmallow Espresso Cookies

Anna Gins

Fudgy and chewy cookies with caramelized marshmallow. Feel free to use more or less espresso powder.

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Prep Time 25

Cook Time 14

Cooling Time 30

Total Time 54

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 24 Cookies

Ingredients

1 ½ sticks unsalted butter (170 grams)
1 ¼ cups semisweet or dark chocolate chips (210 grams)
2 ¼ cups bread flour or all-purpose flour (285 grams)
1 ½-2 teaspoons espresso powder
¾ teaspoon baking powder
⅜ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs (145 grams)
1 ½ cups sugar (300 grams)
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Add-Ins

1 ¼ cups chocolate chips or a mixture of chocolate and white chips
18 large marshmallows or 3 cups small

Instructions

Break each marshmallow into 4 pieces and put your marshmallows in the freezer for 30 minutes or until you're ready to use them. If using small marshmallows you can just put them in the freezer.
In a saucepan, melt the butter and 1 ¼ cups (7.5 oz) of chocolate chips together. Let cool slightly.
Measure your flour into a bowl and whisk in the espresso powder, baking powder and salt.
In a mixing bowl, using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer or a handheld mixer, beat the eggs and sugar for about 2 minutes until thick and yellow.
Scrape the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and stir until fully mixed. Stir in the vanilla. By hand or using the paddle attachment of the mixer, add the flour mixture and stir to make a soft dough.
Let the dough stand for about 10 minutes to cool and thicken slightly.
When the dough is sufficiently cool (so as not to melt the chocolate chips), stir in the remaining chocolate chips or broken chocolate pieces. You can also stir in the marshmallows if you are not worried about them leaking too much, otherwise, follow this second method.
Using a 2 oz scoop or a quarter cup measure, scoop the dough into large balls or gobs depending on the consistency of your dough. You should get about 24. Enclose 3 frozen marshmallow pieces in each section, sealing the best you can, then return the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Arrange the dough balls on a parchment lined baking sheet spacing about 3 inches apart. Have a spatula ready in case the marshmallows leak out and you need to push them inward.
Bake one sheet at a time for about 12 to 14 minutes or until cracks appear on the surface and marshmallows are melted and caramelized. Slide the parchment onto the counter and let cool completely.
The bonus step is to put them in a freezer bag and keep frozen until ready to serve.