Tips For Making Chocolate S’mores Cookies

These smores cookies are all about that nostalgic campfire flavor, and a few small tips go a long way to making them truly special. Please scroll down to the printable recipe card for full instructions!

Don’t over mix the dough. Stop mixing as soon as everything comes together to keep the cookies soft and tender.

Use a mixture of small crumbs and chunkier bits of graham crackers. This will add both flavor and a great crunch to your cookies!

Don’t fully enclose the marshmallow in the dough. You want to mostly wrap the dough, but let a little marshmallow peek through. This gives you that gooey, toasted effect on top that’s totally irresistible. You can see a few of my cookies on the right side don’t show any marshmallow, those are the ones I wrapped the dough fully around the marshmallow.

These cookies spread when baked! The marshmallows will cause your cookies to spread a fair amount, so make sure you space your cookies at least 2 inches apart! I fit 6 cookies on a 9×13 inch baking sheet.

Press a few extra pieces of chocolate and graham cracker on top of each cookie for a bakery style finish. You can do this before or immediately after baking. I personally prefer to do this after they have baked so I can see exactly where the cookies need a little extra pizazz. Don’t worry, the cookies are warm enough to melt the chocolate and make them look like they baked that way!

What You Need To Know About These Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

• Perfect Texture: Chewy centers, crisp edges, and crunchy walnuts!
• Skill Level: Foolproof recipe, even if you’re new to baking.
• Double Chocolate: Loaded with both semi-sweet and white chocolate chips.
• No Chilling Required: Cookies are baked and ready in 30 minutes.
• Freezer-Friendly: Make dough ahead and freeze for fresh-baked cookies anytime!

Key Ingredient Notes

Most of these baking staples are already in my kitchen right now. No special trip to the store needed! Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact amounts!

• Chocolate Chips: I use an even amount of both semi-sweet chocolate chips and white chocolate chips. They balance each other out perfectly, but feel free to use milk, dark, or whatever combo sounds best to you. You can also cut up chocolate bars into chunks for larger bites of chocolate!
• Walnuts: I like to use salted, roasted walnuts as they add the perfect amount of saltiness to the cookies to make the flavors pop. If you have regular walnuts, lightly toasting them before adding them to the batter will enhance their flavor.
• All Purpose Flour: Fluff the flour and then spoon it into the measuring cup, leveling it off with the back of a butter knife. If you dunk the cup into a packed bag of flour, you end up using too much flour, creating overly dense cookies.
• Butter: It needs to be room temperature, so be sure to leave it out on the counter for an hour or so prior to using.
• Sugars: You’ll need both white granulated sugar and brown sugar for this cookie recipe.
• Hot Water: It needs to be hot to help the baking soda dissolve.
• Baking Soda: Double check the label and make sure it’s not expired.

Make Ahead and Freezing Cookie Dough

I always make a double batch of this cookie dough. That way, I can enjoy some now and also save some for the future me who craves cookies at 9pm!

• Freeze Cookie Dough: Freeze unbaked dough balls on a sheet pan for 30 minutes. Transfer to an airtight, freezer safe container and freeze for up to 6 months.
• Bake Frozen Dough: When you’re ready to bake, place the frozen dough balls on prepared baking sheets. Bake as directed, but add about 2 extra minutes to the bake time.

More of the Best Cookie Recipes

• Bakery-style chocolate s’mores cookies are loaded with graham crackers and marshmallows.
• Chocolate chip walnut cookies are oh-so chewy!
• Homemade tagalong cookies are even better than the real deal.
• My recipe for peanut butter cookies has over 1300 reviews, so you know it’s good!
• Chewy chocolate chip walnut cookies are soft with a nice crunch!

These soft pumpkin cookies are an old family recipe and staple in our house every year once September hits! Loaded with pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg, they truly taste like fall in every bite. They are also great made a day in advance, so they’re great for a party.

With no complicated steps or dough chilling required, these cookies come together quickly. My kids love helping to bake them every year, especially when we slam the cookie sheet on the counter to flatten out the dough!

Key Ingredient Notes

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

• Oil or Butter: Use melted and slightly cooled butter OR a mild baking oil, like canola oil or vegetable oil. I tested this recipe both ways and prefer using oil as the cookies turn out softer and moister.
• Flour: Fluff the flour, then measure it by spooning it into a measuring cup. Don’t dip the cup straight into a packed bag of flour – that results in using too much flour and overly dense cookies!
• Pumpkin Puree: Make sure you’re using canned or homemade pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced.
• Cream Cheese: I like to use regular cream cheese (not low fat) for the best thick consistency. Make sure it’s fully softened before using, so you don’t wind up with lumpy icing!
• Cinnamon and Nutmeg: I used a combination of ground cinnamon and nutmeg, but you can use 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice instead.

Do not over mix the cookie dough! This dough is more similar to a cake batter, so over mixing it will create overly dense cookies. Once the dry ingredients are added to the wet, mix until just combined, and you no longer see any streaks of flour.

Don’t skip the cookie scoop! This dough is incredibly soft and sticky, which means using your hands to shape the dough will get messy fast. I use a medium cookie scoop to easily scoop the dough and keep all the cookies evenly sized.

Bang the tray full of cookie dough HARD on the kitchen counter. Yes, really! It flattens out the dough just enough to help them bake into thick, soft cookies – not mounds.

Bake careful not to over bake. Even if they look a little pale on top, pull them out when the edges are just set. Over baking will dry them out, and part of their magic is how pillowy and moist they stay.

Let cookies cool completely before frosting: If the cookies are even a little warm, the cream cheese frosting can melt and slide right off. Patience pays off!

Room temperature frosting ingredients are a must. To get that ultra-smooth frosting, make sure both your butter and cream cheese are fully softened. Cold ingredients will make the frosting lumpy.

Add a festive touch. A sprinkle of cinnamon on top of these pumpkin cream cheese cookies makes them look bakery-worthy!

More Must Make Fall Recipes

• Pumpkin Pie Cookies: Sugar cookie bite-size pumpkin pies!
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies: With a surprise cheesecake center.
• Pumpkin Cake: This cake is always sure to impress your guests.
• Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins: Over 2000+ 5-star reviews!
• Pumpkin Snickerdoodles: So perfectly soft and chewy.
• Pumpkin Bread: This bread is a reader favorite every year.
• Pumpkin Bars: Topped with sweet cream cheese frosting.
• Pumpkin Crisp: Served warm with ice cream on top.

More of the Best Cookie Recipes

• Chocolate s’mores cookies are loaded with graham crackers and marshmallows.
• Chocolate chip walnut cookies are easy to make in less than 30 minutes.
• Soft molasses cookies have the best chewy centers.
• My chewy peanut butter cookies recipe has over 1300 recipes, so you know it’s good!

Why I Love This Chewy Snickerdoodle Recipe

Trust me when I say this is about to become one of your all-time favorite cookie recipes! My kids don’t agree on much, but they all think that this snickerdoodle cookie recipe is one of the very best things to ever come out of my oven. These cookies are chewy, cinnamon-y, sweet, and best enjoyed when they’re still slightly warm! Whether it’s a random weeknight or a Christmas cookie exchange, you’ll be glad you stumbled upon the only snickerdoodle recipe you’ll ever need. Here’s why I’m so obsessed:

• Warm Spices: The perfect balance of warm cinnamon and sweet sugar flavors with a slight tang you expect from a classic snickerdoodle.
• Quick and Easy: You do not have to chill the dough! Just beat to combine the batter, scoop the dough, roll in cinnamon-sugar and bake. Bonus: These cookies are ready in 30 minutes!
• Perfect Texture: Most important, these snickerdoodle cookies have an incredibly soft and chewy texture.
• Cookies Anytime: This cookie dough freezes great for freshly baked cookies anytime the craving strikes!

What are Snickerdoodle Cookies?

Snickerdoodles are “cousins” to classic sugar cookies (the soft, chewy round ones – not cut out sugar cookies). While traditional sugar cookies are often sprinkled with white sugar or nonpareils, snickerdoodles are rolled and coated in cinnamon sugar – twice as nice!

The main difference lies in a key ingredient: cream of tartar. This, combined with baking soda, gives these cookies an unbelievably chewy, soft texture with a hint of tangy flavor.

Key Ingredients

Made with pantry staple ingredients, they’re the perfect cookie to whip up anytime. Absolutely no need to wait for a special occasion! Below you will find helpful notes for key ingredients used to make this snickerdoodle cookie recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact amounts!

• Flour: For the most consistent results, use all-purpose flour.
• Cream of Tartar: This gives the snickerdoodles their distinctive tangy taste, don’t skip it! While the cookies will bake up correctly, they will be missing that classic snickerdoodle cookie flavor.
• Butter: For even softer bakery-style cookies, swap half of the butter with shortening. I like to use butter flavored shortening to keep that same flavor, but make them softer.
• Sugar: I use a combination of granulated sugar and light brown sugar for the best flavor and texture, but you can use all granulate sugar if you prefer.

How to Make Snickerdoodles

This classic snickerdoodle cookie comes together quickly, so have your ingredients ready to go. Using a hand mixer, or stand mixer, will make the dough come together easily! Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions.

Chef’s Tips & Variations

• Don’t Over Bake: Take the cookies out just as they begin to turn golden. If they look a touch under baked in the center, they’re perfect! They will set up more as they cool.
• Properly Measure Flour: Fluff flour in it’s bag or container with a fork and spoon it into a dry measuring cup. Level with the back of a knife.
• Frost ‘Em: Add a sweet swirl of cream cheese frosting or drizzle with an easy vanilla glaze of powdered sugar and milk. You can also sandwich two cookies together with frosting in the center!
• Extra Soft: Want your cookies extra soft like from the grocery store bakery? Swap butter for shortening! For the best of both worlds, use half butter and half shortening.
• Picture-Perfect: If looks matter to you, immediately after baking, use a large biscuit cutter to swirl around the cookies edges. This will make them perfectly round with even edges.

Why I Love This Easy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

The hunt is officially over! These quick and easy chocolate chip cookies are going to disappear as fast as you can make them, especially if you have little ones running around the kitchen like I do. This is my go-to classic chocolate chip cookie recipe for when the craving strikes, but I don’t have a lot of time and I want something better than refrigerated store-bought dough. Just like with my brown butter rice krispie treats, the brown butter totally transforms this recipe. Here’s what makes them so irresistible:

• Simple Ingredients: Made with 100% butter and a few pantry staple ingredients, these cookies are a classic with the perfect chocolate chip to cookie ratio.
• Soft & Chewy: A special stacked dough technique guarantees your cookies will be nice and thick with crispy edges and a soft chewy center.
• No Need To Chill: While you can refrigerate the dough first, which will allow the dough to absorb the flour and create thicker cookies, you definitely don’t need to! They still have a great texture when baked immediately after making the dough.
• Freezer Friendly: Make a double batch and freeze this cookie dough for freshly baked, warm chocolate chip cookies whenever the mood strikes!

Key Ingredients

If you’re anything like me (an avid baker), there’s a pretty good chance you already have everything you need to make these cookies already in your kitchen. Below you will find helpful notes for key ingredients used to make this recipe for easy chocolate chip cookies. Scroll down to the recipe card for full ingredient list and exact amounts!

• Flour: To avoid adding too much flour and creating overly dense cookies, fluff your flour and then spoon the flour into your measuring cup, instead of dunking the cup into a bag of packed flour.
• Cornstarch: This is my not-so-secret ingredient that keeps the cookies so soft and chewy.
• Butter: Use softened, unsalted butter. If using salted butter, only add 1/4 teaspoon more salt.
• Sugar: A combination of granulated sugar and light brown sugar creates the best sweetness. You can use all brown sugar if you prefer a deeper flavor.
• Chocolate Chips: You’ll need semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips. You can also use chocolate chunks for more chocolate flavor!
• Baking Soda: Make sure it’s not expired. Check the expiration date on the container – if it’s expired, it won’t be able to do what it needs to do.

How to Make Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Next time the craving for cookies strikes, you’re going to love just how easy this recipe really is! Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions and to watch the step by step video!

Chef’s Tips and Tricks

• Don’t over bake: To ensure your cookies have a soft and chewy center, you want to remove them from the oven as soon as the edges are set and they are a nice light brown color. The center will continue to set up as they cool on the baking sheet. Leaving the cookies in longer, can lead to crunchy, crumbly cookies.
• Make them picture perfect: If looks matter to you, form the dough as shown and press a few chocolate chips directly on top. Immediately after baking, use a large biscuit cutter to swirl around the cookies edges. This will give them perfectly round and even edges.
• Make them extra soft: If you want your cookies to stay extra soft like bakery-style cookies from the grocery store, swap half of the butter for butter flavored shortening.
• Chill the dough: If you have the extra time, you can chill the chocolate chip cookie dough for up 48 hours before baking. This helps the flour to absorb and will create an even thicker cookie!

Simple Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe Variations

• Add salt: I love to sprinkle a little flaky sea salt on top of the cookies right as they come out of the oven. It gives them the perfect sweet and salty balance!
• Add a crunch: Go nuts! Try peanuts, almonds, macadamias, pecans or hazelnuts to add texture. Or, mix in mini peanut butter cups, Reese’s pieces, M&M’s, toffee pieces, etc.
• Chip trifecta: Try white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips or even peanut butter chips mixed in with your chocolate chips!
• Dried fruit: Mix in 1/2 cup raisins, dried cranberries or cherries, chopped dried apricots or crystallized ginger.
• Brown the butter: One of my personal favorites! Follow my how to brown butter tutorial and let it cool completely and continue with the recipe as written.

More Cookie Recipes To Try

• If you’re looking for the best chewy peanut butter cookies, with super soft, chewy centers and crisp edges, this easy recipe is for you.
• Almond Joy cookies deliver a perfectly chewy, chocolatey, and nutty bite! 
• This soft and chewy snickerdoodle cookie recipe is ready in less than 30 minutes.
• If you usually can’t decide between chocolate chip cookies and brownies, these buttery brookies cookies are the perfect solution to your cravings.

Why I Love This Super Easy Chocolate Crinkle Cookie Recipe

These chocolate crinkle cookies are one of my go-to cookie recipes for the holidays or anytime the craving strikes! While I usually only make these for Christmas cookie parties, I’ve also been known to whip up a batch in the middle of July just because. Once you make this recipe, you’ll see why I’m so smitten. After all, it’s pretty rare to find a from-scratch recipe that’s this easy. Here’s why you should leave chocolate crinkle cookies out for Santa this Christmas Eve:

• Soft: These cookies are baked to perfection with crackly tops and wonderfully soft and pillow-y chocolate centers that melt in your mouth.
• From Scratch: No box of cake mix needed here! This easy chocolate crinkle cookie recipe is made completely from scratch with a few simple ingredients.
• Quick: These cookies are made quick and easy in 30 minutes with no chilling required!
• Customizable: Roll them in sprinkles, add different zests/extracts, or sandwich them together with icing to create whoopie pies.

Key Ingredients

Below you will find helpful notes for key ingredients used to make this recipe for chocolate crinkle cookies. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact amounts!

• Flour: Use regular all-purpose flour. Spoon the flour into the measuring cup instead of dunking the cup straight into the bag. That way, you don’t end up with packed flour!
• Cocoa Powder: For the fudgiest flavor, use a high quality unsweetened cocoa powder, either regular or Dutch process.
• Butter: I used unsalted butter softened to room temperature. If you use salted butter, only add 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar works best.
• Powdered Sugar: Confectioner’s white sugar creates the signature crinkle look on top.
• Baking Powder: Make sure it’s not expired! Always check your label before using.

How to Make this Chocolate Crinkle Cookie Recipe

These soft chocolate cookies are ready to go in four easy steps. No dough chilling required! Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions and to watch the step-by-step video.

Chef’s Tips & Variations

• Measure Flour: Resist the urge to dunk the measuring cup into a packed bag of flour, it will create overly dense cookies. Instead, fluff the flour with a fork. Then spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level it off with a knife.
• Sticky Dough: The dough will be sticky! If needed, chill the dough in the fridge for a few minutes before rolling.
• Cookie Scoop: For uniform cookie sizes and even baking, use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon to portion out the dough.
• Over-Bake: Take the cookies out once the tops have cracked and the edges are set, but the centers are still slightly gooey. Over-baking will result in dry cookies!
• Sanding Sugar: Instead of powdered sugar, roll your cookies in sanding sugar (or sprinkles) instead to give them a bit of sparkle and crunch.
• Chocolate Chips: Turn these into double chocolate cookies by tossing a handful of chocolate chips into the dough. Or for something different, try white chocolate chips or peanut butter chips.
• Frosting: Sandwich two cookies around some chocolate buttercream frosting or cream cheese frosting. For a festive look, roll the edges in sprinkles or chopped nuts.
• Extracts: Swap out the vanilla extract for mint extract for mint chocolate cookies. Almond extract will give them bit of nutty flavor or orange extract for orange chocolate cookies!

More of the Best Cookie Recipes

• Chocolate s’mores cookies are so chewy and gooey!
• Almond joy cookies take everything you love about the candy bar and turns it into a cookie.
• Classic snickerdoodle cookies are so quick and easy to make from scratch.
• Peanut butter oatmeal cookies are chewier than you can imagine!