These cookies bring the classic peanut butter and marshmallow combo into cookie form. A soft, smooth peanut butter dough gets wrapped around a frozen dollop of peanut butter and a whole marshmallow, so each bite reveals a gooey, melty center. The dough cracks open slightly as it bakes, giving a peek at the marshmallow inside, and these cookies actually get even softer over the following days.
Quick facts
- Prep time: 30 minutes
- Cook time: 15 minutes
- Total time: 45 minutes
- Makes: 12 cookies
- Calories: about 335 kcal per cookie
Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment, or handheld mixer
- Two full-sized cookie sheets
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter, divided (Jif/Skippy/Peter Pan, not natural)
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- 12 marshmallows, standard sized
- peanut butter chips (optional)
How to Make Fluffernutter Cookies
Part 1: Prep the Frozen Peanut Butter Centers
1. Portion the peanut butter. Lay a piece of parchment paper over a standard-sized plate. Measure out ¼ cup of peanut butter and use a teaspoon measure to scoop 12 heaping dollops onto the parchment, using more peanut butter if needed to reach 12.
2. Freeze. Place the dollops in the freezer while you prepare the dough.
Part 2: Make the Dough
3. Mix the dry ingredients. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set this aside.
4. Cream the butter and peanut butter. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and ¾ cup of peanut butter, then add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
5. Add the egg and vanilla. Mix these in until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
6. Add the flour mixture. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated.
7. Prep the pans. Line two full-sized cookie sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
Part 3: Assemble the Cookies
8. Portion the dough. Measure out three even tablespoons of dough (about 60g) and flatten it between your palms.
9. Add the fillings. Place one frozen peanut butter dollop in the center, then set a marshmallow on top, on its long side, and gently press down.
10. Seal the dough. Work the dough up and around the marshmallow until it’s fully enclosed. If it cracks in places, gently press it back together with your thumbs as best you can.
11. Place on the sheet. Set the dough ball seam side (marshmallow side) down on the cookie sheet.
12. Repeat. Continue assembling the remaining cookies, working in batches of 3 or 4 and keeping the extra peanut butter dollops in the freezer until needed. Arrange 6 cookies per pan, and if using, press 4 to 5 peanut butter chips into the top of each one.
Part 4: Bake
13. Bake. Bake one pan at a time on the middle rack for 9 to 11 minutes.
14. Tap the pan. Remove the pan from the oven and tap it firmly on the counter a few times.
15. Reshape. Spray a rubber spatula with cooking spray and use it to press in the sides of each cookie, reshaping them while they’re still warm.
16. Cool. Let the cookies cool completely on the pan before transferring them to a serving platter or storage container. A spatula can help lift off any sticky marshmallow pieces that stick to the pan.
Tips for the Best Fluffernutter Cookies
Keep the peanut butter dollops frozen until use. Working in small batches and leaving the rest in the freezer keeps them firm enough to handle easily.
Seal the dough well. Fully enclosing the marshmallow helps it bake inside the cookie rather than spilling out, though a few cracks are expected and fine.
Tap the pan after baking. This step helps settle and shape the cookies right out of the oven.
Use a greased spatula to reshape. Spraying the spatula first keeps it from sticking to the warm dough as you press the edges into shape.
Let them cool completely before moving. The marshmallow stays very soft and sticky right after baking, so give the cookies time to firm up on the pan.
Use regular, not natural, peanut butter. A standard creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy gives the right texture for this dough. Natural peanut butter tends to be oilier and can affect how the dough holds together.
Final Thoughts
These fluffernutter cookies turn a classic sandwich pairing into a fun, gooey cookie with a built-in surprise. The process takes a little more hands-on work than a typical drop cookie, but the payoff is a soft, chewy cookie with a melty marshmallow center that only gets better as it sits. Give them a try and let me know how yours turn out.