These red velvet s'mores cookies are thick, bakery-style cookies with a gooey marshmallow center and melted chocolate pressed on top straight from the oven.
I made these red velvet s'mores cookies because I wanted a red velvet cookie that wasn't heading straight for cream cheese frosting. Instead, I leaned into a s'mores situation that works year-round: deep red velvet flavor, a marshmallow center that stays gooey, and just enough chocolate to finish it off. The dough comes together nice and easy. The whole thing bakes up quickly in the oven-no chilling required.
If this cookie is your thing, you'll also love my Red Velvet Oreo Cookie, S'mores Sandwich Cookies, and Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Why You'll Love These Red Velvet S'mores Cookies
These cookies are the kind you make once and immediately add to your "repeat forever" list-they're easy, over-the-top in the right way, and very hard to mess up.
- They're thick, bakery-style cookies with soft centers and crisp edges
- The gooey marshmallow center stays melty instead of disappearing into the dough
- Graham crackers baked into the cookie dough give real s'mores flavor, not just vibes
- Melted chocolate pressed on top means you control the melt (no burnt chocolate, ever)
- No chilling required, so you can go from craving to cookie fast!!
Ingredient Overview
This recipe uses simple ingredients, but each one is doing a very specific job. Here's what actually matters and why it's here:
- Unsalted butter - Softened so it creams properly and gives the cookies that rich, bakery-style base. Salted butter would just complicate things.
- White sugar - Keeps the cookies sweet, crisp on the edges, and soft in the center.
- Eggs - One whole egg and one extra yolk for structure, richness, and a slightly chewy texture.
- Vanilla extract -My favorite is this brand
- Red velvet emulsion - Adds classic red velvet flavor without relying on a ton of food coloring. You can substitute red food dye if needed, but the emulsion gives a better flavor. I love this one!
- Cocoa powder - I love using regular hershey, the dutch process makes the cookie dough too dark!
- All-purpose flour - The structure of the cookie dough. Nothing fancy, just doing its job.
- Graham crackers - Finely crushed and mixed into the dough.
- Cornstarch - Helps keep the cookies soft and thick instead of spreading too much.
- Baking powder - Gives the cookies a little lift without making them cakey.
- Marshmallow fluff - The gooey marshmallow center. This stays soft and melty in the oven, unlike regular marshmallows that tend to disappear.
- Chocolate bars - Pressed on top after baking so they melt perfectly without burning.
How to Make Red Velvet S'mores Cookies
This is a quick overview of how these cookies come together. For the full ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Cream the butter and sugar: In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the unsalted butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Add the eggs and flavorings: Add the egg yolk, then the whole egg, mixing and scraping between each addition. Mix in the red velvet emulsion (or food coloring) and vanilla extract until fully combined.
- Mix in the dry ingredients: Add the cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, graham cracker crumbs, salt, cornstarch, and baking powder. Mix on low speed just until a soft cookie dough forms.
- Portion, stuff, and bake: Scoop and portion the dough, fill with marshmallow fluff, and seal with the remaining dough pieces. Bake until the edges are set and the centers are slightly underbaked, then press chocolate onto the warm cookies so it melts on top.
Why Are My Red Velvet Cookies Not Red?
If your red velvet cookies look more brown than red, the cocoa powder is usually the reason. Dark or heavily alkalized cocoa powders can overpower the red coloring, especially when used in larger amounts. Using Dutch-process cocoa is great for flavor, but it works best when paired with red velvet emulsion or enough food coloring to balance it out. If color is your top priority, avoid very dark cocoa powders and make sure your eggs and butter are at room temperature so the dough mixes evenly and the color distributes properly.
Common Mistakes
- Overbaking the cookies: These cookies should look slightly underbaked in the center when they come out of the oven. Overbaking will dry them out and cause the marshmallow to disappear.
- Using dark cocoa powder: Very dark cocoa powder can overpower the red color and make the cookies look more brown than red.
- Rolling the dough too smooth: These cookies should look a little rough around the edges. Rolling them into perfect balls can trap the marshmallow and prevent it from melting properly.
- Overfilling with marshmallow fluff: A little goes a long way. Too much marshmallow can leak out and spread more than you want.
- Adding the chocolate before baking: Pressing the chocolate on after baking gives you a smooth, melty finish without burning or drying it out.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I use marshmallows instead of marshmallow fluff? You can, but marshmallow fluff works better here. Regular marshmallows tend to melt into the dough or disappear, while fluff stays gooey and gives you that classic s'mores center.
- Do I need to chill the cookie dough? No chilling is required for this recipe. If your kitchen is very warm or the dough feels too soft to handle, a short rest in the fridge can help, but it's optional.
- Why did my marshmallow leak out of the cookies? A little marshmallow leaking out is normal and expected. If a lot leaks out, it usually means the cookies were overfilled or the dough wasn't sealed well enough.
- Can I make these cookies ahead of time? Yes. You can bake the cookies ahead of time and store them at room temperature, or portion and stuff the dough and keep it in the fridge until ready to bake.
Storing and Freezing
Store baked red velvet s'mores cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Because of the marshmallow center, these cookies are best enjoyed fresh, but you can warm them slightly in the microwave to bring back the gooey texture. To freeze, portion and stuff the cookie dough, then freeze the unbaked cookies on a baking sheet before transferring them to a freezer-safe container. Bake straight from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to the bake time.
FOR MORE S'MORE COOKIE OR RED VELVET RECIPES, HERE ARE MY FAVORITE!
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Recipe
Red Velvet S'mores Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons LorAnn's Red Velvet Emulsion or sub red food dye
- 1 large or extra-large egg yolk room temperature
- 1 large or extra-large whole egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour reduced from 1 ¾ cups
- ½ cup fine graham cracker crumbs
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- For the top 2 full size chocolate bars broken into large chunks.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.½ cup unsalted butter, 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. One at a time, add the egg yolk and mix on medium speed for 20 seconds, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and add the whole egg. Mix again for 20 seconds. Add the red velvet emulsion (or red food coloring) and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined.2 teaspoons LorAnn's Red Velvet Emulsion, 1 large or extra-large egg yolk, 1 large or extra-large whole egg, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Add the Dutch process cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, graham cracker crumbs, salt, cornstarch, and baking powder and mix on low speed until just combined and a soft dough forms.3 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder, 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup fine graham cracker crumbs, ¾ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- Using a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop, portion the dough into 15 equal scoops. Take 5 of the scoops and divide each one in half, creating 10 smaller pieces of dough. Set aside. Take the remaining 10 full scoops and gently flatten each into a thick disc, about 1 inch thick. Spoon 1-2 teaspoons of marshmallow fluff into the center of each disc. Place one piece of the smaller dough over the marshmallow fluff and gently press the seams together to seal. It is okay if some of the marshmallow peeks through the sides. You should end up with 10 cookies total.
- Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them a few inches apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers are still slightly underbaked.
- Immediately after baking, press a piece of chocolate bar onto the top of each warm cookie and sprinkle with additional graham cracker crumbs, if desired. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.For the top 2 full size chocolate bars broken into large chunks.
Kristi says
Wanting to make these… what chocolate bar do you prefer?
Molly Murphy says
i love the trader joe’s bars or any dark chocolate bar in the candy section!