S’mores Cookies

Easy S’mores Cookies are addictive, and such a fun twist to the traditional campfire treat.  Brown butter, chocolate, graham crackers, and gooey marshmallows make these cookies drool-worthy.

S’mores cookies are more than just cookies with the addition of chocolate, graham crackers, and gooey marshmallows (although those mixins add such a delicious flavor combination). I’ve taken these cookies to the next level with the addition of brown butter.  If you’ve never baked with brown butter, then you are missing out.  These family-friendly s’mores cookies are a must!

Before you begin

Take out the following baking equipment.

Digital kitchen scale
Small saucepan
Wood spoon
Large mixing bowl
Medium mixing bowl
Sifter
Whisk
Silicone spatula
Plastic wrap
2 baking sheet pans
Parchment paper
Large ice cream scoop
Wire cooling rack

Read the recipe through from start to finish.

Understanding ingredients

Brown butter is essentially clarified butter.  It is butter that is heated to evaporate the water and separate the milk solids.  The only difference is that brown butter is cooked until the milk solids caramelize, providing a bolder flavor.  The brown butter adds a satisfyingly rich, nutty flavor to these s’mores cookies.

Ditch the chocolate chips and use chocolate bars instead.  Bags of chocolate chips work, but if you want to bake cookies with the best flavor possible, that means selecting quality ingredients.  When it comes to chocolate, choose a good quality chocolate bar (that is free of fillers and additives) and chop into bite-sized pieces.  The flavor is unmatched and will bake into delicious cookies. I prefer semisweet chocolate, but dark chocolate would equally be good.  You could also use a chocolate bar with almonds for an added texture.

I suggest using traditional size marshmallows for these cookies and dicing each marshmallow into four pieces.   You can use mini marshmallows, however, I find that the larger marshmallows tend to become gooier once baked.  If you want to go the extra mile, you can make homemade marshmallows.

Use whole graham crackers that have been broken up into small pieces as opposed to graham cracker crumbs. It’s ideal to have chunks of graham crackers to not only add flavor to these s’mores cookies but also texture.

How to make brown butter for S’mores Cookies

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Continue to cook, while occasionally stirring, until the butter begins to have brown specks throughout. Remove the saucepan from the heat and transfer the butter to a large mixing bowl.  Set aside to cool, but not thicken. It’s important not to burn the butter.  Not only will it taste burnt, but it will also evaporate too much liquid and affect the consistency of your cookie dough.

Can I substitute brown butter in any cookie recipe?

Brown butter adds a wonderful flavor to cookie recipes.  It can transform a good cookie into a great cookie, which may make you wonder if you can use brown butter in any cookie recipe.  The short answer is no, you cannot.  For some recipes, it’ll work while others you have to test and adjust to accommodate the substitution.

Why can’t I always substitute brown butter? If a recipe originally calls for softened butter, using brown butter is not a simple substitution.  The temperature of butter affects the overall texture of cookies.  Unfortunately, adjusting baking recipes is very different than adjusting cooking recipes.  Baking is a science and requires a bit more testing to achieve the ideal outcome.

As you boil butter during its browning process, a good amount of moisture is lost.  Translate this into your cookie dough, and this loss of moisture will affect the final taste and texture of your cookies.  If you’d like to use brown butter, you will have to make up for the loss.  You could add extra butter or egg, but this also adds extra fat, which again can affect the texture.  Instead, you could experiment with adding a small amount of milk.

Do this when baking cookies

Use a digital kitchen scale.  Skip the measuring cups and measuring spoons and instead use a digital kitchen scale.  You will consistently measure your ingredients every time with the same great results.

Use room temperature eggs.  Room temperature eggs will help ensure that you properly aerate your cookie dough.  The temperature will affect the ability of the eggs to emulsify and trap air properly so that during the baking process, the air can expand and result in light cookies with a lovely crumb.  If you are short on time and your eggs are still cold, place them in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes to bring them to room temperature.

Select good quality pure vanilla extract.  I highly recommend selecting good quality vanilla.  Artificial vanilla can significantly vary in flavor and produce an off-flavor.  In comparison, pure vanilla has a delicious flavor and will enhance the other flavors in your cookies.

Tips and takeaways

• Sandwich these s’mores cookies with vanilla or chocolate ice cream for a delicious, refreshing treat.
• For a non-traditional s’mores flavor, try substituting butterscotch chips or chopped white chocolate bar for the chocolate.

If you love s’ mores, try these other recipes…

• S’more brownies
• S’more crème brûlée
• Homemade marshmallows
• S’more pudding parfaits

Make sure to tag me @thesweetoccasion on Instagram and leave me a review below if you make these S’ mores Cookies. I’d love to see your creations and read your feedback.  And if you would like to make this recipe later, be sure to pin this recipe using the button on any of these images. Let’s make every occasion a sweet occasion!

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