Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies (2 ways)

If you love chocolate chip cookies, you're going to go crazy for these thick and chewy, buttery soft and chocolaty vegan chocolate chip marshmallow cookies. This easy vegan cookie recipe has everything a classic chocolate chip cookie does except no dairy and no eggs. Our whole family is obsessed; I think you will be too!

What is the perfect chocolate chip cookie? Are you team thin and crispy or thick and chewy? Our family loves a soft, thick and chewy cookie texture with a bit of crispness around the edges, tons of chocolate chips, and pillowy pockets of soft marshmallow... all the good things.

A riff on my grandmother's famous chocolate chip cookie recipe, this vegan version is made without eggs or dairy; but I added a special ingredient. Everyone agrees the results are spectacular - craveably soft and buttery, a little crispy, super chocolatey, salty and sweet - but not too sweet. It's an easy vegan chocolate chip cookie recipe for beginners and pros alike.

Ingredients Needed

It's a little trickier to veganize baking recipes than cooking recipes because there's only a handful of ingredients, and they each have an important (sciency) job to do. Any swaps affect the flavor and texture. Don't worry, I've got you covered, here's what you'll need:

• Flour, all purpose
• Non-dairy butter/margarine at room temperature
• Dark brown sugar and granulated sugar
• Aquafaba (chickpea liquid) or plant based milk at room temperature
• Vanilla extract
• Baking soda
• Salt, fine
• Dairy-free chocolate chips
• Vegan marshmallows, big or mini marshmallows

Ingredient Notes & Tips

'Vegan baking is bland and gummy.' I'm sure you've heard the rumors; don't believe them! Here's a few baking tips that will help you make super flavorful, incredible vegan cookies every time:

• Vegan Butter: The job of butter is to add flavor, tenderness, and richness. For this reason, choose the best tasting stick butter. Bring to room temperature (sitting out for ~1 - 2 hours). Room temperature butter emulsifies with the sugars more evenly and becomes light which impacts the texture and structure of the cookies.
• Vegan Egg Substitute: Eggs add structure and richness to homemade cookies. For this chocolate chip cookie recipe - you can easily sub the egg with one of these egg replacements: aquafaba, flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons water), plant based milk or Bob's Red Mill egg replacer.
• Baking Soda: Baking soda is the leavening agent in these vegan cookies. Check the expiry date to be sure it's still active before you start baking.
• Sugar Options: Adding two types of sugar creates amazing cookie texture and chewiness. Play around with the ratios of white and brown sugar to create the texture and flavor you love in a chocolate chip cookie:
  • Granulated sugar: White sugar has less moisture than brown so cookies have a slightly crispier edge and spread more. The cookie flavor and color is a bit lighter as well.
  • Light brown sugar or dark brown sugar: Adds moisture and depth of flavor (the darker the sugar, the more flavor because of higher molasses content). Increasing the brown to white sugar ratio results in a thicker (less spreading) and slightly chewier, darker cookie.
  • A mixture of white and brown sugar creates the perfect thick, chewy, soft cookie with slightly crisp edges. Not too sweet and light golden brown.

How to Make Vegan Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies

This recipe makes 12 large cookies. They are quick to mix together, but need time to chill in the fridge (~1 hour). Let's bake some cookies!:

1. Mix the butter/sugar: Using hand beaters, a stand mixer or wooden spoon, cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes).

2. Add the aquafaba and vanilla: Mix until incorporated. *Use room temperature aquafaba or plant milk.
3. Measure the dry ingredients (use a food scale for accuracy) into a small bowl - whisk.
4. Combine ingredients: Add the flour mixture to the creamed ingredients and mix on medium speed. The cookie dough takes a minute to come together. Add another tablespoon of aquafaba only if needed.

5. Fold in the add-ins: Fold in the chocolate chips and marshmallows by hand.

6. Portion the cookie dough: Scoop the cookie dough into 12 equal size balls (~2 heaping tablespoons or ~50-55 grams each). Cover and chill for one hour.

7. Time to bake: Preheat the oven, arrange 6 cookies on a prepared baking sheet and bake for ~11-13 minutes until the edges are lightly golden. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
8. To make perfectly round cookies: *Optional step. While the cookies are still hot, scoot them with a round cookie cutter to create a perfectly round cookie. See detailed instructions below.

Vegan Baking Tips

• Use room temperature butter and aquafaba so the cookie dough doesn't split and look curdled. Room temperature ingredients cream together light and fluffy.
• How to evenly portion cookie dough: For 12 cookies, use ~2 heaping tablespoons (~50-55 grams) of cookie dough per cookie. Use a spring load cookie scoop, a tablespoon or a weigh scale. Another way to get 12 even cookie balls is: divide the whole batch of dough in half, divide each of those halves in half. Form 3 dough balls with each of the 4 chunks to make 12 even cookies.
• Chill the cookie dough: Don't skip this step! Chilling cookie dough develops the flavor, hydrates the flour, and chills the butter which helps control cookie spread.
• Baking in batches: Keep the cookie dough balls in the fridge chilling between batches.
• Bakery Style Cookies: For beautiful bakery style chocolate chip cookies, dot the tops of the cookie dough balls with a few extra chocolate chips. And scoot the cookies!

• 'Scooting' homemade cookies: If you like perfectly round cookies, try this secret 'scooting' method. Maybe you've seen this technique on TikTok. Place a slightly larger round cookie cutter or ring from a canning jar over the hot cookie, swirl the cookie around in the ring a few times until it's round. Tip: If the ring gets melted chocolate on it, wipe it away before scooting the next cookie.
• Where to find dairy free chocolate: Look in the Baking aisle, Natural Food aisle or online. Most big brands have dairy-free chocolate chips including Costco Kirkland and Trader Joe's - check the label.

FAQ - Vegan Cookies

Make Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups!

For a fun change of pace, customize your chocolate chip cookies by baking them in muffin tins! Top them with marshmallows, a salty pretzel or chunks of vegan graham wafers - just like vegan s'mores cookies!

• Place one cookie dough ball in each muffin cup, gently press ½ a large or a few mini marshmallows on top. Bake for ~12-14 minutes. Remove from the oven then press a pretzel twist or graham wafer chunk into the gooey marshmallow topping.
• Once cool, transfer the cookies to a wire rack.

Storing and Freezing Cookies

These chocolate chip marshmallow cookies freeze beautifully, so make extras and keep a batch in the freezer for rainy (or snowy) days - they're so freaking good!

• How to store and freeze baked cookies: Store baked chocolate chip cookies in an airtight container on the counter or fridge for up to 6 days.
• How to freeze cookie dough: Place cookie dough balls on a parchment lined cookie sheet in the freezer for a couple of hours until firm. Transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
• Storage tip: Write the date and cooking instructions on a piece of masking tape and stick on the container/bag (eg. CCC May 28/2020 - 350º F 11-13 min).
• On baking day: Remove the cookie balls from the freezer and place on a parchment covered baking sheet. Preheat, the oven and bake as directed (add 1-2 extra minutes of baking if using frozen cookie dough balls).

Other Delicious Vegan Treats

If you love these vegan chocolate chip cookies, here's some tasty vegan baking to try next:

• Vegan Banana Bread
• Vegan Banana Nut Muffins
• Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
• Vegan Pumpkin Muffins
• Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
• Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

Did you make this Vegan Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies recipe?
I'd love to see them! Please leave a comment and rating below and tag me on Instagram with your photos.
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