These chewy fluffernutter cookies are the best peanut butter cookies, stuffed with marshmallows and even more peanut butter. The dough gently cracks open to expose the melted marshmallows and gooey peanut butter and taste like a cookie version of a classic fluffernutter sandwich!
This unique recipe is straightforward to assemble and is perfect for peanut butter lovers. The cookies keep for days, get even softer as time goes on, and can even be stored in the freezer and baked directly from frozen.
If you love peanut butter, you've come to the right place. These marshmallow filled cookies are my absolute favorite cookie recipe and truly can't be beaten.
The combination of peanut butter and marshmallow is a classic for a reason, so you should also try this fluffernutter fudge! And, if you love a PBJ (another classic), maybe these peanut butter and jelly cookies are more your style.
This is the original fluffernutter cookie recipe, and with over 40 five-star reviews, we know this will become your go-to peanut butter cookie recipe!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Texture - They're soft like a classic peanut butter cookie, but just firm enough to hold the marshmallow filling in. Each cookie cracks open slightly differently, and the tops get slightly crispy. Once fully cooled, the cookies get super chewy, and get softer as the days go on from the moisture in the filling!
Flavor - Rich, major peanut butter flavor, and the sweet vanilla flavor from the melted marshmallows. I like to add peanut butter chips to bring home the flavor.
Nostalgia - If you grew up eating fluffernutter sandwiches as a kid, you're going to love these. It's that ooey gooey peanut butter and marshmallow filling that you loved stuffed into a peanut butter cookie!
Marshmallows vs. Marshmallow Fluff vs. Marshmallow Creme
All of these contain the same base ingredients but have different methods and the additions of a few different ingredients to change the textures of the base recipe.
Marshmallows contain gelatin, marshmallow creme contains xanthan gum or cream of tartar, and marshmallow fluff doesn't contain either. Fluff and creme are a spreadable consistency, while marshmallows are stabilized to stay much more springy in form.
These stuffed peanut butter cookies use standard marshmallows, which hold up best to the stuffing process, and also allow for a slower melt for that exposed crack! The marshmallows melt into a gooey texture that taste just like marshmallow fluff.
Ingredients
- Sugar. A mix of brown sugar and granulated sugar creates the perfect peanut butter cookie dough.
- Peanut butter. Creamy, non-natural peanut butter needs to be used. This means Jif, Skippy, or Peter Pan-type brands. Natural peanut butter doesn't contain the necessary structure and adds too much oil to the dough and centers.
- Marshmallows. Whole, normal-sized marshmallows are used. I've found that Aldi-brand marshmallows work best for this recipe!
- Peanut butter chips. These are totally optional, but I love how they make the cookies look, plus, who doesn't want a bit of extra peanut butter?
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Mini marshmallows - use about 4-5 mini marshmallows in the centers if you don't have normal marshmallows.
- Smaller cookies - cut the marshmallows in half, peanut butter filling amount in half, and the dough balls in half to make smaller cookies.
- Chocolate chips - stud the cookies with chocolate chips rather than peanut butter chips to make chocolate fluffernutter cookies!
- Use crunchy peanut butter in place of creamy.
How to Make This Recipe
One: Add 12 teaspoon dollops of peanut butter to parchment paper and freeze.
Two: Cream together the butter and peanut butter until smooth.
Three: Add the sugar and eggs and beat until fluffy.
Four: Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Five: Scoop out 12 even balls of dough and add to a parchment lined baking sheet.
Six: Squeeze the a ball of dough in your hands to bring it together.
Hot tip! The dough should feel soft play-doh and be very easy to work with and assemble.
Seven: Flatten out a piece of dough to the side of your palm.
Eight: Add a dollop of frozen peanut butter to the center.
Nine: Add a marshmallow on top (horizontally).
Ten: Close the dough over the marshmallow and press to seal.
Eleven: Add the dough marshmallow side down and stud with peanut butter chips.
Twelve: Bake according to instructions, then smack the pan on the counter a few times. Cool completely on the pan before removing.
Hot tip! The cookies spread a lot during the baking process. Spray a rubber spatula with cooking spray and use it to push the cookies back together into a circle. The non-stick spray prevents the marshmallow from sticking!
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Expert Tips
- Use a digital scale or the fluff, scoop, and level method to measure the flour. Too much flour will result in cookies that don't spread correctly.
- Work in batches of 3-4 when assembling the cookies, leaving the peanut butter dollops in the freezer. Keeping them frozen is key to easy assembly.
- Bake on parchment paper. The marshmallow seeps out in some places and can get stuck to an unlined pan.
- Only bake 6 cookies on a large cookie sheet. Do not over crowd the pan.
- It's difficult to tell when these cookies are done. Bake only for the amount listed. Overcooking can cause the marshmallows to disintegrate.
- If the cookies haven't quite flattened the whole way, smack the pan on the counter a few times straight out of the oven to help them fall.
Recipe FAQs
Aldi brand marshmallows have given me the best results for this recipe! Stay away from homemade marshmallows or any organic or natural marshmallows. For this recipe, we need marshmallows with additives for a bit of structure.
Not in this recipe. The cookie dough needs the structure of the marshmallow to completely wrap around - the fluff is too soft. The marshmallow takes longer to melt which gives the cookie time to cook before cracking open to show the gooey marshmallow.
This likely means the cookie was over-baked. Some brands of marshmallows also melt more quickly than others. Try Aldi brand or store-brand marshmallows for best results.
If the cookies remain in a mounded form and don't spread, this is likely because too much flour was used. Measure with a digital scale, or the fluff, scoop and level method.
Storage
Store the cookies flat in a sealed container for up to 5 days. If you need to stack them, place a piece of wax paper in between so the marshmallow sticks to the paper instead of other cookies.
Freeze the baked cookies in an airtight container for one month. Remove individual cookies from the freezer and thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
Baking Fluffernutter Cookies from Frozen
Once the dough ball are assembled, place them on a cookie sheet and flash freeze them for 30 minutes, then transfer to a zip-top bag or sealed container.
Bake the cookies from frozen in a preheated 350℉/177℃ oven for 13-15 minutes.
Store the frozen dough balls for up to 2 months.
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What to Know When Cooking with The Cozy Plum
- All recipes are created with Diamond Crystal kosher salt, the least salty variety of kosher salt. If using Morton's, you'll need to cut the amount of salt in half as it's 2x as salty. This will be the same for sea salt. Please do not use table salt.
- Switch between Cups vs Metric using the toggle on the recipe card. Baking by weight using a digital scale will always produce the most accurate results.
- Scale the recipe using the '1X' '2X' '3X' buttons on the recipe card. Note that this does not make an adjustment for baking times, only quantities.
- If you'd like to make the recipe in a different pan, use the pan size converter.
📖Recipe
Fluffernutter Cookies
Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment, or handheld mixer
- Two full-sized cookie sheets
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
Instructions
- Lay a piece of parchment paper over a standard sized plate. Measure out ¼ cup (~67g) of peanut butter, then use a teaspoon measure to scoop heaping scoops onto the plate. You will need 12 dollops. Use more peanut butter to get to 12, if needed. Place the peanut butter in the freezer while preparing the dough.1 cup creamy peanut butter
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside.1½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and ¾ cup (202g) peanut butter, then add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.½ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup light brown sugar, ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- Add the egg and vanilla and mix to combine, then scrape down the sides. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and mix until just incorporated.1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- Prepare two full sized cookie sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350℉/180℃.
Assembly
- Measure out three even tablespoons (~60g) of dough then flatten it out in between your palms. Place one dollop of the frozen peanut butter in the center, then add a marshmallow (on its long side) on top and gently press down.12 marshmallows
- Work the dough upwards and around the top of the marshmallow until it’s completely sealed. The dough may crack in some places - just gently push it together with your thumbs as best as possible. Place the dough seam side/marshmallow side down on the cookie sheet.
- Repeat this until there are 12 cookie dough balls. It's best to work in batches of 3 or 4, leaving the extra peanut butter in the freezer. Arrange the cookies, 6 on each pan, and stud each top with 4-5 peanut butter chips, if desired.peanut butter chips
- Bake one pan at a time for 9-11 minutes on the middle rack, then remove the pan and smack it on the counter a few times.
- Spray cooking spray on a rubber spatula and press in the sides to re-shape the cookies.
- Let cool completely on the pan before transferring to a serving platter or storage container. You may need to use a spatula to lift off some of the sticky marshmallow pieces.
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Notes
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Amanda Principato says
These are delish! Followed the instructions to a “t” and had no issues! Have a gas oven and I will bake them 12 minutes next time. I made these on Christmas Eve and they’re still extremely soft and yummy!
Callan Wenner says
Ahh great news, Amanda! Thanks so much for making them!
Esther says
These cookies tasted great but make sure you don't over bake them. I was waiting for the bottoms to barely brown so the ALDI marshmallows kept melting and overflowed out of the cookie. I couldn't push them back into a circular shape because the marshmallow would stick to my spoon. Take these cookies out of the oven when the edges are set. Don't wait for the bottoms to barely brown.
Syd says
Could you make this recipe gluten free?
Callan Wenner says
Hi Syd, I have not tried these specific cookies with gluten-free flour, but I've had great success with Bob's Red Mill 1-1 Gluten Free Baking Mix for other GF swaps. If you try it, please report back!
Krista says
I can’t stop eating these cookies!! They are beyond delicious!
Callan Wenner says
Ahh yay!! Love to hear that, thanks so much for making them!
Ella says
These are truly incredible!! I’ve tried other fluffernutter recipes but this is the best one!!
The Cozy Plum says
Yay!! This is the best news. Thanks so much, Ella.