Ultimate Guide to Rice Krispie Treat Chocolate Chip Cookies: Gooey, Chewy, Crispy Perfection
Prepare yourself for a dessert experience like no other! We’re taking two beloved classics – the rich, chewy chocolate chip cookie and the light, crispy rice krispie treat – and blending them into one sensational, unforgettable creation. Imagine a perfectly baked chocolate chip cookie, generously studded with crunchy rice cereal, and hiding a molten, gooey marshmallow core. These aren’t just cookies; they’re an ingenious mashup that promises an explosion of textures and flavors with every single bite.
Why These Rice Krispie Treat Chocolate Chip Cookies Are a Must-Bake
Forget choosing between your favorite treats! This recipe delivers the best of both worlds, offering a unique twist that elevates both the humble rice krispie treat and the classic chocolate chip cookie. What makes these cookies truly special is their incredible textural complexity. You get:
- Chewy Perfection: The classic chocolate chip cookie base remains wonderfully soft and chewy.
- Crispy Crunch: Pockets of crispy rice cereal add an unexpected and delightful crunch that contrasts beautifully with the soft dough.
- Gooey Marshmallow Core: The real star is the perfectly melted marshmallow center, which creates a warm, stretchy, and incredibly satisfying surprise in the middle of each cookie.
They’re more exciting than traditional chocolate chip cookies and far more indulgent than plain rice krispie treats. This isn’t just another cookie recipe; it’s an innovative dessert that will impress everyone who tries it. While baking with marshmallows can sometimes be a bit tricky, don’t worry! I’ve mastered all the tips and tricks to ensure your first batch is absolutely perfect, avoiding any common pitfalls and guaranteeing a flawless, gooey outcome.
Essential Ingredients for Your Marshmallow-Stuffed Crispy Cookies
Crafting these extraordinary cookies requires a handful of standard baking ingredients, plus the stars of our show: crispy rice cereal and marshmallows. Here’s a comprehensive list of everything you’ll need to create this delectable dessert. For precise measurements, please refer to the full recipe card below.
- Butter: Unsalted, softened to room temperature for optimal creaming. This forms the rich base of our cookie dough.
- Brown Sugar (Light or Dark): Provides moisture and a deep, caramel-like flavor, contributing to the cookies’ chewy texture.
- Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps with spreading and crisping the cookie edges.
- Eggs: Act as a binder, adding structure and richness to the dough.
- Vanilla Extract: Essential for enhancing all the other flavors in the cookie.
- All-Purpose Flour: The primary dry ingredient, providing the main structure.
- Baking Soda: Our leavening agent, ensuring the cookies rise beautifully.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out the chocolate flavor.
- Crispy Rice Cereal: The key to the irresistible crunch and texture that makes these cookies unique.
- Semisweet Chocolate Chips: Melty pockets of chocolate are a must-have in any good chocolate chip cookie. Bittersweet can also be used for a less sweet profile.
- Regular-Sized Marshmallows: These are crucial for the gooey, melted center. Mini marshmallows are too small and tend to disappear, while jumbo ones are too large for the cookie dough to properly encase.
Step-by-Step Guide to Making Rice Krispie Treat Chocolate Chip Cookies
Don’t be intimidated by the marshmallow center – these are essentially easy “drop cookies” with a delightful surprise. No chilling time or overly complicated steps are involved. Just follow these instructions carefully, paying special attention to the marshmallow handling, and you’ll achieve perfect, gooey-centered cookies on your very first attempt!
- Prepare Your Workspace and Preheat: Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. This prevents sticking and makes cleanup a breeze.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter with both the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Continue mixing for several minutes until the mixture becomes light, pale, and creamy. Don’t forget to scrape down the sides of the bowl at least once to ensure everything is well combined.
- Incorporate Eggs and Vanilla: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until fully incorporated. Follow with the vanilla extract, mixing again. This gradual addition ensures a smooth, emulsified batter.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed until the dough just begins to come together. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough cookies.
- Fold in Crispy Rice Cereal and Chocolate Chips: Gently fold in the crispy rice cereal and chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough. A spoon or spatula works best for this step to maintain the cereal’s crunch.
- Stuff with Marshmallows: This is where the magic happens! Portion your cookie dough using a large (3-tablespoon) cookie scoop. Take a regular-sized marshmallow and cut it in half crosswise. Place one marshmallow half into the center of each dough portion. Carefully wrap the cookie dough around the marshmallow, ensuring it is completely covered. This “insulation” is key to preventing the marshmallow from melting out prematurely. Place the stuffed dough balls on your prepared baking sheets, leaving enough space between them for spreading.
- Bake to Perfection: Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. Watch them closely! The cookies are done when their edges are lightly golden brown, their tops no longer appear shiny or wet, and the marshmallow has puffed up through the center of the cookie, creating a slight dome. Overbaking will cause the marshmallow to melt completely and disappear, so pull them out just in time!
- Cool and Enjoy: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 1-2 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. These cookies are truly at their absolute best when enjoyed warm on the day they are baked, while the marshmallow center is still wonderfully gooey and soft.
Expert Tips for Flawless Marshmallow-Stuffed Crispy Cookies
Baking with marshmallows can be a delightful challenge, but with these insider tips, you’ll achieve perfectly gooey, chewy, and crispy cookies every time. Don’t let the marshmallows intimidate you; simply follow these guidelines for success!
- Marshmallow Insulation is Key: Marshmallows melt at a relatively low temperature (around 215°F/102°C), but our cookies bake at 350°F (175°C). The trick is to completely encase the marshmallow within the cookie dough. Think of the dough as a protective blanket. If any part of the marshmallow is exposed, it will melt too quickly, leak out onto the baking sheet, and you’ll lose that wonderful gooey center. Take a moment to ensure each marshmallow half is fully covered.
- Precision in Baking Time: Timing is absolutely critical for these cookies. You want the cookie dough to be baked through and set, but the longer the marshmallow is exposed to the oven’s heat, the more it will melt and spread. Keep a close eye on your first batch. Look for edges that are just starting to turn golden brown and tops that no longer look wet or shiny. The marshmallow should have visibly puffed up through the center, creating a soft dome. This usually takes 8-10 minutes, but oven temperatures can vary, so trust your eyes!
- Don’t Overbake: It’s better to slightly underbake these cookies than to overbake them. If you leave them in too long, the marshmallow will fully dissolve, and you’ll miss out on that signature gooey texture. When you pull them from the oven, they might seem a little soft or underdone, but they will continue to set and firm up on the hot baking sheet for a few minutes after removal.
- Troubleshooting Melted Edges: Sometimes, despite your best efforts, a bit of marshmallow might escape from the side of a cookie and come into contact with the hot baking sheet. If this happens, don’t panic! Immediately after taking the cookies out of the oven, use a spatula or the back of a spoon to gently press any melted edges back towards the center, reshaping the cookie into a neat round. This quick fix will keep your cookies looking beautiful.
- Use Regular-Sized Marshmallows: This recipe specifically calls for regular-sized marshmallows, halved. Mini marshmallows are simply too small; they tend to completely disappear during baking, leaving no gooey center. Jumbo marshmallows, on the other hand, are too large for the dough to adequately cover, increasing the likelihood of leakage. Stick to regular for the best results!
- Enjoy Them Fresh: While incredibly delicious, these cookies are best enjoyed on the day they are baked. The marshmallow centers, over time, will naturally start to dissolve and lose their fresh gooeyness, making the cookies less visually appealing and texturally dynamic. They’re a treat meant for immediate gratification!
More Irresistible Cookie Recipes to Try
If you loved the creativity and deliciousness of these Rice Krispie Treat Chocolate Chip Cookies, you’re in for a treat with these other fantastic cookie creations:
- Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies: Dive into even more marshmallow goodness with a chocolate twist.
- Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies: For those who adore a gooey, decadent caramel surprise in their cookies.
- Monster Cookies: A hearty, everything-but-the-kitchen-sink cookie packed with oats, peanut butter, and candy.
Essential Baking Tools for This Recipe
Having the right tools can make all the difference in your baking experience. Here are a few recommendations to help you make these cookies (and many other treats) with ease:
Recipe originally published October 2018.
Rice Krispie Treat Chocolate Chip Cookies
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Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (85 grams), softened to room temperature
- 1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar (210 grams)
- ½ cup granulate sugar (100 grams)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (240 grams)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups crispy rice cereal (56 grams)
- 1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (170 grams)
- About 9 regular sized marshmallows
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Line sheet pans with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
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With an electric mixer, beat butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar for several minutes until pale and creamy, scraping down the bowl at least once.
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Add eggs one a time, followed by the vanilla, mixing and scraping the bowl after each.
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Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix just until the dough just starts to come together.
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Add the crispy rice cereal and the chocolate chips and mix until combined.
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Portion dough into large 3 tablespoon rounds (this is the cookie scoop I use).
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Use a sharp knife or kitchen shears to cut marshmallows in half crosswise. Place a half into the center of each cookie dough portion. Use your hands to work the dough around the marshmallow so that the marshmallow is completely concealed inside.
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Bake for 8-10 minutes, just until cookie edges start to turn golden brown, the tops of the cookies no longer appear shiny and wet, and the marshmallow has just puffed up through the center. (If you bake the cookies too long, the marshmallow will melt and disappear completely.)
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Let cookies cool on the sheet pan for 1-2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
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Enjoy these cookies the day they are baked. The marshmallow centers will slowy dissolve so these cookies won’t look pretty for long.
Notes