Bursting with Graham cracker, milk chocolate, and homemade marshmallow fluff, these s’mores thumbprint cookies personify the goodness of summer.
Thumbprint cookies are all the rage during the holidays. They range from decadent and chocolatey to refreshingly fruity. These s’mores thumbprint cookies start with a buttery Graham cracker cookie and are topped with luscious milk chocolate and a toasted puff of homemade marshmallow fluff. Your campout just got a whole lot more delicious. Let’s make them.
What you’ll need to make these s’mores thumbprint cookies:
Salted butter
Granulated sugar
Vanilla extract
Large eggs
Salt
Baking powder
All purpose flour
Graham cracker crumbs
Milk chocolate bar of choice
Water
Granulated sugar
Light corn syrup
Cream of tartar
Seeds from one vanilla bean
The homemade marshmallow fluff
This homemade marshmallow fluff is incredibly soft and perfectly marshmallowy; it will undoubtedly replace store-bought fluff from now on. It stores nicely in the fridge for two weeks, so feel free to make a batch and keep it handy for all your s’mores needs, or for these flourless Fluffernutter cookies, which happen to be a favorite of mine.
In a small to medium-sized saucepan, place the water, granulated sugar, and corn syrup. Stir to combine.
Heat on medium-high (I put my numbered burner on eight) and insert a candy thermometer at this point. Do not stir again.
Place your egg whites in the standing mixer bowl. You can also use a hand mixer, but just know you will need to beat them consistently for quite some time. A standing mixer is definitely preferred for this recipe.
When the sugar syrup reaches about 200 degrees, begin whipping the egg whites until soft peaks form. This should take about 2-3 minutes.
Add your cream of tartar and whip for about 30 more seconds to combine.
The whites should finish whipping just about the time the syrup reaches 240 to 250°.
Remove the syrup from the heat, ensuring that your mixer is on low. Slowly pour the syrup into the whipped egg whites in a steady stream, being careful as the syrup is extremely hot.
When this is done, place your mixer on medium to high and continue mixing for 7-8 minutes until the marshmallow fluff is thick. Your egg whites might deflate slightly, but don't worry; if this happens, they will come back to life during the whipping process!
Add the vanilla bean seeds and continue to whip until the fluff has cooled slightly, about two more minutes. Use immediately and store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
The cookies
Derived from my super simple vanilla cutout cookies, these Graham cracker thumbprint cookies are made using only eight ingredients.
Begin by creaming the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about one minute. Add the egg and egg yolk, plus the vanilla, and mix until combined. Add the dry ingredients next: the salt, baking powder, all-purpose flour, and Graham cracker crumbs. Mix until the dough forms and pulls away from the edges entirely. This dough should be soft but not sticky. It should also be stiff enough to roll out, though we are using a two-tablespoon cookie scoop to make dough balls for this recipe.
Scoop your dough balls out and place them on a nonstick cookie sheet about one inch apart from each other. These cookies do not spread, so they don’t need a large amount of separation on the sheet. Gently press down on each dough ball with the back end of a rounded tablespoon. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. The cookies will be soft when removed from the oven but will hold their shape as they cool. Gently press down on each dough ball again if you’d like a bit more of a thumbprint for your cookies.
While the cookies are still warm, top each cookie with a square of milk chocolate. I topped a few with caramel-stuffed milk chocolate squares, and those were my favorites for sure.
Pipe a generous amount of marshmallow fluff onto the chocolate and torch it until golden or until desired. Enjoy immediately and store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days.
The dietary substitutions
I love providing gluten and dairy free substitutions so that those with alternate dietary needs can enjoy my recipes to their fullest! These are subs that I have either used and continue to stock in my own home, or that have come highly recommended from others. I want your baking experience to be the best it can be, and avoiding gluten or dairy shouldn’t hinder that process in the slightest.
As always, here is a list of tried and true dietary substitutes, so that you can enjoy this recipe without the additions of gluten or dairy.
Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour is a wonderful all-purpose sub, and it’s cup for cup, so use the same measurements as you would all-purpose flour.
Miyokos butter is a plant based brick that closely resembles dairy butter not only in its look, but its taste as well. It melts, browns, and spreads just like real butter, and truly is a fantastic substitute in this recipe. Use it as a 1:1 ratio sub, same as the flour, so the recipe measurements will not change.
Pamela’s Honey Graham Crackers are gluten free and perfect for use in this cookie dough if you want or need to avoid gluten.
If you loved these s’mores thumbprint cookies, I’d be so grateful for you to leave a 5 star rating + review.
Tag @heathershomebakery on Instagram if you upload a pic too, because I want to see your creations.
Lastly, post this recipe to any of your boards by tapping the Pinterest icon and clicking on your favorite photo. Save and enjoy!
XO,
Heather
Try my no-bake s’more cheesecake for another easy summer s’mores treat!
S’mores Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
For the Marshmallow Fluff:
- ½ Cup Water
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Cup Light Corn Syrup
- 5 Large Egg Whites, room temperature
- 1 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar
- Seeds From One Vanilla Bean
For the Cookies:
- 1 Cup Salted Butter, room temperature
- 1 ¼ Cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 Large egg + 1 Large Egg Yolk
- 1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
- 3 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
For the Topping:
- Milk Chocolate Bars of Choice (I used Ghirardelli squares for some, Lindt milk chocolate squares for some, and Andes mini for the rest. You’ll need about 1-2 inches of chocolate per cookie)
Instructions
- For the homemade marshmallow fluff:In a small to medium-sized saucepan, place the water, granulated sugar, and corn syrup. Stir to combine.Heat on medium-high (I put my numbered burner on eight) and insert a candy thermometer at this point. Do not stir again.Place your egg whites in the standing mixer bowl. You can also use a hand mixer, but just know you will need to beat them consistently for quite some time. A standing mixer is definitely preferred for this recipe.When the sugar syrup reaches about 200 degrees, begin whipping the egg whites until soft peaks form. This should take about 2-3 minutes.Add your cream of tartar and whip for about 30 more seconds to combine.The whites should finish whipping just about the time the syrup reaches 240 to 250°.Remove the syrup from the heat, ensuring that your mixer is on low. Slowly pour the syrup into the whipped egg whites in a steady stream, being careful as the syrup is extremely hot.When this is done, place your mixer on medium to high and continue mixing for 7-8 minutes until the marshmallow fluff is thick. Your egg whites might deflate slightly, but don't worry; if this happens, they will come back to life during the whipping process!Add the vanilla bean seeds and continue to whip until the fluff has cooled slightly, about two more minutes. Use immediately and store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
- For the cookies: Begin by creaming the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about one minute. Add the egg and egg yolk, plus the vanilla, and mix until combined. Add the dry ingredients next: the salt, baking powder, all-purpose flour, and Graham cracker crumbs. Mix until the dough forms and pulls away from the edges entirely. This dough should be soft but not sticky. It should also be stiff enough to roll out, though we are using a two-tablespoon cookie scoop to make dough balls for this recipe.Scoop your dough balls out and place them on a nonstick cookie sheet about one inch apart from each other. These cookies do not spread, so they don’t need a large amount of separation on the sheet. Gently press down on each dough ball with the back end of a rounded tablespoon. Bake at 350 degrees for 7-9 minutes. The cookies will be soft when removed from the oven but will stiffen up hold their shape as they cool. Gently press down on each dough ball again if you’d like a bit more of a thumbprint for your cookies.
- While the cookies are still warm, top each cookie with a square of milk chocolate. I topped a few with caramel-stuffed milk chocolate squares, and those were my favorites for sure.
- Pipe a generous amount of marshmallow fluff onto the chocolate and torch it until golden or until desired. Enjoy immediately and store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days. Enjoy!
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