Small Batch Crispy Marshmallow Sugar Cookies
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This small batch of crispy marshmallow sugar cookies uses marshmallow cream for both flavor and texture, giving the cookies their snap and a delicate vanilla-marshmallow sweetness. The one-hour chill dough mixes quickly with simple ingredients and rolls cleanly for a dozen shaped cookies. A great option when you want a decorated sugar cookie with a flavorful, crisp bite.
The Crisp Cookie I Didn’t Expect to Love
Years ago when I first made these cookies, they were a happy accident. Since then, they are top of the list for holiday cookie requests in my house. The crispy sugar cookies are a delicious alternative to the soft cookies that dominate the holidays (like my pumpkin spice small batch sugar cookies do).
I wanted to see what marshmallow cream would do in a cookie since it includes egg whites. I thought it would yield a chewy sugar cookie — much like my gluten free funfetti sugar cookies that rely on an egg white for that texture.
Nope. Total curveball. Because the sugars in marshmallow cream promote browning and crisping, the cookies baked up snappy with tremendous flavor. And after a few rounds of testing, I kept the butter and sugar on the leaner side to account for the addition of the cream. The ratios landed perfectly to make a sugar cookie with amped-up flavor and a crisp bite.
Aside from the ingredients, these cookies behave like a traditional sugar cookie; simple dough, an essential chill, and it makes the ideal rolled cookie.
Translation: these cookies are ready to be decorated. 🙂
How To Make Sugar Cookies With Marshmallow
Add the butter, sugar, and marshmallow cream to a mixing bowl and mix until smooth. Sprinkle the dry ingredients (there’s only 3!) over the creamed butter.
Mix until the dough starts to pull away from the bowl and gets thick and sturdy. Roll and cut the dough directly on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then chill.
There’s a simple royal icing in the recipe card, but if you want to double down on the marshmallow flavor, try the icing from my classic small batch sugar cookies — it’s made with marshmallow cream too.
Tips From Testing
- Expect a thick dough. There’s no egg in these cookies, which contributes to the crisp texture and means there isn’t much moisture in the dough.
- Add a little milk or water if the dough is super crumbly. I live in a dry climate and often need a touch of extra moisture to bring the dough together. You may need the same.
- But don’t add too much liquid. Too much moisture will make the cookies spread and turn the texture cake-like. The dough should feel slightly moist and hold together when squeezed in your hand.
- Store the crispy sugar cookies separately. If they sit with soft or chewy cookies, the moisture will soften them.
- High-moisture icing will also soften the cookies over time. They stay crisp for about 24 hours, but icing eventually permeates the cookie. Storing decorated cookies in a paper bag helps keep them crisp longer.
Did You Make It? Let’s Hear About It!
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I love to hear about it when you make one of my recipes – and your feedback helps others find my recipes! Drop me a comment and star rating below if you made a batch of these cookies for your holiday cookie tray. 🫶
Small Batch Crispy Marshmallow Sugar Cookies
by Erin Cernich
Ingredients
Marshmallow Sugar Cookies
- 5 tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 5 tablespoons (30 g) marshmallow cream
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cups (125 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Royal Icing
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 2 to 4 teaspoons milk or water
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- food coloring
- sprinkles
Instructions
Marshmallow Sugar Cookies
- In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, marshmallow cream, sugar, and vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until light and creamy – at least 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed, until smooth and creamy.5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 5 tablespoons marshmallow cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Sprinkle the flour, baking powder, and salt over the butter mixture. Mix on medium-low speed until a thick dough comes together. Note – If the weather is warm or dry, the dough may be crumbly. Add a teaspoon of milk at a time until a dough ball forms.1 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- Form the dough into a ball with your hands and place it on the parchment paper from one of the prepared baking sheets. Roll the dough out to almost 1/4-inch thick. Place back onto the baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 2 days.
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position.
- Remove the baking sheet from the fridge and use a cookie cutter to cut out your shapes. Save the scraps to re-roll. Bake the cookies for 10 to 11 minutes or until the bottom edges start to turn light golden. The cookies will crisp up as they cool, so I do not recommend over-baking them. Note – I find I don't need to flour the dough or parchment. However, if your dough is sticking to your rolling pin, lightly flour the top of the dough.
- While the first batch of cookies is baking, re-roll the dough scraps onto the second piece of parchment paper, place back onto the baking sheet, and cut out your shapes. Loosely cover and refrigerate until ready to bake – again, for 10 to 11 minutes.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet(s) set on a wire cooling rack for 10 minutes, then transfer to the rack to cool completely.
Royal Icing
- In a small mixing bowl, add the powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons of milk, vanilla, and salt. Stir to combine. Add a teaspoon of milk at a time to get your desired icing consistency.1 cup powdered sugar, 2 to 4 teaspoons milk or water, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Divide the icing into the number of colors you are using into separate bowls and color as you like. Decorate with icing and sprinkles.food coloring, sprinkles
Notes
- Serving Size – This is a small batch recipe that can be doubled.
- Yield – The number of cookies in your batch will depend on how thick you roll out your dough and the size of your cookie cutters.
- Stand Mixer – You can use your stand mixer, and will have to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times as the butter will stick. Or, use your standard mixer and attachment with a smaller, 3-quart mixing bowl.
- Cookie Texture – The marshmallow cream contributes to a crisp sugar cookie. For a slightly softer cookie, try cutting the cookies thicker and baking about 1 minute less.
- Marshmallow – The marshmallow cream serves multiple purposes in the cookies: it adds flavor, it makes the cookies crispy, and it works as a binder since the cookies are made without and egg.
- Rolling the Dough – I find it is easier to roll the dough on a piece of parchment paper before chilling it. However, you can form the dough into a disc, wrap it, and chill. You will just need to bring it out of the fridge a few minutes before you plan to roll it, so it is easier to roll.
- Storage – Store the cookies in a single layer, separated by parchment and covered at room temperature for up to one week. Don’t store the crispy cookies with soft cookies, or the moisture from the soft cookies may soften them.
- Freezing the Cookie Dough – Shape the dough into a disc, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, then place in a freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
- Freezing Baked Cookies – Baked and decorated cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Either in a Tupperware or gently placed in a Ziploc bag. Thaw at room temperature.
Nutrition Estimates
About the Author …
Hi, I’m Erin! With years of experience baking for two in my own small household, I know about the love for desserts without the leftovers. I’ve tested, written, and photographed every one of the 300+ recipes on my website. And even had some of my desserts featured on Taste of Home, The Spruce Eats, ELLE, Parade, and more! From traditional to gluten free desserts for two, I have the recipe for you.
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hi, looks like a delicious recipe! i want to try it, but i’d prefer to use a whole egg instead of just the yolk if i can get away with it. is there a reason why you decided to go with just the yolk? tia 🙂
Hi Tia! Because it is a small batch, I only use the yolk. The egg white may add unnecessary liquid causing the texture of the cookie to be different than a crispy sugar cookie. Also, the marshmallow adds a little egg white as well. You could certainly try using the whole egg, I just can’t say for certain how the texture of the cookies will be.