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The Original and Best Fluffernutter Cookies Recipe

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Fluffernutter cookies are the classic New England fluffernutter sandwich turned into a cookie and one of the most popular cookie recipes on this site! Thin, chewy peanut butter cookies are filled with swirls of marshmallow fluff. If you like these, try these fluffernutter bars or fluffernutter rice krispie treats.

Stephanie said: “I stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest and since then, I’ve made them maybe 4 times (in less than 4 months lol) they are absolutely amazing! My husband's coworkers go bananas over them. Thank you for such an amazing cookie! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Peanut butter cookie being pulled apart to show gooey marshmallow fluff

Is fluffernutter a New England thing?

Classic fluffernutter sandwiches are a New England staple. So much so, in fact, that it's considered the unofficial sandwich of Massachusetts (and has been proposed to be the official sandwich).

Additionally, there is a festival in Somerville, Massachusetts every year called “What the Fluff?” that celebrates the sandwich's sticky and sweet goodness. AND October 8th is National Fluffernutter Day.

So… what I'm getting at, is that its popularity in New England is well-established. The fact that they don't hand you a t-shirt with a fluffernutter sandwich on it when you move here is almost shocking.

Some people are hardcore fluffernutter loyalists and seeing me do things like that makes them cringe. If you are one of those people, you may want to leave this page. Because now I've transformed fluffernutter sandwiches into a cookie and it's my new favorite thing in the entire world. As people from Massachusetts would say, they're “fluffanutta cookies”.

Peanut butter marshmallow cookies are infinitely better than the fluffernutter sandwich, sorrynotsorry.

Fluffernutter Cookies: The classic New England fluffernutter sandwich is turned into a cookie! Thin, chewy peanut butter cookies are filled with swirls of marshmallow fluff. | stressbaking.com

Key Ingredients

  • All-purpose flour – I've never tried it with another kind of flour, so can't speak to the results you might see with anything else. Just make sure your flour is measured properly!
  • Baking soda – Baking soda, not powder! My goal was for these to be on the thinner side, and powder would puff them up more than I'd like.
  • Salt – I add a little to balance out the sweetness, but if the peanut butter you're using is particularly salty, you might not need to add the extra salt.
  • Unsalted butter – Room temperature butter is key here – make sure you know what room temperature butter looks like so that you're not using butter that's too cold or too melty.
  • Peanut butter – Creamy peanut butter is best for this, and make sure you're giving your peanut butter a really good stir if you're using natural peanut butter with oil.
  • Light brown sugar – We're only using light brown sugar, and not a combination of granulated and light or dark. This keeps the cookie from being too sweet, but still having a fully developed flavor.
  • Egg – You want to lightly beat the egg before adding it to the dough. Room-temperature eggs incorporate into the dough easier than cold eggs.
  • Pure vanilla bean paste or extract – This really rounds out the flavors in the cookie.
  • Marshmallow Fluff – Fluff is the star of the show! I give you guidelines on how much to use, but really, measure with your heart. Just don't use too much, because then your cookies won't hold together.

Is marshmallow fluff the same as marshmallow creme?

Nope, marshmallow fluff and marshmallow creme are actually different products. Funny enough, it’s right there in the name – marshmallow creme is more creamy, and marshmallow fluff is fluffier. I very much prefer and recommend Fluff for this recipe – look for Fluff in the white container with a red lid.

How to make fluffernutter cookies

White dry ingredients being mixed with a fork in a clear bowl

Step 1: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.

Peanut butter cookie dough being beaten in a stand mixer

Step 2: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar and beat on medium speed until well combined.

Beaten egg being poured into a clear bowl

Step 3: Add egg and vanilla extract.

Peanut butter cookie dough being beaten in a stand mixer

Step 4: Beat to combine.

Dry ingredients being added to a bowl of peanut butter cookie dough

Step 5: Add the flour mixture to the bowl of the peanut butter mixture.

Peanut butter cookie dough being beaten in a stand mixer

Step 6: Beat again (starting on low speed to avoid splashing the flour mixture everywhere and then increasing speed) to combine until you have a thick dough.

Peanut butter cookie dough in a clear mixing bowl covered in plastic wrap

Step 7: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, preferably up to 1 hour.

Marshmallow Fluff being piped into a hole in peanut butter cookie dough

Step 8: Grab a medium cookie scoop and fill it halfway with dough, pressing it into the bottom and up the sides. Make an indentation in the middle and pipe about a teaspoon of marshmallow fluff into the center of the dough.

Peanut butter cookie dough being pressed into cookie scoop

Step 9: Top with more dough to fill the scoop.

Peanut butter cookie dough being portioned onto a silicone mat-lined baking sheet

Step 10: Place each ball of dough on the prepared baking sheet, with no more than 6 on each sheet, evenly spaced out with plenty of room for the cookies to spread.

Peanut butter and marshmallow fluffernutter cookies cooling on a silicone mat-lined baking sheet

Step 11: Bake for 8-9 minutes until the cookies have spread and started to crinkle on top. Remove from the oven and let cookies cool for at least 15 minutes on the cookie sheet itself – they will continue to spread and set a bit more as they cool.

Peanut butter and marshmallow fluffernutter cookies on a wire rack

Step 12: Carefully move the baked cookies to wire racks to cool completely. You'll notice they've spread a bit more and crinkled! Now grab a glass of milk and get ready to dig in.

8 tips for making fluffernutter cookies

Here's what I learned in all my trial and error:

1. The butter needs to be at room temperature. If you use cold butter, they're puffier. If you use melted butter, you end up with a thin and crispy mess.

2. They need to be 100% light brown sugar, not a combination of granulated and brown sugar. This was more of a flavor thing for me – I wanted them to be less sweet than a traditional peanut butter cookie.

3. You have to omit baking powder altogether. I tried using smaller and smaller amounts of it in the peanut butter cookie dough, but any amount seemed to cause them to puff up more than I wanted. I was afraid that completely omitting it would cause them to be flat and crispy, but my fears were unfounded! Chewy, thin cookies with crinkles on top are key.

4. I needed to use less flour than I felt made sense. I thought that 1 cup was as low as I could go, but it still didn't have the texture I wanted until I cut it down to 2/3 cup. And to be totally honest, 3/4 cup came out the same way for me so you could try that, too. 

5. Chilling the dough is essential. Non-optional. Don't even think about not chilling the dough! It might even be the most important step out of all of the steps in this recipe.

6. I highly recommend doubling this recipe since it only makes 12 relatively large cookies, and they're going to be hard to part with. You know… maybe triple it. Yeah, go ahead and triple it.

7. Put the marshmallow Fluff in a piping bag to make things easier. That way, you can put some of the peanut butter dough in the cookie scoop, pipe in some of the fluff, then top it with more dough.

8. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet. They're going to come out of the oven a bit puffy, but they will flatten and crinkle while they cool and set on the pan. After 15 minutes or so, you can move them to a wire cooling rack.

Stack of fluffernutter cookies on a white plate

How to store fluffernutter cookies

Store cookies for up to 1 week in an airtight container, with parchment paper between layers.

Variations

Some of my readers have written me to tell me the different methods of how they've made my fluffernutter cookies, and I'd like to share them with you, too!

  • Adding peanut butter chips
  • Adding mini marshmallows
  • Using a large cookie scoop and sticking large marshmallows in the center of each cookie instead of fluff
  • Omitting the marshmallow aspect altogether and just enjoying them as thin, chewy, soft peanut butter cookies
Peanut butter and marshmallow fluffernutter cookies strewn about a white surface

Everyone will rave about these peanut butter and fluff cookies

I brought these cookies to work a few days after I made them and while I was sitting around, I overheard one of my coworkers telling others in a meeting: “They're SO GOOD. No joke, one of the top five cookies of MY LIFE.”

And this is coming from someone who isn't much of a cookie person – she'd take a cake over a cookie any day of the week. I don't take feedback like that lightly.

If your friends are anything like mine, fluffernutter cookies are going to be in high demand after the first time you make them – so prepare yourself.

Other Recipes with Marshmallow Fluff

FAQs

What flavor is fluffernutter?

Fluffernutter is a combination of peanut butter and marshmallow fluff.

Is marshmallow fluff the same as marshmallow creme?

Nope, marshmallow fluff and marshmallow creme are actually different products. Funny enough, it’s right there in the name – marshmallow creme is more creamy, and marshmallow fluff is fluffier. I very much prefer and recommend Fluff for this recipe – look for Fluff in the white container with a red lid.

How should I store fluffernutter cookies?

Store cookies for up to 1 week in an airtight container, with parchment paper between layers.

Are Fluffernutters a Massachusetts thing?

They are! So much so, in fact, that fluffernutters are considered the unofficial sandwich of Massachusetts (and has been proposed to be the official sandwich). Additionally, there is a festival in Somerville, Massachusetts every year called “What the Fluff?” that celebrates the sandwich's sticky and sweet goodness. AND October 8th is National Fluffernutter Day.

Does marshmallow fluff taste like marshmallows?

Funny enough, marshmallow fluff isn't even made with marshmallows – but it does taste similar to marshmallows.

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Fluffernutter Cookies Recipe (Peanut Butter and Marshmallow)

4.79 from 90 votes
Fluffernutter cookies are the classic New England fluffernutter sandwich turned into a cookie and one of the most popular cookie recipes on the site! Thin, chewy peanut butter cookies are filled with swirls of marshmallow fluff.
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 12 cookies

Ingredients
 

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
    2/3 cup (83 ⅓ g) all-purpose flour
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    Pinch salt
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar and beat on medium speed until well combined.
    8 tablespoons unsalted butter
    1 cup (258 g) creamy peanut butter
    1 1/3 cups (293 ⅓ g) light brown sugar
  • Add egg and vanilla and beat to combine.
    1 egg
    1 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
  • Add the flour mixture to the bowl of peanut butter mixture and beat again (starting on low speed to avoid splashing the flour mixture everywhere and then increasing speed) to combine until you have a thick dough.
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, preferably up to 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare two baking sheets with nonstick silicone mats or parchment paper and set aside.
  • Grab a medium cookie scoop and fill it halfway with dough, pressing it into the bottom and up the sides. Make an indentation in the middle and pipe or spoon about a teaspoon of marshmallow fluff into the center of the dough. Top with more dough to cover the marshmallow filling.
    2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup marshmallow fluff
  • Place each ball of dough on prepared baking sheets, with no more than 6 on each, evenly spaced out with plenty of room for the cookies to spread.
  • Bake for 8-9 minutes until the cookies have spread and started to crinkle on top. Remove from the oven and let cookies cool for at least 15 minutes on the cookie sheet itself – they will continue to spread and set a bit more as they cool. Carefully move to wire racks to cool completely. You’ll notice they’ve spread a bit more and crinkled.
    Now grab a glass of milk and get dig in – enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • The butter needs to be at room temperature. If you use cold butter, they're puffier. If you use melted butter, you end up with a thin and crispy mess. Make sure you know what room temperature butter looks like so that you’re not using butter that’s too cold or too melty.
  • They need to be 100% light brown sugar, not a combination of granulated and brown sugar.
  • Chilling the dough is essential! If you find the dough too wet after chilling in the fridge and needing a bit more flour to work with it, you can use up to 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour and get similar results.
  • Put the marshmallow Fluff in a piping bag to make things easier. That way, you can put some of the peanut butter dough in the cookie scoop, pipe in some of the fluff, then top it with more dough.
  • Storage: Store cookies for up to 1 week in an airtight container, with parchment paper between layers.
  •  

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 321kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 269mg | Potassium: 187mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 253IU | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition Disclaimer

The provided nutrition information is generated by an automatic API and does not take variations across specific brands into account. This information is provided as a general guideline and should not be treated as official calculations. Learn more here.

Recipe created by Leslie Kiszka
4.79 from 90 votes (48 ratings without comment)

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135 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This is my favorite cookie recipe ever! I’ve been making them for about 5 years now. They’re the perfect texture, delicious and are always the favorites at cookie swaps. I’ve started making them year-round and get requests for them or the recipe whenever friends/family are having events. I always seem to end up with more than it says, so bonus cookies!!! The only problem is if I don’t set some aside, I don’t get any because everyone eats them all!

  2. 5 stars
    I have commented before so you know this is my all-time favorite cookie recipe but I was wondering if these can be frozen I’m trying to make ahead of the holidays and I wanted them to stay as fresh as possible

    1. I haven’t done it myself, but I’ve had readers tell me they’ve frozen them (wrapped individually, and then stored in an airtight container) and then let them thaw and they’ve been good to go!

    1. Oh no! The most likely suspect to cause graininess is the sugar. If there were clumps in the sugar for any reason, they might not dissolve completely during the mixing or baking, leaving a gritty texture.

      1. 5 stars
        that did happen to me with one batch and it was my sugar I live in Arizona so if I don’t keep a brown sugar disk in my container that will happen and I have to re-moisten every few months but my sugar stays softer than from the store and it blends beautifully