The marshmallows on these cookies should look puffed and soft, not melted into a sugary puddle. I learned to hold them back until the cookies have spent a few minutes in the oven; that small timing change keeps the s’mores part front and center without leaving the cookie underneath raw.
Pumpkin Smores Cookies bring pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a familiar graham cracker-and-chocolate combination. The dough bakes up around little pockets of semisweet chocolate, with graham cracker pieces folded throughout and mini marshmallows on top. Pumpkin gives the cookies a tender, moist bite, while the brown sugar keeps their flavor warm and mellow. They’re a good choice when you want a pumpkin cookie that has more going on than spice alone, and each one still tastes unmistakably like a s’more.
I keep the mix-ins in recognizable pieces rather than crushing everything into crumbs. That way, there’s a bit of graham cracker and chocolate to find in each cookie, alongside the soft marshmallow cap.
Kitchen Note
Give the dough its full 30 minutes in the refrigerator before you scoop it. Chilled dough is easier to portion neatly, and you’ll have a much easier time spacing those soft scoops across the pans.
Save these Pumpkin Smores Cookies for a bake with tender pumpkin-spice centers, bits of graham cracker, and puffy marshmallow tops.
Why the Marshmallows Go on After the Cookies Have Started Baking
Mini marshmallows need far less oven time than the cookie dough. If they go on at the beginning, their exposed tops have time to brown and soften before the edges of the cookie are set. Adding them partway through gives the dough a head start, so the marshmallows can puff without taking over the whole bake.
That timing also gives you a better chance of keeping each topping where you put it. Pressing the marshmallows gently onto the warm cookies helps them nestle into the surface, then a short return to the oven puffs them in place. Pull the pans when the edges look set and the marshmallows are puffed; they’ll continue to settle as the cookies cool.
It’s a small adjustment, but it changes the balance of the finished cookie. You get a baked cookie with a soft marshmallow on top, rather than marshmallow that has spent the entire bake against the hot pan and oven air.
What Gives These Cookies Their Pumpkin-S’mores Balance
- Pumpkin puree — It brings moisture and pumpkin flavor to the dough. Use plain puree rather than a sweetened pumpkin pie filling, which already contains sugar and spices and would throw off the balance. Canned plain puree is convenient; stir it before measuring if it has separated in the can.
- Brown sugar and granulated sugar — Brown sugar adds moisture and a mellow molasses note, while granulated sugar keeps the dough from leaning too soft and rich. Pack the brown sugar when measuring, and use regular granulated sugar rather than swapping in a liquid sweetener.
- Egg yolk — The yolk helps bind the dough and adds richness without the extra liquid of a whole egg. Separate it carefully; a little egg white won’t ruin the dough, but don’t add another whole egg in its place.
- Graham crackers — Their toasted, honeyed flavor is what makes these read as s’mores rather than just pumpkin chocolate cookies. Break the sheets into small pieces by hand; fine crumbs disappear into the dough instead of giving you distinct graham bites.
- Semisweet chocolate and mini marshmallows — Semisweet chocolate balances the sweet marshmallow topping. Chunks give you larger melted pockets, while chips work if that’s what you have, though they won’t create quite the same uneven chocolate pockets. Mini marshmallows are sized for the tops and puff quickly during the short finishing bake.
From Soft Dough to Set Edges and Puffy Tops
Whisk the spiced flour
Heat the oven to 350°F and line two 13×18-inch rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and kosher salt until the spices are evenly distributed. Break up any visible clumps of baking soda as you whisk. A thorough mix helps keep a bite from tasting sharply of soda or spice.
Cream the butter and build the pumpkin base
Beat the softened butter with both sugars in a large bowl until the mixture looks light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg yolk, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract until combined; scrape the bowl if ingredients are clinging to the sides. The mixture may look softer once the pumpkin goes in, which is expected. Add the flour mixture on low speed and stop as soon as no dry flour remains.
Fold in the mix-ins and portion the chilled dough
Fold in the graham cracker pieces and chocolate chunks, working gently so the crackers stay in small pieces rather than turning to crumbs. Chill the dough for 30 minutes, then scoop it into 18 portions of about 2 tablespoons each. Arrange nine portions on each prepared baking sheet, leaving space between them. Crowding the pans makes it harder for the cookies to bake evenly.
Give the cookies a head start, then add marshmallows
Bake for 8 minutes, then take the sheets out and press 3 or 4 mini marshmallows onto each cookie. Return the pans to the oven for 3 to 5 minutes, until the edges are set and the marshmallows are puffed. If the marshmallows are puffed but the edges still look soft, use the visual cues together rather than pulling the cookies early. Let them cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before moving them to a wire rack.
Three Easy Ways to Change the Chocolate or Make a Dietary Swap
Use white chocolate for a sweeter cookie
Replace the semisweet chunks with white chocolate chunks in the same quantity. White chocolate makes the pumpkin and spices taste sweeter and less cocoa-forward, so the cookie will have a gentler chocolate contrast with the graham crackers.
Make the dough gluten-free
Swap the all-purpose flour for the same volume of a cup-for-cup gluten-free baking blend that includes xanthan gum, and use gluten-free graham-style crackers. The cookies may have a slightly more tender, delicate crumb, so let them cool on the baking sheet before transferring.
Use dairy-free butter
For a dairy-free version, use unsalted plant-based baking sticks in place of the butter and choose dairy-free chocolate chunks. The dough may spread a little differently depending on the brand, but the same chilling and baking cues apply.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Keep cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The marshmallow tops soften a bit in storage.
- Freezer: Freeze fully cooled cookies in an airtight container, with parchment between layers, for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature.
- Reheating: Warm cookies in a 300°F oven for about 4 to 5 minutes. Avoid microwaving for too long; the marshmallows can turn sticky and overly soft.
Questions That Come Up While Making Pumpkin Smores Cookies
Pumpkin Smores Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F.
- Line two 13x18-inch rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Beat in the egg yolk, pumpkin puree, and vanilla until combined.
- Add the flour mixture and mix on low just until no dry flour remains.
- Fold in the graham cracker pieces and chocolate chunks.
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes.
- Scoop the dough into 18 portions, about 2 tablespoons each.
- Arrange 9 portions on each baking sheet with space between them.
- Bake for 8 minutes.
- Remove the sheets from the oven and press 3 or 4 mini marshmallows onto each cookie.
- Return the sheets to the oven and bake for 3 to 5 minutes, until the edges are set and the marshmallows are puffed.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.
