Mississippi Mud Cookies are the ultimate combination of salty, sweet, and rich. Velvety cocoa powder, rich chocolate chunks, salty pecans, and sweet marshmallows create decadent cookies that are out-of-this-world!
Finally, an easy cookie recipe full of surprising flavors. This isn’t your standard chocolate chip, oatmeal, or sugar cookie. Instead, these Mississippi Mud Cookies bring variety to any platter, gift basket, or potluck.
The cookie dough is simple and packed with brown sugar and cocoa powder for the perfect soft, chewy, and chocolatey base. The goodies that take these cookies over-the-top are pecans, chocolate chunks, and marshmallows. Not only are they scrumptious, but they have a delectable presentation!
If you love the irresistible flavor of Texas Sheetcake Cookies but need a recipe that’s easy to transport, these cookies are for you. They combine the same chocolate-pecan flavors, but without the frosting, so they’re no-fuss when it comes to storage.
Additionally, if you love the chocolate chunk and marshmallow flavors, but want a milder chocolate flavor, try these S’mores Cookies. They use a classic vanilla cookie base instead of the cocoa-packed dough of this Mississippi mud cookie.
Why You’ll Love these Mississippi Mud Cookies
- Easy drop cookies – Just scoop, drop, and bake these cookies to perfection.
- Quick – No-chill time means you can bite into a warm cookie in less than half an hour.
- Something different – This is a unique cookie recipe that hasn’t been overdone. It’s the perfect way to add variety to any cookie spread.
- Perfect chewy texture – Brown sugar creates a soft and chewy cookie that makes you crave one after another.
- No-fuss cookies – The decoration is effortless since you only need to press ingredients into the cookies before baking.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Butter – Use softened unsalted butter for the best control of flavor.
- Brown sugar – Don’t try to substitute white sugar. The molasses in the brown sugar creates a chewy texture and brings more depth to the cookies.
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- All-Purpose flour
- Cocoa powder – Dutch process cocoa will give you a more intense, dark, and rich chocolate flavor, but any unsweetened cocoa powder will work.
- Baking soda
- Salt – Kosher salt is less salty than iodized table salt and will give you the most sodium control.
- Chopped pecans – Raw pecans work perfectly in this recipe, but you can toast them beforehand for even more flavor.
- Chocolate chips or chunks – Semi-sweet chocolate balances the sugar from the marshmallows. Chunks create larger pockets of molten deliciousness in comparison to chips.
- Mini marshmallows – Mini marshmallows will fully melt and toast with the short bake time, unlike larger ones.
Helpful Tools
- Mixer – A stand or hand mixer will cream the butter and sugar in no time.
- Rubber spatula – Use a rubber spatula to scrape the mixing bowl to incorporate all the ingredients thoroughly.
- Cookie scoop – A cookie scoop ensures uniform drop cookies and an even bake.
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mat – Either option will prevent the cookies from sticking to the cookie sheet and make cleanup a breeze.
- Wire rack – A wire rack helps the cookies cool faster and more evenly.
How to Make
- Mix – Combine and set aside the dry ingredients.
- Cream – Cream the softened butter and sugar with a mixer until the color pales, and it becomes fluffy.
- Finish the dough – Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl throughout the process.
- Add mix-ins – Stir in the chopped pecans and chocolate chips.
- Form cookies – Scoop and drop 12 cookie dough balls onto an ungreased and lined cookie sheet. Flatten the cookies slightly. Then, press 2-4 marshmallows and additional chocolate chunks into the surface of each cookie.
- Bake – Bake until the edges are set and the marshmallows are golden. The middles will still be soft, but the residual heat of the baking tray will finish the cookies as they cool.
- Cool – Allow the cookies to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
Tips
- Stir in the pecans and chocolate chips with your rubber spatula or a wooden spoon. Letting a hand or stand mixer do this step can lead to pulverized ingredients instead of chunks.
- Use a cookie scoop to take the guesswork out of portioning the cookies. Uniform cookies mean a perfect bake for each one.
- Leave about 2 inches of room between each dough ball. This way, when the cookies spread during baking, they won’t touch.
- Don’t put marshmallows close to the edges of the cookies, or they’ll melt off the side and burn.
How to Store
Room Temperature – Once the cookies cool and the marshmallows and chocolate chunks set, store them in an airtight container. To preserve a pristine presentation, you can lay down wax paper between layers of cookies. They’ll keep for about 2 weeks.
Refrigerate – These cookies will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 month. However, storing baked cookies in the fridge can give them a stale texture. I recommend storing cookie dough in the refrigerator and baking it as needed. The dough will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Freeze – You can store cookie dough balls in the freezer for 9-12 months. You can bake the dough right from frozen whenever you’re sweet tooth strikes. On the other hand, you can freeze baked cookies in an airtight container or freezer bag and pop them into a low-heat oven to thaw. Baked cookies will last in the freezer for 6-9 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Any cookie scoop that holds about 2 tablespoons of dough will work. Usually, this will be a #24 or #30 scoop. Both are just under 2” in diameter.
Traditionally, these cookies use pecans, but walnuts or peanuts would also taste delicious.
You can easily swap out the pecans for ¾ inch pieces of skinny pretzel rods. Just buy a bag of the rods, and snap them into bite-sized pieces. You’ll achieve the crunchy, salty flavor without using nuts!
More Chocolate Cookies
Mississippi Mud Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, softened
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cups chopped pecans
- ½ cup semi sweet chocolate chunks or chips
- ½ cup mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375º.
- Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a larger bowl, cream butter and sugar until color lightens.
- Beat in egg and vanilla.
- Add dry ingredients, and stir together.
- Stir in pecans and chocolate chips.
- Scoop into 12 balls, and place onto ungreased or parchment-lined baking sheets with at least 2 inches between each ball.
- Flatten slightly, and press 2-4 marshmallows, and additional chocolate chunks if desired into each cookie. Be careful not to place marshmallows too close to the edges so that they don’t run onto your pan and stick.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes until edges set, but middles are still soft. Marshmallows should be golden brown.
- Remove from oven and let cool on the pan a few minutes before removing.
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