Easy Vegan Fluffernutter Cookies (Perfectly Soft & Gooey)

Remember the pure, simple joy of a Fluffernutter sandwich? That delightful combination of creamy peanut butter and sweet, sticky marshmallow fluff is a core memory for many of us.

We’ve captured that nostalgic magic and packed it into what might just be the perfect cookie. These Vegan Fluffernutter Cookies are everything you dream of: a rich, chewy peanut butter cookie base, studded with pockets of gooey, melted vegan marshmallows.

Every bite is a perfect balance of nutty and sweet, soft and chewy. They’re the kind of treat that pleases everyone, from kids to the most sophisticated cookie connoisseurs.

What Exactly is a Fluffernutter?

Before we dive into the how-to, let’s talk about the what. A classic Fluffernutter is a beloved American sandwich featuring peanut butter and marshmallow creme (or Fluff) between two slices of white bread.

It’s a sweet, nutty, and wonderfully gooey creation that originated in New England in the early 20th century. These cookies take the soul of that sandwich—the irresistible peanut butter and marshmallow pairing—and transform it into a portable, shareable, and utterly delicious baked treat.

We’re swapping the fluff for mini vegan marshmallows, which melt into glorious, stretchy pockets of sweetness as they bake.

The “Why” Behind The Ingredients

The magic of a truly great cookie lies in its ingredients. Understanding what each one does will elevate your baking from just following steps to mastering the craft.

Here’s a look at our key players:

• Vegan Butter: Provides richness, flavor, and tenderness. For the best results, use a stick-style butter like Miyoko’s Kitchen Cultured Vegan Butter. It should be softened to room temperature—not melted—to properly cream with the sugars.
• Granulated & Light Brown Sugar: This combination is crucial for texture. Granulated (white) sugar helps the cookies spread and creates crispier edges. Light brown sugar, which contains molasses, adds moisture and creates that desirable soft, chewy center. Research from food science experts at Serious Eats confirms this duo is key for complex cookie texture.
• No-Stir Peanut Butter: Use a conventional, processed creamy peanut butter like Jif or Skippy (many of which are accidentally vegan). Natural peanut butters, where the oil separates, can be too runny or too thick, causing the cookies to spread excessively or be dry.
• Vegan Egg Replacer: A liquid replacer like JUST Egg is fantastic here as it mimics the binding and moisture of a traditional egg. 5 tbsp water) works well, providing excellent binding with a slightly denser texture.
• All-Purpose Flour: The structural backbone of our cookies. Be sure to measure it correctly! The scoop-and-level method is best: fluff the flour with a fork, scoop it into your measuring cup, and level it off with a straight edge.
• Baking Soda: This is our leavening agent. When it interacts with the acidic brown sugar, it creates carbon dioxide gas, which helps the cookies rise and puff up. According to Arm & Hammer, it also promotes browning and adds to the cookies’ spread.
• Mini Vegan Marshmallows: The star of the show! Dandies or Trader Joe’s brand are excellent choices. They are gelatin-free and melt beautifully in the oven. For extra gooeyness, try to keep them from getting completely coated in dough fat when you fold them in.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Perfect Cookies

Ready to create some magic? Follow these steps for cookie perfection. The full, printable recipe is in the recipe card below.

1. Preheat and Prep: Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lining two large baking sheets with parchment paper. This prevents sticking and makes cleanup a breeze.
2. Cream the Fats and Sugars: In a large bowl using a stand mixer or a hand mixer, beat the softened vegan butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and peanut butter together on medium speed for about 2 minutes. The goal is a light, fluffy, and pale mixture. This step incorporates air into the dough, which is the first stage of leavening.
3. Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in your chosen vegan egg replacer and the vanilla extract until just combined.
4. Combine the Dry Ingredients: Stop the mixer and add the flour, baking soda, and salt directly into the bowl. Start the mixer on low speed and mix until the flour is just incorporated. Be careful not to over-mix, as this can develop the gluten in the flour and lead to tough cookies.
5. Fold in the Marshmallows: This is the most important step! Gently fold the mini marshmallows into the dough with a rubber spatula or your hands. Try to incorporate them without crushing them.
6. Scoop and Shape: Using a medium cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons), portion the dough and roll it into balls. Place them a few inches apart on your prepared baking sheets to give them room to spread.
7. Bake to Perfection: Bake one tray at a time on the center rack for 11-12 minutes. The edges should be just starting to turn golden brown. The centers will look very soft and underdone—this is the secret to a chewy cookie! They will set up as they cool.
8. Cool Down: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. This allows them to firm up enough to be moved. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Expert Tips for Fluffernutter Cookie Perfection

Want to bake like a pro? These little secrets make a big difference in achieving bakery-quality results every single time.

• Chill Your Dough (If Needed): If your kitchen is warm or your butter was a bit too soft, your dough might feel greasy. To prevent over-spreading, cover the bowl and chill the dough for 30-60 minutes before scooping. This solidifies the fat, which melts slower in the oven, leading to thicker, chewier cookies.
• Freeze the Marshmallows: For extra-gooey, distinct marshmallow pockets that don’t disappear into the cookie, try this trick: spread your mini marshmallows on a small plate and freeze them for 15-20 minutes before folding them into the dough. The frozen marshmallows melt slower, giving them a better chance to survive the oven’s heat.
• Don’t Over-mix the Flour: As soon as the last streaks of flour disappear, stop mixing. Over-mixing develops gluten, which is great for bread but results in tough, dense cookies. We’re aiming for tender and chewy, so less is more.
• The “Scoot” for Perfect Circles: If your cookies come out of the oven a little misshapen, don’t worry! Immediately after taking them out, take a round cookie cutter or the rim of a glass that’s slightly larger than the cookie and “scoot” it around the edges to tuck them into a perfect circle. Do this while they are still hot on the pan.
• A Sprinkle of Sea Salt: The moment the cookies come out of the oven, sprinkle them with a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt. The salt enhances the nutty peanut butter flavor and provides a perfect counterbalance to the sweetness of the marshmallows.

Fun Variations and Add-In Ideas

This cookie dough is a fantastic canvas for your culinary creativity. While the classic peanut butter and marshmallow combination is divine, you can easily add other flavors and textures to make them your own. Fold in about ¾ cup of any of the following along with the marshmallows:

• Mini Vegan Chocolate Chips: Enjoy Life or Trader Joe’s brands are great dairy-free options. This turns them into a peanut butter cup-s’mores hybrid. For another rich and fudgy treat, don’t miss our ultimate one-bowl vegan chocolate cookies.
• Vegan Peanut Butter Chips: Double down on the peanut butter flavor for an extra nutty punch.
• Chopped Pretzels: The salty, crunchy bite of pretzels is an amazing contrast to the soft cookie and gooey marshmallow.
• Vegan Toffee Bits: Add a buttery, caramelized crunch.
• Chopped Vegan Caramels: For an extra layer of chewy, sweet decadence.
• Flaky Sea Salt: A sprinkle on top just after baking doesn’t just look professional; it elevates the flavor profile by cutting through the sweetness.

How to Store Your Cookies (If They Last!)

Proper storage keeps your delicious cookies fresh and chewy. Here’s how to do it:

• At Room Temperature: Once the cookies have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container on the counter. They will stay soft and delicious for up to 5 days. Placing a slice of bread in the container can help maintain moisture and keep them even softer.
• Freezing Baked Cookies: These cookies freeze exceptionally well. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, about 1 hour. Then, transfer the frozen cookies to a freezer-safe bag or container. They’ll last for up to 3 months. You can thaw them on the counter for an hour or warm them in the microwave for 15-20 seconds for that fresh-from-the-oven experience.
• Freezing the Dough: For cookies on demand, freeze the raw dough balls. Place the scooped dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer them to a freezer bag. You can bake them directly from frozen; just add 2-3 extra minutes to the baking time.

Troubleshooting and Baker’s FAQ

Even the best bakers run into trouble sometimes. Here are answers to common questions and solutions to potential problems to ensure your cookies turn out perfectly.

My cookies spread out way too much and are flat. What happened?

This is the most common cookie conundrum! It’s almost always due to one of three things:

1. Butter Temperature: Your vegan butter was likely too soft or melted. It should be at a cool room temperature (around 65°F / 18°C), where you can press an indent into it, but it’s not greasy.
2. Peanut Butter Type: You may have used a “natural” peanut butter. The separated oils in natural peanut butter make the dough much softer and prone to spreading. Stick with a no-stir, processed brand for this recipe.
3. The Fix: The easiest solution is to chill your dough. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for at least 60 minutes before scooping and baking. This solidifies the fat, preventing rapid spreading in the oven.

Help! My marshmallows melted and disappeared, leaving holes.

This is a classic issue when baking with marshmallows. Because they are mostly sugar and air, they can easily dissolve.

1. Freeze Them First: As mentioned in our tips, freezing the mini marshmallows for 15-20 minutes before folding them in helps them withstand the oven’s heat longer.
2. Fold, Don’t Mix: Fold them in very gently at the end. If they get coated in the dough’s fat, they will melt much faster.
3. Press Some on Top: For a guaranteed marshmallowy look, you can gently press a few extra mini marshmallows onto the tops of the cookie dough balls right before they go into the oven.

Can I make these cookies gluten-free?

Yes! This recipe works very well with a high-quality all-purpose gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum. Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour is a reliable choice. The texture will be slightly different—a little more delicate—but still delicious. For another expertly crafted gluten-free recipe, try our ultimate chewy almond flour cookies.

Why did my cookies turn out hard instead of chewy?

This is usually a sign of over-baking or over-mixing.

1. Bake Time: Remember to pull the cookies from the oven when the centers look soft and slightly underdone. They will continue to bake from the residual heat on the pan.
2. Flour Measurement: Too much flour can also lead to dry, hard cookies. Make sure you are using the scoop-and-level method, not packing the flour into the measuring cup.
3. Over-mixing: Once you add the flour, mix only until it’s just combined. Any more than that and you’ll get tough cookies.

Conclusion

There you have it—the ultimate guide to creating the most ridiculously delicious Vegan Fluffernutter Cookies. This recipe is more than just a set of instructions; it’s a ticket to a nostalgic, comforting, and incredibly satisfying baking experience.

By understanding the ‘why’ behind each step and having the tools to troubleshoot any little bumps along the way, you’re now equipped to bake a perfect batch every single time. So go ahead, preheat that oven, and get ready to fill your kitchen with the irresistible aroma of peanut butter and toasted marshmallow. And if you’re ever short on time, don’t forget to check out our foolproof vegan no-bake cookie recipe for a quick treat.

Happy baking!