Pretzel S’mores Cookies 

If you’ve seen the movie Sandlot, you’ll know the quote: “They’re called s’mores because they make you want some more!” And if you ask me, truer words have been spoken. S’mores are a classic for a reason but turning them into a sweet ‘n salty cookie is next level delicious! Gooey marshmallows and crunchy salted pretzels tucked inside a buttery chocolate chip cookie. So good, everyone will definitely ask for s’more!

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I love baking cookies around the holidays. It’s a relaxing activity that makes the house smell amazing! Recipes like my Iced Cranberry Orange Cookies and my Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies are some of my new favorites and these Nordic-Style Cardamom Sugar Cookies with Strawberry Jam have become a family favorite.

Ingredients to Make Vegan Pretzel S’mores Cookies 

Flour, Baking Powder and Baking Soda – opt for an all purpose flour for best results. For gluten-free sub an all purpose gluten-free flour such as Bob’s Red Mill 1:1.

Old Fashioned Oats – Good old fashioned oatmeal is the way to go here. It gives these cookies a delicious sweet and nutty flavor that pairs so well with brown sugar and chocolate.

Ground Flax Seeds. Instead of using chicken’s eggs in my baking, I mix ground flax seeds with water to make a flax “egg” which binds the cookies together and keeps them from falling apart. A big bag of ground flax seeds is inexpensive and available at stores like Kroger, Publix, Target, Walmart, Sprouts, Aldi, Trader Joe’ and Thrive Market. 

Vegan Butter –  I recommend using the sticks instead of the kind that comes in a tub for best results. My go to is Earth Balance Salted Buttery Sticks.

Cane Sugar and Brown Sugar – the mix of cane sugar and light brown sugar creates a tender, flavorful and chewy cookie.

Vanilla Extract – compliments the brown sugar and chocolatey notes nicely.

Kosher Salt – You’ve probably heard that adding salt to sweet foods like cookies adds “balance” and it couldn’t be more true. Do not skip the salt. It’s what sharpens all of the other flavors and makes these cookies taste incredibly rich and buttery!

Pretzels – adds crunchy texture with a hint of salt.

Vegan Marshmallows – Dandies makes my favorite mini marshmallows. If you’re using larger marshmallows simply cut into pieces to evenly distribute between the cookies.

Dairy-Free Chocolate Chips. My go to for the last few years – and pretty much the only chocolate chips I use for making vegan desserts – is Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips. They’re delicious and perfect in these cookies!

How to Make S’mores Cookies Vegan

Prep:

Start by placing the vegan butter on the counter to soften while you gather the other ingredients. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and line two large cookie sheets with a nonstick baking mat if desired.

Combine the ground flax seeds and water in a small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside to thicken.

Roughly chop the pretzels and set aside.

Mix the Dry Ingredients:

Next make the oat flour by adding the oatmeal to a blender and pulse several times until it resembles a coarse flour. Add the oat flour to a mixing bowl along with the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix well. Set aside.

Mix the Wet Ingredients:

Place the softened vegan butter in a large mixing bowl along with the cane sugar and brown sugar. Beat for 1 minute using an electric mixer or for 2 minutes if mixing by hand. Once light and fluffy, add the vanilla and the thickened flax seeds and mix for one more minute.

Combine:

Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until no more flour is visible. Then add the remixing dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Fold in the chocolate chips and vegan marshmallows then add pretzels and stir gently to combine.

Bake:

Use a medium-seized ice cream scoop like this one to portion the dough into balls and place on a lined cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes and then cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Serve with a glass of your favorite plant-milk and enjoy!

Tips for Holiday Cookie Baking

Try using an oven thermometer! All ovens are a little different and sometimes – if your oven is anything like mine – it will say it’s at 350 degrees before it actually is. Baking at the wrong temperature can effect the outcome of the cookies so an inexpensive oven thermometer like this one will be your best friend this holiday season!

Mix the wet ingredients well – when mixing the butter and sugar together, make sure to take your time and mix well. This ensures that the cookies will have a soft and chewy bakery-style texture.

Don’t over-mix the dry ingredients – the opposite is true for the dry ingredients. You’ll want to mix well to incorporate but be careful not to continuously beat the cookie dough once the wet and dry ingredients are combined or the cookies will be hard and tough.

Use vegan butter sticks instead of the tub and make sure it’s softened to room temp. The stick variety works better for baking. Here’s a fun video where I compared different vegan butters for baking to show how different the result can be! After lots of experimenting I’ve found that using Earth Balance sticks (salted) is a winner when baking cookies so that’s what I recommend. Make sure t’s softened but not melted.

Decorating tip: reserve some of the chocolate, marshmallows and pretzels for the top of each cookie before baking.

Recipe FAQs

How do I keep leftover cookies soft? I recommend letting the cookies cool completely on a wire rack. Then transfer the cookies to an airtight container with a slice of sandwich bread. The bread helps keep the cookies soft. Store at room temp for 2 days. Alternatively, you can refrigerate the cookies for up to 5 days.

Can I freeze the cookie dough? Yes! Scoop the unmaking cookie dough onto a cookie sheet or plate and freeze until solid. About 1 hour. Then place the frozen cookie dough in an airtight bag and store in the freezer for up tp 6 months. When ready to bake, place the frozen cookie dough balls on a baking sheet and simply add 1-2 additional minutes to the original bake time as needed.

Can I use quick cooking oats? I didn’t have good results with quick cooking oats so I wouldn’t recommend it. 

Can I use gluten-free flour? This recipe has not been tested with gluten-free flour so I can’t guarantee results, however my recommendation is to use a gluten-free all purpose flour such as Bob’s Red Mill 1:1. Avoid subbing coconut, brown rice or almond flour.