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These Rolo cookies are soft and chewy chocolate cookies with Rolo candies inside! The cookie dough is rich and chewy and the melted chocolate and caramel are a fun surprise inside.
Need more cookie recipes? Try triple chocolate cookies, chocolate pudding cookies, or brown butter salted caramel chocolate chip cookies.
Table of Contents
If you couldn’t tell by brown butter salted caramel cookies, I love a good caramel surprise inside cookies. Everyone goes crazy over the Rolo pretzels at Christmas time, so I thought it was time to use this favorite candy in these rich and delicious cookies.
You don’t need any special ingredients, just the typical chocolate cookie base I use for peppermint bark cookies and espresso martini cookies. And of course a package of Rolos.
Why You’ll Love These Rolo Cookies
- Easy recipe with simple ingredients.
- Super soft and chewy.
- Loaded with chocolate flavor—like hot cocoa cookies and Mexican marshmallow cookies, except ROLOS.
- Gooey caramel center, need I say more?
Ingredients You Need
Here are the simple ingredients for this Rolo cookie recipe. Skip to the recipe card for exact measurements.
- Flour: all purpose flour and gluten-free 1:1 flour work.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: does not need to be Dutch processed.
- Baking soda: reacts with the acid in the cocoa powder so they rise.
- Butter: unsalted butter softened to room temperature for 1-2 hours.
- Sugar: both light brown sugar and white sugar for chewy texture.
- Eggs: use large eggs at room temperature in all cookies.
- Rolos: the main ingredient and star of the show!
Love holiday cookies? Try iced oatmeal cookies, shortbread cutout cookies, or millionaire cookies next.
How to Make Rolo Cookies
Here are the simple steps, with photos, to make chocolate cookies with Rolos. Skip to the recipe card for the printable version.
Step 1. Wet Ingredients. Beat all of the wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2. Dry Ingredients. Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and combine with the wet to make the dough. Chill it for a couple hours.
Step 3. Stuff Cookies. Scoop and break the cookies in half. Stuff the Rolos inside and roll into a ball.
Step 4. Bake. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let them cool on the pan for 5-10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe Variations
- Use the cheesecake filling in our New York cheesecake cookies.
- Try another candy like Hershey Kiss, Reese’s (personal fave), or snickers.
- Add some crushed pretzels in with the Rolos for some crunch.
- A mini marshmallow would be so fun, or you can try our double chocolate chunk marshmallow cookies.
- Technically you could omit the Rolo all together for plain chocolate cookies.
Expert Tips for Rolo Cookies
- I’m a broken record, I know, but CHILL THE DOUGH. Or you’ll end up with a puddle of chocolate cookie dough (trust me, been there).
- Use room-temperature butter and eggs. This is critical for the success of the cookie texture.
- Make a double batch. You’ll understand when you take a bite.
How to Store and Freeze
- Make-ahead: make the dough up to 3 days in advance, cover and chill in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.
- To store: baked cookies stay fresh at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- To freeze: freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and enjoy. To freeze cookie dough, skip chilling, roll into balls and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen.
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Rolo Cookies
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour gluten-free if needed
- 2/3 cup natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 18-20 Rolos unwrapped
Instructions
- Note: This cookie dough requires at least 2 hours of chilling. The cookies will be thicker the longer they chill (up to 3 days).
- Add the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar to a large bowl using a hand-held or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until it's light and fluffy in color. With the mixer still on, beat in the egg and vanilla extract, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together until combined.1 cup all-purpose flour, 2/3 cup natural cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Turn the mixer down to low and slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat until combined.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. If the dough was chilling for longer than 24 hours, allow it to soften at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Use a large cookie scoop, or 1/4 cup measuring cup, to scoop out the dough. Break each cookie dough ball in half and press a Rolo in the center. Place the other half on top then pinch and roll the seems so the Rolo is in the center.18-20 Rolos
- Place the cookies 2-3 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Bake them in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, until the edges and tops are just set. Cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Make-ahead: make the dough up to 3 days in advance, cover and chill in the fridge until you’re ready to bake. The longer you chill the dough, the better so this is a perfect make-ahead cookie.
- To store: baked cookies with the Rolos will stay fresh at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: baked cookies with the Rolos freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and enjoy. You can also freeze the cookie dough for up to 3 months. Stuff the cookie dough with the Rolos then place them on a baking sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes to flash freeze. Transfer them to a freezer bag and remove as much air as possible. Allow to sit a room temperature while the oven preheats then bake from frozen. Add 1-2 minutes to the bake them, if needed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe by: Molly Thompson of What Molly Made | Photography by: Sierra Inn
