These Marble Cookies just made the list of my top favorite cookies! They’re as beautiful as they are delicious, with perfectly imperfect swirls of chocolate and vanilla dough. Like all good cookies, they’re crisp on the edges, soft and chewy in the center, and studded with just enough chocolate chips for extra indulgence. They’re a cookie-lover’s dream: buttery, balanced, and deeply flavorful, thanks to real vanilla bean and rich cocoa.
This recipe is based on my popular Salted Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies, a tried-and-true favorite that bakes up perfectly every time. But this version adds a gorgeous twist (literally). You’ll make two simple doughs — vanilla and chocolate — and gently swirl them together before baking. The stunning marbled effect looks impressive, but it’s surprisingly easy to achieve.
Recipe highlights
- Soft, chewy texture. The perfect treat for thin-and-chewy cookie lovers.
- Big flavor. Real vanilla bean takes it up a notch.
- Best of both worlds. You get both vanilla and chocolate, all in one.
- Fun look. Each marbled cookie bakes into its own little work of art.
- Easy to make. Simply mix by hand, swirl, and bake.
Recipe overview
⏱️ Prep: ~15 minutes • Bake: 9-11 minutes • Total: ~45 minutes with a short chill
🍴 Yield: 10 large cookies
💪 Skill level: Beginner
😋 Flavor profile: Buttery and rich with sweet notes of vanilla and chocolate. Pairs well with: espresso, a cold glass of milk, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
How to make marble cookies
Find the full ingredients list and detailed recipe instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here’s a quick step-by-step overview of how to make this recipe:
- Make the base dough.
Start by mixing together melted butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla bean, then mix in the dry ingredients and chocolate chips until just combined. - Divide and flavor.
Split the dough in half. Add cocoa powder to one half to create the chocolate dough, and a little more flour to the other half for the vanilla dough.
- Swirl the doughs.
Scoop equal sized balls of cookie dough (both flavors) onto a sheet pan. Cut each ball roughly in half, then press them together gently, alternating the chocolate and vanilla pieces. Pat each one into a thick disk.
- Bake to perfection.
Bake until just set around the edges and slightly soft in the center.
Pro tips for perfect marble cookies
Use real vanilla. The vanilla bean is optional, but it adds incredible depth and aroma that brings these cookies to the next level. If you skip it, use extra vanilla extract (the real stuff!).
Scoop evenly. For consistent cookies that are done baking at the same time, use a cookie scoop for even sizing.
Weight the dough for best results. In order to divide the dough in half evenly, it’s best to weigh the dough using a digital scale.
Don’t overmix the doughs. The secret to beautiful marbling is restraint — swirl lightly for distinct streaks.
Use the pan-banging method. A wise pastry chef taught me this trick in my early baking days. Banging the cookie sheet down hard on the oven rack partway through baking and then right when you take them out of the oven works wonders on the final texture.
Slightly underbake. For soft, chewy centers, take the cookies out when they still look just a touch underdone in the centers. The cookies will finish setting as they cool.
Chill if needed. Because we’re handling the cookie dough a bit more than usual in order to swirl them, they may benefit from a quick chill before baking. I found that chilling the pre-shaped cookies in the fridge while the oven got to temperature was the perfect amount of time. (For me, that’s about 10-15 minutes).
Variations & substitutions
Add nuts: Chopped hazelnuts, pecans, or pistachios add crunch and balance the sweetness.
Add espresso: Add 1 teaspoon espresso powder to the chocolate dough for a mocha flavor.
Sprinkle with salt: Do I sprinkle flaky sea salt on top of all my cookies? Yea, pretty much.
Double down: Double the batch to make 20 big cookies. You could even bake half and freeze the remaining dough balls to bake whenever the craving hits.
Vanilla bean substitute: If you don’t have a vanilla bean, add an extra teaspoon of vanilla extract. And be sure to use the highest quality vanilla you can find!
Storage
Store these marble cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
To freeze cookie dough: Place scooped and marbled cookie dough onto a sheet pan lined with parchment. Place in the freezer until solid, at least one hour. Move cookie dough balls to a freezer bag. Bake straight from frozen, adding an extra minute or so to the bake time.
Did you make these Marble Cookies? Please leave a star rating and review below the recipe card. It means everything to me!
Marble Cookies
Equipment
- Small (1 ½ tablespoon) cookie scoop
Ingredients
- 4 ounces (1 cup) unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup chocolate chips
Chocolate dough:
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
Vanilla dough:
- 2 tablespoons flour
Instructions
- Make the base dough. Melt 4 oz butter and allow to cool for a few minutes. Pour into a large bowl and whisk in ½ cup brown sugar and ¼ cup sugar; whisk well.
- Add egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Split vanilla bean lengthwise and scape out seeds using the back of a knife. Add seeds to butter mixture. Whisk thoroughly, until egg is fully incorporated and mixture is smooth and silky.
- Whisk together 1 ¼ cup flour with ½ tsp baking soda and ¾ tsp salt. Add to butter mixture, folding gently until almost combined. Fold in ¾ cup chocolate chips.
- Finish the chocolate dough. Divide batter in half evenly (half of the dough should weigh about 275 grams). Add additional 1 tbsp flour + 2 tbsp cocoa to half of the dough, folding in gently until evenly combined.
- Finish the vanilla dough. To the other half of the dough, add the additional 2 tbsp flour, folding in gently until evenly combined.
- Scoop & marble. Scoop equal sized balls of cookie dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Cut each dough ball roughly in half. Take two halves of each flavor of dough and press them together gently, alternating the chocolate and vanilla pieces*. Pat each one into a thick disk.
- Chill briefly & bake. Place marbled cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Chill in the refrigerator while you preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake until just set around the edges and slightly soft in the center, about 9-11 minutes**.
Notes
Did you try this recipe?
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