These chocolate marble cookies combine the BEST of two worlds, swirled vanilla and chocolate cookie dough. Both flavors are made using one dough! This easy recipe creates soft, chewy marble cookies with lightly crisp, golden edges.
These marbled cookies were inspired by chocolate marble pound cake, one of my favorite bakery-made treats as a child! I adapted this recipe from my popular chocolate chip cookies with walnuts. Remove the walnuts and chocolate chips, leaving you with the most perfect vanilla cookie dough base!
This base dough is split into two bowls to make the vanilla and chocolate. Once the dough is split, add a small amount of flour to the bowl of vanilla dough and an equal amount of cocoa powder to the other bowl for the chocolate flavor.
Want to bake more homemade cookies using this incredible, well-tested cookie dough base? Check these out:
- Double Chocolate Sea Salt Cookies
- Cinnamon Chip Cookies
- Sea Salt Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookies with Oreos
This post will give you all the tips and tricks on how to make the perfect chocolate and vanilla marble cookie recipe.
Featured 5-star reviews:
Want to know what other people thought of this recipe? Check out these 5-star reviews left by our readers:
- "My wife and I enjoyed this marble cookie recipe. Very tasty!" - Jon
- "Yummm! This was such a fun recipe to make! I made these cookies for my graduation party and everyone loved them." - Haley
These marbled cookies will be a hit for your next movie night, weeknight post-dinner treat, or weekend party.
Want to get a head start on your baking? Make the dough in advance and freeze to bake off later or freeze the baked cookies to thaw and enjoy for later. Here's my guide to freezing cookies and cookie dough.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Thoroughly-tested recipe! I've developed several versions of this base cookie dough recipe to create a delicious, bakery-style cookie.
- The perfect blend of vanilla and chocolate. If you're normally a vanilla dessert person, you won't be overwhelmed by the delicate swirls of chocolate. On the flip side, if you're a chocolate dessert person, you'll be pleased with the flavor of the rich chocolate dough!
- Two flavors are made from just one dough. No complicated instructions here! Simply divide your base dough in half to create the vanilla and chocolate dough.
- Delicious with a glass of milk! Adults and kids alike will enjoy dunking these soft chocolate and vanilla swirl cookies in a cold glass of milk (or non-dairy milk!)
Ingredients
- Salted butter
- Brown sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Cocoa powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions
Need to make a substitution or missing an ingredient? Here are some ways you can alter this recipe to fit your unique dietary needs.
- Dairy-free? Use your favorite plant-based or vegan stick butter.
- Gluten-free? Substitute the flour with 1:1 gluten-free baking flour. I like the one from Bob's Red Mill. (Your cookies may come out a bit more dry with gluten-free flour. I have not tested this substitution yet in this recipe.)
- Egg-free? Try my famous eggless chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Variations
Here are a few ideas for customizing this recipe and making different flavor variations:
- Roll your cookies in granulated sugar for a subtle sparkle and added sweetness.
- Top the baked cookies with a pinch of flaky salt for a sweet and salty combo.
- Add natural food coloring to the vanilla dough for a colorful twist.
- Add a little matcha powder to the vanilla dough for a green tea and chocolate flavor combination. (Love matcha? Try these matcha and white chocolate cookies.)
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
How To Make Marbled Chocolate Cookies
Step 1: Beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the wet ingredients until combined. Add the dry ingredients.
Step 2: Mix in the dry ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix.
Step 3: Separate the dough into two smaller bowls. Use a digital kitchen scale to measure equal amounts.
Step 4: Add the remaining flour to one bowl. Mix until just combined.
Step 5: Add cocoa powder to the other bowl. Mix until just combined.
Step 6: Use a small cookie scoop to portion 12 vanilla and 12 chocolate balls.
Step 7: Roll one vanilla and one chocolate dough ball between your palms to create a swirled pattern.
Step 8: Bake according to the directions in the recipe card. Let cool on the tray for a few minutes before transferring.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Use a digital kitchen scale when dividing the cookie dough into two smaller bowls for equal measurements. (Make sure you use two identical bowls so it is easier to compare the weight of each dough.)
- Don't overmix your dough since you will divide the dough and add a bit more flour or cocoa powder and mix it again. Overmixed dough can create a tougher cookie.
- Use natural cocoa powder, dark cocoa powder or even cacao powder for a rich chocolate flavor.
- Fluff up your all-purpose flour with a spoon before measuring. This aerates the flour and makes it a bit lighter. Use the "spoon and level" method when measuring to get a more accurate flour measurement.
Equipment
Here's what you will need to make this cookie recipe:
- aluminum baking sheet
- parchment paper
- mixing bowl
- measuring cups and spoons
- rubber spatula
- cookie scoop or spoon
Storage
Room Temperature Instructions
Store the baked and cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to a week. Homemade cookies are best enjoyed in the first couple of days.
Freezing Instructions
Store the baked and cooled cookies in a freezer storage bag and freeze them for up to two months. Once you're ready to enjoy the cookies, let them thaw at room temperature until they are ready to eat.
Add unbaked cookie dough balls to a freezer bag with enough space between each ball to prevent sticking. Lay the bag flat in the freezer. When you're ready to bake off a few cookies, remove the dough balls to thaw at room temperature for about an hour or overnight in the fridge.
If you're short on time, decrease your oven temperature by 25°F and bake the cookies for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. (The thawing method will result in a better bake than changing the bake temperature and time.)
Cookies made with frozen dough may slightly differ in appearance and texture from those made with fresh dough.
Recipe
Chocolate Marble Cookies
These chocolate marble cookies combine the BEST of two worlds, swirled vanilla and chocolate cookie dough. Both flavors are made using one dough! This easy recipe creates soft, chewy marble cookies with lightly crisp, golden edges.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 12
- Total Time: 35
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter, softened
- ¾ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (for vanilla dough)
- 2 tablespoons natural cocoa powder (for chocolate dough)
- Optional: flaky sea salt, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (176°C) and line a large aluminum baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. The butter and brown sugar will have lightened in color.
- Add in the egg and vanilla extract and mix until fully incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the 1 ½ cups flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Don’t overmix.
- Divide the cookie dough into two bowls, using a digital kitchen scale to ensure you have equal amounts. Add 2 tablespoons of flour to one bowl for the vanilla cookie dough and 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the other for the chocolate cookie dough.
- Use a small cookie scoop or spoon to portion 12 vanilla and 12 chocolate dough balls. If desired, use a kitchen scale to weigh each dough ball to ensure they are the same size.
- Roll one vanilla and one chocolate cookie dough ball between your palms to create a swirled pattern. Repeat this step to form a total of 12 marbled cookie dough balls.
- Place 6 cookie dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.
- Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. (Bake for 10 minutes if you want a slightly under-baked cookie or if your oven runs hotter than most. 12 minutes is perfect for a slightly crisp, yet soft and chewy cookie with lightly golden edges.)
- Remove baked cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a plate or wire rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze the leftovers.
Notes
- See the blog post for more tips, step-by-step photos, and detailed information.
- Dairy-free? Substitute the butter for plant-based or vegan stick butter.
More Recipes You'll Love
Looking for something else to make? Give these Baked Abundance recipes a try:
LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!
Did you try this marbled cookies? Leave a five ⭐️ review below and tag @bakedabundance on Instagram & Facebook!
Haley
Yummm! This was such a fun recipe to make! I made these cookies for my graduation party and everyone loved them.
Heaven
omg just noticed! the earlier part of the recipe (before the part you actually read) mentions granulated sugar, but the recipe doesnt include it or ask you to add it at any point. is this what went wrong? please fix this