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:

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
Ingredients
Substitutions
Variations
How To Make Marbled Chocolate Cookies
Expert Tips & Tricks
Equipment
Storage
Recipe
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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