These Fudge Stripe Cookies deliver a deliciously buttery, sweet cookie coated in smooth melted chocolate. With a hint of vanilla and just the right amount of salt, they’re a sweet, satisfying cookie — nearly impossible to stop at just one!
Fudge Stripes Cookies
Growing up, there were two store-bought cookies that I’d go nuts for. I absolutely loved Oreos and Keebler’s Fudge Stripe Cookies. (Sure, when Girl Scout Cookies were in season, it was a different story!) I still enjoy these cookies to this day. In fact, I love incorporating Oreos into various recipes – they make everything better! And during the summer, my top choices for S’mores are Fudge-Striped Cookies and Samoa cookies. We skip the traditional graham crackers and opt for these cookies instead! Can anything top a massive, toasted marshmallow nestled between two fudge-striped cookies?!
After polishing off a fair amount of fudge-striped cookies during our last camping trip, I was inspired to try my hand at making my own. Not only was it fun to experiment and perfect this recipe, but these cookies also turned out to be surprisingly easy to make! Plus, no special cookie cutters are necessary! Instead of struggling with two cookie cutters, we shape the dough into a log and slice off rounds. A piping tip makes removing the center a breeze.
These Fudge-Striped Cookies blend buttery goodness with sweet, creamy chocolate. They deliver a delightful crunch, followed by a smooth finale of chocolate drizzle. Simply put, they’re absolutely delectable! And while the store-bought ones are still delicious, they can’t hold a candle to this homemade version!
Fudge Stripe Cookie Ingredients
- Cold unsalted butter: Always choose unsalted–this allows you to control the salt content of your cookies. And chilled butter will keep the cookies from spreading. Melted butter can even melt the sugar.
- Light brown sugar: Light brown sugar gives your cookies a slight molasses flavor and a chewy texture due to its moisture content. Make sure you use fresh, soft sugar, not hard or lumpy– otherwise, it won’t cream well into the butter.
- Pure vanilla extract: Vanilla extract adds a depth of flavor to your cookies. And pure vanilla extract has a far better flavor than imitation extract.
- Fine sea salt: Salt enhances the flavors of the other ingredients. It also helps to balance the sweetness. The finer grains incorporate more evenly into the dough.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch helps make your cookies extra tender! It’s a secret weapon for achieving a great texture!
- White all-purpose flour: This is the base for your cookies. Take care to measure it correctly – too much can result in tough cookies, and too little may make the cookies spread too much.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: Semi-sweet chocolate chips give a rich chocolate flavor to your fudge stripes. Be sure to choose a brand that you enjoy eating as is, since the flavor will shine through in the finished cookies. Don’t love semi-sweet chocolate? Swap it out for dark or milk chocolate— that’s the beauty of baking your own cookies! My kids, for instance, don’t care for semi-sweet, but they can’t get enough of these cookies when I use milk chocolate.
- Vegetable oil: The oil thins the chocolate for dipping and drizzling, it makes the melted chocolate smoother and easier to work with. Any neutral-flavored oil will work.
Remember to always use high-quality ingredients. They’ll significantly impact the outcome of your cookies — texture and flavor-wise!
Quick Tip
Trademark disclaimer: This recipe refers to some trademarked brands: Oreos, Keebler Fudge Striped Cookies, and Girl Scout Samoa Cookies. We use these names for two reasons. 1) They’re high-quality products that we use in our test kitchens and 2)they create instant name recognition to illustrate steps in the recipe process. We respect trademarks and branding!
How To Cut Out The Center Of The Cookie
Typically, Fudge-striped cookie recipes out there suggest using two different cookie cutters. I prefer to take a simpler approach by slicing the dough into rounds and then removing the center with the top of a large round piping tip. I rely on this kit in my kitchen all the time. These piping tips are some of my most-used–fantastic for decorating cupcakes or cookies!
How To Make Fudge Stripe Cookies (Tips)
Here are a few tips to ensure the best results when making these Fudge Stripe Cookies:
- Butter temperature: The temperature of your butter plays a significant role in the texture of your cookies. Cold butter will prevent the cookies from spreading too much and maintain their shape. It will also ensure the proper texture.
- Measuring flour: Over-measuring your flour can lead to dry, crumbly cookies. Be sure to spoon in the flour and level off the top of the measuring cup with the flat side of a table knife for the most accurate measurement.
- Chilling the dough: Don’t skip the chilling step! Chilling the dough allows the flavors to meld together and helps the cookies keep their shape during baking. For even more flavorful cookies, chill the dough overnight!
- Even slices: When slicing the dough into cookies, try to make each slice as uniform as possible. This will ensure even baking for all your cookies.
- Monitor the oven: Baking times can vary based on individual ovens. Keep a close eye on your cookies to avoid over-baking. They are ready when the edges start to turn golden.
- Cooling the cookies: Allow the cookies to cool completely before dipping them in the melted chocolate. If the cookies are too warm, the chocolate may not set properly.
- Melting the chocolate: Melt the chocolate in short bursts in the microwave and stir frequently to prevent it from burning.
- Dipping and drizzling chocolate: After dipping the cookies in chocolate, allow the excess to drip off for a neat finish. For the drizzle, if you don’t have a piping bag, a zipper-top plastic bag with the corner cut off works just as well.
- Setting the chocolate: Let the chocolate harden fully before serving the cookies. You can speed this process by placing the cookies in the refrigerator or freezer.
Why COLD Butter?
Cold butter is essential in these Fudge Stripe Cookies because it helps to prevent the cookies from spreading too much during baking. When cold butter is placed in a hot oven, it takes longer to melt than room-temperature butter. This extra time allows the cookies to set in the heat of the oven before the butter fully melts, helping to maintain their shape.
When creamed together with brown sugar, cold butter also creates air pockets as the sugar crystals cut into the butter. This process is often referred to as “mechanical leavening,” as the air pockets incorporated during creaming will expand in the oven, contributing to the lift and the final texture of the cookie.
In addition, creaming cold butter with sugar helps to emulsify, or blend, these two ingredients. This is important because it allows the sugar to carry flavor evenly throughout the dough and results in a better texture and flavor in the finished cookies. If not creamed properly, you may end up with cookies that have an inconsistent texture or areas that are too sweet.
Quick Tip
Why cut the cold butter into cubes? Faster and easier creaming! The creaming process, where butter and sugar are beaten together, is faster and more efficient when the butter is cut into smaller pieces. Large chunks of butter can be more difficult to break down and incorporate with the sugar.
Storage
Fudge Stripe Cookie Storage
- Cool completely: Only store cookies fudge stripes once they’re completely cool– to prevent sogginess. Use airtight plastic containers or resealable plastic bags to keep cookies fresh.
- Room temperature: Cookies typically stay fresh at room temperature for about 2-3 days.
- Freezing: You can freeze both baked cookies and unbaked dough for longer storage. Layer baked cookies with parchment paper in an airtight container. Or freeze dough as slices on a sheet pan, and then transfer and store in freezer bags. To enjoy, bake frozen dough directly, adding a couple of minutes to the original baking time.
More Cookie Recipes:
- Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies with a gooey Nutella center
- No-Bake Cookies chocolate and peanut butter flavored
- Lemon Poppyseed Cookies with a lemon glaze
- Heath Bar Cookies with a whipped cream frosting
- Peanut Butter Cookies dipped in melted chocolate
Fudge-Striped Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup (16 tbsp) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- ¾ cup soft light brown sugar packed gently
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- a heaping 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2¼ cups white all-purpose flour (Note 1)
- 2 cups chocolate chips, separated (Note 2)
- 4 teaspoons vegetable oil, separated
- Large piping tip or this one (to cut out centers)
Instructions
- CREAM BUTTER: In an electric or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar together until creamy, similar in consistency to peanut butter. This should take about 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- FINISH DOUGH: Add in the vanilla extract, salt, and cornstarch. Beat just until combined. Then add in the flour and beat just until incorporated--avoid over-mixing. The dough may seem a bit crumbly at first, but it will come together with some mixing/kneading.
- CHILL DOUGH: Form the dough into one large ball, then divide it in half. Shape each half into a log that's about 9 inches long and roughly 2 inches in diameter. Roll it on the counter to help even it out. Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- SLICE COOKIES: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Unwrap one log of dough at a time from the fridge, and slice each dough log into 1/4-inch thick cookies (thin!). Use the tip of a piping tip to cut out the center. Place the cookies on your prepared baking sheet, spacing them 1 inch apart.
- BAKE: Bake until the edges are just starting to lightly brown, which should take about 8-12 minutes. Be sure to keep a close eye on them to prevent over-baking.
- COOL: Remove the cookies from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack. Let them cool completely. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
- CHOCOLATE DIP: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine 1 cup chocolate chips with 2 tsp vegetable oil. Microwave in 20-second increments, stirring for 15 seconds between each burst, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Dip the bottom half of each cooled cookie into the melted chocolate, tapping the cookie to the edge of the bowl to even out the chocolate and let the excess drip down. Place the dipped cookie chocolate side up on a lined sheet pan. Let chocolate fully set/harden (pop in the fridge or freezer to speed this up!). Dip all the bases of the cookies.(Melt remaining 1 cup chocolate chips and remaining 2 teaspoons vegetable oil as needed. Re-warm chocolate as needed in short microwave bursts.)
- CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE: Line a tall cup with a zipper-top plastic bag. With whatever chocolate is left over, use a spatula to transfer it into the plastic bag, seal the bag without air in it, then snip off the tip, and drizzle it over the other side of the cookies. Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature (so they aren't cold!) before serving.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
