Homemade Rolo Cookies Recipe

4.82 from 11 votes

The very BEST Homemade Rolo Cookies! No cake mix here, my friends. I have nothing against cake mix but we can make a better cookie than that, can't we? Yes. Yes we can. Tons of cocoa and butter make an ultra fudgy cookie with a surprise caramel center! No one can resist these!

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: cookies

Calories: 236kcal

Author: Karen

Ingredients

1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar packed
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups flour spooned and leveled
1 cup cocoa sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
35-70 rolos*
granulated sugar for rolling

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a few baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat 1 cup butter until light and fluffy, 2 minutes or so, scraping the edges. If you have a mixer that is powerful enough, start with cold butter, otherwise you will have to let it soften a bit.
Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup brown sugar and beat 1 more minute, scraping bottom and sides.
Add 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon vanilla and beat well, scraping the edges and bottom of the bowl.
Add 2 cups flour (spooned and leveled!), but do not mix it yet. Add 1 cup cocoa powder (if your cocoa looks clumpy, sift it into the bowl through a strainer. You don't want chunks of cocoa in your cookies.) Don't stir yet.
Add 1 teaspoon baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Stir the dry ingredients together a bit with a small spoon so you don't end up with any lumps of salt or soda in your cookies. Then beat the dry ingredients into the dough, but only until just incorporated.
When the dough is just starting to come together and there are still streaks of flour, take a second to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Finish mixing it all together but don't go overboard; over-beaten cookies turn out tough. We want nice tender cookies.
Unwrap one thousand Rolos. Just kidding, but it might feel like a thousand. Enlist help if you can! This recipe makes about 35 cookies give or take, so you either need 35 Rolos or 70, depending on how excessive of a person you are. Obviously I added 2 Rolos for every cookie. I promise they still taste great with only one. It's totally up to you!
Use a spoon to scoop about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of dough into a ball. It should be about the size of a large walnut. Don't be alarmed that the dough is pretty sticky, I promise it bakes up great. Press either 1 or 2 Rolos into the center of the dough and then wrap the dough around it so that it is completely covered. Make sure no rolo is peeking out.
Add about 1/2 cup or more of granulated sugar to a bowl or plate. Roll each cookie dough ball in sugar, making sure it gets well coated.
Place each ball on the prepared baking sheet. I did 12 cookies per sheet, but make sure you have at least 1-2 inches in between each cookie.
Bake at 350 for 9-10 minutes. Do not over bake! When they are done, the edges will have cracked. The cookies should not be shiny in the middle. The edges should be firm.
Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool. Be aware that the center of these cookies are approximately the temperature of molten lava for the first couple minutes.
Eat warm with a tall glass of milk! These are great warmed up in the microwave for 10 seconds or so on day two.

Notes

*How many Rolos you need depends on whether you want to stuff one rolo or two in each cookie. There are about 50 rolos in one 10.6 ounce package.

Make ahead instructions:

Freezer: You can freeze this dough to bake later. After step 11 (when you've stuffed the cookie and rolled it in sugar) you can store these in a ziplock for up to 2 months. You can bake straight from frozen, just bake a couple minutes longer. Alternatively, you can freeze the dough for 2 months before shaping it. Let thaw before shaping, then bake as directed.

Refrigerator: This dough will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. You can either refrigerate the dough in a covered bowl all together, or shape the dough with the Rolos and then chill. Make sure they are well covered! Bake as directed.

Nutrition