Easy Peasy Rolo Cookies!

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Gooey, delicious and way easier to make than you might think, Rolo cookies are a tempting treat that you need in your life! Want your Rolo cookies to be on a whole other level? Then just like my Nutella stuffed peanut butter cookies, there’s a cheeky yet simple bit of prep to do first. Read on to find out what…

So if you were to make the cookie dough, put Rolos straight in and bake them, do you know what happens? They melt WAY too much and you get huge, flat, rubbish cookies. It’s so unbearably disappointing, trust me.

Know what happens if you freeze those Rolos first? You get the most luscious, gooey and delicious cookies to ever grace the planet! I’m not joking, one bite and you’ll know what heaven is really like. Sounds silly but hear me out!

The caramel inside Rolos is already very soft and liquidy. If you freeze them before baking with them, the majority will stay virtually like you’ve just got them out the packet. Gooey and delicious. If you don’t, they melt a lot, spread a lot, go super chewy and sometimes even hard once baked. Freezing is the way forward! Simple yet brilliant.

Rolo cookies – recipe summary

1. Freeze the Rolos for 4 hours.
2. Cream butter, brown sugar and caster sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth.
4. Fold through flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt until a dough forms.
5. Add the frozen Rolos and chocolate chips.
6. Roll heaped tbsp of dough into balls and place on a lined baking sheet.
7. Freeze for 30 mins and preheat your oven.
8. Bake in batches for 10-12 mins until golden
9. Cool on the tray before transferring to a wire rack.

Rolo cookie ingredients

• Rolos – I use a combo of regular Rolos and mini Rolos as it gives a great texture! You don’t have to use both but if you want the big blobs of caramel, you need the large ones.
• Butter – Use unsalted butter (teamed up with salt) to give yourself full control of the flavour.
• Sugar – Light brown sugar adds chew, caster sugar gives colour. I don’t recommend using alternatives.
• Egg – I love free range organic but you can use whatever you have.
• Vanilla – I say this all the time but you will taste the difference if you use a good quality brand like Nielsen Massey.
• Flour – Plain flour (all purpose in the US) is the only one that will work. Don’t switch for self raising etc.
• Bicarbonate of Soda – (baking soda in the US) Helps to give the cookies a little rise.
• Salt – Regular table salt works great.
• Chocolate Chips – Use dark chocolate chips to cut through the sweetness of the caramel.

Rolo cookies recipe tips and troubleshooting

Yes they’re easy to make, but so are mistakes! Here’s a little helping hand so you get it right first time.

If you’re still feeling unsure, take a look at baking for beginners to boost your confidence beforehand.

• Freeze your Rolos for at least 4 hours (or overnight) before using. 
• Take your butter and egg out the fridge at least 1 hour before baking. Ingredients blend better when all at the same temperature.
• Use dark chocolate chips to cut through the sweetness of the caramel, milk chocolate may be too sweet.
• It will be easier to batch bake with two baking trays as you need to let them cool for a while before you can transfer them to a wire rack.
• Be patient! Particularly with freezing the Rolos, freezing the cookie dough balls and allowing the cookies to cool before taking them off the tray.

• My cookies were large, flat and not gooey – They weren’t cold enough before you baked them AND/OR you didn’t freeze your Rolos.
• They were under baked/over baked – Remember that all ovens vary. Keep an eye on your cookies in the last 5 mins of baking.
• My cookies tasted too sweet – Use dark chocolate chips to cut through the sweetness of the caramel.
• They’re sticking to each other during storage – Layer between sheets of baking paper to prevent sticking.

Other recipes you might like…

• Nutella stuffed peanut butter cookies
• Best EVER millionaire’s shortbread
• Caramel shard cookies
• Nutella lava cookies

Rolo Cookies – Step by Step Picture Recipe

Here is what you will need to make 14-16.

(For a printer friendly version, see the recipe card at the end of this post)

Ingredients

• 200g (7 oz) Rolos
• 80g (2.8 oz) Little Rolos
• 100g (1/2 Cup) Unsalted Butter, softened/room temperature
• 130g (1/2 Cup + 1/8 Cup) Soft Light Brown Sugar
• 60g (1/4 Cup) Golden Caster Sugar
• 1 Egg, room temperature
• 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
• 200g (1 + 1/2 Cups) Plain/All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 100g (2/3 Cup) Dark Chocolate Chips

Essential equipment

• Electric Stand Mixer or Electric Hand Whisk + Large Bowl
• Spatula
• Small Baking Tray
• 1 – 2 Large Baking Trays
• Silicone Baking Mat or Baking Paper

Advanced preparation

The first step is super simple but very important. Place the Rolos (200g | 7 oz) and the little Rolos (80g | 2.8 oz) into the freezer for a minimum of 4 hours. (Overnight is fine.)

Cookie dough instructions

Either in an electric stand mixer or a large bowl with an electric hand whisk, cream together the butter (100g | 1/2 Cup), brown sugar (130g | 1/2 Cup + 1/8 Cup) and caster sugar (60g | 1/4 Cup) until very light and fluffy. It will take around 2 – 3 minutes.

Then add in the egg (x 1) and vanilla extract (1 tbsp) and beat until it’s nice and smooth again.

Next, with a spatula, gently fold in the flour (200g | 1 + 1/2 Cups), bicarbonate of soda (1/2 tsp) and salt (1/2 tsp). Don’t over mix, keep going only until you can’t see any more streaks of flour.

Now add in the frozen Rolos, little Rolos and the chocolate chips (100g | 2/3 Cup).

Then gently mix them through until evenly distributed.

Line a small baking tray (that will fit in your freezer) with a little baking paper and set to one side. Then take heaped tablespoon scoops of dough, roll them into balls and place them on the lined tray. You should get about 14 – 16.

Then place them into the freezer (yes freezer, not fridge!) for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 180°C/Fan 170°C/356°F.

Baking instructions

Once your Rolo cookie dough balls are cold and the oven is preheated, evenly space about 6 cookies on a large baking tray that’s lined with either a silicone baking mat or baking paper.

Don’t overcrowd the tray as there will be spreading! It’s not worth risking it with caramel, trust me!

Bake in the preheated oven for 10 – 12 minutes until golden round the edges.

Now this is entirely optional, but I like to leave them on the tray for a couple of minutes, then push any runaway caramel back into the cookies with a teaspoon. It just looks neater!

Then allow your cookies to firm up on the tray for a good 5-10 mins before attempting to remove them. They will stay soft for quite a while (due to the excessive amount of caramel). This is why having two trays is beneficial!

Once firmer and slightly cooled, transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. (In hindsight, I definitely would have lined my cooling rack with baking paper! You should too.)

Repeat the process for all remaining Rolo cookies.

Store your cookies in an airtight container (I prefer metal over plastic) at room temperature and consume within 5-7 days. 

To prevent sticking, layer them between sheets of baking paper.

Have you made this recipe?

Have you made these gooey delicious Kinder Bueno brownies? I’d love to know if you have! Send me your pics, comments and questions on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or email me at emma@kitchenmason.com.

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How to Make Rolo Cookies - Printable Recipe

Yield: 16

Freezing Time: 4 hours 30 minutes

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 5 hours

Gooey, chocolatey cookies from heaven, Rolo cookies are a very special treat!

Print

Ingredients

• 200g (7 oz) Rolos
• 80g (2.8 oz) Little Rolos
• 100g (1/2 Cup) Unsalted Butter, softened/room temperature
• 130g (1/2 Cup + 1/8 Cup) Soft Light Brown Sugar
• 60g (1/4 Cup) Golden Caster Sugar
• 1 Egg, room temperature
• 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
• 200g (1 + 1/2 Cups) Plain/All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 100g (2/3 Cup) Dark Chocolate Chips

Essential Equipment

• Electric Stand Mixer or Electric Hand Whisk + Large Bowl
• Spatula
• Small Baking Tray
• 1 – 2 Large Baking Trays
• Silicone Baking Mat or Baking Paper

Instructions

1. Freeze the Rolos and Little Rolos for 4 hours (or overnight).
2. Cream together the butter and both sugars in a stand mixer (or large bowl with an electric hand whisk) until light and fluffy. About 2-3 mins.
3. Add the egg and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
4. Fold in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt and mix until a soft dough forms.
5. Mix through the frozen Rolos, Little Rolos and chocolate chips.
6. Roll heaped tbsp of the dough into balls and place on a small baking tray lined with baking paper.
7. Freeze for 30 minutes and preheat your oven to 180°C/Fan 170°C/356°F
8. Line a large baking tray with a silicone baking mat or baking paper and evenly space out 6 dough balls.
9. Bake for 10-12 mins until golden on the edges. Wait 2 minutes then push any melted caramel back into the cookies with a teaspoon (optional).
10. Cool on the tray for 5 - 10 minutes until firm enough to move, then transfer to a wire rack lined with baking paper to cool completely.
11. Repeat until all the Rolo cookies are baked.

Notes

Store in an airtight container (I prefer metal) at room temperature and consume within 5-7 days. 

Layer them between sheets of baking paper to prevent sticking.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 260Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 115mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 1gSugar: 26gProtein: 3g

Nutritional information on kitchenmason.com should only be used as a general guideline, I am not a certified nutritionist. Please always check labels for allergens where applicable.

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