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These Rolo cookies are a decadent chocolate cookie that has a Rolo candy stuffed in the middle and then covered in sugary pecans. This is a great 1980’s cookie classic!
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Rolo Cookies
These Rolo cookies have been around since the 1980’s, minimum. In fact, they were a hot product of the 80’s because my mom has been making these since I was a kid and she tended to pick up on the food trends back then and bake up a storm.
With the caramel chocolate interior and the toasted pecan exterior, these are some seriously decadent cookies. I can’t believe I haven’t made them before this but man, did memories of my mom making these ever come flooding back!
How to Make Rolo Cookies
Your Rolo cookies can look just as delicious as mine do! This is an almost no-fail recipe, the dough bakes up perfectly, encasing the Rolo and you get a caramel center that’s to die for.
- Prepare the dough, then take 11/2 to 2 tablespoons of the chocolate dough.
- Flatten the dough in the palm of your hand into a small circle, then place a roll in the middle,
- Wrap the dough around the Rolo until it’s covered.
- Roll the dough ball in the pecan mixture, then place on a baking sheet.
- Bake until just done, then remove and cool completely
How to Make Perfect Cookies
These Rolo cookies almost always come out perfect, and the dough doesn’t need chilling before you bake them. However, since I have made these so many times, I have found that if you have a really warm kitchen or a humid day, these cookies won’t bake up as nicely shaped if the dough isn’t chilled slightly.
- You can chill the entire dough in the fridge before you create the cookies
- You can roll each cookie out on a sheet, then chill for 5 minutes before baking. I just stick them outside in our Canadian winters for 5 minutes.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
I love a good Christmas cookie, but I am also a huge fan of bars and squares at Christmas (my favorites being these date bars). Here are some more cookie recipes for you to try! My favorite is the whipped shortbread of course!
So trust me, go back to the 80’s on a taste trip of delight with these Rolo cookies! If you have made them, let me know in the comments below what you thought of them!
Happy Baking!
Love,
Karlynn
Rolo Cookies
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 14 minutes
- Total Time
- 26 minutes
- Courses
- Christmas Cookies, Dessert
- Cuisine
- American
- Servings
- 24
- Calories
- 255
- Author
- Karlynn Johnston
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 cup butter
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 24-36 Rolo candies see notes
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together completely. Set aside.
- In a large mixer bowl with your paddle attachment, beat the sugars & butter until light & fluffy.
- Add in the eggs. Beat well, then add in the vanilla.
- Add the flour mixture slowly and blend well.
- Combine pecans & remaining sugar in a small bowl..
- Wrap about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough completely around 1 Rolo candy.
- Roll the cookie ball in the pecan mixture.
- Place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet at least 1.5 inches apart. If you cookie dough seems warm, cool the cookies on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes in the fridge, then bake.
- Bake 14-16 minutes at 375 degrees F.
- Cool on tray for at least 5 minutes so the Rolo inside the cookie sets a bit.
- Move to a cooling rack and cool completely.
- Store in a closed container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- The amount of Rolo’s you need depends on how large you make the cookies
- If your dough is too warm, the cookies will spread too much. Simply refrigerate for around 5 minutes to cool it before baking.
Nutrition Information
All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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Pete Xander says
You are EVIL! Not only have you read my mind, because I was thinking about a cookie featuring Rolos and the 5 lb of fresh shelled pecan halves I bought recently (for $30 — a steal!), I have gotten my grandsons addicted to Rolos. Just being a good (okay, TYPICAL!) spoiling Papa. I was thinking just this past weekend about coming up with a recipe for cookies that had Rolos either stuck on top or tucked inside.
Of COURSE I’ll have to try this recipe out, and THE challenge will come when it comes to unwrapping them: One n he bowl, one in my mouth. One in the bowl, three more in my mouth. It goes logarithmic on me pretty quickly, and my grandsons will be worse. It’ll be like the time I took my kids looking for a pink ruby collection site in the San Gabriel Mountains in southern California one summer. Never found the rocks, but we did stumble across an enormous brambles patch loaded with unripe blackberries. I told the kids, “We’ll come back in 5 weeks, in late August, and pick enough for a 10” deep-dish blackberry pie.
Yeah, you guessed it. We went back down to cities at the base of the mountains to get some food at a supermarket to eat on the way home. The cashier said, “Don’t have to ask what YOU’VE been doing!” Our faces, hands, and shirts were purple, and when there were only 10-12 lonely blackberries in the large bowl, we finished them off out of pity for their loneliness. But it WAS fun!!!
Pete Xander says
P. S. WHY I never knew about this recipe in the 1980s was because I worked my tail off 14 hours a day as a consultant on development and environmental issues, and my kids weren’t born until 1989 and 1991. Guess we need to make up for lost time!
Rachel Danger Kurz says
I saw you make these on tv the other day! They look DELICIOUS.
The Kitchen Magpie says
Awww thank you!!
MaryC. says
I made these last year and I couldn’t find my recipe and lo and behold you posted this today! It was totally fortuitous so happy you did. These were awesome and one cookie that was definitely on my cookie list this year! Thank you!
Pauline Jong says
Karlynn, you post the BEST recipes. Just want you to know how much I appreciate all the yummy goodness you inspire us all to go into our kitchens and start whipping up. 🙂
A Girl Needs a Name says
ooh! My mom makes rolo cookies, but without the nuts. I am thinking crushed pretzels would be tasty too.
thekitchenmagpie says
A Girl Needs a Name They are so 80’s, I love them. I think this year is going to be all about classic Christmas cookies again. I love digging up the retro cookies my mom used to bake all the time.
Renee says
Just made these (without any nuts due to allergies) and while they don’t look quite as fancy they are delicious! Thx
abbeyruby says
I just made these (dec. 20, 2012) oh my they are good.
Ani Malas says
tanx – tired of makin dem choc chip cookies!!!
Judy says
I forgot how good these were! Great recipe! The only problem I had was getting the buts to stick on top, they kept falling off.
The Kitchen Magpie says
Jacque Avant follow the link to my website above! The full recipe is on there, enjoy! They are SO good!
Jacque Avant says
I don’t remember Rolo cookies.Can you possibly share the recipe?
The Kitchen Magpie says
Those are awesome too!!
Laura Scola says
made pretzel rolo”s yesterday, then put a red or green M%M on top… yummy;))
Boo_aGhost says
I think my mom made hundreds & hundreds of these for my sister’s wedding…
HipFoodieMom1 says
YUM. . Gawd, I LOVE rolos!! esp in cookies or baking with them!