Close up of lucky charms cookies showing the texture.

Why you’ll love these Lucky Charms cookies

We really love St. Patrick’s Day around here. As an Irish-American (dual citizenship to be exact) it’s not hard to get caught up in the festivities, especially when you can use it as an excuse to plan a themed dinner menu or test new authentic Irish recipes.

We’ve done everything – from homemade Irish sausage to corned beef and cabbage tacos. Mostly, we try to go for authentic recipes, but this year, I wanted to do something to make the holiday a little more kid friendly, and these Lucky Charms cookies were a huge hit.

I kept the batch small this time, making only about 18 cookies, so you can’t definitely double it if you’re making these for a party. Either way, I know you’ll love them.

More St. Patrick’s Day recipes: Guinness braised beef / Irish shepherd’s pie / Irish potato candy / Irish beef stew

lucky charms cookies stacked on a marble surface with extra cereal marshmallows to the side

Ingredient notes:

  • Lucky Charms marshmallows – You can buy packs of just the marshmallows seasonally, but they can be hard to find — separating them by hand works just fine.
  • Dairy free butter – We normally use Earth Balance buttery sticks for baking, but any brand of dairy free butter should work. You can also use dairy butter if that is safe for you.
  • Cream of tartar – Gives these cookies their signature soft and chewy texture, but it also helps the cookies rise and spread, so don’t skip it.

Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.

A woman with long, wavy hair and a polka dot shirt sits on a kitchen counter, smiling and laughing. Plates of muffins, cookies, and pistachio cake are beside her in a bright kitchen with white cabinets and modern style.

Melissa’s tips + tricks:

  1. Don’t over bake. The cookies might look under cooked when you take them out of the oven, but that’s exactly what you want. They’ll firm up as they cool and stay perfectly chewy.
  2. Decorate the tops! As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press a few extra marshmallows into the tops to get the prettiest cookies possible. I like to strategically place my extra mallows to add a perfect variety of color on each cookie.
lucky charms cookies on a gray plate

Frequently asked questions

Can I make these cookies ahead of time?

Yes! You can bake the cookies up to 2 days ahead and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months — just let them thaw at room temperature before serving.

More dairy free cookies: marshmallow stuffed s’mores cookies / black sesame cookies / chewy ginger molasses cookies / lime matcha cookies

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Lucky Charms Cookies

By: Melissa Belanger
These soft and chewy Lucky Charms cookies might not be authentically Irish, but they're deliciously adorable. With the iconic cereal marshmallows baked right in, these dairy free cookies are a festive, kid-friendly St. Patrick's Day treat that comes together in just 30 minutes!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 20 cookies
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Ingredients 

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 150g
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1/2 cup sugar, 100g
  • 1/2 cup dairy free butter, 113g, 1 stick
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup cereal marshmallows + extra for garnish

Instructions 

  • Mise en place. Preheat oven to 350˚F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If needed, separate marshmallows from cereal and measure ingredients before you begin.
  • Whisk the dry ingredients. Mix the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt in a medium bowl until everything is evenly distributed. Set it aside for later.
  • Mix the wet ingredients. With an electric mixer, beat the vegan butter (or shortening) with the sugar until it's light and fluffy. Then mix in your egg and vanilla extract. Be careful not to over mix or the cookies will be tough.
  • Combine the two. Add the flour mixture, a little bit at a time, to the wet ingredients, mixing until a dough forms. Then, gently stir in the marshmallows until they are evenly spread through the dough.
  • Bake the cookies. Scoop the cookies onto a prepared baking sheet and bake them for 10 – 12 minutes or until the edges and tops have set. When you take them out, they may look slightly undercooked, but that's what you want.
  • Decorate and cool. Remove the cookies from the oven and press a few extra marshmallows into their tops for extra decoration. Then, let them rest on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Nutrition

Calories: 98kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 9mg, Sodium: 97mg, Fiber: 0.2g, Sugar: 6g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Hi! I'm Melissa.

I create easy, dairy free recipes because I know how hard living without milk can be. I believe you can live a completely satisfying life without dairy, and I want to teach you how.

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8 Comments

  1. Veronika says:

    Hello! I dont have cream of tartar avalible. What can I do?

  2. Celina says:

    This isn’t vegan.

    1. Melissa Belanger says:

      I know! It’s just dairy free. Some of my recipes are but not all.

  3. Kristy says:

    There’s a place called “it’s sugar” that sells boxes of just the marshmallows all year round. 😉 I’m sorry and you’re welcome

    1. Melissa Belanger says:

      Hahahahaha. That’s great to know! Thanks you!

  4. Kylie says:

    Do you recommend chilling the dough 10-15 minutes before baking? I know many cookie recipes recommend doing so.

  5. Jenn says:

    I think you missed the step where you add the flour mixture. While I may know when to add it, someone else may not! Trying this recipe right not! Can’t wait to taste them. My daughter is obsessed with my lucky charm forever cookies. Hoping she likes these as well!

    1. Melissa says:

      You’re right, but the correct instructions are in the post text. I will be sure to update the recipe card ASAP! Thanks for noticing!