Robby’s Winterfest Baking #16

  The “baking therapy” discussed on this blog refers to my personal experience using baking as a self-help and relaxation tool.”

Original Author All Recipes

Hey everybirdy! Today we are making Oreo Coal. I thought this would be such a cute “prank” gift to give my family on Christmas Eve. It’s a playful way to tell your loved ones they’re on the “naughty list”—until they take a bite and realize it’s actually a delicious chocolate treat!

What is Cookie Coal? (A Baking Therapy Tradition)

Cookie Coal is essentially a chocolate version of a Rice Krispie treat, but made entirely with crushed sandwich cookies and marshmallows. For me, the Baking Therapy here is all about stress release!

There is something so satisfying and therapeutic about crushing up a whole package of cookies. Whether you use a rolling pin or a meat tenderizer, letting out that holiday tension on a bag of cookies is a great way to clear your mind. Plus, the result is a fun, no-bake dessert that makes everyone laugh. It’s proof that baking doesn’t have to be serious to be special.

The Essentials

You only need three items to make this “coal”

• 1 package (20oz) Chocolate Sandwich Cookies (like Oreos): These provide the dark “charcoal” look and the crunch.
• 4 cups Miniature Marshmallows: The “glue” that holds your coal together.
• 1/4 cup Butter or Margarine: To get that perfect, chewy melt.

Visit my Patreon for a free post featuring the full Walmart price breakdown for this budget-friendly bake!

Simple Step-By-Step Instructions

1. Crush the Cookies:

Place your sandwich cookies in a large freezer bag. Use a rolling pin or meat tenderizer to smash them into small chunks and crumbs. (This is the best part for stress relief!)

2. Melt the Base:

Set a large pan over medium-low heat. Melt the butter, then add the marshmallows. Stir constantly until the mixture is completely smooth and melted.

3. Combine:

Remove the pan from the heat. Fold in your crushed cookies until they are fully coated in the marshmallow mixture.

4. Form the Coal:

Lightly grease a 9×9 or 9×13-inch baking pan. Pour the mixture in and use greased hands or a buttered spatula to press it down firmly.

5. Set and Slice:

Let the “coal” sit for at least 30 minutes to firm up. Once set, slice into irregular, bite-sized “chunks” to make it look like real coal!

Cookie Coal Q&A with Robby

Q: Do I need to remove the cream filling from the cookies?

Robby: Nope! Keep the cream inside. It adds to the sweetness and helps create that perfect chewy texture once it hits the melted marshmallows.

Q: Can I use a food processor to crush the cookies?

Robby: You can use a “baby food” chopper or a processor if you want a finer soot-like look, but I prefer the bag-and-rolling-pin method. It’s much more therapeutic, and I like having some bigger “coal” chunks in the mix!

Q: How should I store this?

Robby: Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature. They stay fresh and chewy for about a week—if your family doesn’t eat them all on Christmas Eve first!

Print Pin

Coal

One of those recipes that I am glad I tried.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword 3 Ingredient, Marshmallow, Oreo

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 24 Servings

Author All Recipes

Cost $0.31 per serving or $7.48 total

Ingredients

• ¼ cup butter
• 4 cups miniature marshmallows
• 1 20 ounce package chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreo®), crushed

Directions

• Take a whole 20-ounce package of chocolate sandwich cookies and seal them securely inside a large freezer bag. Use a heavy rolling pin or a meat tenderizer to smash them into fine soot and small, chunky fragments. Enjoy the intense, therapeutic stress relief of crushing the bag before setting it aside to prepare your pan.
• Lightly coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with plenty of butter to prevent your sticky chocolate base from bonding to the sides. Melt 1/4 cup of butter over medium-low heat in a large, sturdy saucepan before adding 4 full cups of miniature marshmallows into the pan.
• Keep the pan over low heat while stirring constantly for about 2 extra minutes until the mixture melts down completely. Remove the saucepan from the hot stove burner as soon as the marshmallow base looks completely smooth and gooey.
• Immediately pour all of your crushed cookie fragments directly into the warm, melted marshmallow mixture. Fold the cookies in deliberately until every single crumb is thoroughly covered in the black charcoal-like glue.
• Scraping down the pan, transfer the sticky cookie sludge directly into your prepared, buttered baking dish. Firmly flatten the mixture using wax paper or a well-buttered spatula, allowing it to cool and set into a single massive brick before slicing the dessert into rugged, irregular 2-inch chunks of Christmas coal.

I gave these to my family last year and told them I got them coal for Christmas. Everyone loved the joke—and they loved the taste even more.

Happy baking!