Lumps of Coal Cookies

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It turns out that lumps of coal aren’t just for naughty children after all.  Although, you probably wouldn’t have convinced me of that as a kid.

One of my earliest Christmas memories is of my babysitter telling me that I was going to get coal for Christmas.  Of course, being six, I didn’t believe her.  Nobody really got coal for Christmas.

But every time I wasn’t perfectly good that fall, she mentioned it to me.  “You’re going to get coal for Christmas!”  Yeah, right.

Then around Christmas that year, we had her over for a holiday gift exchange.  She walked in carrying a tiny package with my name on it.  I was so excited.  What could be in that little wrapped bundle?

When it was my turn to open my gift, I was quite surprised to find a real tin of coal inside (affiliate).  I guess people really can get lumps of coal for Christmas.

That tin of coal lived in our kitchen junk drawer for years.  I was most mesmerized that you could actually buy coal.  I mean if my babysitter could find coal here, I knew that Santa could definitely deliver some from the North Pole.

The good news is that these lumps of coal cookies are just meant to be sweet and delicious.  And they’re not meant just for naughty children.

But if you’re going to give someone coal for Christmas, why not make it the sweet kind?

And truthfully, you’ll probably find it hard not to eat them all yourself.  Then, there won’t be any coal left for the kids anyway.

Just as a side note.  These days, I don’t threaten the kids with the “Santa will bring coal instead” idea.  They probably wouldn’t believe me anyway.  And it seems so cold hearted.  And not Santa like.  Usually I just tell them that he probably won’t bother coming.  That does the trick.  At least for a little while.

But if you’re looking for a fun no bake Christmas treat idea, these lumps of coal cookies can be a special delivery from your kitchen.

They’re like a mix between cereal marshmallow treats and smooshed chocolate cookies.  Chewy, sticky and oh so scrumptious.  They even leave light black smudges on your fingers after eating.  Just like real coal would.

My favorite part is that they look like coal.  Real nuggets of coal.  Due to the consistency of the mixture, you can shape them into rounded squares just like the coal nugget that I received as a kid.

Who knows?  They probably could fool anyone.

When the lumps of coal cookies set, the melted marshmallows give them a shiny quality.  After forming the coal lumps, I dipped them into black sanding sugar for extra sparkle.

Lumps of Coal Cookies Recipe

You Will Need

1 14.9 ounce package of chocolate sandwich cookies (I used a standard package of Oreos, but choose your favorite chocolate sandwich cookie)

1 bag of mini marshmallows

4 tablespoons of butter

Black Sanding Sugar (affiliate)

1. Line your baking pan with parchment paper (affiliate).

2.  Place half of the cookie package into a food processor (affiliate).  Pulse until the cookies are crushed into crumbs.  Add the rest of the cookies.

Continue pulsing until all of the cookies are crushed.

(Please note that if you have a big enough food processor, you can add all of the cookies at one time.  Even with my bigger food processor, though, it seemed like a lot of cookies.  And I didn’t want the crumbs to go everywhere.  So, I did them in two batches.)

3.  Melt the butter on low heat in a pot.  Watch it carefully.  If it starts to brown, your heat is too high.  Lower heat and swirl around the bottom of the pan.

4.  Add the mini marshmallows.  Stir to melt.  Let them combine with the butter to make a white gooey mixture.

5.  Transfer the cookie crumbs into a clean bowl.  Pour the warm marshmallow mixture on top.  Using a spatula or wooden spoon mix together.

(When I first made this recipe, I combined everything together in the pot instead of a different bowl.  The marshmallow mixture was very hot on the bottom.  This made it hard to roll the cookies out without burning myself.  Combining everything together in a new bowl is a really important step.)

6.  Once combined, scoop out a golf ball size of cookie mixture.  Use a spoon or your fingers.  Roll into a ball and then press down the mixture to form a rounded rectangle.  When creating your lumps of coal, it’s okay for the pieces to not be perfectly shaped.  They will look like more authentic coal.

7.  Take the lump of coal and roll in black sanding sugar (affiliate).  This will give a little extra sparkle to your lumps of coal cookies.

8.  Place the lumps of coal onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Put in the refrigerator for ten minutes to set.

Serve immediately or keep in an air tight container for up to two days.

How Can I Package the Lumps of Coal Cookies

These lumps of coal cookies make a wonderful Christmas treat.  No matter if a person’s been naughty or nice this year.

For packaging, use a 5″ x 7″ cello bag (affiliate).  If you want to tie them at the top and add a tag, be sure to find ones that aren’t self-sealing.

This size cello bag fits two to three cookies stacked upright.  Tie closed with festive baker’s twine (affiliate).  Attach our Lumps of Coal tag for added Christmas fun.  You can find them in our shop here.

Give these lumps of coal cookies as a Secret Santa treat, neighbor gift, office present or as a holiday gag gift.  You can even add one or two cookies to the top of a Christmas gift.

Other Unique Ways to Give Coal as a Gift

If these lumps of coal cookies are too sweet for this Christmas, there are lots of other ways to give coal as a gift.  Check out these lumps of coal soaps (affiliate – my kids loved these) or a coal bath bomb to keep squeaky clean.  There’s also chocolate lumps of coal, hot cocoa bomb or lump of coal surprise bomb (affiliates).  Or this coal tic tac toe game would be really fun to play (affiliate).

And for those who’ve been truly naughty, you can stick with real pieces of coal.  This raw Christmas coal from Pennsylvania couldn’t be any closer to something that Santa would deliver from the North Pole (affiliate).

Love these lumps of coal cookies and want to save to make for later?  Be sure to pin below.

And if you need other handmade gift ideas, be sure to check out these DIY ornaments.  From a button wreath canvas to cinnamon stick ornaments, these festive creations make beautiful handmade Christmas gifts.

Planning on giving some coal for Christmas this year?  Be sure to package it up with our Lumps of Coal tags.  This printable tag design is a fun way to make your lumps of coal extra festive.  There’s even a way to contact the head elf if you disagree.

Happy Celebrating,

Natalie