Hot Chocolate Cookies

By
Jennifer Perillo
Jennifer Perillo
Jennifer Perillo
Jennifer Perillo is an experienced recipe developer, cookbook author, and blogger behind In Jennie's Kitchen.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/13/21
Hot Chocolate Cookies

The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 12 mins
Total: 27 mins
Servings: 30 servings
Yield: 30 cookies

Colder temps outside mean warmer days spent inside by the stove. What better way to bake up some smiles than by serving a winter rite of passage: hot cocoa and warm cookies. These hot chocolate cookies are the best of both worlds, making it possible to satisfy your cocoa and cookie cravings all in one bite.

Hot cocoa mix is a time-saving key ingredient in these cookies—the dough comes together with lightning speed. Store-bought cocoa is absolutely fine to use, but making your own mix is incredibly easy if you want to give it a try.

Our homemade hot chocolate mix includes mini chocolate chips. If you buy a brand that doesn’t include them, add 2 tablespoons to the flour mixture in the recipe below. Of course, hot cocoa isn’t complete without marshmallows and neither are these cookies. During the last few minutes of baking, each one gets topped with a piece of marshmallow that melts slightly into a gooey, dreamy addition. A tip for splitting open the marshmallows: dip your knife or scissors into confectioner's sugar before slicing for a clean cut that won’t leave marshmallows stuck to your blade.

The only thing that makes these already perfect cookies even better is a nice, snowy day to hang out in jammies while enjoying them!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup hot cocoa mix

  • 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

  • 8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 15 regular-sized marshmallows, halved

  • 1 cup unsifted confectioners' sugar, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients and preheat the oven to 350 F.

    Hot Chocolate Cookies ingredients

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  2. Line two baking sheets with silicone liners or parchment paper.

    parchment paper lined baking sheet

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  3. Add the hot cocoa mix, flour, baking powder, and salt to a medium bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.

    hot cocoa mix, flour, baking powder, and salt to a medium bowl

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  4. Add the butter and sugar to a deep bowl.

    butter and sugar in a deep bowl

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  5. Using a hand or stand mixer, beat until the mixture in well blended and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla. Beat until fluffy, 1 minute.

    cookie batter in a bowl

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  6. Add the flour mixture to the bowl, and starting on a low-speed mix, blend in the flour, slowly increasing to high speed. Beat until just combined, and there no visible traces of flour, about 1 minute.

    cookie batter in a bowl, mixer

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  7. Scoop 2 teaspoons of dough at a time (a cookie scoop is perfect for this) and place onto prepared pans, two inches apart. Bake 8 minutes.

    cookie dough balls on a baking sheet, ice cream scoop

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  8. Remove tray from the oven and place a marshmallow, cut-side down, into the center of each cookie, pushing down gently to flatten the cookies slightly. Bake 3 to 4 minutes more, until the marshmallow is starting to melt and shrink but doesn't begin to toast.

    cookie dough balls with marshmallow on top, on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  9. Let cookies cool on the baking tray for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve and enjoy!

    Hot Chocolate Cookies on a cooling rack

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

Tip

  • When storing cookies, use a sheet of parchment between layers. A sprinkling of confectioner's sugar on top also helps prevent the marshmallow from sticking to one another.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
103 Calories
4g Fat
16g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 30
Amount per serving
Calories 103
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 5%
Saturated Fat 2g 11%
Cholesterol 14mg 5%
Sodium 120mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 16g 6%
Dietary Fiber 0g 2%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 24mg 2%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 67mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)