Hot Cocoa Cookies
Hot Cocoa Cookies are soft, chewy chocolate cookies topped with melted marshmallows and filled with a rich, fudgy chocolate center.
Today I’m sharing one of my all-time favorite holiday treats: Hot Cocoa Cookies. These incredible chocolate cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with all the cozy flavors of your favorite warm cup of hot cocoa. Topped with gooey marshmallow and filled with rich chocolate, they make the perfect Christmas cookie to leave out for Santa with a cold glass of milk. Don’t be surprised if he leaves an extra present after trying one!
HOT COCOA COOKIES
This easy hot cocoa cookie recipe has become a holiday must-bake in my kitchen. I first shared this recipe on the blog five years ago, and it was long overdue for an update with fresh photos. This year alone, I made six batches. Yes, six! I handed them out as neighbor gifts, brought some to my mom’s office, and they were a huge hit everywhere they went. If you’re looking for the ultimate hot chocolate cookie recipe for the holiday season, this is it!
Find all my expert tips on how to make hot cocoa cookies from scratch below! Don’t forget to tag me in all of your creations @lifeinthelofthouse on Instagram and Facebook. Let’s stay connected. ❤️
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Hot Cocoa Cookies Recipe:
- Nostalgic Hot Chocolate Flavors: Soft, chewy chocolate cookies made with melted chocolate, cocoa powder, and brown sugar taste just like your favorite mug of hot cocoa.
- Perfect For Any Holiday Occasion: These cookies make a festive addition to any holiday cookie plate, are a delicious treat to leave out for Santa on Christmas Eve, and are ideal for Christmas and New Year’s Eve parties.
- Fun To Bake With Kids: From rolling the cookie dough to topping each cookie with marshmallow and chocolate, this recipe is kid-friendly and perfect for family baking.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: This recipe does take time to prepare, so feel free to make the dough up to 3 days ahead and store it in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 bag (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups packed light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 16 large marshmallows
- 8 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate, cut in 1-inch pieces
Instructions
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate chips, stirring frequently, over medium heat. Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, eggs, and vanilla at low speed just until smooth and combined. Mix in the cooled chocolate mixture just until blended. Add the flour mixture in 2 batches, mixing on low speed until just combined. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour.
Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment or wax paper. Using a cookie scoop or 2 Tablespoon measuring spoon, scoop the dough and roll between your palms to form cookie balls. Arrange about 15 balls, an inch or so apart on each cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees F. for 12 minutes or until the tops of the cookies crack.
Meanwhile, cut marshmallows in half crosswise and stick 1 piece of chocolate onto each of the cut sides.
Remove the cookies from oven; gently press a marshmallow half, chocolate side down, into each cookie. Place back in oven and bake until the marshmallows are just softened, about 4 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool 15 minutes before serving.
Servings
Yields: 30 hot chocolate cookies.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover hot cocoa cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week, separating layers with parchment to keep the marshmallows from sticking. For longer storage, freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months or freeze the dough balls (without marshmallows) for up to 3 months. To reheat, warm cookies in the microwave for 8-10 seconds, or in the oven at 300°F for 3-4 minutes.
Holly’s Tips for The Best Hot Cocoa Cookies:
- Use High-Quality Chocolate: High-quality cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate make a big difference in this recipe.
- Melt The Butter & Chocolate: Fully melt the butter and chocolate to create a smooth, fudgy base to achieve that rich hot cocoa taste.
- Chill the Dough: Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour to prevent spreading and ensure thick, chewy cookies.
- Scoop for Consistency: Use a cookie scoop for evenly sized cookies and uniform baking.
- Marshmallow Tip: Press the marshmallow and chocolate piece into each cookie while they’re hot so they melt evenly.
- Don’t Overbake: Remove the cookies when the tops crack. Slightly underbaked cookies stay soft and brownie-like.
- Let Them Cool Completely: Let cookies cool on the pan to keep the marshmallow topping intact and avoid smudging.
Frequently Asked Questions:
You sure can! Prepare the dough up to 3 days in advance and keep it refrigerated. You can also freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months—just thaw and warm slightly before serving.
Mini marshmallows work fine; just place a few on top of each cookie before the final 4-minute bake.
Chill the dough for at least 1 hour before baking, and slightly underbake the cookies. This keeps the centers soft and fudgy.
To make Hot Cocoa Cookies dairy-free, substitute the butter with a plant-based margarine or coconut oil and use dairy-free chocolate chips. You can keep the rest of the recipe the same, and the cookies will still be soft, chewy, and full of rich chocolate flavor.
To make Hot Cocoa Cookies gluten-free, replace the all-purpose flour with a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour blend that contains xanthan gum. This ensures the cookies maintain their chewy texture while keeping the rich chocolate and marshmallow flavors intact.
Similar Recipes
Craving something similar? Try my Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies.
Can’t get enough of hot cocoa? Serve these cookies with my Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate and Slow Cooker Peppermint Hot Chocolate.
Looking for more festive holiday cookie recipes? You can’t go wrong with my Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies, Chocolate Peppermint Cookies, White Chocolate Cranberry Orange Cookies, and Cake Mix Cookie Bars.
Have you made this Hot Cocoa Cookies recipe? ☕️
Leave a review, and don’t forget to tag me in your creations on Instagram and Facebook! @lifeinthelofthouse! #HotCocoaCookies #HotCocoaRecipes #LifeInTheLofthouse
Hot Cocoa Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 bag (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups packed light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 16 large marshmallows
- 8 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate cut in 1-inch pieces
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate chips, stirring frequently, over medium heat. Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, eggs and vanilla at low speed just until smooth and combined. Mix in the cooled chocolate mixture just until blended. Add the flour mixture in 2 batches, mixing on low speed until just combined. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour.
- Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment or wax paper. Using a cookie scoop or 2 Tablespoon measuring spoon, scoop the dough and roll between your palms to form cookie balls. Arrange about 15 balls, an inch or so apart on each cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees F. for 12 minutes or until the tops of the cookies crack.
- Meanwhile, cut marshmallows in half crosswise and stick 1 piece of chocolate onto each of the cut sides.
- Remove the cookies from oven; gently press a marshmallow half, chocolate side down, into each cookie. Place back in oven and bake until the marshmallows are just softened, about 4 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool 15 minutes before serving.
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What temperature do you bake these at?
325 degrees F. Sorry, just fixed that! 🙂
Thank you!!
Hi, these sound and look delish… how do they keep?
They stay good covered at room temp for about 3 days! 🙂
Is that ganache in the picture under the marshamllow?
These are the best hot cocoa cookies! I’ve been using your recipes for years!