Hot Chocolate Cookies
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I’ve got a treat to share with you today: the comforting warmth from a mug of hot chocolate reimagined as a freshly baked cookie! These aren’t your average chocolate cookies – they’re distinctly like your favorite winter drink in cookie form. Read on to learn my four top tips for making hot chocolate cookies that capture the coziness of a mug of hot chocolate in every bite.
When I set out to make these, I didn’t want just another chocolate cookie with marshmallows — I wanted them to taste unmistakably like hot cocoa. The day my husband walked in and said, “It smells like hot chocolate in here,” I knew I’d nailed it. These cookies capture everything you love about a mug of cocoa — deep chocolate flavor, gooey marshmallows, crisp edges, and soft centers — all in one cozy bite.
The ingredients are simple and intentional. Room temperature butter and eggs create that tender, chewy base, while cocoa powder, granulated sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt build the structure. Skim milk powder is the quiet hero here, caramelizing as the cookies bake and giving them that true hot chocolate flavor, and mini marshmallows melt into gooey pockets throughout. I like pressing a few chocolate chunks (or semi-sweet chips) on top before baking so you get those molten, bakery-style puddles fresh from the oven.
I’ll admit that I’m not the biggest fan of marshmallows on their own. You’ll never find me just craving a plain old marshmallow. But melted marshmallows in my hot chocolate? That’s a totally different story. I love how they slowly melt into the drink while floating on top. Honestly, melty marshmallows and dry marshmallows may as well be two completely different foods.
So, even as a self-proclaimed marshmallow hater, I’m here to beg you not to skip the mini marshmallows in this recipe. They add to the hot chocolate-y-ness of it all and melt slightly into soft, gooey pockets. Of course, if you’re firmly anti-mallows, you can omit them altogether.
These hot cocoa cookies are easy and fun to make. I’d say it’s a great activity for a baking date or to do with kids. Despite the ease, there are a few tips I’ll share with you for the cookie version of your favorite warm winter beverage:
- Don’t over mix the dough: When you add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, you want to be mindful as to not over mix the cookie dough. Mix until they’re just incorporated, otherwise you may end up with tough cookies instead of soft, chewy ones.
- The nest: In step four I suggest making a little nest to put the marshmallows and cookie dough in, then molding the dough around them. It might sound a little fiddley, but one: it’s fun, and two: this is my tried and tested best method for marshmallow installation. It helps them stay on top without melting all over your baking sheet, and to get crisp and gooey.
- Space it out: Leaving enough space between your hot chocolate cookies is important, as they’ll change shape in the oven, and you don’t want them to cook into each other or prevent them from browning evenly.
- Cool time: Letting them cool on the baking sheet for five minutes first allows them to set. I know, five minutes of waiting for a warm cookie is basically torture, but you’ll be glad you did!
Hot Chocolate Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter (at room temperature)
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup skim milk powder (see notes)
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cup mini marshmallows
- ½ cup chocolate chunks
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl + electric beaters) cream the butter and sugar until it's light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat the batter for 2 minutes more.¾ cup butter, 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, skim milk powder, cocoa powder, and salt.2 cups all-purpose flour, ¼ cup skim milk powder, ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Portion the dough using a medium cookie scoop (about two tablespoons). Holding a portion of the dough in your hands, use your thumbs to press an indent in the center – like a little nest. Add a few marshmallows and chocolate chunks, and then loosely form the dough around the marshmallows (see notes) into a disk shape.1 ½ cup mini marshmallows, ½ cup chocolate chunks
- Place the ¼ cup of sugar into a small bowl and then dip the cookie in sugar, making sure all sides are coated.¼ cup granulated sugar
- Place the cookies on a baking sheet 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for 8-9 minutes, until they are set at the edges. Let them cool on the pan for 5 minutes, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
