Last Updated on November 7, 2022 by Kathryn Donangelo
These Hot Chocolate Cookies make the perfect holiday and winter dessert! Made with rich chocolate and soft gooey marshmallows. Dress them up with chocolate and sprinkles or enjoy them plain.
PIN this Hot Chocolate Cookie recipe to try later!
Hot Chocolate Cookie Recipe
These gooey Hot Chocolate Cookies are made with a melted chocolate cookie base and then topped with melty marshmallows, more chocolate, and festive sprinkles. Chocolate lovers and hot cocoa lovers will fall in love with these fun chocolaty cookies after one bite.
One of my favorite things on a cold winter day is a cup of hot chocolate piled high with lots of mini marshmallows. These cookies remind me of that just in a cookie form. The gooey marshmallow combined with the chocolaty chewy cookies is perfection.
Make these Hot Cocoa Cookies or Hot Chocolate Cookies during the holiday season or any time you’re craving a cup of hot cocoa.
Other favorite cookies you’ll love are my Brownie Mix Cookies, Chocolate Caramel Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Homemade Thin Mint Cookies.
Key Ingredients
- Butter: You could use salted or unsalted butter. If you use salted butter, make sure to omit salt from the recipe. The butter will help melt the chocolate and add a buttery flavor to the cookies.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips: One of the key ingredients. The chocolate chips will add a rich, chocolatey flavor and make these cookies resemble hot chocolate.
- All-purpose flour: Spoon and level regular all-purpose flour when measuring it. Be sure not to scoop it out of the bag using the measuring cup. This way, you won’t accidentally measure out too much.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: Adds more chocolate flavor.
- Sugar: We use both granulated sugar and brown sugar.
- Eggs: Two large eggs at room temperature will help bind the ingredients together.
- Marshmallows: Jumbo large marshmallows are placed on the center of each cookie to make them extra gooey. You can cut them in half or leave them whole (we cut them in half).
How To Make This Hot Chocolate Cookie Recipe
Mix dry ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Melt chocolate. In a microwavable safe medium bowl, microwave butter and chocolate chips in 30 second intervals until smooth and melted. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the sugars, vanilla extract, and eggs until combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Pour the melted chocolate into the wet mixture. Add the dry ingredients to the cooled chocolate mixture and mix at medium-high speed with a hand mixer or with a wooden spoon until completely combined. The mixture will resemble a thick brownie batter. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour until cookie dough has significantly thickened and firmed up. If you over-chilled the dough and it’s too hard to scoop, let it sit out on the counter until you can easily scoop it.
Bake. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper, silicone liners, or silpat mats. Using a small cookie scoop (equivalent to 2 tablespoons), scoop dough and round into balls. Gently flatten each dough ball with your hand. Bake cookies for 6 minutes.
Add marshmallow half. Remove cookies from the oven and place half of a jumbo fluffy marshmallow on top of each cookie. Place cookies back in the oven and bake for 4-5 more minutes or until the marshmallows have puffed up and the edges look set.
Cool cookies. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Top with chocolate and sprinkles. Once the cookies have cooled, melt chocolate and top each cookie with a half a spoonful, then add sprinkles. Let the cookies set and the chocolate harden for about 10 minutes, then enjoy!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Crowd pleaser: Chewy, delicious and chocolatey. Everyone will absolutely love these cookies plus, they taste just like your favorite hot chocolate or hot cocoa in a cookie form.
Portable: These cookies are perfect for any occasion and can be transferred easily by placing cookies in an airtight container or ziplock bag. Pack them up for a picnic, party, lunch box treat, or bring them to work.
Fun holiday treat: Kids and adults will both love these cookies. They are perfect for classroom parties, cookie swap, cookie holiday platters, holiday cookie exchange, and treat bags for gifts.
Get the kids involved: Let kids roll the cookie dough into balls or add the marshmallow, chocolate, and sprinkles to the tops of the cookies. They will love love this!
Pro Tips
Add more chocolate: Add a handful of your favorite chocolate chips to the cookie dough or sprinkle more on top of the melted chocolate.
Fudgy chocolate cookies: If you want your cookies to be extra fudgy and decadent, remove them from the oven a few minute earlier. They will continue to bake while they cool.
Add coffee flavor: Add 2-4 tablespoons of espresso powder to give your cookies a coffee flavor.
Add peppermint flavor: Instead of adding 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, use one teaspoon of vanilla extract and one teaspoon of peppermint extract. You can can also top the cookies with crushed candy canes or add some to the cookie dough.
Hot Chocolate Cookie Recipe Variations
Switch up the chocolate: I use semi-sweet chocolate for both the cookie dough and on top but you can also use milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, and mini chocolate chips. Decorate the tops with drizzled white chocolate or use both kinds of chocolate.
Use mini marshmallows: Use mini marshmallows on top of the cookies instead of half a jumbo one. I would put 4-5 on each cookie depending on how many can fit.
Holiday-Theme: Instead of Christmas sprinkles, use any themed sprinkles or rainbow sprinkles on top so you can bake these all year round.
Other toppings: Crushed candy canes, chopped nuts, mini marshmallow bits, white chocolate chips, or you can leave them plain with just chocolate.
Leftovers & Storage
To-store: Store cookies at room temperature in an air-tight container or large ziplock bag. They will stay fresh for 7 days. They will still be ok to eat after 7 days but they may start to get crumbly and stale.
To-freeze: Allow the baked cookies to cool completely. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes to flash freeze or harden. Once hard, place the cookies in a large freezer bag or stack in an airtight container. Store for up to 3 months- when ready to serve, remove from the freezer to thaw until softened.
Other Christmas Cookie Recipes
Welcome to #ChristmasCookies Week! That time of year when we soften the butter, fire up the oven, and make cookie trays for family, friends, and neighbors. This year more than 20 top-notch bloggers are sharing their very favorite creations for all to make and enjoy. Join us for a week’s worth of Christmas cookie deliciousness.
- Bear Paw Cookies by Best Cookie Recipes
- Best Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies by Magical Ingredients
- Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Toffee Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love, and Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Chocolate Mint Pizzelles by Blogghetti
- Christmas Light Sugar Cookies by Jen Around the World
- Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Cream Cheese Cookies by That Recipe
- Devil’s Food Thumbprint Cookies by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Double Ginger Oatmeal Cookies by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Eggnog Thumbprint Cookies by Christmas Tree Lane
- German Rum Balls by Red Cottage Chronicles
- Gingerbread Cookies by Hostess At Heart
- Gingerbread Sandwich Trees by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
- Holiday Double Decker Cookies by The Spiffy Cookie
- Hot Chocolate Cookies by Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog
- Hot Cocoa Cookies by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Italian Sweet Taralli by Shockingly Delicious
- Macadamia Mint Meltaway Cookies by Palatable Pastime
- Merry Grinchmas Cookies by Sweet Beginnings
- No-Bake Flourless Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies by Frugal & Fit
- Peppermint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies by Family Around the Table
- Shortbread Pecan Bars Without Corn Syrup by Art of Natural Living
- Twix Cookie Bars by Cheese Curd in Paradise
- Vanilla Crown Royal Cookies by An Affair from the Heart
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Hot Chocolate Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 whole eggs
- 14 large jumbo marshmallows cut in half
- melted chocolate for the topping optional
- sprinkles optional
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a microwavable safe bowl, microwave butter and chocolate chips in 30 second intervals until smooth and melted.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the sugars, vanilla extract, and eggs until combined.
- Add the melted chocolate to the wet mixture. Add the dry ingredients to the cooled chocolate mixture and mix at medium-high speed with a hand mixer or with a wooden spoon until completely combined. The mixture will resemble a thick brownie batter. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour until cookie dough has significantly thickened and firmed up. If you over-chilled the dough and it’s too hard to scoop, let it sit out on the counter until you can easily scoop it.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper, silicone liners, or silpat mats. Using a small cookie scoop (equivalent to 2 tablespoons), scoop dough and round into balls. Gently flatten each dough ball with your hand. Bake cookies for 6 minutes.
- Remove cookies from the oven and place half of a jumbo marshmallow in the center of each cookie. Place cookies back in the oven and bake for 4-5 more minutes or until the marshmallows have puffed up and the edges look set.
- Let the cookies cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
- Once the cookies have cooled, melt chocolate and top each cookie with a half a spoonful, then add sprinkles. Let the cookies set and the chocolate harden for about 10 minutes, then enjoy!
These cookies are a chocolate-lovers dream come true!!! Irresistible!
Love love these cookies and they are extra fun with the holiday sprinkles too!
Thanks, Rebecca!
Complete with sprinkles. A perfect Christmas Cookie.
I am a HUUUUGE ‘shmallow fan, so these are getting made for this year’s festivities! I can hardly stand how good they look.
Thank you so much, Dorothy! I hope you love them as much as we did!
Love the little gingerbread men sprinkles!
Thank you Karen! I got them on Amazon 🙂
Not only are these delicious, they are going to look amazing on our holiday cookie tray!
These are the best kind of cookies for a cookie tray!
These look amazing! I would love to have a chocolate cookie with a marshmallow in the middle!
The marshmallow middle is the BEST part! 🙂
Love the concept and it’s so pretty how you decorated these!
Love the extra chocolate and the holiday sprinkles!