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Hot Chocolate Cookies taste exactly like your favorite mug of cocoa in cookie form, with a rich chocolate cookie and a fluffy marshmallow frosting on top. I started baking them the first snowy weekend of the year, and now Maddie and Lizzie want them on the cookie tray all winter long. They are the coziest treat next to a batch of our fudgy brownies.
Real hot cocoa mix in the dough and a marshmallow creme frosting make these the ultimate cozy winter cookies.
Hot Chocolate Cookies Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 12 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 29 cookies
- ⚡ Calories: 179kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Rich chocolate and hot cocoa with a fluffy marshmallow frosting
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy with a chill time, like our fudgy brownies
Quick Answer
Whisk flour, hot cocoa mix, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together. Cream butter with both sugars, beat in the egg and vanilla, then mix in the dry ingredients. Roll the dough into balls, chill for at least four hours, then bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes. Beat a marshmallow creme frosting, spread it on the cooled hot chocolate cookies, and top each one with dehydrated marshmallows.
Jump to:
- Hot Chocolate Cookies Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Hot Chocolate Cookies
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Hot Chocolate Cookies FAQs
- Other Recommended Cozy Winter Dessert Recipes
- Hot Chocolate Cookies
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Real hot cocoa mix in the dough. Using actual hot cocoa mix gives these cookies that unmistakable mug-of-cocoa flavor you cannot get from cocoa powder alone.
- Chilling makes them thick. Resting the dough balls keeps the cookies from spreading thin, so they bake up soft, thick, and chewy.
- Marshmallow frosting on top. A fluffy marshmallow creme frosting mimics the melty marshmallows floating on a cup of hot chocolate.
- Soft and chewy texture. Brown sugar and just the right amount of flour keep the centers tender and the edges set.
- Make-ahead friendly. The dough needs a chill anyway, so you can roll the balls a day ahead and bake when you are ready.
- A whole batch for sharing. This recipe makes nearly thirty cookies, perfect for cookie trays, parties, and gifting.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They taste just like a cozy mug of hot chocolate, with rich cocoa cookies and fluffy marshmallow frosting.
- Real hot cocoa mix in the dough gives them that unmistakable hot chocolate flavor.
- They are the perfect winter cookie for trays and gifting, right beside our homemade Oreo brownies.
Key Ingredients
Here is what makes these cookies taste just like hot chocolate. Just a handful of cozy baking staples.
- Hot Cocoa Mix: the secret ingredient, used in both the cookie and the frosting for true hot chocolate flavor.
- Cocoa Powder: deepens the chocolate flavor alongside the cocoa mix.
- Butter and Sugars: creamed together with brown and granulated sugar for a soft, chewy texture.
- Marshmallow Creme: beaten into the frosting for that fluffy, melty marshmallow taste on top.
- Dehydrated Marshmallows: the finishing garnish that makes them look just like a mug of cocoa.
- Flour and Leaveners: the structure that keeps the cookies thick and soft, like the base of our fudgy brownies.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
These hot chocolate cookies are easy to make your own.
- Add chocolate chips: fold a half cup of chocolate chips into the dough for extra melty pockets.
- Use mini marshmallows: press a few mini marshmallows on top during the last minute of baking for a toasty look.
- Make them peppermint: add a little peppermint extract to the frosting for a holiday twist.
- Drizzle with chocolate: finish with a drizzle of melted chocolate over the frosting.
- Skip the frosting: enjoy them as simple cocoa cookies, or top with our chocolate cream cheese frosting instead.
How to Make Hot Chocolate Cookies
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, hot cocoa mix, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and baking soda, then set aside.
- Cream the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a stand mixer for about 3 minutes, then beat in the egg and vanilla until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined into a soft chocolate dough, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Roll the dough into 1.5 tablespoon balls, place them on a lined tray, cover, and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Place the chilled dough balls 2 inches apart on lined sheets, gently flatten the tops, and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes, then cool completely.
- Beat the butter with powdered sugar, hot cocoa mix, cocoa, salt, marshmallow creme, and vanilla into a fluffy frosting, then frost the cooled cookies and top with dehydrated marshmallows.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Do not skip the chill; it keeps the cookies thick instead of spreading flat on the pan.
- Use a cookie scoop so all the dough balls are the same size and bake evenly.
- Pull them when the tops look dry; they finish setting as they cool for a soft center.
- Cool completely before frosting so the marshmallow frosting does not melt and slide off.
- Press the marshmallows in while the frosting is still soft so they stick.
- Store them in a single layer so the frosting stays pretty, the way we store our frosted treats.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Hot chocolate cookies are made for cozy winter moments, so serve them warm with an actual mug of hot cocoa for the full experience.
They are a showstopper on a holiday cookie tray next to our fudgy brownies and chocolate covered peanut butter pretzels so everyone gets a little of everything.
They also make a sweet homemade gift, and a couple tucked in a box alongside a scoop of no churn ice cream at the table turns any night into a treat.
Hot Chocolate Cookies FAQs
Chilling firms up the butter so the cookies hold their shape and bake up thick instead of spreading thin and flat. At least four hours is best, and overnight gives the deepest flavor and chewiest texture.
A standard powdered hot cocoa mix, the kind you stir into hot water or milk, works perfectly. It adds both sweetness and that signature hot chocolate flavor, so there is no need for anything fancy.
Yes. Roll the dough into balls and refrigerate them for up to two days, or freeze them for up to three months. Bake straight from the fridge, or from frozen with an extra minute or two.
Store them in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days, or in the fridge for up to five. Let refrigerated cookies come to room temperature before serving for the softest texture.
Freeze the baked, unfrosted cookies in an airtight container for up to three months, then thaw and frost before serving. Frosted cookies can be frozen too; freeze them on a tray first, then layer between parchment.
The dough was probably too warm or under-chilled. Make sure the dough balls are well chilled before baking, and keep extra dough in the fridge while the first batch bakes so it stays cold.
Craving more cozy chocolate? Bake a pan of our fudgy brownies next for another rich winter favorite.
Hot Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup hot cocoa mix
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the frosting:
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup hot cocoa mix
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 7.5 ounces marshmallow creme
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Dehydrated marshmallows for garnish
Instructions
- Line a sheet tray with parchment paper, and set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the flour, hot cocoa mix, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and baking soda, and set aside.2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup hot cocoa mix, 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Place the sugar, brown sugar, and butter into the body of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Cream together for 3 minutes.½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup light brown sugar, ½ cup unsalted butter
- Add the egg and vanilla, mix to combine.1 large egg, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Add the flour mixture and stir it in until just combined with no dry patches. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Roll 1 ½ tablespoons of the dough between your hands and place the dough balls on the prepared sheet tray, not touching. I use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop for this.
- Cover with plastic wrap and chill the dough balls for at least 4 hours, or overnight is best.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line sheet trays with parchment paper.
- Place the cookie dough balls 2-inches apart onto the prepared sheet trays. Gently press the tops down with the heel of your hand.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until the tops of the cookies appear dry. Keep any remaining cookie dough balls in the refrigerator while you bake the others.
- Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet.
- While the cookies are cooling, make the frosting. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, hot cocoa mix, cocoa powder, and salt.1 ½ cups powdered sugar, ¼ cup hot cocoa mix, 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, Pinch of fine sea salt
- Cream the butter until smooth.½ cup unsalted butter
- Add the dry ingredients a little at a time until fully mixed in.
- Add the marshmallow creme and vanilla, and mix until combined.7.5 ounces marshmallow creme, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Frost the cookies and garnish them with the dehydrated marshmallows gently pressing them into the frosting, so they stick. Serve immediately.Dehydrated marshmallows for garnish
Notes
- Chill the Dough: Don’t skip the step of chilling the dough. It helps the cookies hold their shape and improves their texture.
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature for smoother mixing.
- Don’t Overbake: Take the cookies out when they’re still slightly soft in the middle. They will firm up as they cool.
- Use a Cookie Scoop: A cookie scoop ensures that all your cookies are the same size and bake evenly.
- Frosting Tip: Let the cookies cool completely before frosting, or the frosting will melt.
- Add Marshmallows Before Serving: If you’re not eating the cookies right away, hold off on adding the marshmallow garnish to keep them from getting gummy.
Nutrition
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