Hot Cocoa Cookies
You'll absolutely love these hot cocoa cookies! They’re like hot chocolate in cookie form, full of chocolate chips and mini marshmallows.
Hot Cocoa Cookies
If you're looking for a fall or wintery cookie recipe that's a bit different than you normally have, make sure to try these hot cocoa cookies.
They are perfect for holiday parties, after school treats, or even just a fun activity to make on a cold fall day.
Ingredients for Hot Cocoa Cookies
Butter: Make sure to pull out of the fridge about 30-60 minutes before starting to allow it to come up to room temperature.
Granulated Sugar: This adds sweetness and helps with the cookie structure.
Brown Sugar: Adds a bit deeper flavor compared to granulated sugar due to the molasses content.
Eggs: Pull these out of the fridge at the same time as the butter.
Vanilla Extract: If possible use vanilla extract over artificial vanilla flavor.
Flour: We used all-purpose flour.
Hot Cocoa Mix: Choose your favorite brand for the best flavor.
Baking powder and salt: These help the cookies rise and balance the sweetness.
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: You can use regular or mini.
Dried Mini Marshmallows: The type made for hot cocoa, not regular mini marshmallows. These stay intact during baking.
How to Make Hot Cocoa Cookies
In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract, mixing until everything is well combined.
In another medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, hot cocoa mix, baking powder, and salt.
Gradually add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients and use the electric mixer to blend them all together. Keep in mind, the dough will be very thick.
Next, fold in the chocolate chips and dried mini marshmallows.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
When you're ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
Scoop out the cookie dough and form 1 ½ inch dough balls, placing them on the prepared baking sheets with at least 1 inch of space between each ball.
Bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes in the pre-heated oven.
Once baked, let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 3-5 minutes before using a spatula to move them to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
Tips & Tricks
Here's some tips for making these cookies:
Quick Chill: If you're in a hurry and don't want to wait 30 minutes to chill the dough, put it in the freezer for 15 minutes instead.
Mix It Up: Try using different types of chocolate chips like dark chocolate, white chocolate, or peanut butter chips for a twist.
Dried Marshmallows Substitute: If you can't find dried mini marshmallows, use mini marshmallows but freeze them for about 10 minutes before adding to the dough to help them hold their shape. OR, you can also leave out mini marshmallows overnight to help them dry out a bit and use those.
Use a Dough Scoop: Use an ice cream scoop or a cookie scoop to make evenly sized dough balls so they all bake the same.
Don't Overbake: Make sure you pull your cookies out of the oven in time. They may look underdone, but they will continue to cook on the baking sheet as they cool.
Double Batch: I love making a double batch of cookies and freezing half the cookie dough balls. Then, I can just stick however many I want on a baking sheet and bake it for fresh cookies at a later time.
Substitute Hot Cocoa Mix: If you don't have hot cocoa mix, use cocoa powder and sugar. Mix 1 cup of cocoa powder with 1 cup of sugar as a good substitute.
How to Store Cookies
Once the cookies have cooled, they can be stored on a plate and covered with plastic wrap or transferred to an airtight container. You can keep them on the counter for about 3-5 days.
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Hot Cocoa Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup 2 sticks butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 packages hot cocoa mix or ¾ cup hot cocoa mix
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips regular or mini
- 1 cup dried mini marshmallows the type made for hot cocoa, not regular mini marshmallows
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, hot cocoa mix, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry mixture to the wet and use an electric mixer to blend together. Note: the dough will be very thick.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and dried mini marshmallows.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F. Cover baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets, making 1 ½ inch dough balls. Leave at least 1 inch of space between each dough ball.
- Bake the cookies at 350F for 9-11 minutes.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 3-5 minutes, then use a spatula to move to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
Notes
Please note that the nutritional content of this recipe will vary based on the specific ingredients used. For a detailed breakdown of the nutritional values, consider using a recipe nutrition calculator with the exact brands and measurements you've used.
I love these cookies super easy to make and last a while.