Hot Chocolate Cookies Recipe

Course: cookie, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 45

Servings: cookies

Calories: 187kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

These hot chocolate cookies are soft, chewy, and rich with cocoa flavor, topped with melty marshmallows and chocolate icing for a cozy holiday dessert.

Print Recipe

US Customary - Metric

Equipment

Kitchen Scale (optional)
Hand Mixer
Baking Sheet

Ingredients

For the Cookies

⅓ cup salted butter (⅔ stick)
1 cup chopped semisweet chocolate
1¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
10 marshmallows

For the Icing

½ cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted (⅛ stick)
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons hot water
Rainbow sprinkles optional

Instructions

In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave the butter and chocolate at 30-second intervals, stirring well until smooth. Set aside.
⅓ cup salted butter, 1 cup chopped semisweet chocolate
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
1¼ cup all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until frothy.
1 cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Add the chocolate mixture and mix until smooth.
Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll the dough into balls. Place on the baking sheet at least 2 inches apart. Flatten the balls slightly. Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes.
While cookies are baking, cut the marshmallows in half. Once cookies are baked, place a marshmallow (cut side down) into the center of each cookie and lightly press down. Place cookies back into the oven for another 2-3 minutes.
10 marshmallows
Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the chocolate icing, combine all icing ingredients except for the sprinkles in a bowl and mix together with a whisk.
½ cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons hot water
Place the wire rack with cookies over a baking sheet. Spoon a small amount of icing onto the top of each marshmallow. Top with sprinkles.
Rainbow sprinkles

Video

Notes

Bring the eggs to room temperature first to ensure your cookies get that chewy texture.
Cut the butter into cubes to help it melt more evenly when mixing with the chocolate.
If your cocoa powder is lumpy, I recommend sifting it to avoid dry pockets in the dough and icing.
Don't over mix the cookie dough when you add in the dry ingredients. Over mixing can cause the dough to lose air and the gluten can overdevelop.
Chilling the cookie dough is an important step for this recipe! The dough needs to be chill and firm before baking, or else the cookies will spread in the oven and become flat.
A 2-tablespoon cookie portion scoop works well for getting the cookies all the same size.
Bake the cookies in a fully preheated oven so that they cook through evenly.
The cookies should look slightly underbaked when you pull them out before adding the marshmallows; they’ll continue to bake from the residual heat.
Let cookies cool for about 1 minute before pressing in marshmallows--this helps them stay centered instead of melting off.
Marshmallows can caramelize or burn fast in the second bake. Watch closely and remove as soon as they puff.
Let the cookies cool before icing them; otherwise, it will slide off.
The icing should be thick enough to cling to the marshmallow but not so hot that it melts it.

Make-Ahead: Freeze unbaked hot chocolate cookie dough balls in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Bake directly from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to the bake time. Perfect for holiday prep or quick desserts.

Storage: Store hot chocolate cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition