These Hot Cocoa Cookies are chewy chocolate cookies studded with chocolate chips and mallow bits. The perfect cookie to have with a warm cup of hot chocolate.
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Why We Love These Hot Cocoa Cookies
- An easy drop cookie that requires no chilling and no fuss.
- Simple ingredients mostly from your pantry is all you'll need.
- These cookies have the best texture with slightly crisp edges and chewy centers.
- Perfect for dunking in a cup of hot cocoa!
- All the flavors of hot cocoa in cookie form with milk chocolate chips and dehydrated marshmallows.
- These are the ultimate cookie for the holiday season! Perfect for parties, bake sales and holiday cookie exchanges.
Hot Cocoa Cookies Recipe Ingredients
- Salted Butter
- Brown Sugar
- White Sugar
- Large Eggs
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Baking Soda
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- Unbleached All Purpose Flour
- Milk Chocolate Chips
- Mallow Bits (dehydrated marshmallows)
Substitution Suggestions
- Salted Butter: Feel free to use unsalted butter, but I recommend adding an extra ½ teaspoon of salt to the dough.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Pure extracts are the best to use because they give a natural flavor. Imitation extracts can leave an unwanted after taste in your cookies and other baked goods.
- Cocoa Powder: I use Hershey's cocoa powder. Any simple unsweetened cocoa powder will work. This cookie recipe is also good with Hershey's Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder which makes for a richer chocolate cookie.
- All Purpose Flour: You can use white whole wheat flour, whole wheat flour or a blend of flours. If using whole wheat flour the texture of the cookie will be a bit more dense. I like to use all purpose flour for this recipe. I feel it yields the best flavor and texture in this cookie recipe.
- Milk Chocolate Chips: I like to use milk chocolate chips to get the true flavor of hot chocolate. You can use your favorite. Semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips are great options.
- Mallow Bits: These are dehydrated marshmallows and they work perfect in this cookie recipe. You don't want to use mini marshmallows because the cookie will be too sticky, and the marshmallows melt and disappear into the cookies.
These delicious hot cocoa cookies are going to be your new favorite cookies to enjoy on a cold winter day. Add a mug of hot chocolate and you're set!
How to Make Easy Hot Cocoa Cookies
- First, preheat oven to 350°F and line a couple cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Next, in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with a large bowl and hand mixer, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. About 2-3 minutes.
- Then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg.
- Add the vanilla extract and mix well.
- Now on low speed beat in the cocoa powder.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients: baking soda, baking powder, salt and all purpose flour. Mix on low speed just until combined.
- Lastly, fold in the milk chocolate chips and mallow bits.
- Using a medium scoop or 2 tablespoons, place cookie dough 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. For an extra pretty presentation you can add a few extra chocolate chips and mallow bits to the top of each cookie.
- Bake cookies in preheated oven on center rack for 9-11 minutes or until the centers no longer look wet and glossy.
- Let cookies cool for 3 minutes on pan then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Pro Tip: Once the cookies come out of the oven use a biscuit cutter, circle cookie cutter or a glass and gently go around the cookie to create perfect round cookies.
Storing Cookies
Storing: Store the cooled cookies in an air tight container. Keep them in a cool dry place and they'll last at least a week. If you notice the leftover cookies starting to get a little dry, add a piece of bread or a flour tortilla to the container with the cookies. It will add moisture back into the cookies.
Freezing: These cookies are freezer friendly! Place the baked and cooled cookies in a freezer safe airtight container or freezer bag in single layers, between pieces of wax paper. Label, date and freeze. Cookies will last 3-4 months in the freezer.
Thawing: When you are ready to enjoy the cookies, simply let them thaw at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Or you can microwave a cookie for 30-45 seconds for a yummy warm cookie experience.
Freezing Cookie Dough
Freezing Cookie Dough: To freeze the cookie dough: place the cookie dough balls on a parchment lined baking sheet. Then freeze the dough for at least an hour or more. Once frozen, place the frozen dough balls in a freezer-safe container or zip top bag. I like to freeze them between layers of wax paper. Label, date and keep frozen until ready to use.
Baking Frozen Cookie Dough: To bake the frozen cookie dough, place dough scoops on parchment lined cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Then bake frozen dough at 350°F and increasing bake time to 12-14 minutes or until the centers no longer look wet and glossy. Bake time will vary on how cold your cookies are when placed in the oven. Cool cookies on pan for 3 minutes and then remove to wire rack to cool completely.
Note on Mallow Bits: There is a chance that the mallow bits will melt a little bit when baked while frozen. That happened to only a few cookies while I was testing the recipe.
Heather's Favorite Tools for this Recipe
- I don't think I could live without my KitchenAid Stand Mixer. It's the best tool ever for making cookies, frostings and so many other things.
- Long ago, I used to be a Pampered Chef consultant and I still prefer their baking tools and pans to any others. Their cookie sheets are the only ones I use for cookies. Find yourself a consultant, host a party and treat yourself to a set. These aluminum sheet pans from Nordic Ware are a great option too.
- A medium sized cookie scoop that holds about 2 tablespoons is great for these cookies. Again I use the pampered chef one but this medium scoop from OXO on Amazon is a great one.
- Pre-cut parchment paper is a life saver and so easy. No cutting my fingers!
- Or this silicone baking mat is great for baking too!
- You can package these cookies up for family and friends over the holidays in these Self Sealing Cellophane Bags. They are the best! Add a bow and holiday tag and it makes a great gift!
Tips for Hot Chocolate Cookies
- Gather all the ingredients before you start preparing cookie dough. It is so much easier to bake when all the ingredients are ready. There is also less room for error, like forgetting an essential ingredient. I'm not saying I've done this, however, I am speaking from experience!
- Read the recipe from start to finish before you start. Again, I am speaking from experience.
- Use room temperature ingredients. It helps the dough come together better, and also helps with even baking.
- Always fluff your flour and then spoon and level it to measure. Doing this will prevent too much flour being added and ultimately making the cookies too dry and crumbly. To fluff your flour, just scoop it and dump it a few times and then measure it out, or give it a fluff using a whisk.
- Use a cookie scoop to get the same size cookies, that way they will all bake evenly. I like to use the Pampered Chef medium scoop which is equal to about 2 tablespoons.
- If using cookie sheets more than once during baking, make sure the cookie sheet is completely cooled before adding scoops of cookie dough on it.
- For best results don't over bake the cookies. Over baking will cause the cookies to be more crunchy and crumbly. The center should look set and not wet or glossy.
- To create perfect round cookies use a biscuit cutter, circle cookie cutter or a glass and gently go around the cookies immediately once removed from oven.
More Christmas Cookies:
- Peanut Butter Temptations
- Spritz Butter Cookies
- Italian Almond Cookies
- Frosted Sugar Drop Cookies
- Gingerbread People
- Chewy Molasses Cookies
- Russian Tea Cakes
- Frosted Pumpkin Drop Cookies
- Raspberry Almond Thumbprints
- Sugar Cookie Cut Outs
- Chocolate Peppermint Drop Cookies
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Hot Cocoa Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup mallow bits
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. About 2-3 minutes.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg. Then mix in the vanilla extract.
- On low speed beat in the cocoa powder.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients: baking soda, baking powder, salt and all purpose flour. Mix on low speed just until combined.
- Fold in the milk chocolate chips and mallow bits.
- Using a medium scoop or 2 tablespoons, place cookie dough 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake cookies in preheated oven on center rack for 9-11 minutes or until the centers no longer look wet and glossy.
- Let cookies cool for 3 minutes on pan then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
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