Hot Cocoa Cookies are a must for our yearly Christmas cookie tray and always a favorite. Melt-in-your-mouth chocolate cookies topped with melted marshmallow and chocolate – just like a hot cup of cocoa!
Why You’ll Love Hot Chocolate Cookies
Just about everyone loves hot cocoa and when you turn into a delicious dessert, people love it! The gooey marshmallow top is so yummy and the added sprinkles make them perfect for the Holidays.
- Irresistible Flavor: Hot cocoa cookies offer a rich, chocolaty taste that’s universally loved.
- Easy to Make: Simple recipe means effortless baking – perfect for beginners and busy schedules.
- Comforting Aroma: They fill your home with a warm, cozy smell, creating a delightful atmosphere.
- Versatile: Great for parties, gifts, or a comforting treat on a chilly day.
- Kid-Friendly: Children adore the familiar hot chocolate taste, making these cookies a hit with little ones.
- Satisfying Texture: Soft, chewy, and gooey, these cookies provide a satisfying with every bite.
- Customizable: Add more marshmallows, chocolate chips, or nuts for your own unique twist on this classic treat.
- Holiday Favorite: Perfect for festive occasions, they bring a touch of warmth to any holiday gathering.
What You’ll Need
For the cookies: This is a simple cookies recipe using unsalted butter, semi-sweet chocolate, all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and marshmallows.
For the chocolate icing: This chocolate frosting recipe takes the cookies over the top using powdered sugar, unsalted butter, cocoa powder, hot water, vanilla, and Christmas sprinkles.
How To Make Hot Cocoa Cookies
Mix the Cookie Dough: Starting with a double broiler, melt the butter and chocolate. Set it aside. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Using a stand mixer, beat the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add the cooled chocolate. Slowly beat in the flour mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.
Bake the Cookies: Using a cookie scoop, scoop some batter and roll it into a ball. Place the cookie dough balls about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes. While the cookies bake, cut the marshmallows in half. Once done, place half a marshmallow into the center of the cookies and press down. Bake for 2-3 more minutes. Let the cookies cool on a wire rack.
Make the Icing: Mix all of the icing ingredients together in a bowl. If it is too thick, add some hot water to thin it out.
Decorate the cookies: Spoon icing over a few cookies. Add the sprinkles. Spoon icing over a few more cookies and add sprinkles. Do the cookies in batches so that the frosting doesn’t dry before the sprinkles are added.
Once all the cookies have icing and sprinkles ENJOY your Hot Cocoa Cookies!
How To Store:
Store your hot chocolate cookies in an airtight container at room temperature to maintain their freshness. For longer shelf life, you can freeze them in a freezer-safe container or a resealable plastic bag. Be sure to place parchment paper between the layers of cookies to prevent them from sticking together. When ready to enjoy, thaw frozen cookies at room temperature or warm them briefly in the oven for a freshly baked taste.
How can I ensure the cookies stay soft and chewy?
To keep the cookies soft and chewy, avoid overbaking. Take them out of the oven when the edges are set but the centers are still slightly soft. They will continue to firm up as they cool on the baking sheet. Also, storing them in an airtight container helps maintain their chewy texture.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes:
- Easy Rudolph Brownie Cookies
- Christmas Oatmeal Cookies
- Hot Cocoa Cookie Cups
- Peppermint Meltaways
- Air Fryer Christmas Cookies
- Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups
- Christmas Kitchen Sink Cookies
Hot Cocoa Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 1/2 Cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 Cup semi-sweet chocolate
- 1 1/2 Cup flour
- 1/4 Cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 Cup brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 12 large marshmallows cut in half
For the chocolate icing:
- 2 Cup powdered sugar
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 C cocoa powder
- 1/4 Crub hot water
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Christmas sprinkles
Instructions
For the cookies:
- In a double boiler, melt the butter and chocolate, stirring frequently. Once melted, set aside to cool
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
- In a standing mixer, beat the sugar, eggs and vanilla on low speed until combined.
- Add the cooled chocolate and mix until combined
- Gradually add in the flour ingredients and mix until combined
- Scoop the dough (Will be brownie like texture) into a bowl and cover with foil and place into the fridge for 4 hours.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop some batter into your hands and roll into a ball
- Place cookies about 2 inches apart
- Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes
- While cookies are baking, cut the marshmallows in half
- Once cookies are baked, place a marshmallow into the center of the cookies and lightly press down
- Place cookies back into the oven for another 2-3 minutes
- Place a wire rack over another cookie sheet to allow the icing to drip off
- Once cookies are done baking let cool for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack while you make the icing
For the icing:
- Combine all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix until combined
- If the icing is still to thick, add about 3 tbsp of hot water to it to thin it out
- Using a spoon, spoon some icing onto the marshmallow on the cookie
- Repeat step number 3 onto a few more cookies
- Sprinkle a little bit of sprinkles onto the cookies
- Repeat the last two steps onto the remaining cookies. Remember to only put icing onto a few cookies at a time because the icing will dry fast.
- Once all the cookies have icing and sprinkles ENJOY!
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Video
Nutrition
Leave a Review!
We LOVE hearing from you! Submit your question or comment here.
Your email address will not be published.
77 comments on “Hot Cocoa Cookies”
My husband, son & neighbor have dubbed these “the best cookies ever.” I doubled the recipe last year. This year I think I’ll quadruple it. Lol
So happy they love them! Thanks Lacy!
These look absolutely delish! I am going to make these for a cookie exchange, but can the cookies be frozen after they are cooked? I didn’t see where you said that anywhere. I cannot wait to try these!!
Thanks Brenda. Yes, these cookies freeze well. Make sure they are fully cooled and place parchment paper in between layers.
Just wanted to say I am making these for a cookie exchange also!
This recipe looks delicious! I won’t have time to put them in the fridge for 4 hours today, what do you recommend changing the baking time to?
Hi Jenn. I would chill the dough for as long as you can, but baking time will probably remain the same.
My great granddaughter loved helping with these cookies!! Very good cookie!!
Thanks Nancy!
My grandmother and her sister used to make a cookie like these that were a childhood favorite of mine. I have been looking for a recipe like them. Now my grandson loves these also. Thank you for this bit of nostalgia!
Thanks Jayna!
I’ve been making these for a couple of years. My son loves them. Last year I switched up the sprinkles with crushed candy canes. Was a huge hit, will be doing it again this year.
These turned out great! People started eating them before we made the icing, and they were delicious. We also had some peanut butter chips leftover and made the last bits of the chocolate dough with those chips (no marshmallow) and they were pretty good, too! I think we have a new favorite on our hands with this dough! Thanks.
Excellent recipe
Delicious and will make again
I made 10 different types of cookies for neighbors and family for Christmas. This one was the best out of all of them! Absolutely delicious!
Cookies taste exactly as they are named, like hot cocoa.
I love this recipe! I make these every year for Xmas and everyone that’s every tried them has become obsessed! They are so good! My favorite to make!
These are absolutely delicious! I was going to leave the icing off because I thought they might be too sweet. They were so good and so many people asked for the recipe.
How long will these keep? If I make them 4 days ahead of time will they be ok?
Yes they will keep that long in an airtight container.
I’ve made these the past 2 years and now my family requests them. I don’t make the icing but rather make a chocolate peppermint ganache to fill into the center. Delish!
Delicious!!!
Can you freeze the dough?
Made them and they were a hit! We actually didn’t put the icing on, found them sweet enough and I think would be a bit too sweet for us with the icing! They look very festive too!
These cookies are so easy and came out great. Are a staple each year now.
The best and most popular cookies I have ever made!
made these last year and i was told, TOLD, to make them again! they are amazingly delish!!!!
thank you for posting them!!!
Very good ooey gooey chocolate goodness!!!!! I left off the chocolate icing mainly because I was too lazy to make but they where still great