These Hot Cocoa Cookies are chewy, chocolaty and oh so delicious! These have quickly become my favorite Christmas cookie!
I created this recipe to take to a friend’s Christmas Cookie Exchange Party, and they were a huge hit!
These cookies start with a brownie-like cookie base, then get topped with a marshmallow, fudge glaze and sprinkles… what more could you want? =)
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Earlier this week, I shared the pretty details of my friend Bethany’s Cookie Exchange Party.
Normally, if I’m invited to a cookie exchange I might make some pretty decorated cookies… but I knew Bethany had that covered.
So I baked up these Hot Cocoa Cookies, and I’m so glad I did! They’re chewy, chocolaty and oh so cute!
Feel free to use different sprinkles for different holidays, or to match a color theme… easy peasy!
How to Make Hot Cocoa Cookies
Hot Cocoa Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookies
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick
- 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 25 large marshmallows approximately
For the icing
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 stick, melted
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- assorted sprinkles
Instructions
Make the cookies
- In a medium saucepan (or in a microwave safe bowl, using 50% power), melt the butter and chocolate, stirring frequently. Once melted, set aside to cool slightly.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar, eggs and vanilla on low speed until well combined.
- Add the cooled chocolate mixture and blend until just combined.
- While mixing, add the flour mixture slowly and blend until just combined.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then cover the dough and refrigerate at least 1 hour. The dough should be firm. If making the dough a day ahead, let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before shaping.
- Preheat oven to 325*F. and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat type liner. Use a tablespoon (or a tablespoon sized cookie scoop) to scoop the dough, then roll the dough in your hands to create balls. Arrange the balls about 2 inches apart on your baking sheets, then flatten slightly.
- Bake cookies about 12 minutes.
- While the cookies bake, cut the large marshmallows in half (crosswise). When the cookies have baked, remove from oven and press one marshmallow half (cut side down) into the center of each cookie. Return the cookies to the oven and bake another 2-3 minutes. Allow the pan of cookies to cool a few minutes, then transfer cookies to cooling rack.
Prepare cookie icing
- Prepare cookie icing by combining all ingredients in a medium bowl and mixing together with a whisk. Place wire cooling rack (with cookies on it) over a baking sheet (to catch any excess icing). Spoon a small amount of icing onto the top of each marshmallow, and use the back of the spoon to spread it a bit. After icing just a couple cookies, top with sprinkles before the icing dries.
- Allow icing to set up about 30 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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This is the perfect recipe to add to your holiday cookie trays, or bring to a cookie exchange… just be sure to save a few for yourself! =)
Happy baking!
My cookie exchange party is at a pretty small house and we all have to sort of stack our cookies to make room for all of them. My question is about the frosting. Does it dry hard so I can lean them against each other or is it like soft frosting? Important to know. thanks so much. They look great!
Hi Mimi,
Once the icing sets a bit (15 minutes or so) you can gently stack them, at least 2-3 layers high… more than that they’d likely get a bit squished. You can also add a small piece of parchment paper between the layers to help keep the cookies separate.
Do you know if these will freeze ok once cooked I want to send them in the mail.
Hi Renee,
I have not experimented with shipping them. I’m afraid the icing would make a bit of a mess as the cookies thaw. You may want to try my Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies, Ginger Molasses Cookies, or Perfect Sugar Cookies. Each of these would freeze and ship nicely.
These are favorites around here…my daughter ALWAYS requests them! And I’m usually willing to accommodate 🙂 But with it being the first day of summer break, I wanted to add a little summer twist. So instead of adding Christmas sprinkles, we added crushed graham crackers on top. Still so cute, but a little more summer-ish!
I’ve made these cookies twice in the past few weeks! Once for a party and then again for christmas. These cookies are absolutely fabulous and they are so easy to make! They are so moist and incredibly flavorful! I used crushed peppermint to sprinkle on top of the icing and I’m in love!
Wow, just wow!! Super easy for someone who doesn’t bake a lot. I can’t believe how amazing these are !!! Thanks for sharing!!
when you say cocoa powder… do you mean baking cocoa? or actual hot cocoa mix powder?
Thank you for the insights…and tips!
I have made these cookies and the family loves them. BUT I made a note to myself last year that I had to refrigerate them much longer than the 1 hour in order to make the dough firm enough to handle. Should the dough be this “loose” prior to refrigeration? Not sure whether to add some more flour or semi-freeze the dough so it isn’t so sticky? Anyone else with this issue?
So glad you’ve enjoyed the recipe! Yes, the batter should be more like brownie batter than cookie dough before it is chilled. The chilling time will vary simply based on how much you let the chocolate mixture cool before adding it to the batter, your fridge, etc. I generally find that after an hour of chilling I can get at least one baking sheet worth of cookies from the top layer of dough that has chilled, then I keep it in the fridge while baking the first sheet and can continue to work off of it in that way (chilling between scooping out batches). Feel free to chill as long as needed so the dough keeps its shape in a nice ball before baking.
All of your comments have sold me on this recipe. The recipe seems a bit laborious, but the rave reviews have convinced me to make them for the cookie swap next week. Six dozen hot cocoa cakes cookies in my future.
Yay! They truly are a family (and reader) favorite! I hope you love them as much as we do!
I tried this recipe for a potluck recently. I can not believe how amazing these cookies are. They are the perfect combination of brownie like cookie, marshemellow and icing. I love how the marshmellow seemed gooey when you bite into them, giving the sense of a marshmellow in a cup of hot chocolate. I took 3 dozen to the gathering and came back wirh none. My friends were actually fighting over who would take the left overs home. These will be a mainstay of my Christmas baking for years to come