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!
made these today. every stage was a thrill. they look so pretty after the first bake. then you add the marshmallows and bang. up a notch. i used the icing sparingly and added some christmas sprinkles. tasted my “reject” cookie (the test one – i tell myself) and it is delicious. chewy, chocolate is intense, the marshmallow is just the right melty. yum. will use this recipe for the rest of my christmas baking career
Yay! Thanks so much for the sweet comment! So glad you love them as much as we do in our house!
If I wanted to use fluff instead of an actual marshmallow (to make it vegetarian friendly), think I should bake the cookie the whole time (original bake plus marshmallow bake) and then top with a dab of fluff then ice? It should work I’d think, but didn’t know f you had tried it! 🙂
I have not experimented with marshmallow fluff (with this recipe), so I’m not sure what to suggest. I might still try to bake the marshmallow fluff a couple minutes… but again I’ve never tried it that way. The nice thing is that this recipe makes quite a few cookies, so if you try it one way for one baking sheet worth and it doesn’t work out, you still have lots of cookies to do it a different way. Happy experimenting!
I have a cookie exchange event at my job and i want to make these but I have a question… Should I bake them in the morning before work so they’re a little more “fresh” or would they taste just as fine if I baked them the night before and put them in an air tight container? Thanks!!
Baking them the night before will be just fine! Hope you and your co-workers love them as much as we do in our house!
Made these for a cookie exchange, they were a hit! Super cute and delicious! We felt the chocolate topping was a little too sweet, tasted kind of like frosting, but they were delicious. Will definitely be making these again!
These cookies were even better than I thought they would be. The cookie has a great texture and flavor with or without the icing. Definitely making these again.
Cam i frezee the dough??? And bake in 2 months?
Hi Emme,
I generally prefer any baked goods to be fresh, so I have not experimented with freezing the dough. For this recipe, if I was going to freeze the dough, I think I’d roll it into balls, then flatten just slightly (as directed in the recipe) and freeze them in those shapes. Feel free to experiment.
Have made these cookies for the past 2 yrs (from this exact recipe). I can’t express enough how incredibly delicious these are. My family loves them and starts getting excited for the holidays just at the thought of these. There such a beautiful cookie that I packaged some up and mailed them to my bosses (I work remotely). They were a huge hit! If you’re even looking at this recipe because you think you might enjoy these, then definitely try this recipe. I followed each step without substituting anything and they come out perfect each time!
I’ve made these for 2 years. Always perfect, delicious and very festive. Love this recipe.
Just to thank you for this cookie recipe. I made these for our cookie exchange this year and I was so pleased. The cookies turned out perfect–just like the picture–and tasted wonderful. I will be making these every Christmas from now on. Hope you have a healthy and happy 2017!
The cookies turned out tacky and chewy. Not sure why?
I’m not sure what may have been the issue either? These cookies should be fudey, a little chewy (in part from from the marshmallow portion) and utterly delicious!
What do you mean by “tacky”? Did the icing on top not dry… is that what you mean? Give me a few more details and I’ll see if I can help you figure it out. These are easily one of my most popular cookies and I’ve had tons of readers tell me how much they love them (and have even won Christmas party contests with them)!
Do ypu have to line the baking sheet with parchment paper?