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Hot Cocoa Cookies are the perfect cookie for the holidays.
A rich chocolate cookie that is studded with dehydrated marshmallows and chocolate chips in each bite.
Serve up as a dessert, pack in a gift box for loved ones, or plate up for Santa! Either way, these rich cookies will tickle your tastebuds.
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Now if you are on the hunt for easier dessert ideas try my classic peppermint bark, or these meringue Christmas tree cookies. Both are great desserts for the Christmas season.
This recipe would be a great one for Christmas Cookie Exchange Parties too!
Reasons You Will Love These Hot Cocoa Cookies
- A made-from-scratch cookie that is full of rich chocolate and marshmallow flavors in each bite.
- Great for packing in a treat tin to gift at the holidays with Christmas recipes.
- These cookies are made with hot cocoa mix, for a real cocoa flavor.
- Soft-baked cookies that offer a nice chewy texture.
Ingredients
- Butter – Real butter is recommended for this recipe. If you use salted butter then leave out the salt in the cookie recipe.
- Sugar – Brown sugar and granulated sugar are both used to create dimension to the cookie batter.
- Eggs – Large room-temperature eggs are what I used.
- Flour – Make sure to measure your flour properly for this recipe. Scoop the flour into the measuring cup and then use a knife to level it off.
- Cocoa Mix – Reach for your favorite brand of hot cocoa mix to add to the cookie dough batter.
- Baking Powder – You will use baking powder to help the cookies rise to a fluffy texture.
- Chocolate Chips – Semi-sweet chocolate chips are what I used for this cookie recipe for the ultimate chocolate flavor.
- Dehydrated Marshmallows – You can buy these in the baking aisle or shop online. These are the perfect marshmallow for the cookies.
- Salt – A sprinkle of salt is going to help balance and bring out the flavors of the ingredients.
How to Make
Full steps on how to make these Hot Cocoa Cookies are in the printable recipe card.
This is a quick walk-through on how it is made.
Step 1: In a stand mixer or bow mix your butter, and sugars on medium speed until light and creamy.
Step 2: Add in eggs and extract, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
Step 3: Next work in the dry ingredients making sure to mix completely.
Step 4: Fold in the chocolate chips and marshmallows. Then cover the dough and refrigerate.
Step 5: Preheat oven and then scoop up cookies as directed.
Step 6: Bake and then let cookies cool on the baking sheet. Then move to a cooling rack.
Can I use a different type of chocolate chip?
Yes, you can use milk chocolate, white chocolate, or even a sugar-free chocolate chips. Just use the same amount of chocolate chips no matter what the variety is.
Does this cookie recipe double well?
Go right ahead and double the cookie dough batter if you would like. Just work in batches as you bake the cookies. This is a great cookie recipe for making a larger batch of cookies.
Tips for Making Cookies
- Make sure to take the time to cream the butter and sugar together for a few minutes. This helps create a richer flavor for the cookies but also the texture is enhanced.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl to help remove any stuck-on ingredients.
- Once your dry ingredients are mixed, don’t overmix the batter. It will make the cookies dense and affect the result.
- Refrigerating the cookie dough is a must. Otherwise, the cookies will spread too much as they bake up.
- Allowing the cookies to cool a bit on the cookie sheet helps prevent the cookies from losing shape when you scoop, and move them to the cooling rack.
Storing
These hot cocoa cookies are able to be stored at room temperature in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
These cookies are best eaten within the first few days as they will dry out a bit.
How to Freeze Cookies
Or you can go a step further and freeze the cookies if you would like.
Freeze in a freezer bag or container for 4-5 months.
Then thaw on the counter when you want to eat them, or eat straight from the freezer.
MORE CHRISTMAS COOKIE RECIPES
If you like these yummy Christmas treats, you’ll love these ones too:
- Thin Mints Cookies– This is a copycat Girl Scout Thin Mints recipe.
- Peppermint Hot Cocoa Cookies– These cookies are the perfect treat to have on hand during the holiday season.
- Frosted Gingersnap Cookies– This old-fashioned Recipe for Gingersnap Cookies is a Christmas cookie classic.
- Melted Snowman Cookies– These cookies are SO simple to make and look great sitting on the dessert table!
- Gingerbread House Cookies– These are not quick and easy cookies to make, they require some extra effort and time, but the results are SO worth the wait!
- Ultimate Peanut Butter Cookies– This is a tried and true, soft and chewy peanut butter cookie.
- – These classic M&M Cookies are a must-have during the holidays, and they are super easy to make.
- Classic Snowball Cookies– A melt-in-your-mouth delicious cookie studded with chopped walnuts and rolled in sweet powdered sugar.
Hot Cocoa Cookies
Kristie Sawicki
Peppermint chocolate hot cocoa cookies.
4.72 from 7 votes
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Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 11 minutes mins
Chill Time 30 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 24
Calories 241 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup 2 sticks butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 packages hot cocoa mix or ¾ cup hot cocoa mix
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips regular or mini
- 1 cup dried mini marshmallows the type made for hot cocoa, not regular mini marshmallows
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, hot cocoa mix, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry mixture to the wet and use an electric mixer to blend together. Note: the dough will be very thick.
Fold in the chocolate chips and dried mini marshmallows.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F. Cover baking sheets with parchment paper.
Scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets, making 1 ½ inch dough balls. Leave at least 1 inch of space between each dough ball.
Bake the cookies at 350F for 9-11 minutes.
Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 3-5 minutes, then use a spatula to move to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
Notes
The marshmallows used do need to be the little freeze-dried marshmallows meant for hot chocolate. Regular mini marshmallows will melt during baking.
The leftover cookies can be stored in a food storage container or zip-lock bag at room temperature for up to five days or frozen for up to three months. If freezing the dough, I suggest not mixing in the mini marshmallows until you’re ready to thaw the dough to bake.
Nutrition
Calories: 241kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 3gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 156mgPotassium: 77mgFiber: 1gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 260IUCalcium: 37mgIron: 1mg
Nutritional information is automatically calculated with ingredients and serving size and may not be accurate. Please always double check with your own nutritional apps as well.
Did you make this recipe? Please leave me a comment below, I would love to hear how you liked it (or not lol) Share a photo with me @KRISTIESAWICKI or tag #SAVINGDOLLARS!
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About Kristie Sawicki
I'm the blogger behind Saving Dollars & Sense. I started this website over ten years ago, to share my journey out of debt, while living a simple, frugal lifestyle. You'll find lots of great MONEY SAVING TIPS, DIY PROJECTS, HOMEMADE RECIPES, SIMPLE LIVING IDEAS and MORE!! I'm so glad you're here.
