Hot chocolate cookies are what I reach for when I want something warm, chocolatey, and deeply soothing, but also chewy and gooey. These cookies bake up soft and fudgy, and the marshmallows melt just enough to mimic that gooey top layer you get on a mug of cocoa. The dough comes together in about half an hour, and the recipe leans on everyday ingredients you probably already have.
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I grew up with instant cocoa packets as an after-school ritual, and these cookies tap into that same sense of ease. The hot cocoa mix in the dough adds a nostalgic flavor without taking over, and the marshmallow on top reminds me of the way I used to dump in too many minis. The cookie itself tastes richer than the drink ever did, and even more because it is a chewy, chocolatey cookie.
The dough is thick and a little sticky, but it rewards you with that fudgy, brownie-like center everyone loves. It’s the kind of cookie that makes a cold evening feel like a bonus rather than a punishment.
You can play around with if you want. I sometimes swap in dark chocolate chunks to make them a little less sweet, or use mini marshmallows when I want them a little messier. You could even add a pinch of cayenne or ground cinnamon for a subtle heat if that’s your style.
Ingredients Notes
This recipe uses pantry staples, but a few ingredients make a real difference in flavor and texture. Good cocoa powder and a small scoop of hot cocoa mix give the cookies that hot chocolate character without relying on extracts. Chocolate chunks melt a little slower than chips, which creates pockets of soft chocolate rather than uniform sweetness. Large marshmallows create that classic gooey cap, but mini marshmallows work fine if that’s what you have.
How to Make Hot Chocolate Cookies
These cookies may look dramatic with their marshmallow tops, but making them couldn’t be more straightforward. Here’s how:
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- Cream the butter and sugars in a large bowl.
- Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
- Whisk the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
- Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until the dough forms.
- Stir in the milk to soften the dough slightly.
- Fold in the chocolate chunks to distribute them evenly.
- Scoop the dough onto lined baking sheets, leaving plenty of space.
- Bake the cookies until the edges begin to set.
- Press a marshmallow half into each cookie and return the tray to the oven.
- Bake briefly again until the marshmallows puff but the cookies are still soft in the center.
- Let the cookies cool on the tray before moving them.
Expert Tips for Success
Baking these cookies is simple, but a few small choices can improve the texture. Here are my favorite tips.
- Pull the cookies out while the centers still look slightly underdone to keep the texture soft.
- Use high-quality chocolate chunks for the best flavor.
- Let the cookies rest on the tray so the marshmallows set without sliding off.
More Cookies You’ll Love
These cookies make a great afternoon treat, bake sale offering, or addition to a holiday cookie platter. Some others you might want to add include Chocolate Caramel Thumbprint Cookies, Cinnamon Sugar Cookies, Flourless Chocolate Cookies, or Honey Cookies. They’re are all easy-to-make recipes, and always hit the mark.
Old-fashioned Quaker Oatmeal Cookies and Ginger Snap Cookies are classics that are always well received. My Pecan Pie Cookies, Black Sesame Cookies, and Toffee Cookie Bars offer something a bit different. They’re perfect when you want to shake things up a little.
Hot Chocolate Cookies
Robin Donovan
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons hot cocoa mix
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1½ cups semisweet chocolate chunks
- 12 large marshmallows cut in half, or 1½ cups mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Cream the butter and sugars
- Mix the softened butter with the brown and granulated sugars until the mixture looks light.
- Add the eggs and vanilla
- Crack in the eggs one at a time and mix well, then add the vanilla.
- Combine the dry ingredients
- Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, hot cocoa mix, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl.
- Mix everything together
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until the dough forms.
- Add the milk
- Pour in the milk to loosen the dough slightly.
- Fold in the chocolate
- Stir in the chocolate chunks until they are evenly distributed.
- Scoop the dough
- Scoop portions of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving space between each cookie.
- Bake the first round
- Bake until the cookies begin to set around the edges.
- Add the marshmallows
- Press a marshmallow half or several minis into each warm cookie.
- Finish baking
- Return the tray to the oven and bake until the marshmallows puff and the centers stay soft.
- Cool the cookies
- Let the cookies cool on the tray for a few minutes, then move them to a wire rack.
