Nothing says cozy winter baking like these hot cocoa cookies! These soft, chocolatey cookies are baked in a mini muffin tin, filled with gooey marshmallows, and topped with a rich chocolate ganache. With every bite, you get the warm flavors of hot cocoa in cookie form, making them perfect for holiday gatherings, cookie swaps, or a festive treat with a cup of actual hot chocolate.
Tip! For the best gooey marshmallow center, press them into the cookies while they’re still warm, then broil for just 1-2 minutes—watch closely to prevent burning!
This is the perfect chewy chocolate cookie with gooey marshmallow and melted chocolate! We love them along with these festive holiday cookies: easy Italian sprinkle cookies, gingerbread snowflake cookies, or peanut butter Ritz cookies.
Table of Contents
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- 🟤 Flour: Use all-purpose flour or swap for a 1:1 gluten-free flour to keep them gluten-free.
- 🍫 Cocoa Powder: Natural cocoa powder gives these cookies a deep chocolate flavor. Avoid Dutch-processed, as it can affect the rise.
- 🧈 Butter: Use unsalted butter for the best flavor. Substitute vegan butter for a dairy-free version.
- 🍬 Sugars: A combination of granulated sugar and light brown sugar adds sweetness and chewiness.
- 🥚 Egg & Milk: Help bind the dough. Use plant-based milk and a flax egg (1 tbsp flaxseed + 3 tbsp water) for a dairy-free, egg-free option.
- ☕ Hot Cocoa Topping: The chocolate ganache is smooth and rich, giving the cookies a finishing touch just like a cup of hot cocoa.
Looking for another marshmallow recipe? Try Mexican marshmallow cookies, Toasted reindeer tracks pudding cookies, Rocky Road cookies, or chocolate chunk marshmallow cookies.
Recipe Variations & Substitutions
- Swap a vegan butter for a dairy-free option.
- We also tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten-free flour and they turned out great.
- If the sprinkles, powdered sugar, or chocolate ganache are too much for you, leave the cookies as they are with the marshmallow filling!
How to Make Hot Cocoa Cookies
① Prepare the dough: Whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until fluffy, then mix in the egg, milk, and vanilla. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until a soft dough forms. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
② Bake the cookies: Roll 1-inch dough balls and place them into the mini muffin cups. Bake for 8-10 minutes until puffed up
③ Add the marshmallows: Immediately press a hole into the center of each cookie. Switch the oven to broil, place a marshmallow half into each cookie, and broil for 1-3 minutes until golden. Watch carefully to avoid burning!
④ Make the chocolate glaze: Melt the butter and whisk together with the powdered sugar, cocoa, vanilla, and hot water until smooth.
Storage & Make-Ahead Tips
🧊 Storage: Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
❄️ Freezing: You can freeze the unbaked cookie dough balls for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding an extra 2-3 minutes to the bake time.
🎄 Make-Ahead Tip: Bake the cookies a day in advance and add the ganache right before serving for the freshest results.
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These hot chocolate cookies are a guaranteed holiday hit! Try them and let me know how they turn out! 🎄✨
Hot Cocoa Cookie Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 14 jumbo marshmallows cut in half
Chocolate Ganache
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 Tablespoons hot water
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Christmas sprinkles to top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease one 24-count mini muffin tin (or two 12-count mini muffin tins) with non stick spray and set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, at least 3 minutes. Add the egg, milk and vanilla and beat until combined.1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1 large egg, 2 Tablespoons milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Slowly add the dry ingredients and beat on low speed the turn the speed up to high and beat until combined, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed. It will be slightly wet and sticky.
- Use a heaping teaspoon to scoop the cookie dough and roll into balls. Place in the prepared muffin tins. Bak for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies puff up and set. Immediately press the back of a teaspoon into the center of the baked cookies when they come out of the oven.14 jumbo marshmallows
- Switch the oven to broil then place half of the large marshmallow cut side down inside the hole of the cookies. Broil the cookies on high for 1-3 minutes, until the marshmallows are puffy and golden brown on the top. Keep an eye on them the whole time because they can burn quickly. Allow them to cool in the pan for 5 minutes then carefully transfer to a wire rack.
- While they’re cooling, make the chocolate ganache. Mix all of the ganache ingredients together in a medium bowl. Spoon the ganache over each cookie, partially covering the marshmallow. Top with sprinkles if desired.1 cup powdered sugar, 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder, 2 Tablespoons hot water, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I haven’t made the recipe yet but fully intend to make the gluten free version for a cookie exchange. But one thing I’d like to mention. The topping you have is not chocolate ganache. Ganache is a mixture of heavy cream and chocolate. The recipe you have is simply chocolate frosting, which I’m sure is delicious. I think when I make them I will just use melted dark chocolate and top with the sprinkles before it hardens. I’ll let you know how they turn out. I do love your pudding chocolate chip cookies (have some baking now). They are always loved wherever I take them.
YUM!! Only four stars because I expected a more fudgy, brownie-like texture but they were a bit more dry and crumbly (more cookie-ish, go figure). But they’re tasty and I will definitely keep this in my Christmas cookie list!
These were so delicious! And really simple to make. The perfect amount of chocolate and the toasted marshmallow is such a good addition.