I’m sharing one of my all time favorite cookies with you today, my hot chocolate cookies. When I first made these hot cocoa cookies, adding hot cocoa mix to a cookie seemed like it would taste good. But I didn’t quite expect for them to be SO delicious. These Hot Chocolate Cookies have since become one of the most popular cookie recipes on Love From The Oven. Hot Chocolate Cookies are perfect Christmas cookies and are great cookie for cookie exchanges.
Hot Chocolate Cookies
Really truly, these hot chocolate cookies are incredible. The flavor that the hot cocoa contributes is pretty amazing, they do not taste like “another chocolate cookie” if you will, they taste like a cup of hot chocolate.
Let’s face it, most of us have had all the “standard” cookies such as chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, snickerdoodles, oatmeal cookies, double chocolate chip cookies and cut out sugar cookies. So these bring a new and fun flavor to those holiday cookie platters.
Since I first made these cookies hot chocolate cookies, Kraft Kitchens have tested the recipe. Both Swiss Miss and Kraft Jet Puffed have shared the recipe on their packaging. Seriously, they are that good.
Marshmallows In Cookies
Keeping it easy is important to me, and these hot chocolate cookies are as easy to make as your standard chocolate chip cookie, so nothing fancy needed here.
Mallow Bits
I do recommend that you use the Mallow Bits in place of regular mini-marshmallows, as the mini marshmallows can create quite a mess. You should be able to find these freeze dried marshmallows in your grocery store, either by the marshmallows or near where they keep hot chocolate.
2021 Update: Find Mallow Bits or similar dehydrated marshmallows at Target, Amazon and Walmart. Also check your local grocery store.
2020 Update: I’m not sure if Kraft is no longer making Mallow Bits, but I have a hard time finding them online, though some of my local stores still carry them. Here is what appears to be almost identical freeze dried hot chocolate marshmallows.
There also are many colored freeze dried marshmallows on the market. Another great option is the Swiss Miss Marshmallow Lover’s Cocoa, which actually includes packets of marshmallows along with the cocoa.
Chilling Dough + Mallow Bits
A note on these, I’ve found that when chilling the dough for 30 minutes, sometimes it can cause the Mallow Bits to melt into the cookie when baking.
It’s not consistent, and I think it’s dependent on how fresh/dry the Mallow Bits are (it happens to me more when I’ve purchased from Amazon). One way to completely avoid this problem is to mix the Mallow Bits in AFTER you chill the dough.
If you are looking for a different cookie to bring to a cookie exchange or to bake for the holidays, I’d highly recommend these hot chocolate cookies. While the recipe calls for regular hot cocoa, for a twist I used a dark chocolate hot cocoa mix with this batch. I love to serve them with a mug of Peppermint Hot Chocolate!
There are so many new flavors of hot cocoas out there, feel free to get a little creative with these! One thing to note: do not use sugar free hot cocoa mix. They won’t turn out as well I’m afraid.
Check out all of the cookie recipes on this site. Don’t miss all of the recipes for Christmas Cookies here on Love From The Oven! Also grab a copy of my free Favorite Cookies e-Book Cookbook, it has all my favorite cookie recipes in a convenient cookbook download.
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More Cookies To Try
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My Favorite Cookie Tools
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- Cookie Spatula
- Wire Cooling Racks
- My Free Favorite Cookies E-Cookbook
Hot Chocolate Cookie Recipe
Hot Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter (softened)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour*
- 4 packages hot cocoa mix** (or 3/4 cups hot cocoa mix – NOT SUGAR FREE VERSIONS)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 cup Mallow Bits*** (mini marshmallows do not work the same and can be a bit of a sticky mess)
Instructions
- Beat butter and sugars in large bowl with standing mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well.
- In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients. Gradually beat dry ingredients into butter mixture until blended. Stir in chocolate chips and Mallow Bits*. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drop 2 tablespoons dough, 2 inches apart, onto baking sheets lined with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 5 minutes; remove to wire racks and cool.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
I can’t wait for you to try these cookies! They’d be the perfect addition to a hot cocoa bar. Check out my post all about how to set up a hot cocoa bar, such a fun (and super easy) thing to do when it’s chilly outside! Also, start your day with my Hot Chocolate Pancakes!
White Chocolate Snickerdoodles
Chocolate Holiday Chip Cookies
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Holiday Cookie Decorating Tips
Originally published October 2017
Meet Christi, Love From The Oven
I’m Christi I love sharing easy & delicious recipes that your family & friends will love. I’m a mom, baker, cookbook author and lover of sprinkles.
I tried these cookies and they are a new favorite at our house!! I tried a second batch using gluten free flour and they did not turn out as well. Dry/crumbled and did not flatten out. Has anyone tried altering the recipe to make GF with success?
I LOVE these cookies and make the every year!! Unfortunately 24 hours after baking they all became ROCK hard even though they were cooled and stored in an airtight container. Any suggestions?? We added bread into the container and it helped, but nervous to give them to people in cookie boxes and have them get hard again.
Since you mentioned you made them every year, can you think of a variable that changed? New oven? New baking sheets? Different brand ingredients? Different hot cocoa mix? Do you have an oven thermometer? There are a lot of possibilities. If you don’t have an oven thermometer I’d start there, as it may be running a bit hotter than it should.
Made these today for an annual cookie exchange, and followed the recipe using Swiss miss dark chocolate hot chocolate and dark cocoa powder. My husband and daughter couldn’t stop eating the extras, thank you for a delicious and wonderful recipe!
I did not listen to the size of the scooping the cookies on to a baking sheet and my cookies ended up spreading out super thin but smaller scoops they worked out
The Jet puffed bits back cover recipe for these cookies actually uses 1 1/4 C of butter, not 1 C. For those who had dry cookies, consider following those instructions instead. I didn’t notice until after I had everything mixed, haven’t baked them up yet, they are currently in the fridge. Will be interesting to see how they turn out. There are other minor differences, like 1 t of baking powder vs 2 t in this recipe and 1 1/4 t baking soda vs 1 t in this recipe.
I wrote the recipe that you see on the label over a decade ago and have tweaked it since that time, which is why they don’t match. As mentioned in the post it’s a VERY dry dough. It’s a trust the process sort of thing 🙂
I just didn’t feel they were chocolatey enough. May add a little more hot chocolate powder next time.
Different hot cocoa powders are going to give very different results. Some are certainly weaker than others. My best advice is to go for a dark chocolate, high quality hot chocolate mix. If you use a milk chocolate one, or one that is on the more inexpensive side, those mixes, and thus the cookies, don’t have as strong of a chocolate flavor.