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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- Cookie Spatula
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- 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.
These cookies turned out GREAT! Mine did not spread out very much but they tasted good. I used 1/2 regular cocoa and 1/2 instant cocoa (I had both that needed to be used up). I also put my marsh mellow bits in the refrigerator when I came home from the store and took them out and added when I needed them. Worked out perfectly. They were soft but did not spread.
Thank you!
Just ok. I expected a richly chocolate cookie as the name implies, but the final product lacked chocolate flavor. It tasted more like a super sweet chocolate chip cookie with a subtle hint of chocolate. I was kind of disappointed… recommend adding cocoa powder or just another recipe if you’re looking for a chocolate cookie.
Sounds like you might want to try a high quality dark hot cocoa. The hot cocoa you choose is what impacts the flavor. Some are definitely far superior to others.
These are perfect – they really taste like hot chocolate!
But I’d like bigger cookies, around 80-90 grams (I bake with a scale to be consistent.) When I scooped the cookies out larger, they turned crispy and dry instead of soft and chewy like the regular batch. Is it possible to do this large size cookies? Should I adjust anything to compensate?
Flour, hot chocolate mix, and all other ingredients were exactly as directed. Thank you!
Hi! Thank you for the recipe. Delicious cookies!! Made for neighbors and my hubby and making some more for our Christmas Eve family dinner tomorrow! Both he and I love them!! 🙂
There were great! I used Mexican hot chocolate since that was all I had in hand. Turned out amazing!
Love these cookies so much! I won my ladies small group Christmas cookie competition with them last year and I don’t consider myself a great baker. Sent everyone this recipe after! Just about to make them again to give as gifts and of course eat a bunch of! 😋
These look amazing! Do you use salted or unsalted butter?
Hi Christi!
You can delete if this comment shows up 2x. These are great cookies. I followed all your hints, tips and tricks. I chilled them for 24 hours and baked 1/2 of the batch. Now, I’m wondering if I could freeze the other half for Saturday or just go ahead and bake them? I live with a Cookie Monster so I wanted to have some left for my daughter on Saturday. Thanks for great instructions!
You can absolutely freezer, or bake them. You can also freeze them once baked. Whatever works for you, they are really flexible. So glad you like them, and thank you for the kind comment!
I doubled the recipe because I have a family of seven and was gonna make some for my husband work. The cookies keep deflating. I even fridged for about 12 hours. The dough itself seems perfect until cooked.
Do you have an oven thermometer? The first thing I noticed when the thermostat in my oven was going was that my cookies were all coming out flat. Cookies I’d been making for years – all flat. An inexpensive oven thermometer revealed that my temperature in my oven was swinging a good 50+ degrees in both directions. Also how are you scooping them onto the cookie sheet? I like to make mine into balls, then mold them to be taller than they are wide.
The cookie sheets you use can also make a huge difference. I kept trying to replicate my mom’s cookie recipe, as she recently passed, and I just could not get the same result. I always bake on nice aluminum baking sheets with a silicone mat. I finally tried using her cookie sheets (which are old, inexpensive, and did not use a mat) and the difference was night and day. It’s wild how big the difference was in the cookies, from the same batch of dough, in the same oven, just with different cookie sheets.
Also since you are doubling, make sure you are getting every ingredient amount right. I know it’s easy when scaling recipes to sometimes get a measurement wrong – at least it happens to me.
Good luck!
Delicious cookies. I accidentally bought the non-mini marshmallows and they worked fine. Best when warm out of the oven, so I froze the balls and baked small batches.