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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Brown Butter Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies
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My Favorite Cookie Tools
- Silicone Baking Mat
- Cookie Scoops
- 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.
My granddaughter added to much flour when I was looking my mixture is extremely dry and won’t come together to form the cookie to put on the baking sheet is there a way to rescue this ??????? I hate to just throw it out as the dehydrated tiny marshmallows are soooooooo hard to find or get
These cookies are amazing! I bake quite often and these are one of, if not my favorite cookie. My employees put these on their wish lists for Christmas, they were that good. Thank you!
Just wondering if you can freeze these cookies after baking them?
Sure, they’d freeze just like any other drop/chocolate chip style cookie.
Delicious! We used dark chocolate chips and had to use small marshmallows as opposed to the freeze dried ones. Taste great!
I hope mine come out ok. You mentioned a dry dough and mine is fairly crumbly and sugary in parts. I will hand knead again. Is that meant to be that dry? Thanks! Fingers crossed!
Delish!
I couldn’t find the dried marshmallows anywhere! The stores were either out of stock or just didn’t stock them to begin with. So I made a marshmallow frosting to go on top instead. So while I can’t vouch for the recipe in it’s posted state, I can still say they’re very good cookies! The specific “hot cocoa” taste gets a little lost after baking but I didn’t mind as it was still a delicious chocolate cookie.
That’s a great idea with the frosting!
I had a heck of a time trying to find the freeze dried marshmallows (thanks 2020), BUT thankfully most bulk food stores still carry them.
Made these today and they are delicious! I used Hershey hot chocolate, 3 different sizes of chocolate and vanilla freeze dried marshmallows, I had ordered from Amazon! My family told me these are a keeper!
Just made these, they taste delicious.
Suggestions for other bakers; I added the flour gradually and I ended up only putting in around 2 and a half cups and I ended up kneading it like bread dough it was so thick.
I used Nestle Carnation hot cholate powder that has the marshmallows in with the powder which worked but the marshmallow ended up breaking apart when I was forming the dough into balls. Next time I would just add the marshmallows on top of the cookie before baking it.
I was just wondering if the chilling of the dough was necessary or what the purpose of this step was?
A few things, chilling the dough really helps the flavors develop and it helps thicken the dough which will create cookies that are a bit more puffy and chewy, than flat. It’s not absolutely necessary by any means, but I do think the result is better. Now we’re not talking life changing better, but I do like the results a bit more with the chilling, even for just 30-60 minutes.
Delicious!