Chewy Hot Cocoa Cookies with bits of marshmallow swirled throughout and a big marshmallow melting out the middle. A tasty way to warm up this winter!
Cocoa Cookies Complete with Marshmallows
Get your favorite cold weather flavors in every bite of these Hot Cocoa Cookies. Rich chocolate, gooey marshmallows in a warm, soft, chewy cookie. I swear, they taste just like hot chocolate and you won’t be able to get enough of them! And if you eat them warm from the oven, you’ll get that cozy, hot cocoa feeling from the inside out.
A Top Ten Cookie for Below Zero Weather
Brrrr, y’all! It’s so cold and I don’t even live in the coldest of places. I know lots of you live in places that are knee deep in snow with below zero temps and ridiculous wind chills, so really I have nothing to complain about.
When we lived in Sioux City, Iowa, for a few years before we had kids, I remember one whole month when the temperatures never got above zero degrees. While it’s far from that cold, it *is* pretty darn cold here in Dallas today. And all I can think about is a big mug of hot cocoa and one of these hot cocoa cookies fresh out of the oven. Talk about a wonderful way to warm right up!
Unforgettable Hot Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
These cookies were inspired from my trip to Nashville for the 2014 Pillsbury Bake-Off and one of the contestants baked these slightly spiced Hot Chocolate-Marshmallow Cookies that were so so yummy! I loved standing behind her and watching as she checked the cookies for the marshmallow to start melting out. I couldn’t get these cookies out of my mind, so I came home and baked up a version of my own.
Easy, Fun and Oh-So Yum
These cookies are easy, fun and oh so yum! If you love hot cocoa with lots of marshmallows on top, you’ll swoon over how delicious these cookies are! They taste just like hot cocoa and as much as I love drinking hot cocoa, I’d much rather eat it!
I can’t think of a better sweet treat on a cold winter day! So if you’re stuck inside, looking for something fun to do, and craving hot cocoa, you’ve gotta bake these cookies! So so yummy!
What Do I Need to Make Hot Cocoa Cookies?
(see recipe card for measurements and details)
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar
- Large eggs
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Dry hot cocoa mix
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Mini marshmallow bits
- Large marshmallows
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Cooling Rack
How to Make Hot Cocoa Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, hot cocoa mix, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture in the mixer, 1 cup at a time, until combined.
- Stir in 1 cup marshmallow bits. It’s okay if the marshmallow bits swirl throughout the dough as you’re stirring.
- Flatten 2 tablespoons of dough at a time into round discs. Place half of a large marshmallow in the center of the dough.
- Wrap the dough around the marshmallow and seal completely. Turn the cookie dough sealed side down onto the parchment-lined cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and marshmallow halves, placing each disc of dough a few inches apart on the cookie sheets. Garnish the top of each cookie with some more marshmallow bits.
- Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes or until melted marshmallow starts to crack through the top of each cookie. Let cookies cool completely on cookie sheets.
More of My Favorite Cookie Recipes
I am crazy about cookies! So I could not be more excited to share My Favorite Cookie Recipes. Crafted by a true cookie-lover, these treats are absolute cookie perfection.
- Loaded M&M Cookies: A mouthful of mini chocolate candies in every bite! These Loaded M&M Cookies are chewy, chocolatey and totally delicious!
- My Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies: Crispy, chewy, sweet, salty, nutty and oh-so chocolatey! My Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies are cookie perfection!
- Classic Peanut Butter Cookies: With their famous criss-cross pattern and soft, chewy bite, these Classic Peanut Butter cookies are everything a perfect cookie should be. You’ll be hooked at first bite!
- Carrot Cake Cookies: Topped with a white chocolate drizzle, these Carrot Cake Cookies are so delicious and perfect for anytime baking!
- And more!
How to Store Hot Cocoa Cookies
To store the baked cookies, let cool completely and then place in an airtight container, with parchment paper between each layer, at room temperature for up to five days.
To freeze the baked cookies, let the cookies cool completely and then wrap each cookie with plastic wrap before placing in a freezer-safe container or plastic bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy the cookies, let them set at room temperature until thawed completely, about 1 hour. If you want to enjoy the cookies warm again, place them in a 350°F oven for 3-5 minutes to warm them through.
To freeze the cookie dough, go ahead and shape the dough into balls with the marshmallow bits on top and place them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer to flash freeze the dough for at least 30 minutes. Then transfer the dough to a freezer-safe container or plastic bag to store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, bake the dough according to the recipe instructions increasing the baking time by 3-5 minutes.
If you make these Hot Cocoa Cookies and post a pic to social, be sure to tag me on Instagram @thebakermama so I can see! 😍 I just love seeing how inspired and creative y’all get with the recipes and ideas I share. Enjoy!
xoxo,
Hot Cocoa Cookies
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Total Time: 32 mins
- Yield: 24
- Category: Dessert
Description
Chewy hot cocoa cookies with bits of marshmallow swirled throughout and a big marshmallow melting out the middle. A tasty way to warm up this winter!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup dry hot cocoa mix
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 and 1/2 cups mini marshmallow bits, divided
- 12 large marshmallows, cut in half
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- In the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, hot cocoa mix, baking soda, and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture in the mixer, 1 cup at a time, until combined. Stir in 1 cup marshmallow bits. It’s okay if the marshmallow bits swirl throughout the dough as you’re stirring.
- Flatten 2 tablespoons of dough at a time into round discs. Place half of a large marshmallow in the center of the dough and then wrap the dough around the marshmallow and seal completely. Turn the cookie dough sealed side down onto the parchment lined cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and marshmallow halves, placing each disc of dough a few inches apart on the cookie sheets. Garnish the top of each cookie with some more marshmallow bits.
- Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes or until melted marshmallow starts to crack through the top of each cookie. Let cookies cool completely on cookie sheets.
Could the chocolate favor be amped up by adding coco powder? Would you need to add an extra ingredient to help the favor?
Hi Dixie! You could certainly replace all or part of the hot cocoa mix with unsweetened cocoa powder and you would not need to adjust any of the other ingredients in the recipe. It would definitely enhance the chocolate flavor of the cookies. Enjoy!
Hi!
Can you prepare these then freeze them and bake day of?
Hi Christine! Absolutely, just cover them tightly with plastic wrap or put them in a freezer safe baggie or container to store the cookie dough in the freezer. They’ll just require 2-3 extra minutes of baking time if you bake them from frozen. Enjoy!
[…] Hot Cocoa Cookies from The Baker Mama […]
Good-looking recipe! I’m making these later today, despite the heat here in Australia.
On that thought, I was wondering how these hold up after they’ve cooled? Are they just as good when the middles aren’t as warm and gooey?
Thanks Ellyn! They hold up great! Just a little different experience compared to warm out of the oven. The marshmallow creates this sweet caramelized crust on the top of the cookie and is chewy in the center. If you would rather it be melting, just put it in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds. Enjoy!
I made these and they were amazing. I do have a question though. The marshmallow would melt underneath the cookie, harden, and seal the cookie to the parchment paper. i broke a lot of the cookies trying to get them off the parchment paper (or the paper would stick to the bottom and be impossible to get off the cookie). Is there an easier way to do this?
Oh goodness! Did you seal the cookie dough completely around the marshmallow? It shouldn’t have come out of the bottom. And I’m surprised that it stuck to the parchment paper. Maybe try spraying the parchment paper as well. Glad you enjoyed them otherwise! 🙂
Yes, yes, yes! Like you, I live in Dallas, so I feel like I can’t REALLY complain about the cold… but it’s cold for us this week, and these cookies, paired with a steaming mug of hot chocolate, sound like the perfect comforting sweet for this time of year.
I love any cookie that calls for marshmallows, so I’m totally sold on this and can’t wait to make ’em!
I agree cookies are a great way to warm up! These look so awesome and I love that you used hot cocoa mix. Yum 🙂