Marshmallow Hot Chocolate Cookies — ☕️🍪😋These gooey hot chocolate cookies are complete with big gooey marshmallows and chunks of melted dark chocolate. This is the perfect holiday and winter time cookie recipe!
Table of Contents
Marshmallow-Topped Hot Chocolate Cookies
There’s nothing better than curling up on the couch on a chilly day with a mug of hot chocolate that’s filled with soft marshmallows. Unless it’s a chocolate cookie that tastes like hot chocolate complete with a big gooey marshmallow and a chunk of melted dark chocolate underneath the marshmallow!
These easy hot chocolate marshmallow cookies are chewy around the edges, soft in the middle, and taste like the perfect mug of hot chocolate. But better.
The marshmallows and the chunks of dark chocolate melt slightly, creating a smores effect, minus the graham crackers. I’d rather have cocoa cookies than graham crackers any day.
We couldn’t get enough of this version of hot chocolate. These hot cocoa cookies are rich and decadent. The perfect holiday cookie!
Ingredients in Hot Chocolate Cookies
The Christmas hot cocoa cookies are made with simple ingredients you likely keep on hand throughout the year.
To make this hot chocolate cookie recipe, you’ll need:
- Unsalted butter
- Semisweet chocolate chips
- Light brown sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Dark chocolate
- Large marshmallows
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Hot Chocolate Cookies
This is such an easy hot cocoa cookie recipe recipe! Full instructions are provided in the recipe card below, but here’s an overview:
- Melt the chocolate chips and butter in the microwave, then combine with the sugar, vanilla, and eggs.
- Stir in the dry ingredients.
- Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.
- Roll the cookie dough into balls and bake for roughly 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes is up, carefully place a chunk of dark chocolate in the center of each cookie and top with half a marshmallow. Return to the oven and bake until the chocolate chunk is melted and the marshmallows puff up some.
Tip: Let the Cookies Cool
You’ll need to let these hot chocolate marshmallow cookies cool for another 10 minutes before serving them. The marshmallows are essentially molten hot when they first come out of the oven, and you could seriously burn your mouth if you try to eat the cookies right away!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Which is so nice since the holiday season can get incredibly busy. These hot chocolate cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
I don’t see why not! If there’s a certain flavor of marshmallow you like in your cup of hot chocolate, feel free to use that in place of regular marshmallows. I bet chocolate or peppermint marshmallows would work nicely in this recipe.
No, you must use unsweetened cocoa powder in the cookie dough. If you use hot chocolate mix (which contains extra sugar, dry milk powder, and additional ingredients), your cookies will end up being sickeningly sweet. As such, I don’t recommend using hot chocolate mix in this recipe.
Maybe? I prefer having a gooey marshmallow on top of the hot chocolate cookie so I have no idea if adding mini marshmallows to the cookie dough before baking it would work or not.
The chocolate cookie dough is very soft and must be chilled for 2 hours before forming into mounds and baking. It’s more like brownie batter than cookie dough but firms up in the fridge. If you accidentally over-chill it and it becomes too firm, allow bowl to rest on counter until you can scoop it.
Recipe Variations to Try
These hot chocolate marshmallow cookies are very easy to make, and you can customize the recipe a few different ways if desired.
- Chocolate chunks (on top): I bet you could add something other than dark chocolate chunks to the top of each cookie. Readers have suggested toppings like peppermint patties, caramel-filled chocolate squares, Rolos, and more. I haven’t tried any of these variations myself, but they all sound so good!
- Chocolate chips (in the dough): I used semi-sweet chocolate chips, but for a different flavor profile you could use milk or dark chocolate chips instead (or a blend).
- Marshmallows: I cut large marshmallows in half, but you can add a few mini marshmallows on top if that’s all you have.
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Hot Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- one 12-ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 ¼ cups light brown sugar, packed
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- about 8 ounces dark chocolate, diced into 1/2-inch pieces (I used a Trader Joe’s Pound Plus Dark Chocolate Bar)
- about 12 large marshmallows, cut in half
Instructions
- To a medium, microwave-safe bowl, add the butter, chocolate chips, and heat on high power to melt for 1 minute. Stop to check and stir. Heat in 15-second bursts, stopping to stir after each burst, until chocolate has melted and can be stirred smooth (You’ll likely only need 1 or 2 bursts). Alternatively, melt the chocolate chips and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until just melted. Allow melted chocolate mixture to stand for 5 minutes to cool slightly.
- To a separate large bowl, add the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat with a handheld electric mixer on medium speed just until blended, about 1 minute.
- Add the cooled chocolate mixture and beat on medium speed until just until combined, about 1 minute. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat on low speed just until combined, about 1 minute. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until dough has firmed up significantly. If you accidentally over-chill it and it becomes too firm, allow bowl to rest on counter until you can scoop it.
- Preheat oven to 325F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop form dough mounds and place them on the baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet).
- Flatten slightly and bake for 10 minutes, or until edges and tops have just set, even if slightly undercooked and glossy in the center.
- Remove baking sheet from oven, add 1 piece of dark chocolate to the center of each cookie, pushing down very slightly just so it breaks the surface and sinks down.
- Place one marshmallow half on the top of each piece of chocolate on all the cookies, pushing down very slightly so the marshmallow adheres.
- Return baking sheet to oven and bake for about 5 minutes, or just until marshmallows have puffed; don’t let them brown and don’t overbake. Cookies firm up as they cool.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don’t use a rack.
Notes
- Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Chocolate Christmas Cookie Recipes:
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Mexican Chocolate Shortbread Cookies – These buttery shortbread cookies are full of chocolate, cinnamon-and-sugar, and a bit of spice thanks to a couple unique ingredients! They remind me of a good cup of Mexican hot chocolate, in cookie form.
Softbatch Cream Cheese Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookies — Cream cheese keeps them super soft! Say hello to your new favorite chocolate cookie!
Soft and Chewy Nutella White Chocolate Chip Cookies – Thick, rich, chocolaty cookies that are so soft you won’t be able to resist them!
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Caramel-Stuffed Quadruple Chocolate Cookies – Soft and chewy cookies with four kinds of chocolate and so much gooey caramel!
Andes Mint Chip Soft Fudgy Chocolate Cookies – Big, thick, fudgy chocolate cookies with a hint of mint and loads of chocolate in every bite!
Devil’s Food Cake Cookies — Foolproof cookies made with just 5 ingredients!! If you’re craving chocolate and want to make super EASY cookies that are soft, FUDGY, and delicious, this is the recipe to make!!
Originally published November 12, 2015 and republished on December 25, 2019 with updated text.
If eating them the next day, do you recommend warming them up to get the melty chocolate + gooey marshmallow effect? iOr are they also good cooled down?
They’re fine cooled. Of course, many would say that there’s nothing quite the same as a freshly baked, warm cookie. So if that’s your goal, I would do 5-10 secs in your microwave, or as needed.
na
Great recipe. I will definitely make these again probably around Christmas.
great
nice brown awesomeness! real yummy n gots lots a flavor! I really like it’s yummehness n stuff
Made these; more like brownies than cookies. Kids love them! the marshmallows turn into a gooey mess quickly so I don’t recommend more than 2-3 min in the oven after adding marshmallows.
Can these be frozen once they have been baked?
Yes but I would freeze the dough balls and then bake when ready rather than freezing already-made cookies.
These cookies look amazing! I need them in my life asap!
Paige
https://thehappyflammily.com
They are so yummy! Great to make this time of year!
TRASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I followed the recipe, but when I went to remove the cookies after cooling, they are very gooey on the bottom middle (still like batter.) This is the second time I’ve made them, and the same thing happened both times. What am I doing wrong?!
They are not done yet. Bake longer – that is variable depending on your oven, size of the cookies, etc.
I’m making these as part of a Christmas gift for my sister, but I have to ship them. What’s the best way to package these to survive travel? Obviously expedited shipping, but should I freeze them first or add cold pack or something to help them survive?
I would make sure to underbake them slightly so they don’t dry out. Freezing them would dry them out even more so don’t do that. Just package them carefully and ship them. Google the topic – there are tons of posts on it.
Is there a gluten-free version of this recipe that you’ve tried?
Personally no I have not tried a gluten-free recipe for these. However a lot of the gluten-free baking flours these days are a direct one to one replacement, you may want to check one of those out.
Bri, I made these by swapping flour with trader Joe’s all purpose gluten free flour and added 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum. They came out great!
Glad to hear that TJs GF flour and xanthum gum worked great for you!
I get why you can’t toast the mashmallow in the oven since it will overbake the cookie but do you think you could toast the marshmallow with a blow torch for crispy marshmallow goodness?
I’m sure that you can experiment with doing that and see how it goes for you.
When freezing and defrosting to put in oven, so you do so in refrigerator overnight before baking? Do they get wet when defrosting and do you need more flour to compensate? I’d like to premake dough this week for Xmas next week…thanks
Just make the dough as normal, scoop into balls, freeze that balls, and when ready to bake, you can bake them directly from freezer to oven, no need to thaw; just add another couple minutes to the baking time. Sort of like you don’t need to thaw a frozen pizza before baking it – just go straight from freezer to oven.
I made a couple of experimental recipes for Christmas this year, and this was, by far, the most successful one. Very rich and decadent, they’re just so tempting, and the puffy, gooey, marshmallow on top just seals the deal. These are delicious, and everyone in the family was asking for the recipe. Hello, new tradition! Thank you so much for the recipe!
I am glad the cookies will become a new tradition and I am happy to hear that my cookies were by far the most successful of the new experiments! Glad they were a family hit!