Hot Cocoa Cookies with Marshmallows
These hot cocoa cookies are rich with chocolate flavor, chocolate chips, and gooey marshmallows. The edges are thin and crispy with a chewy center. By rolling them in sugar, it gives a crunchy exterior.
Overview
- Skill Level: Beginner
- Technique Used: Creaming Method for Cookies
I love creating cookies that remind me of other seasonal treats! Hot cocoa with mini marshmallows is the perfect drink to sip on when the weather turns cold. I wanted to recreate that cozy feeling in a cookie.
These hot cocoa cookies have a similar chocolate cookie base to my Spicy Chocolate Cookies but without the spicy cayenne. They’re stuffed with mini marshmallows and then rolled in crunchy sugar. They bake up pretty thin on the edges while the center remains chewy.
You’ll find these cookies to be rich in dark chocolate flavor, crunchy with the sugared exterior, and gooey in the center from the marshmallows.
How to make hot cocoa cookies
These hot cocoa cookies are made using the creaming method for cookies. By creaming together the room temperature butter and sugar, it increases the volume of the cookie dough and helps to lighten and leaven.
There are a few steps to complete in making these delicious cookies. Let’s get started!
Make the cookie dough
Cream the butter and sugar
Start with soft, room temperature butter and cream it together with the brown sugar until it is very light in color and fluffy. This typically takes about 2-3 full minutes.
Mix in the Wet Ingredients
Mix in the egg and vanilla extract. Make sure to periodically scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is incorporated.
Mix in the Dry Ingredients
In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. This includes the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl and mix until just incorporated.
Don’t over-mix at this point or your cookies will become dry and tough. Stop mixing when there is just a little bit of white flour visible.
Fold in the chocolate chips
Gently fold in the dark chocolate chips until they are fully incorporated and you no longer see any white streaks of flour.
Chill
Place the entire bowl of cookie dough into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. This will firm the dough making it easier to scoop and roll.
If chilling longer than 30 minutes, wrap the bowl in plastic wrap.
Scoop and fill the dough
Take the bowl of dough out of the refrigerator and scoop rounded mounds of cookie dough (about 2 tablespoons each) and place on a baking sheet. These cookies will spread a bit in the oven so I wouldn’t make them any larger. Continue until all of the dough is used.
Take one dough ball in your hands and press your thumb into the middle to create a well. Place 4-5 mini marshmallows into the well. Close the cookie dough over the marshmallows so that it’s fully sealed and roll in between your hands. Repeat with all of the cookies. If the dough gets too sticky, place back in the refrigerator for a few minutes.
In a shallow dish or bowl, measure out the granulated sugar and roll the filled dough balls into the sugar until evenly coated.
Chill the filled dough balls
Place the baking sheet of filled cookie dough balls into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to overnight. This step is crucial to ensure that the marshmallows don’t ooze out too much in the oven essentially evaporating them.
Bake
Bake on 350°F/176°C for about 10-11 minutes until the edges look set. The middle of the cookies will look underdone but they will continue to set as they cool. It is normal for some marshmallow to ooze out. Do not over-bake or you risk evaporating the marshmallow entirely.
Let cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack.
Storage
Store cooled cookies in an airtight container for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Make-Ahead Cookies
After scooping and filling the cookie dough balls, place them close together on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Freeze until solid (overnight or at least for 8 hours).
Move the cookie dough balls into a plastic zipper bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen as directed adding 2-3 additional minutes. No need to thaw.
MORE RECIPES FROM BAKER BETTIE!
If you loved this recipe, you might like to try these other delicious chocolate cookie recipes!
Hot Cocoa Cookies with Marshmallows
Hot cocoa cookies are rich with chocolate flavor, chocolate chips, and gooey marshmallows. The edges are thin and crispy with a chewy center. By rolling them in sugar, it gives a crunchy exterior.
Ingredients
- 113 grams (½ cup, 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 300 grams (1 ½ cups) brown sugar, light or dark
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 40 grams (½ cup) cocoa powder
- 180 grams (1 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
- 150 grams (1 cup) dark chocolate chips
For Filling and Rolling
- about 90 (1 ¼ cups) mini marshmallows, *see note below
- 50 grams (¼ cup) granulated sugar
Instructions
PREP:
- At least 30 minutes before making your cookies, set out the butter (113 grams/ ½ cup) and egg (1 large) to come to room temperature.
- Measure out the rest of the ingredients.
Make the Cookie Dough:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter with the brown sugar (300 grams/ 1 ½ cups) on medium/high speed. Cream for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl periodically.
- Add the egg and the vanilla extract (1 tablespoon). Mix on medium speed until combined.
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the baking soda (1 teaspoon), salt (1 teaspoon), cocoa powder (40 grams/ ½ cup), and flour (180 grams/ 1 ½ cups).
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and mix on medium/low speed until just incorporated, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Fold in the dark chocolate chips (150 grams/ 1 cup).
- Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
- Scoop rounded mounds of cookie dough (about 2 tablespoons each) and place on a baking sheet. Continue until all of the dough is used.
- Take one dough ball in your hands and press your thumb into the middle to create a well. Place 4-5 mini marshmallows into the well. Close the cookie dough over the marshmallows so that it's fully sealed and roll in between your hands. Repeat with all of the cookies. If the dough gets too sticky, place back in the refrigerator for a few minutes.
- In a shallow dish or bowl, measure out the granulated sugar (50 grams/ ¼ cup) and roll the filled dough balls into the sugar until evenly coated.
- Place the baking sheet of filled cookie dough balls into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
Bake the Cookies:
- Position two oven racks on the top third and the bottom third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F/176°C. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Bake two cookie sheets at a time for 10-11 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven when the edges look set and the cookies look slightly underbaked in the center. They will continue cooking after they are removed from the oven. Do not over-bake or the marshmallow will evaporate.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before moving them to cooling racks to cool completely.
Notes
*I have successfully made this recipe using marshmallow creme instead of mini marshmallows. Place the creme into a piping bag or sandwich bag with the end snipped off. Pipe about 2 teaspoons of creme into each dough ball. Continue the recipe as instructed.
This version bakes up the same way but is a littler messier to assemble which is why I recommend using mini marshmallows.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
