On chilly winter days here in Colorado, I love making a mug of steaming hot chocolate topped with melting mini marshmallows. When I developed this recipe for Hot Chocolate Cookies with Marshmallows, my goal was to capture that same cozy feeling in a soft, decadent cookie!
These cocoa cookies have quickly become a favorite with my friends and family. The chewy centers, crisp edges, and melty marshmallows make them an irresistible treat! They’re perfect for Christmas cookie trays, holiday parties, afternoon snacking, and cozy nights by the fire.
If you love simple homemade drop cookies, be sure to check out my recipes for salted chocolate chip cookies, molasses crinkle cookies and oatmeal cookies with chocolate and butterscotch chips.
Making cookies for the holidays? You might enjoy these 30 pretty Christmas cookies that are easy to make.
The Sweetest Season & Cookies for Kids’ Cancer
This recipe is part of The Sweetest Season, an annual virtual cookie swap co-hosted by Erin of The Speckled Palate and Susannah of Feast + West.
Each year, food bloggers get together to share new holiday cookie recipes to make and give.
About Cookies for Kids’ Cancer
Since 2008, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer has granted nearly $18 million to pediatric cancer research in the form of 100+ research grants to leading pediatric cancer centers across the country. From these grants have stemmed 35+ treatments available to kids battling cancer today.
Help us raise money for this important cause! We invite you to donate through our fundraising page.
Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is currently in a matching window with their friends at OXO, who will be matching every dollar raised through the end of 2025, up to $100,000. The money we raise will automatically double for this special cause!
Now, let’s get baking!
Why You’ll Love This Chewy Chocolate Cookie Recipe
The flavor will remind you of hot cocoa topped with mini marshmallows, in a fun, handheld cookie.
The cookies are soft in the center with slightly crisp edges, and melting mini marshmallows on top make them extra special.
They’re a special treat to share with friends, neighbors, at a holiday cookie exchange, or with fellow chocolate lovers!
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
Here’s a photo of what you’ll need to make these chewy cocoa cookies:
Unsalted Butter
For the best texture, make sure your butter is softened to room temperature. It should press easily with a finger but still hold its shape. If you forget to take it out ahead of time, you can soften butter quickly by cutting it into cubes and letting it sit for 10–15 minutes. If you only have salted butter, reduce the added salt in the recipe by about half.
Brown Sugar
Either light or dark brown sugar works beautifully in these cookies. Dark brown sugar will give them a deeper, richer molasses flavor, while light keeps the taste a bit milder. When measuring, firmly press the sugar into the measuring cup so it’s tightly packed.
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Use natural, unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe. It offers the best classic hot-chocolate flavor and reacts properly with the baking soda and baking powder for the right cookie texture. Dutch-process cocoa can be used in a pinch, but the flavor and rise will be slightly different.
Baking Powder
Make sure your baking powder is fresh and soft, not clumpy.
Fine Sea Salt
Fine sea salt blends more evenly into cookie dough than coarse salt, ensuring the flavor is balanced throughout.
Hot Cocoa Mix
This is the secret ingredient that amplifies the hot-chocolate flavor in every bite. Any basic hot cocoa mix works here. Avoid specialty mixes with large chocolate chunks or added marshmallows, which can affect the texture.
Milk
A splash of milk loosens the dough slightly so the cookies bake up thick and tender. Whole milk is best, but 2% works well too. You can substitute a non-dairy milk if needed, though the flavor will be a touch different.
Semisweet Chocolate Chunks
Chocolate chunks melt into little pockets throughout the cookies, adding richness and texture. Semisweet is my favorite, but feel free to use milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or even white chocolate if that’s what you love.
Mini Marshmallows
These melt beautifully and give the cookies their signature “hot cocoa” look. If you only have large marshmallows, you can cut them in smaller pieces with kitchen scissors before pressing them into the warm cookies.
Step by Step Instructions
STEP ONE: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
STEP TWO: Cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together in a stand mixer (or you can use a large bowl with a hand mixer) until the mixture looks light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each, then stir in the vanilla.
STEP THREE: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, hot cocoa mix, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in two batches, mixing just until everything comes together. Pour in the milk to loosen the dough a bit, then fold in the chocolate chunks. The dough will be thick (see photo below), and that’s exactly what you want.
STEP FOUR: Use a spoon to scoop big (2–3 tablespoons) mounds of dough onto your lined baking sheets, leaving plenty of space between them so they have room to spread.
STEP FIVE: Bake the cookies for 8 minutes, then pull the tray out and gently press a few mini marshmallows into the center of each one. Pop them back in the oven for another 2–3 minutes, just until the marshmallows puff up and the cookie edges look set but the centers are still nice and soft.
STEP SIX: Cool the cookies right on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 2 dozen large cookies.
Recipe Variations
For a festive holiday look, you can top the cookies with colorful sprinkles before baking.
For peppermint hot chocolate cookies, top the cookies with a sprinkle of crushed peppermint candy canes before baking.
For even more chocolate flavor, you can drizzle a little melted chocolate on top of the cookies.
How to Store the Cookies
I like to layer the cookies with waxed paper or parchment paper when storing, so they don’t stick together. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature, and plan to eat them within a few days for the best flavor.
Can You Freeze Hot Chocolate Cookies with Mini Marshmallows?
Yes, you can freeze these cookies. Layer them with waxed paper or parchment paper first, so they don’t stick together. Wrap them tightly and place in a freezer bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 months, and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
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Printable Recipe Card
Hot Cocoa Cookies
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- 2 baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- spoon or cookie scoop
- cooling rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons hot cocoa mix
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks
- 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer bowl or large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, hot cocoa mix, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two additions, mixing just until combined. Stir in the milk to slightly loosen the dough, then fold in the chocolate chunks; the dough will be thick.
- Scoop generous 2–3 tablespoon portions of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies several inches apart.
- Bake for 8 minutes, then remove the tray from the oven and gently press a few mini marshmallows into the center of each cookie. Return the cookies to the oven for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the marshmallows are puffed and the edges of the cookies are set while the centers remain soft.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 2 dozen large cookies.
Notes
Nutrition
Got questions? Just ask! I’m happy to help.
If you post your creations on social media, tag #HappySimpleLiving so I can share! Thank you for your support. – Eliza
Nutrition Disclaimer: All nutritional information shared on this site is an approximation. I am not a certified nutritionist, and any nutritional information should be used as a general guideline.
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Eliza Cross is the creator of Happy Simple Living, where she shares ideas to help busy people simplify cooking, gardening, holidays, home, and money. She is also the award-winning author of 17 cookbooks, including Small Bites and 101 Things To Do With Bacon.
