Chocolate chip cookie wrapped around a fudgy center and topped with melted marshmallows. These Hot Chocolate Cookies taste like hot cocoa, turned into a cookie!
12 DAYS OF HOLIDAY TREATS: 2021
Today starts 2021’s SugarSpicesLife 12 Days of Holiday Treats! If you missed last year’s recipes you can check them out here.
Disclaimer: It will not be 12 consecutive days of recipes. But 12 before Christmas!
I have a lot of recipes that I CANNOT wait to share, and I’m starting with a family favorite today: Hot Chocolate Cookies.
Hot Chocolate Cookies
Despite the name, these cookies do not contain any hot chocolate mix. They are simply my version of hot chocolate, turned into a cookie. Kinda like a brookie with melted marshmallows. I think you’ll like them.
Step 1: Cookie Dough
First, you want to make the cookie dough. It contains:
- Unsalted butter
- Sugar
- Light brown sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- All purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
After the dough has been made, you want to chill it for a least an hour. If you chill it longer, that’s fine, but you may have to let it sit out for a minute or two to be able to shape it. Just make sure you don’t skip the chilling. If you do, your cookies will likely spread too much.
Step 2: Chocolate Filling
While the cookie dough is chilling, you can make the chocolate filling. It’s very similar to a brownie. The filling uses:
- Bittersweet chocolate
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- All purpose flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Salt
Once the filling has been put together, form it into teaspoon (one) sized balls. Place the balls in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before the next step. This helps to prevent the fudgy center from over-cooking, and it also helps to prevent the cookies from spreading too much.
Step 3: Assembly and Baking
Scoop the dough into about 1.5 tablespoon sized balls and flatten each one out so that they make circles that are about 3-4 inches in diameter. Place the frozen fudge ball into the center of the dough and fold up the cookie around the outside.
You may choose to cover the fudge ball completely with cookie dough, but it doesn’t have the same look as a cup of hot chocolate – which I enjoy.
Bake the cookies for 9-10 minutes, or until they are just starting to turn golden brown. Pull the tray out of the oven and quickly add 3-4 mini marshmallows to the top of each cookie.
Return the cookies to the oven and bake for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown and the marshmallows have begun to melt. If you leave the marshmallows too long, they’ll become liquidy and will not be as pretty.
Finally, let the cookies cool COMPLETELY on the cookie sheet before moving them. Although the cookies taste amazing when they are hot, they’ll fall apart. In other words, I recommended you eat one hot, but share the ones that have cooled.
These Hot Chocolate Cookies are a unique holiday treat that will be a unique addition to your holiday cookie tray!
Hot Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar gently packed
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Filling
- 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate melted
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar gently packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Assembly
- ~2 cups mini marshmallows
Instructions
Cookies
- Use electric mixer to cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add egg and mix until well incorporated, scraping down sides as needed. Mix in vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Beat into butter mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time, until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
- Place dough in refrigerator for at least one hour to chill. It is okay to chill longer, but you may need to let it sit out for a few minutes to be able to shape the dough.
Filling
- Use electric mixer to mix melted chocolate, melted butter, and sugar until well combined, about 1-2 minutes. Then add egg and vanilla, mixing until well combined and lightened in color.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Then beat into butter mixture until well combined.
- Place batter into ~1 teaspoon sized clumps on a baking sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes. If clumps are not round, you can form them into a ball after they have chilled.
Assembly
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Form cookie dough into balls ~1.5 tablespoon in size. Flatten each ball to a circle ~3-4 inches in diameter. Place a chocolate filling ball on the cookie dough and fold up the sides around the chocolate, but letting part of the chocolate show through on top.
- Place on prepared baking sheet 2-3 inches apart.
- Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until cookie is just beginning to turn golden.
- Remove from oven and quickly place 3-4 mini marshmallows on top of each cookie. Bake for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until cookies are baked to a golden brown color and the marshmallows have melted a bit.
- Let cookies cool completely on cookie sheet before removing them from the sheet (this will take about 10-15 minutes).
Disclaimer: All nutritional information provided on this website is an estimate only and is not guaranteed.
If you enjoyed these Hot Chocolate Cookies you may also enjoy these other SugarSpicesLife recipes:
Crème Brûlée Cookies
Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies
S’mores Cake
Churro Rice Krispie Treats
Orange Chocolate Cookies
