Hot Chocolate Cookies are slightly crispy on the outside, with a moist and dense chocolaty center; complete with mini marshmallow bits! These are substantial cookies, meaning that they are thick and filling. Great for dunking in hot chocolate too!
The moment my eyes fell on a jar of mini marshmallow bits a few weeks ago, I knew I had to have them. I had no idea what I would do with them, but they beckoned to me so loudly, I happily paid the $4 and after some thought, I settled on these Hot Chocolate Cookies!
The thought of making a hot chocolate something crossed my mind, but I was leaning more toward a hot beverage, but that’s been done too many times already. Then I thought about something with melted chocolate and pretzels, but that’s been done too.
Hot Chocolate Cookies have been done, yes, but I couldn’t help myself. They had to be made! They had to be a part of Lord Byron’s 24 Cookies of Christmas – Volume 2. Alas, Dear Reader, the recipe you see below is the result of a simple bottle of marshmallow bits.
WHAT ARE MARSHMALLOW BITS? AND WILL REAL MARSHMALLOWS WORK?
Marshmallow bits are basically dehydrated marshmallows. They are the type you’d find in breakfast cereal for kids. They’ve become really popular in ice cream shops and in lots of confections you see in bakeries.
I would take the time to explain to you where I got mine, but I already know that a store on the side of a country road in rural Ontario is not that accessible to everyone. Ha! The best place to get them is at Walmart, Target, or online.
Since I’ve recently jumped on the Amazon Prime bandwagon, I’ll share this link with you. Kraft was not the brand I used, but the ingredients are the same and so is the size of the marshmallow bits. The brand I used was actually Gourmet Village.
Real marshmallows will not work. If you bake real mini marshmallows, they will melt down completely and your cookies will end up being a gooey mess! Save the real marshmallows for the hot chocolate!
MORE CHRISTMAS COOKIE RECIPES!
Did you know that I’ve been posting a 24 Cookies of Christmas series for a few years now? There are over 100 Christmas cookie recipes that you can find right here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen! To make it easier to find, I have created a page for each series. Just click on the image below and you’ll find the full series for that volume all one page!
LET’S TALK VARIATIONS!
There are a few things you can do to change the cookie should you wish to do so. First, you can leave out the marshmallows and just have yourself the most delicious, moist, chocolaty, cookie ever!
Secondly, you can make this cookie a little more Christmasy should you wish to do so. Why not try substituting the vanilla extract with peppermint extract? Then, just before baking, add a sprinkling of crushed candy canes on top along with the marshmallow bits and chocolate chips!
One last variation is to leave this cookie as a regular hot chocolate cookie and not a double chocolate cookie. To do so, simply omit the cocoa powder and bake as per the instructions.
SPEAKING OF COCOA POWDER
Cocoa powder is an unsweetened chocolate product which adds deep chocolate flavor to desserts and beverages. Use a good quality cocoa powder, not the kind we used to stir into milk as kids! I have two types of cocoa that I use when baking. In a cookie like this Hot Chocolate Cookie, just a regular, inexpensive cocoa powder will do just fine. Even though I don’t care for Hershey’s chocolate, I do like to use Hershey’s cocoa powder for cookies.
If, however, I’m making a cake or a cookie recipe with very few ingredients, I want to use a better quality cocoa powder. For me, Fry’s Premium Quality Cocoa has all that I’m looking for. It has a stronger chocolatey scent than other cocoa powders. When it comes to flavour, Fry’s wins out again. The only thing that Fry’s doesn’t offer is a deeper, chocolatey colour like you see in the photos. I find that Hershey’s does the better job in terms of colour.
MORE CHRISTMAS CONFECTIONS!
In some cases, we want more than a cookie. That’s why I have two more Christmas-themed collections you might want to consider. The first, is my 12 Bundt Cakes of Christmas, and the second is my 12 Biscotti of Christmas. Click on the image below to see each collection all on one page with links to each recipe!
STORING, PACKAGING, AND FREEZING
These cookies will stay fresh for about 3-5 days in a covered container and in a cool place. But, if you plan to freeze these cookies, use a food-safe container that can be frozen. You’ll want to ensure a very tight fitting lid too. (I use these quite often when freezing baked goods.) I like to place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the container before pushing the lid on. This helps to create a better seal. The goal is to keep all of that cookie freshness locked in!
You can freeze these cookies for up to three months. They will come out of the freezer looking just like they did when you put them in there. Once you thaw them, they will taste just as fresh, and be just as soft, as the day you first baked them.
If you’re feeling extra festive, make a double batch and share these with your friends and neighbours. I cannot tell you enough times how much people love to receive homemade Christmas cookies. And it feels so good to do so!
Hot Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups mini milk chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup mini dehydrated marshmallows, see notes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, use a hand-held mixer to beat together the butter and the sugar until well combined.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat into the butter and sugar mixture.
- Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add it to the wet ingredients and mix until well incorporated.
- Next, stir in 1 cup of mini milk chocolate chips.
- Portion out 1 heaping tablespoon of the cookie dough. Roll into a ball and place onto the prepared baking sheet.
- With the palm of your hand, flatten the cookie ball to just under half of an inch thick. Top the cookie with a few of the remaining milk chocolate chips and press in a few mini dehydrated marshmallows.
- Repeat until you have used up all of the cookie dough, leaving two inches of space between each cookie.
- Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.
Notes
Nutrition
Jeni says
Where were you able to find mini milk chocolate chips? All I can find are semi-sweet.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Hi Jeni – have you looked for the Hershey brand at Walmart? https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/hersheys-chipits-mini-kisses-milk-chocolate-baking-pieces/6000054367032?cmpid=sem_google_en_pla_none_6530281610_83783310932_None&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=CjwKCAiAiML-BRAAEiwAuWVggupeNyYyYfmgwSvobaKvhKeYvJlrPWzkNUdwRO3dl3ER3SiZ8ZQ52RoCK-wQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds