BEST Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

These Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies Recipe are so full of flavor. Easy to make and the absolute best, the texture is true bliss: soft and chewy like an absolutely perfect chocolate crinkle. Like any good hot chocolate, the cookies are topped with mini marshmallows which brown to gooey stretchy perfection. A perfect Christmas Cookie, they are fun to put on cookie plates for neighbors or coworkers!

This chewy fudgy deliciousness is mostly enjoyed in the wintertime, but my son begs me to make them year-round!

This recipe was inspired by Jeni's Mexican hot chocolate ice cream and my love for cookies. Pair these with our Chai Cookies, White Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies and Molasses Crinkle Cookies for entertaining or neighbor gifts. You'll have a well-rounded variety with a lot of fun flavors.

Ingredients

• butter - I use unsalted
• sugar - regular granulated
• eggs - large
• vanilla - real vanilla is recommended over imitation
• flour - regular all-purpose
• cocoa powder - unsweetened
• baking soda- make sure it's fresh!
• cinnamon
• cayenne pepper
• salt - regular table salt
• chocolate chips - I use semi-sweet
• marshmallows - miniature

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350*F. In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a large bowl and hand mixer: Start by creaming the softened butter and sugar together on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat on high speed for 1 more minute. Then add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and salt and mix just until combined. Measure in the chocolate chips and stir using a spatula, just until combined.

Spoon dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet. The dough mounds should be about 1.5 tablespoons in size and 1.5" apart. Place in the refrigerator for about 8-10 minutes. After refrigerating use your finger to make an indent in the center of each dough mound. Dampen your finger slightly to prevent it from sticking. Finally place 3 mini mallows or ⅓ of a large marshmallow in the indentation. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the top is matte and the edges are set. Be careful not to overbake!

Hint: After a LOT of testing, we found that three mini mallows worked much better than large marshmallows, as far as looks and aesthetics are concerned.

Substitutions

• Without Chocolate Chips- Sometimes I prefer these without chocolate chips! Simply leave out the chocolate chips if you don't want them.
• Marshmallow Bits - to make these even more fun, add in 1 cup of Marshmallow Bits for even more of that hot cocoa feel.
• Hershey's kisses hot cocoa cookies - instead of marshmallows on top, top with a hershey's kiss or even a hershey's hot cocoa kiss! We recommend pairing this with the marshmallow bits variation.

Variations

• Mild - take out the cayenne pepper for non-spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
• Extra Spicy - we like these extra spicy and sometimes double or even triple the cayenne pepper.
• Peppermint - these are really fun as Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cookies Recipe. Add 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract (not oil or flavor, or you'll get different results) at the same time as the vanilla, then omit the cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Add 3 chopped up candy canes to make them extra special!
• Peppermint (alternative) - leave out the cinnamon and cayenne and substitute the chocolate chips for Nestle Peppermint Chips.

Equipment

• Baking Sheet
• Mixing Bowl
• Hand Mixer OR Stand Mixer

These cookies can absolutely be made without an electric mixer. The texture might turn out a little different, as you won't be able to properly cream together the wet ingredients.

Storage and Freezing

The cookie dough can be made up to 2 days in advance, store in the refrigerator. If freezing the dough, form into dough balls before freezing. Place frozen dough balls on cookie sheet and allow to thaw for 20 minutes before baking. May need to bake longer.

These store well in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You're in luck if you have leftovers, because these taste great the next day!

Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. These cookies are delicious frozen! Place in the freezer while still slightly warm. When thawing they will be soft and chewy.

Top Tip

While placing the mini marshmallows, make sure to have them all super close together in the indentation, or even on top of each other. This keeps them looking nice and from spreading wherever they want.

Recipe

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

Nicole

The cookies are soft and chewy Mexican hot chocolate cookies topped with a gooey stretchy marshmallow for the perfect winter cookie.

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5 from 5 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings 20 cookies

Calories/serving 143 kcal

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
• ▢ 1 cup sugar
• ▢ 2 eggs
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 cup flour
• ▢ ¾ cup cocoa powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ¼-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper ¼ just gives the slightest hint of a kick of spice, whereas ½ teaspoon is more noticeable.
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
• ▢ mini marshmallows

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350*F.
• Cream the softened butter and sugar together on medium speed for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat on high speed for 1 minute.
• Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and salt and mix on low just until combined. Measure in the chocolate chips and stir using a spatula, just until combined.
• Spoon dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet, about 1.5 tablespoons in size. Place in the refrigerator for about 8-10 minutes.
• After refrigerating use your finger to and make an indent in the center of each dough mound. Dampen finger slightly to prevent from sticking. Place 3 mini marshmallows or ⅓ of a large marshmallow in the indentation. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the top is matte and the edges are set. Be careful not to overbake! 
• Enjoy!

Notes

These cookies taste great when cooled, in face almost better than when they are warm. Store at room temperature in an airtight container up to 3 days. 

Freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months. I like to put them in the freezer while they are still slightly warm- doing this makes them soft and chewy when they thaw.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookieCalories: 143kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 2gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 92mgPotassium: 98mgFiber: 2gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 146IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 14mgIron: 1mg

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