Fudgy Hot Cocoa Cookie Recipe
Hot Chocolate Cookies are easy-to-make brownie mix cookies that are topped with a gooey marshmallow and 4-ingredient hot chocolate icing! The perfect snow day snack or holiday party dessert!
This Hot Chocolate Cookie Recipe Is So Easy And Tasty!
Enjoy the flavors of your favorite winter drink in these Hot Chocolate Cookies! The chocolate brownie cookie, melted marshmallow, and cocoa icing makes for a cookie that will have you reaching for seconds!
With just 5 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of baking, they’re ready in no time! Making it an easy dessert option when you’re short on time yet want to bake up something absolutely delicious!
Rebecca’s Recipe Review
Taste: Chocolate, fudgy cookies topped with a sweet marshmallow, and a drizzle of hot chocolate icing!
Texture: Fudgy, chewy brownie cookies topped with a sticky, gooey marshmallow and smooth hot cocoa icing!
Ease: 3/10
Pros: Made with a boxed brownie mix for a quick and easy recipe.
Cons: None.
Would I Make This Again? Yes, my kids look forward to these cookies every year!
Ingredients For Hot Cocoa Cookies
- Ghirardelli Brownie Mix
- All-Purpose Flour
- Large Eggs
- Vegetable Oil
- Water
- Marshmallows
- Powdered Sugar
- Unsalted Butter
- Hot Chocolate Powder Mix
- Hot Water
- Holiday Sprinkles
Hot Chocolate Mix vs Cocoa Powder
Cocoa powder comes from the cocoa bean. It is made up of what’s left after the fat and butter and liquid has been removed leaving just the cocoa solids. These are then ground down into powder.
Hot chocolate mix has cocoa powder in it, amongst other ingredients such as sugar, powdered milk, whey powder, and more.
How To Make Hot Chocolate Cookies
- Prepare ingredients and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the brownie mix, flour, eggs, vegetable oil and water to a mixing bowl.
- Mix the ingredients until thoroughly combined.
- Portion the dough out with a cookie scoop on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 7 minutes, remove from the oven and top with marshmallows, then bake for an additional 2 to 4 minutes.
- While the cookies cool, add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, butter, and water into a bowl.
- Whisk together the ingredients until smooth.
- Immediately spoon over the top of the marshmallows.
- Immediately top with sprinkles and let the icing set before enjoying.
Rebecca’s Tips
- Brownie Mix – I’ve made this Hot Chocolate Cookies recipe with 18-ounce boxes of Ghirardelli brownie mix and Duncan Hines brownie mix. Both brands worked great in this recipe! Other mixes and sizes could change the final result of this cookie recipe.
- Thick Batter – This cookie batter does end up very thick and sticky! Therefore, I’d recommend mixing the dough with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Whisking the mix by hand or even with a whisk attachment on a stand mixer won’t work!
- Baking Time – Pay close attention to the cookies when baking! They cook quickly; just one extra minute could leave you with a not-so-fudgy center. Cookies without a fudgy center are likely caused by baking for too long. If you have a gas oven, I found 8 minutes to be the perfect amount of baking time. As for an electric oven, I think 8 to 9 minutes would be sufficient.
- Toasted Marshmallow – For a fun twist on flavor and appearance, you can broil these Hot Chocolate Cookies on low for a toasted marshmallow topping! Just keep a close on them to ensure they don’t burn.
How To Store Hot Cocoa Cookies
These Hot Chocolate Cookies are best served warm and fresh, allowing you to enjoy the gooey marshmallow! However, you can store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
What Makes Cookies Soft vs Crispy?
There are a lot of factors that can go into making a cookie soft vs crispy, here are some examples:
- Butter vs Oil
- Melted Butter vs Softened Butter vs Cold Butter
- Cornstarch
- Baking Powder vs Baking Soda
- Eggs
- Baking Time
- Baking Temperature
More Fun Hot Chocolate Treats To Enjoy:
- Hot Chocolate Muddy Buddies – Tossed with mini marshmallows and snowcaps candy!
- No Bake Hot Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats – A fun winter twist on the classic treat!
- Creamy Hot Chocolate Dip – Made with your favorite powdered hot cocoa mix!
- Easy Hot Chocolate Brownie Bites – An easy recipe that’s made with a boxed brownie mix!
- Hot Chocolate Cupcakes – Filled with sweet, sticky marshmallow fluff!
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Hot Cocoa Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 (18 oz.) box Ghirardelli Brownie Mix see notes
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon water
- 12 Marshmallows cut in half
Icing
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ¼ cup hot chocolate powder mix
- ¼ cup hot water
Topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the brownie mix, flour, eggs, oil, and water. Mix until thoroughly combined, scraping down the sides as needed. The dough will be very sticky.1 (18 oz.) box Ghirardelli Brownie Mix, ½ cup all-purpose flour, 2 large eggs, 5 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon water
- Use a medium cookie scoop to drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 7 to 9 minutes to start, cookies should have a thin film on top and the batter should no longer be glossy, should still be able to see small ripples of darker batter.
- Remove from the oven and press a marshmallow half, cut side down, into the center of each cookie. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 2 minutes. You can broil on low if you want a toasted marshmallow look and flavor, just keep a close eye on it so they don't burn.12 Marshmallows
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on pan for a couple of minutes before transferring to a cool rack to cool.
- Prepare the icing by whisking together the ingredients in a small bowl until smooth.2 cups powdered sugar, 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, ¼ cup hot chocolate powder mix, ¼ cup hot water
- Use a teaspoon to gently distribute the icing over the top of the marshmallow and cooled cookies, you may use more than 1 teaspoon of icing per cookie. Add sprinkles before the icing sets. Allow icing to set for at least 30 minutes before enjoying.holiday sprinkles
Notes
- I have only tested and made this recipe with 18-ounce boxes of Ghirardelli brownie mix and Duncan Hines brownie mix. Other mixes and sizes could change the outcome of the recipe.
- Betty Crocker’s brownie mix doesn’t contain baking soda and causes flat cookies. Some readers have had luck by adding 1 teaspoon of baking soda to the Betty Crocker mix but I have not tested it myself.
- These cookies are a little temperamental when it comes to baking time. You see, they cook pretty quickly, and one extra minute could mean a not-so-fudgy center (wahhhh, nobody wants that). I have a gas oven and I found the 8-minute was the perfect amount of time.
- You want these cookies to be slightly undercooked when you take them out of the oven because they will continue to cook a little on the baking sheet. I think if you have an electric oven, you’re going to want either 8 or 9 minutes of cook time, but test a couple of cookies first so you get them right where you want ’em!
- The batter is very thick and sticky, I do not recommend mixing it with a whisk or even with a whisk attachment for a stand mixer.
Nutrition
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These came together so quickly and they were a bit hit at the Scouts Christmas party – I was asked many times for the recipe so I sent them all the link! We opted to broil the marshmallows and it really added to the depth of flavor. My son and I had a great time making them together. I’d never made cookies using a brownie mix so now I might be hooked!
These look delicious! Can’t wait to try them! Do you think this icing would go good with a sugar cookie, too?
Thanks for sharing!
I think it would work well on soft sugar cookies, yes!