Hot Chocolate Cookies
Vegan marshmallows, a rich chocolate dough, and melted chocolate on top make these Hot Chocolate Cookies an instant classic! They’re easy to make and perfect for the holidays.
Oh boy, you are in for a treat with these Hot Chocolate Cookies! I’m already planning on adding them to my Christmas cookie trays with this year, along with my usual Vegan Sugar Cookies and Gingersnap Molasses Cookies. They’re chewy, gooey, and chocolatey, with a chewy chocolate cookie base, fluffy vegan marshmallow, and melted chocolate chips to seal it all together. I use my Vegan Marshmallows to make these, but you can also use store-bought to make things easier.
Why These Cookies Are the Perfect Addition to Your Holiday Cookie Menu
I always look forward to putting together the list of cookies I’m going to make for the holidays each year. Do you do that too? Here’s why I think these hot chocolate cookies deserve a spot on your baking list!
- Easy to make. Even though these look a little more elaborate than your average Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies, they’re quite easy! They just take a few extra steps for the topping.
- Your favourite winter drink in cookie form. With all the chocolate and those puffy, gooey marshmallows, these hot chocolate cookies are everything you love about Vegan Hot Chocolate!
- Simple vegan swaps. I use applesauce as the vegan egg substitute in this recipe, along with vegan butter to give the cookies a rich flavour and chewy texture.
Notes on Ingredients
Like most cookie recipes, this one starts with a lot of pantry staples. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- All-purpose flour – To make these hot chocolate cookies gluten-free, swap in a 1:1 gluten-free flour.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – Not hot cocoa powder, which is sweetened!
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Vegan butter – I like to use my homemade Vegan Butter.
- Light brown sugar – Using light brown sugar helps give the cookies a chewy texture.
- Applesauce – Make sure it’s unsweetened.
- Vanilla extract
- Vegan dark chocolate – This is added to the dough to make it extra chocolatey.
- Vegan marshmallows – Homemade or store-bought. The jumbo-size Dandies would be perfect. Just slice them into rounds! (Learn more: Are Marshmallows Vegan?)
- Semi-sweet chocolate – To melt for the topping.
How to Make Hot Chocolate Cookies
Here’s a step-by-step look at making these festive cookies.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Mix the wet ingredients. Whisk the melted vegan butter, brown sugar, applesauce, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Finish the dough. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, then fold in the chopped vegan dark chocolate.
- Chill. Cover the bowl of dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Form the cookies. Roll 2 tablespoons of dough into a ball for each cookie. Set them on a parchment-lined baking sheet with 2 inches of space between each.
- Bake. Bake the cookies in a 350ºF oven for 10 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers are still soft.
- Add the marshmallows. Remove the pan from the oven and gently press a marshmallow half into the center of each cookie. Return the pan to the oven for 2–4 minutes, just until the marshmallows puff slightly.
- Cool. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Melt the chocolate. Melt the semi-sweet chocolate in a double boiler or the microwave.
- Add the topping. Spoon the melted chocolate over the hot chocolate cookies and let the chocolate set before serving or storing.
Tips and Variations
- Don’t skip the chilling. This keeps the cookies from spreading when you bake them so they’re thick and chewy.
- Add sprinkles to the chocolate. They’ll give these cookies a festive touch!
- Make them minty. Crush candy canes or starlite mints and sprinkle those over the chocolate before it sets as an alternative to sprinkles that will add a little crunch and minty flavour.
How to Store
Once the chocolate sets, you can store these hot chocolate cookies in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers. They’ll keep up to 1 week.
More Vegan Cookie Recipes
Enjoy friends! If you make this hot chocolate cookie recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Hot Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 190g
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 60g
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda, 3g
- ¼ teaspoon salt, 1g
- ¾ cup vegan butter, melted – 170g
- 1 cup light brown sugar, 200g
- 6 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce, 90g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 5mL
- ½ cup vegan dark chocolate, chopped – 80g
- 10-11 vegan marshmallows, about 1 inch thick*
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped – 226g (for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the melted vegan butter, light brown sugar, applesauce, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until just combined. Fold in the chopped vegan dark chocolate.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes to firm up.
- Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie and roll into balls. Place on the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches of space between each.
- Bake for 10 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers are still soft.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and gently press a marshmallow half into the center of each cookie. Return to the oven for 2–4 minutes, just until the marshmallows puff slightly.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While cookies cool, melt the chopped semi-sweet chocolate using a double boiler, or in a microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between intervals until smooth.
- Spoon the melted chocolate over each marshmallow-topped cookie. Add sprinkles if desired. Allow the chocolate to set at room temperature for 30–60 minutes before serving.
Notes
- *I cut out rounds from my marshmallows just for the look, but it’s completely optional.
- To store: Once the chocolate sets, you can store these hot chocolate cookies in an airtight container with parchment paper between the layers. They’ll keep up to 1 week.
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
