Description
Enjoy the cozy flavors of Hot Chocolate Cookies featuring rich cocoa, melty chocolate chips, and gooey marshmallows baked to perfection. These cookies offer a soft, slightly underbaked texture for a melt-in-your-mouth experience, perfect for serving warm as a comforting treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened but still cool
- ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar, fresh and soft
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 cup chocolate chips, divided
Topping
- 10 full size marshmallows, cut in half across the middle
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped chocolate (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prepare pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and for easy cleanup.
- Mix wet ingredients: Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and both sugars for several minutes until light and fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla extract, mixing thoroughly and scraping down the bowl sides as needed.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the unsweetened cocoa, all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and cornstarch until evenly mixed.
- Incorporate dry into wet: With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix just until combined to avoid overmixing. Stir in ¾ cup of the chocolate chips, reserving ¼ cup for topping.
- Shape cookies: Using a cookie scoop or spoon, portion dough into 1½ tablespoon mounds and place them on the prepared baking sheets spaced evenly. Make sure the dough balls are rounded and mounded rather than flattened. Press some of the reserved chocolate chips onto the top of each dough ball.
- Initial bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. The cookies should start to spread but still have a mound in the center.
- Add marshmallows and finish baking: Remove cookies from oven and gently press one half marshmallow on top of each cookie, slightly pressing to flatten the dough a bit. Return to oven and bake for an additional 2 minutes. The edges should be almost done but the cookies should still look slightly underbaked.
- Cool and optionally top with chocolate: Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks to cool completely. The cookies will firm up as they cool. If desired, sprinkle finely chopped chocolate over the warm cookies for extra richness.
- Repeat baking: Repeat the shaping and baking process with the remaining dough once the baking sheets have cooled.
Notes
- To measure flour accurately: fluff the flour, scoop a heaping portion, then level with the back of a knife to avoid compacting.
- Adjust baking time according to the dough ball size; avoid overbaking to keep cookies soft and gooey.
- If your kitchen is warm, chill the dough between batches to prevent spreading.
- Serve cookies slightly warm for melty chocolate chips and gooey marshmallows.
- Store cookies tightly covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or freeze baked cookies and unbaked dough balls for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
