Soft and chewy Hot Chocolate cookies loaded with white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chunks, and mini marshmallow bits!
December has arrived which means that it’s officially freezing out here in the Pacific NW. In fact, today we received our very first snowfall of the winter! So what better way to warm up than a steaming cup of hot chocolate?
One of my fondest memories as a child was when my mom would make my brother and I her “special” hot chocolate. No, it wasn’t spiked with schnapps…or Xanax. Although I’m sure that idea did cross her mind a few times as a parent.
What made it “special” was the mountain of whipped cream and the shower of chocolate sprinkles piled on top. So in honor of my mom’s “special” hot chocolate, I decided to make these Hot Chocolate Chip Cookies!
Now before you pass these off as ordinary chocolate cookies with chocolate chips, allow me to explain why these are THE cookies you need to include on your holiday cookie-baking list this year.
First off, there’s hot chocolate mix baked INTO the dough. Not just boring ol’ cocoa powder, but ACTUAL hot chocolate powder, which means that it has that wonderful milk chocolatey richness reminiscent of a warm cup of hot chocolate. Not only are these cookies nice and chocolatey, but they’re also pillowy soft and chewy! Cornstarch is one of the key ingredients to insuring that there is little spreading in the oven, which creates a softer, chewier cookie.
Second point of persuasion: They’re loaded–and I mean, LOADED with white chocolate chips and dark chocolate chunks, which means there’s TRIPLE the chocolate in these cookies. If I were to guess, I’d say that there’s a 2:1 ratio of chocolate chips to dough in these cookies.
Having always used chocolate chips in my cookies in the past, I did notice that the chocolate chunks melted a lot better than the chips. They seem to have a softer bite than regular chocolate chips which is enhanced by the overall softness of the cookie.
I mean, just look at that ooey gooey melty goodness, you guys!!
And because hot chocolate is never complete without those sweet and melty marshmallows floating on top, I added a few generous scoops of tiny mallow bits. Not only are these mallow bits great for providing that classically sweet marshmallowy flavor, but they also add a nice little crunch to the soft and gooey cookie.
These Hot Chocolate Chip Cookies are very customizable. Just change up the flavor of hot chocolate mix that you add to the dough. Peppermint would be great! Or maybe even hazelnut! The options are endless, so have fun with it!
Hot Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ½ cup hot chocolate powder (not sugar-free)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks/chips
- ¾ cup white chocolate chips
- ½ cup Marshmallow bits, plus more for topping*
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar on high for one minute until combined. Add in the egg, vanilla, and hot chocolate mix, beating until combined.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt, and mix until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in the chocolate chips and marshmallow bits until evenly mixed. Chill dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or up to 5 days, before baking.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a cookie scoop to scoop out mounds of dough (about 2 Tablespoons each), and place on the baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Top with more marshmallow bits, if desired.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until edges have set and the tops look slightly under undercooked. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
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