Best Marshmallow Surprise Hot Cocoa Cookies Recipe

Craving hot cocoa but want something a little more substantial? These marshmallow surprises are the answer. Each bite delivers a double dose of chocolate and a gooey marshmallow burst, making them the perfect cozy companion.

I’m going to share all my tips and tricks so you can recreate these simple marshmallow surprise hot cocoa cookies in your own kitchen. Let’s go!

Why You’ll Love This Surprise Hot Cocoa Cookies Recipe

You’re going to adore these treats for a whole bunch of reasons:

• If you’re a chocoholic, buckle up! These basic marshmallow surprise hot cocoa cookies deliver a one-two punch of rich cocoa and sweet, gooey marshmallow that’s pretty hard to beat.
• The dough freezes beautifully. Whip up a big batch, portion it out, and stash it in the freezer. Then, whenever that cookie craving hits, you’re just a quick thaw and bake away. It’s a lifesaver during busy weeks or surprise guests.
• You can have people decorate their own cookies. Set up a topping bar with sprinkles, chopped nuts, different kinds of chocolate chips, and maybe even some flaky sea salt. It’s a fun way to get everyone involved and make each cookie unique.

3 Steps to Make Marshmallow Surprise Hot Cocoa Cookies

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

• All-purpose flour: Don’t pack the flour – spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off. This keeps your cookies from getting tough.
• Baking soda: Make sure your baking soda is still fresh. Otherwise, the cookies may not rise properly.
• Unsalted butter: The butter needs to be soft, not melted, for the best texture. Room temp is ideal.
• Brown sugar: This adds a nice chewiness to the cookies, plus a hint of caramel.
• Granulated sugar: This creates crisp edges and a soft center.
• Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract has the best flavor, but imitation will do if that’s what you have.
• Hot cocoa mix
• Unsweetened cocoa powder
• Milk
• Eggs
• Salt

For the Topping:

• Semi-sweet chocolate (finely chopped): Look for baking chocolate in the baking aisle—it melts smoothly and creates a gorgeous drizzle. Chop it finely so it melts evenly.
• Large marshmallows: Cutting them in half makes them easier to tuck into the cookies.

Instructions

Step 1. Making the Cookie Dough

Grab your electric mixer – hand-held or stand-up, whatever you prefer – and fit it with the paddle attachment.

Throw the butter and both sugars (regular and brown) into a big bowl, then mix them at medium-high settings until the mix gets fluffy and lightens in color. This usually takes a few minutes.

Pour in the vanilla and the eggs. Beat again on high until they’re fully mixed in. Don’t forget to scrape down the sides and bottom of your bowl.

In a different bowl, whisk together your baking soda, flour, salt, hot cocoa mix, and cocoa powder. Add the dry combination to the wet ingredients little by little, mixing on low just until everything comes together. Don’t overdo the mixing – too much of it can toughen up the cookies later.

Once it’s mixed, pour in the milk. Now, your dough should be thick and sticky.

Cover the dough up tight and stick it in the fridge for at least two hours. I’ve even left it in there for two or three days, and it’s even tastier.

Step 2. Baking and Assembling the Cookies

Set your oven to 350°F (that’s about 177°C). Get your baking sheets out and line them with parchment paper or silicone mats (I prefer the latter as they make cleaning a breeze.)

Get the chilled dough out of the fridge. Grab a heaping tablespoon, roll it into a ball, and place it on your baking sheet. Leave a couple of inches between each ball so they don’t stick together.

Bake for 10 minutes, then pull the cookies from the oven and press a marshmallow half into each one. Put them back in the oven for another 2-3 minutes – just long enough for the marshmallows to puff up a bit.

Take them out again and gently squish down each marshmallow with the back of a spoon. This helps them stick to the cookie.

Let those cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool off completely. This prevents them from breaking apart.

Step 3. Adding the Chocolate Topping

Chop your chocolate and melt it in a double boiler or the microwave.

If you’re using the microwave, do so in 20-second bursts and stir each time until it’s all melty and smooth. Be careful not to overheat – it can ruin the chocolate.

Once the cookies are completely cool, spoon that melted chocolate all over them. I like to put the cookies back on a baking sheet while I do this, but a wire rack works, too.

Let the chocolate set at room temperature – takes about 45-60 minutes. Once the chocolate’s hard, put the cookies in an airtight container and store them at room temperature or in your freezer.

Some Notes on This Recipe

Storage & Making Ahead

Baked cookies will last about a week at room temperature, or you can freeze them for up to three months.

If you freeze them, the chocolate might look a bit odd after thawing— maybe a little streaky or with some condensation. Don’t worry, though; they’re perfectly fine to eat.

The same goes for unbaked cookie dough balls – you can freeze them for up to three months with no problem.

Chilling the Dough

This is non-negotiable. The dough is super sticky at first, but chilling firms it up, making it way easier to shape. If you’re making other cookies for a holiday spread or something, this is a good time to work on no-chill recipes like strawberry shortbread or Irish soda bread.

Hot Cocoa Mix

Make absolutely sure you’re using a dry, hot cocoa mix, not the pre-made liquid kind. The dry mix acts like a dry ingredient in the dough.

Most kinds work fine, but learn from my mistakes and steer clear of mixes with mini marshmallows already in them – it just gets messy.

If you don’t have any hot cocoa mix on hand, no worries. Just leave it out and bump up the cocoa powder to half a cup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Skip the Milk?

I wouldn’t recommend ditching it entirely. Cocoa tends to dry things out, and those two teaspoons of milk help keep the cookies moist. Feel free to use any kind of milk you prefer — regular, almond, soy, whatever you have on hand.

Can I Use Chocolate Chips?

I’d steer clear of them for these cookies. The chips have stabilizers that keep them from melting properly, so you won’t get the right texture.

How Can I Make a Bigger Batch?

This recipe doubles easily. Just use one big mixing bowl and double all the cookie dough ingredients.

—Go ahead and bake a batch of these heartwarming homemade marshmallow surprise hot cocoa cookies!

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