Looking for a fun, new cookie recipe to add to your Christmas Cookie collection? Check out these gluten-free Mexican Hot Cocoa Cookies; filled with chocolate, cinnamon, marshmallows and a touch of cayenne, for a sweet and warm treat that is guaranteed to wow your friends and family!
Have you ever had a Mexican Hot Cocoa?
Or Mexican Hot Chocolate? Whether you call it Hot Chocolate or Hot Cocoa, it really doesn’t matter.. The important part is that it’s a warm cup full of drinkable chocolate.
Mexican Hot Cocoa is filled with chocolate, AND THEN cinnamon and a touch of cayenne. I don’t know about you, but if you add cinnamon to pretty much anything I’m ALL IN. I absolutely love cinnamon.
Cinnamon and chocolate? Now that’s a killer flavor combination right there. Picture the sweet flavor of chocolate, with the warming flavor of cinnamon, and a slight touch of cayenne at the end. Now, picture all of those delicious flavors in a cookie… I’d like to introduce you to the Mexican Hot Cocoa cookie.
I took my favorite Double Chocolate Cookie recipe and jacked it up with some marshmallows, cinnamon and cayenne for these simple, yet flavorful, fun and unique Mexican Hot Cocoa Cookies.
These cookies are one of my personal favorites, maybe even top 10 all time favorite desserts. EVER. I can’t wait to hear what you guys think!
Keep reading for a few tips and tricks for sweet cookie success this Holiday season!
First, there’s a little trick with those mini marshmallows.
You see, you might think you could mix your marshmallows into your cookie batter and have no problems. Not the case. While they bake in the oven the marshmallows melt. Creating little pockets of air in between your cookies, making a crumbly mess!
So what’s the trick?
Let your cookies bake partially in the oven, for about 7-8 minutes (for a small cookie). Then lightly press your mini marshmallows into the tops of the cookies. Put your cookies back into the oven to finish baking, for another 3-4 minutes (or till the edges of the cookies are set).
If you want to use a large cookie scoop, bake your cookies 10-11 minutes first, then again another 3-4 minutes after pressing your marshmallows into the top.
Try and push your marshmallows into the top and towards the middle of your cookies. Otherwise, they could slide out toward the edge, hit the pan, and start to turn into quite the mess.
What’s the best type of marshmallow to use?
You can use either regular mini marshmallows or “mallow bits” as well. Mallow bits are harder to find, but should be near the hot chocolate mixes at your grocery store. If you can’t find them, or prefer to use regular marshmallows, mini marshmallows work just as well.
For whichever one you choose to use, I recommend adding the marshmallows in at the end of baking time still, for consistent results.
And don’t forget to drizzle chocolate across the tops!
It makes the cookies even prettier and taste extra chocolate-y.
To make these cookies gluten-free, just be sure to use a gluten-free all purpose flour blend. If you don’t need them to be, regular white flour works just fine as well.
To make these cookies dairy-free, you can use dairy-free chocolate chips and either coconut oil or a dairy-free butter alternative.
If you’re worried the cookies will be too spicy, feel free to use only 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne, or leave it out entirely! If you’d just like to make Hot Cocoa Cookies, you can omit the cinnamon as well.
And, what about Peppermint Hot Cocoa Cookies? Sure, why not! Omit the cayenne and cinnamon, and add in 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract instead. You can sprinkle some crushed up candy canes across the tops of the melted chocolate for some extra pizzazz.
Now, go ahead and make these fun Mexican Hot Cocoa Cookies for your next cookie exchange, or Christmas party, or just cause they sound delicious and you want some cookies in your life!
Let me know what you think after you do. Either leave a comment, below, or find me on Instagram. I love to hear from you guys! 🙂
Looking for other fun, easy dessert recipes? Check out my Gingerbread Cake, Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies or Classic Thumbprint Cookies.
- 1 cup gluten-free all purpose flour (or regular flour)
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup butter, softened (or coconut oil, for dairy-free)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup mini marshmallows or mallow bits
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 tsp coconut oil, melted (or butter)
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Preheat your oven to 350 and line a pan with parchment paper (or spray with non-stick spray).
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In a small mixing bowl, combine your dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, cayenne, baking soda, and salt) and whisk till well combined and you have no cocoa powder clumps.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine your butter, brown sugar, and white sugar and beat together till creamy. Add your egg and vanilla to the bowl and mix again briefly.
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Pour your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients and stir together till everything is well incorporated.
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Using a cookie scoop, scoop your cookie dough into cookies. Evenly space them a few inches apart on your pan, with no more than 12 cookies per pan.
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Bake in the oven for 7-8 minutes.
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Take your cookies out and place 4-5 mini marshmallows on top of each cookie (towards the middle), gently pressing them into the cookies.
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Place your cookies back in the oven for another 3-4 minutes, or till the edges are set.
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Take your cookies out, let them cool for about 10 minutes on the pan, then put them onto a cooling rack till they have cooled completely.
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In a small microwaveable bowl, add your chocolate chips and coconut oil. Microwave in 20 second increments, stirring in between, till your chocolate is melted entirely.
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Drizzle the chocolate on top of your cookies, by hand. Alternatively, you can scoop the chocolate into the corner of one ziploc bag, trim a tiny bit of the end off, and “pipe” the chocolate across the cookies.
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Devour!
Stored in an airtight container these cookies last about 4-5 days.
I made these for Taco Day at work, and they were a big hit! I doubled the recipe, using King Arthur Measure for Measure flour and Country Crock plant-based spread in place of the butter (some coworkers are dairy free).
Are they supposed to be a bit cakey in the middle?
Hi Brenda. They should be soft in the middle, depending on the type of flour you used though they may be a bit different. Which brand did you use?
Are chocolate chips meant to be placed in the batter at some point? There is a listing for both 1/2 cup chips in wet ingredients and 1/4 cup chips for the drizzle. However when putting them in the batter they just make a melted mess. Thanks for your help.
Hi Kirstin. Sorry for that mistake! The chocolate chips should be added after the egg and vanilla. However, they should not melt. I’m assuming the butter you used was melted and caused the cookie dough to be too hot? The butter should just be softened.
Loved these! Made first batch with stated spice. Second batch added a little bit more. I love the kick these cookies have!!!
I will be making these cookies for my Spanish cooking project! I appreciate this also has a person with celiac. Love you for this!
Question, how many cookies does this recipe make?
Hi Michelle. It should make about 18 cookies.
How long can these cookies stay in the freezer ? Will they still be good in freezer ?
Hi Ella. Yes, they can be frozen after being baked and I would say they should taste good for 2-3 months.
I made these cookies last Christmas and loved them. I was trying to decide what to make this Christmas and these were requested again. I also live in Colorado and your high altitude adaptions are awesome. Thank you!
Thank you, Kirstin! Love it! 🙂