Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

These Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies are literally a mug of hot cocoa in cookie form. Cozy cookies that have a nice crisp outside and a gooey, soft center.

Nothing quite makes the holidays as special as a batch of fresh cookies straight from the oven. As long as said cookies are crisp on the outside and wonderfully pillowy soft on the inside, they won’t last very long. That is the mark of a great cookie. And these Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies fit that bill. Ooey and gooey goodness. 

Why you should make these Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies?

Between the fudgy taste of the chocolate and the marshmallow goodness, these cookies literally feel like you are enjoying the best cup of hot chocolate. But on top of that, there is a fun bit of heat from the cayenne mixed into the batter. These cookies are just the definition of fun. 

How to make these cookies vegan

  • Chocolate chips: Look at the ingredients of your chocolate chips to make sure they are dairy free. One brand I love is Enjoy Life. They have the bigger chunks as well as the normal chocolate chips and minis.  
  • Marshmallows: Regular marshmallows are not vegan because they have gelatin. However, the brand Dandies make vegan marshmallows. I highly recommend them as they make this recipe so fun.

A mexican hot chocolate cookie that is being held. The cookie has a bite taken out of it.

Tips for making Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

  • Sift your flour. Make sure you are sifting all of your dry ingredients through a mesh strainer. This will prevent any clumps from appearing as you add in the wet ingredients. 
  • Wet your hands. The batter for these cookies are sticky. The best way to approach placing the dough on your baking sheet is to use an ice cream scoop or if doing by hand, wet hands and grab a spoonful of the batter and shape into a cookie shape. Leave space for these cookies to spread. 
  • Spice it up. Feel free to add in or leave out the spice. It is not necessary if you have a sensitive palate. 

Need more delicious cookie recipes?

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Closer look at the hot chocolate cookies.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 6 reviews
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 24 small cookies 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: American

Description

These Mexican Hot Chocolate cookies are literally a mug of hot cocoa in cookie form. Cozy cookies that have a nice crisp outside and a gooey, soft center.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper ((optional))
  • 2/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup runny almond butter
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
  • 1/3 cup vegan mini marshmallows
  • 1/3 cup dairy free chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350F.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, sift in all of the dry ingredients, making sure there is no dry ingredients that are clumping together.
  3. Add in maple syrup, almond butter, and milk.
  4. Stir to combine using a spatula until a sticky dough forms.
  5. Fold in chocolate chips and marshmallows.
  6. Take 1-2 tbsp of dough, depending on how big you want your cookies, and roll dough into ball shapes.
  7. Place dough balls onto a lined baking sheet with enough space between cookie dough balls to spread while baking.
  8. With the palm of your hand, lightly press down on dough balls to form 1/2 inch thick disks.
  9. Add 1-3 small pieces of chocolate chips on top of each cookie if desired. Then, place cookie sheet into the oven.
  10. Bake cookies for 10 minutes then remove from oven and allow to completely cool before touching them.

Notes

  • This recipe can make 12-16 larger cookies using the 2 tbsp scoop size OR 18-24 cookies using 1 tbsp scoop size. I personally like them big, but there is no wrong answer here. 
  • You can sub for white flour or spelt flour. Do not use whole wheat flour. Pastry flour is finer and lighter. I have not tested this with gluten free flours.
  • Make sure to use runny nut or seed butters. It makes a big difference. I used Trader Joe’s natural creamy almond butter and it worked great. The natural oils in the nut butter help to keep these cookies soft on the inside. 
  • To prevent too much stickiness when rolling into dough balls, lightly wet your hands before grabbing dough.

Did You Try This Recipe?
Then let me know what you thought! Share your creations by tagging me on Instagram with the hashtag #plantbasedrdeats

★ Catherine

These Mexican Hot Chocolate cookies are literally a mug of hot cocoa in cookie form. Cozy cookies that have a nice crisp outside and a gooey, soft center.
These Mexican Hot Chocolate cookies are literally a mug of hot cocoa in cookie form. Cozy cookies that have a nice crisp outside and a gooey, soft center.

 

13 Comments

    1. Super grateful for the feedback! The cayenne is not over powering in this. If anything it’s a really fun treat along with the cookie. This could also be substituted with peppermint extract too. Really fun to play around with the flavors here. 🙂

  1. These are amazing! My family doesn’t usually like any healthy food I make, but they couldn’t even tell that these cookies were healthy at all! I love the addition of cayenne in this recipe, since it makes the cookies way more special and unique than a plain old double chocolate cookie. At first I thought 1/8 tsp of cayenne wouldn’t be enough, but it’s the perfect amount, as you can feel the heat right when you start chewing the cookie! I’d happily make these cookies again!!






    1. While I haven’t used oil or butter for these, I have had others make these with coconut oil and butter just fine. 🙂

  2. These are a chocolate lover’s dream cookie. The cayenne adds just a touch of heat at the back end of the bite. It’s a great addition. With all of the cookie recipes out there, I’m SO glad I chose to make these.






    1. So thrilled that you tried and loved these cookies. I look forward to having these every year and really makes me happy to see someone enjoy them as much as me. Thank you!

  3. Wow! I am in love with these cookies. They are the perfect texture and sweetness. I will make them again and again.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star