These Mexican hot chocolate cookies are fudgy and rich with a spicy kick from cinnamon and cayenne pepper. They're dotted with mini marshmallows for a bit of extra chew!
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Notes from the baker
These Mexican hot chocolate cookies are inspired by the deliciously spicy Mexican hot chocolate that's spiced with cinnamon and cayenne pepper flavours.
They might be intriguing but intimidating if you've never had a spicy baked good before but the flavour is subtle and works so well with the decadent chocolate flavour. It just leaves a bit of heat in your mouth!
I'm a big fan of these and now I'm thinking about using these flavour profile in a cake or something - I can't get enough of it!
Why you'll love this recipe
- Dark and rich chocolate flavour. These hot chocolate cookies have a deep chocolate flavour thanks to the Dutch-processed cocoa powder.
- Spicy kick! These spicy hot chocolate cookies leave some heat in your mouth from the cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Not too much but just enough to warm you up!
- Gooey marshmallow topping. You can't have hot chocolate without marshmallows!
- Easy to make. These cookies can be ready to eat in less than an hour and they're so simple.
Tools
- Electric hand mixer - This is an essential tool whenever you're working with softened butter. It makes mixing so much easier and faster.
- 4-tablespoon cookie scooper - This is my preferred cookie size. I like them big and bakery-style. When there's more dough in each cookie, they spread better and have more surface area for toppings.
- Baking sheet - You can use any baking sheet or baking tray to bake your cookies on.
Ingredient notes
As always, the full recipe card with ingredient amounts and instructions is at the bottom of this post! Keep reading for more details on each ingredient or skip ahead to the recipe.
- All-purpose flour
- Dutch-processed cocoa powder - Dutch-processed cocoa powder is an alkaline cocoa (compared to natural cocoa powder which is acidic) that has a richer chocolate flavour and darker colour. It works really well in these cookies because it's intense enough to compete with the strong spices.
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground cayenne pepper - This adds some spicy heat to these cookies.
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Unsalted butter - This should be softened to room temperature.
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar
- Egg - This should also be at room temperature to prevent the batter from curdling.
- Vanilla extract
- Mini marshmallows - For topping!
Tips for making the best mexican hot chocolate cookies
- Use room temperature ingredients. This is always important especially when the batter involves butter and eggs. Room-temperature ingredients allow the batter to mix together seamlessly and prevent curdling.
- Use a cookie scoop for evenly sized cookies. I can't make cookies without using a cookie scoop. It's mess-free and easy to portion out the dough perfectly.
- Press the cookie dough balls down into a thick puck shape. These cookies are made with a drier dough so they don't melt down and spread as much during baking. Help give them a head start by flattening them slightly before baking.
- Add the marshmallows in the last 3-4 minutes of baking. Mini marshmallows melt very quickly when baked and will dissolve completely if they're left in the cookie for the entire baking time. Add them to the cookies a few minutes before they're done just to get them slightly gooey and sealed to the cookies for the best results.
Storage
These Mexican hot chocolate cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
They can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature or heat up in a toaster oven before eating.
Frequently asked questions
Baking by weight is much more accurate than volume. When using US standard cups, ingredients like flour and sugar can easily be overpacked into the cup causing you to add too much of certain ingredients. Recipes with weight measurements are also easier to scale to smaller or bigger batches without dealing with weird fractions. To measure by weight, you simply need a kitchen scale which you can usually pick up for less than $20.
Small measurements are given in tablespoons and teaspoons because most kitchen scales are not accurate under about 10g. Tiny amounts like a ¼ teaspoon may not register accurately unless you have a drug scale. Mixing these measurements is a common practice among other recipe sites and commercial kitchens.
More cookie recipes to try
- Salted Caramel Chocolate Linzer Cookies
- Chocolate Blossom Cookies
- Chocolate Chip S’mores Cookies
- Salted Chocolate Sablé Cookies
Recipe
Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
Cookies
- 180 g all-purpose flour
- 50 g dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 115 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 100 g brown sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For rolling and topping
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 44 mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Flour mixture: In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Butter mixture: In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat the softened butter until very creamy. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat until creamy and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
- Combine flour and butter mixtures: Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until just combined.
- Scoop and roll: Use a 4-tablespoon cookie scooper to scoop the cookie dough. Release the dough ball into your hand and roll it in between your hands. Roll the dough ball in granulated sugar until coated.
- Press into pucks: Place the cookie dough balls on your lined baking sheet, leaving about 3" in between each cookie. Press down on each ball to flatten into a puck shape. These cookies don't spread much on their own so we're giving them a head start by flattening them a bit.
- Bake: Bake cookies for about 10-12 minutes. At around 6-8 minutes in, press a few mini marshmallows on top of each cookie and continue baking to allow the marshmallows to melt a bit.
- Cool: Once out of the oven, use a spatula or a spoon to gently pat the puffed up marshmallows down. Sprinkle some extra cinnamon on top of the cookies. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling or enjoy warm (recommended!).
Xiao
These are amazing and surprisingly easy! I made these for my boyfriend and he got emotional from the first bite. The recipe really nails the spicy hot chocolate flavour from his childhood.
I used 3/4 of the sugar because I usually find the recipes here a bit too sweet for my taste and they turned out great 🙂
Rebekah
This was great!!
Thinking next time I’ll probably do 1/4 tsp of cayenne instead of 1/2. My husband and I both thought it was a little spicy when it hits the back of your throat. But def liked the flavor it added.
Great overall!
Mary
Delicious!! I love the touch of cayenne pepper, and the key is to add the marshmallows at the end (my first half-batch I mistakenly put them in from the beginning - still delicious but they do end up melting a lot). I will say mine did spread out in the oven, so still be cautious of leaving enough room around each cookie!