Categorized:

  • Christmas
  • Cookies
  • Desserts

Tagged:

  • brown sugar
  • butter
  • candy canes
  • chocolate
  • cocoa powder
  • flour
  • half and half
  • marshmallows
  • peppermint extract
  • powdered sugar
  • vanilla extract
Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cookies - 1

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

Cookies

  • 12 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate, broken into pieces or chopped
  • 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, diced into 1 Tbsp pieces
  • 1 1/2 cups (213g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup (21g) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/4 cups (280g) packed light brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tsp peppermint extract
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 24 large marshmallows

Icing

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup (21g) cocoa powder
  • 4 Tbsp (56g) unsalted butter, diced into small pieces
  • 1/4 cup half and half
  • 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
  • Crushed candy canes, for topping

Instructions

  • For the cookies: Add chocolate and butter to a medium microwave safe mixing bowl. Heat in microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring well between intervals until melted and smooth, set aside to cool slightly.
  • Meanwhile add flour to a medium mixing bowl, sift in cocoa powder and add baking powder and salt. Whisk mixture to combine. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment blend together brown sugar, eggs, peppermint extract and vanilla. Mix in chocolate mixture.
  • With mixer set on low speed slowly add in flour mixture and mix just until combined.
  • Cover bowl and chill 1 hour or until firm enough to handle (I actually divided the dough into two containers and it chills faster). Preheat oven to 325 degrees during last 15 minutes of chilling.
  • Scoop dough out about 1 lightly heaping tablespoon at a time. Shape into a ball then transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, spacing cookies 2-inches apart (keep remaining dough chilled).
  • Bake in preheated oven until slightly under-baked, about 9 minutes. Meanwhile cut marshmallows into halves using kitchen scissors.
  • Remove cookies from oven and add 1 marshmallow half to each cookie placing the cut side downward. Return to oven and bake about 2 - 3 minutes longer until marshmallows have begun to melt.
  • Remove from oven and gently press down on marshmallows to flatten slightly. Cool on pan several minutes then transfer to cookies to wire racks and set wire racks over a baking sheets.
  • For the icing: Sift powdered sugar and cocoa into a medium mixing bowl, set aside.
  • Heat butter and cream over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently until butter has melted and mixture reaches a simmer. Remove from heat, pour in powdered sugar and cocoa powder and whisk until smooth.
  • Mix in peppermint extract. If mixture is too thick thin it with a little hot water, if it’s too thin thicken with a little more sifted powdered sugar.
  • Immediately spoon icing over cookies (or alternately drizzle from a resealable bag with a cut corner) and sprinkle each cookie with crushed peppermint after adding icing because the icing will start to set quickly.
  • Recipe source: adapted from Rachel Ray and Glorious Treats

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