Festive Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups are a sweet treat that’s as adorable as it is delicious!
Buttery cookie cups are filled with rich chocolate ganache, marshmallows, and candy canes, making them look like a mug of hot cocoa.
Add them to your holiday cookie lineup or enjoy them all winter long!
Not everyone is a natural born cookie decorator. As much as I love admiring sugar cookies with colorful, elaborate holiday motifs, that kind of decorating goes far beyond my abilities. But there are so many ways to make cute Christmas cookies even if you’re not a Picasso with a piping bag.
Case in point? These hot chocolate cookie cups.
Table of Contents
Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups
The recipe starts with a buttery cookie base, baked in muffin tins to form a cup. A pretzel creates the handle of the mug, then you’ll fill each cup with chocolate ganache and top it off with marshmallows and candy canes for that classic hot cocoa look.
Festive and delicious—and, of course, easy!
These hot cocoa cookie cups make a great addition to your holiday spread alongside other easy cookie favorites like Christmas Sugar Cookies, Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies, and Peanut Butter Blossoms.
Why You’ll Love these Cookies
- They look harder to make than they actually are – Which is another way of saying: everyone will be impressed with your baking skills, but only you will know how easy it was to make them!
- Super customizable – There’s so much room to get creative with this recipe! You can make it as simple or as elaborate as you’d like, too. (I share a few ideas below!)
- Fun project for kids – Get the kids involved in baking these hot cocoa cookie cups! Big kids can help measure ingredients for the cookie dough, while the littles will love adding the marshmallows and candy canes to the cookie mugs.
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the Hot Chocolate Mugs:
- All-purpose flour – Be sure to lightly spoon this into the measuring cup, rather than scooping it.
- Baking soda – This is what gives our cookies lift.
- Salt – Just a bit is always essential in baking.
- Unsalted Butter – Unsalted butter allows you more control over the flavor of the finished cookies.
- Granulated Sugar – Another key ingredient for cookie making!
- Vanilla Extract – I recommend pure vanilla, not imitation.
- Eggs – Although it’s not absolutely critical to the recipe, I like to let eggs come to room temperature for cookies; they’ll hold more air when beaten.
Filling and Decorating:
- Fresh Cream – For creating a rich, creamy ganache filling.
- Dark Chocolate – Use a quality bar of dark chocolate; a bar melts more smoothly than chocolate chips.
- Mini Marshmallows – Or cut larger marshmallows into pieces.
- Candy Canes – These are optional, but they make your hot chocolate cookie cups extra festive!
- Pretzels – To form the handles of the mugs.
- Melted White Chocolate – This is the “glue” that attaches the pretzel handles.
Variations
- To make gluten-free hot chocolate cookie cups, substitute an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend for the regular flour and use gluten-free pretzels.
- Swap the vanilla extract for almond extract, or use half almond extract and half vanilla extract. (Almond extract is the secret ingredient in a lot of sugar cookie recipes!)
- If marshmallows aren’t your thing, a sprinkle of crushed candy canes would also be cute!
Helpful Tools
- Muffin Tin – A standard muffin tin is the perfect size for these hot chocolate cookie cups.
- Spatula – Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl while you’re mixing up your dough.
- Stand Mixer or Electric Hand Mixer – The best way to make sure all the ingredients are evenly distributed in the dough.
How to Make
- Prepare – Preheat your oven and grease the muffin pan.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients – Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Cream the Butter and Sugar – Beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until the mixture is fluffy.
- Finish the Dough – Beat in the egg, then add the flour mixture in batches.
- Form the Cookie Cups – Press the dough into the muffin pan.
- Bake – Bake until the edges are browned, then use a spoon to press down the centers of the cups to create a well.
- Cool – Let the cookies cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully remove them.
- Make the Ganache – Warm the cream in the microwave, then pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then stir to combine.
- Make the Handles – Break the pretzels in half, then dip one side into the white chocolate. Press the handle onto the side of the cookie cup until the chocolate hardens.
- Finish – Add the ganache to the cookie cups, then top with marshmallows and candy canes.
Shortcuts
- You can use store-bought sugar cookie dough to speed up the process of making these hot chocolate cookie cups.
Tips
- To remove the cookie cups from the muffin tin, run a butter knife along the edges to gently loosen them.
- Allow the cookie cups to cool completely before filling them with chocolate ganache.
- Gently press the marshmallows into the chocolate to ensure that they stick.
How to Store
Room Temperature – Store hot chocolate cookie cups in an airtight container for up to a day.
Refrigerate – For longer storage, refrigerate the cookie cups in an airtight container for up to a week.
Freeze – I do not recommend freezing these cookies once they’re assembled. You can, however, freeze the empty cookie cups in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature, then fill and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, chocolate ganache does set firm when cooled. It takes about an hour at room temperature for it to fully set and become solid. If you’d like your ganache to set faster, you can place the cookie cups in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes.
No, these are not meant to be used as cups for hot chocolate.
It really depends on your preference! Both have their own unique taste and texture. Ganache is a bit richer in flavor and can be used to dip, drizzle, or spoon onto desserts as a glaze. Frosting is usually creamier and sweeter than ganache, making it perfect for spreading onto cakes and cupcakes. If you’d like, you can pipe frosting into the cookie cups instead of using ganache.
Instead of (or in addition to) marshmallows, top your hot chocolate cookie cups with holiday sprinkles or red and green sanding sugar. You can pipe a simple snowflake or Christmas tree onto the sides of the cookie cups, or add crushed peppermint candies on top.
Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, 140 grams
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, 113 grams (room temp)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar, 150 grams
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
Filling and Decorating:
- ¼ cup fresh cream
- 1 cup dark chocolate, chopped
- Mini Marshmallows, or big ones cut into tiny pieces
- Candy Canes, optional
- Pretzels
- 3-4 tbsp melted white chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ / 180℃ and grease your muffin tray well with cooking spray or butter; set aside.
- Take a large bowl and add the flour, baking soda, and salt, mix and keep aside.
- Next, using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium-high, scraping down the sides till the mixture turns light, creamy, and fluffy (2-3 mins).
- Add the egg and beat till incorporated well.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in batches and mix till the dough is formed (the dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl).
- Take about 3 tbsp of the cookie dough and put them in muffin tins, press down slightly.
- Bake for 18-20 mins, or till you see little browning on the sides.
- Once baked, immediately use a spoon or the back of a spatula to press down in the center to create a well for chocolate ganache. Make sure to create a big enough space for the filling.
- Let it cool in the pan for around 10 minutes then gently pop them out.
Chocolate Filling:
- Warm the cream for about 20-25 seconds in the microwave and pour it over the dark chocolate and leave it untouched for about 5 mins.
- Gently mix till the chocolate melts completely.
Assembly:
- Break the Pretzels into half, and dip one side of it in melted white chocolate, press it to the side of each cookie cup, and hold for around 30-40 seconds until the white chocolate is solid.
- Pour the chocolate filling into the cookie cups using either a spoon or a frosting bag (If the filling gets too solid, just pop it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds).
- Top it up with some mini marshmallows and some candy canes.
- Serve immediately and Enjoy!
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