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These Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies are thick, rich, and chocolaty, and made with a hint of cinnamon and chili powder for a subtle spicy flavor. They’re extremely easy to make and perfect for enjoying during the holidays.
I love curling up with a warm cup of Mexican hot chocolate, which is what inspired me to make these cookies.
They’re fudgy, loaded with chocolate chips in every bite, and spiced with cinnamon and chili powder for a subtle hint of spice.
They are easy and simple enough to make for a weeknight treat, but also perfect for a holiday gathering. Bake them for your next celebration and I promise they’ll be a hit!
How to make Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
Step 1: Whisk together some all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, chili powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, together some softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Step 3: Mix in the egg, vanilla extract, and milk until well combined, and then mix together the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. The dough will be thick and sticky.
Step 4: Fold the chocolate chips into the cookie dough until just combined, then cover and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
Step 5: Portion out the cookie dough into 16 cookies by using heaping 1 tablespoon per cookie. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes at 350°F until the edges appear set but the middle is still soft.
Step 6: Sprinkle them with flaky sea salt (if desired) and let them cool for 5 minutes to firm up before serving.
Variations
- Add half a cup of chopped walnuts to the batter to give these cookies a little crunch.
- Like some caramel with your chocolate? Try drizzling some cajeta or dulce de leche on top of each cookie.
- Top with mini marshmallows for the full hot chocolate experience. Instructions on how to make these with marshmallows are in the recipe card below!
Storing and Freezing
To store: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
To freeze: You can freeze the cookie dough balls for up to 3 months, and then bake them directly from frozen whenever you want freshly baked cookies!
Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ¾ cup milk chocolate chips
- mini marshmallows*, for topping, optional (see notes)
- flaky sea salt, for topping, optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, chili powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer), add the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Beat with the paddle attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the egg, vanilla extract, and milk, and beat until well combined.
- With the mixer on low, slowly add in the dry ingredients and beat until combined. The cookie dough will be thick and sticky.
- Fold in the chocolate chips until just combined, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or in the freezer for 35 minutes.
- When ready to bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Use a heaping 1 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out the dough, and scoop 8 portions onto each baking sheet for a total of 16 cookies.
- Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes until the edges appear set but the middle is still soft.
- Remove them from the oven, sprinkle them with a touch of flaky sea salt if desired, and let them cool for 5 minutes.
Notes
- Mini Marshmallows: To top the cookies with mini marshmallows, firmly press 2 to 3 marshmallows on the top of each cookie dough scoop before baking. Bake as directed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’m sorry but I thought it was gonna have Mexican hot chocolate in it. Lol
These are good
Needs a lot more chile powder and cinnamon for my taste buds – am part Indian so take that for what it’s worth 😉
I baked these last night for a work function today. They were a hit! I was asked to bake them again. Thanks for a great recipe!
Possibly the best chocolate cookie I’ve ever eaten. Dough is very fudgy. Baked cookie is great.
Absolutely wonderful and so fudgy!
In place of the 1/2 cup of butter, I used 1/4 c. Nut butter and 1/4 cup mashed banana. I used whole wheat flour instead of all purpose. Spice level was perfect in the recipe. Rave reviews from everyone! Such a delicious cookie…the perfect end to our Mexican holiday dinner.
Made two batches for a holiday office cookie swap! Doubling the recipe came out to about 32 cookies!
The ooey-gooey chocolate goodness is absolutely there (I subbed rice-milk chocolate chips as that was all I had), the only thing holding me back from a five star rating is that I didn’t think they came out spicy enough. This honestly may be a blessing in disguise as my coworkers aren’t very adventurous, but for my own preferences I think the amount of chili pepper could be doubled or maybe even tripled.
I had no issues with the batter being heavy and sticky as the recipe indicates and 12 minutes in the oven was perfect for all four bakes. I’m excited to try this recipe again in the future, and spice it up just a little more. 😉
This is my favorite cookie recipe I’ve found online. So chocolate-y and good, and the chili and cinnamon give the cookies a nice depth of flavor. Yum! 😀 thanks for sharing
I love this recipe! It it so delicious, and reminds me of hot chocolate.
Can I freeze the dough?
Hi Laurie! Yes you can.