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These vegan hot chocolate cookies are the most delicious holiday dessert! Enjoy a rich double chocolate cookie with a gooey marshmallow center and a melted chocolate drizzle. They are perfectly sweet, ultra chocolatey, and ready in under 30 minutes.
Today we are taking a classic wintertime treat – hot chocolate – and bringing it to life in cookie form. Because, well, everything is better when it comes to cookies!
These vegan hot chocolate cookies are my all time favorite holiday treat. They are soft, chewy, and oh so delicious. The gooey marshmallow center and rich cocoa flavor will have you craving more. There are ripples and pockets of melted chocolate in each bite. If you’re a chocoholic, like me, good luck trying to eat just one!
What ingredients are in vegan hot chocolate cookies?
This recipe uses simple ingredients you likely already have sitting in your pantry. Check out the full list below:
- All-purpose flour
- Cocoa powder
- Vegan butter
- White sugar
- Brown sugar
- Chocolate chips
- Marshmallows
- Non-dairy milk
- Vanilla extract
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
How to Make Vegan Hot Chocolate Cookies
For the full recipe, scroll down to view the recipe card below.
Begin by combining softened vegan butter, white granulated sugar, and light brown sugar in a large bowl. Use a hand mixer to cream the ingredients together. After, add non-dairy milk and vanilla extract. Then, cream the ingredients once more.
In a separate bowl, add all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk the ingredients together to thoroughly combine.
Next, fold the dry ingredients (flour mixture) into the wet ingredients (creamed butter and sugar). Mix to evenly incorporate the ingredients. After, fold in the chocolate chips.
Then, scoop the vegan hot chocolate cookie dough into 16 balls. Place onto a baking sheet (lined with parchment paper). Bake at 350 degrees F for 9 minutes.
Remove cookies from the oven. Press a halved marshmallow into the center of each cookie. Bake for an additional 3-4 minutes. After, allow the cookies to cool. Note: they may appear a bit underdone, but this is a good thing! Cookies firm while cooling. The trick to achieving soft and chewy cookies is to slightly undercook them.
Optional: drizzle melted chocolate over the cookies while cooling.
Kaylie’s Tips:
Here are a few tips for perfecting these vegan hot chocolate cookies:
- Use vegan marshmallows. Most marshmallows contain gelatin, which is not vegan-friendly. Therefore, if you follow a plant-based diet, check out these vegan marshmallows.
- Instead of regular chocolate chips, I used half vegan chocolate chunks and half vegan mini chocolate chips. The combination creates ripples and pockets of melted chocolate in every bite!
- Decorate the cookies with a melted chocolate drizzle. Simply melt chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between, until the chocolate chips combine. Do not burn the chocolate; melting should only require 2-3 intervals.
- Want to decorate the cookies even further? Sprinkle crushed pecans, cacao nibs, crushed candy canes, or dust cocoa powder on top.
- Store these vegan hot cocoa cookies in an airtight container. They should keep fresh for three days. Also, if you’d like to enjoy the cookies warm, microwave for 5-10 seconds before consuming.
More vegan holiday desserts
- Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Vegan Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Frosted Gingerbread Cookie Bars (Vegan)
- Chocolate Gingerbread Truffles
- Vegan Sugar Cookies (Soft & Chewy!)
- Healthy Chocolate Peppermint Truffles
If you try these Vegan Hot Chocolate Cookies, please let me know your thoughts by leaving a rating and comment below! Ready for more? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Instagram and YouTube!
Print
Vegan Hot Chocolate Cookies
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 16 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Hot chocolate cookies are one of the best easy holiday desserts for Christmas or Thanksgiving! This winter dessert recipe is vegan, dairy-free, and made with marshmallows. You’ll love these Christmas cookies so much. They are even more delicious than hot cocoa! #cookies #cookierecipes #vegancookies #vegandessert #holidaydesserts #christmasrecipes #marshmallows #thanksgiving #thanksgivingrecipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup vegan butter, softened
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup non-dairy milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 + ⅔ cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour)
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup vegan chocolate chips*
- 8 vegan marshmallows, halved
- Optional: melted vegan chocolate (to drizzle)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Slice vegan marshmallows in half crosswise.
- In a large bowl, add vegan butter, white sugar, and light brown sugar. Use a hand mixer to cream the ingredients together. Then, add nondairy milk and vanilla extract. Cream ingredients together again.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together.
- Fold dry ingredients (flour mixture) into the wet ingredients (creamed butter and sugar). Mix to thoroughly combine. Then, fold in the vegan chocolate chips.
- Scoop cookie dough into 16 balls. Place on the baking sheet(s).
- Bake cookies for 9 minutes. Remove from oven and press a halved marshmallow into the center of each cookie. Bake cookies again for 3-4 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.
- Optional: drizzle melted chocolate over the cookies while cooling. To melt chocolate chips, microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between, until chocolate combines. Be careful not to burn the chocolate; this should only require 2-3 intervals.
Notes
*I recommend using ½ cup chocolate chunks + ½ cup mini chocolate chips.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 225
- Sugar: 20g
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 2g
Keywords: vegan hot chocolate cookies, vegan hot cocoa cookies, vegan christmas cookies
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Could mini vegan marshmallows be used or will they melt away in the oven?
Hi, Lee! You can use several mini marshmallows in place of large marshmallows. Just keep an eye on them while baking!
These were amaaazing!!!
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Jen! 🙂
you were my saving grace for my school project, thank you so much
★★★★★
Yay! Enjoy!
My first time leaving a review for a recipe online, but I felt a sense of duty — this recipe is TOO good. It’s simple, it’s beautiful and it’s shockingly vegan. My only real modification is that I use my creme brulee torch to get some extra toastiness with the marshmallow.
★★★★★
What a lovely comment! Thank you so much, Katherine. Enjoy! 🙂
Perfect chocolate cookie , love this recipe.
★★★★★
Thank you, Connie! 🙂
Can we use chocolate instead of coco powder ? If yess then how much quantity?
Hi, Neha! No, you should never replace cocoa powder with chocolate. These two ingredients are very different from each other!
If you were to make the batter ahead of time, how long can it stand in the fridge?
Hi, Jess! Sorry for the late response. Cookie dough can typically be chilled for 24 hours. I have not chilled this one that long, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. If anything, chilling cookie dough usually helps you achieve an even better/richer flavor! 🙂
Hi!
Is it okay to use non vegan butter? And should it be salted or unsalted?
Hi, Haleigh! I haven’t tried this recipe with non vegan butter, but you can usually use it in vegan baking with no problem at all. The results should be similar. The salt content in butter varies depending on the brand. I personally use (and recommend) salted butter. 🙂
I used 1/2 tsp baking soda instead of 1 tsp and it was DELISH! Thank you so much for the recipe ❤️
★★★★★
Is it okay if I add 1/2 tsp baking soda?
Hi, Shilpa! This recipe calls for 1 tsp baking soda. Would you be using 1/2 tsp instead or an extra 1/2 tsp? They will still taste great either way, but the amount of spread and rise will vary. 🙂
Tried these cookies for the family and they LOVED them. I didn’t have big marshmallows but I had mini versions and put those in the batter. Amazing and easy recipe. New family favorite ♥️
★★★★★
Thank you, Caroline! I’m so happy you and your family loved the cookies. Also, glad to hear the mini marshmallows worked well for you! Enjoy! xo
These cookies are absolutely amazing! They are a perfect blend of soft and gooey inside with a slightly crisp edge. I added some crushed candy canes to the top too. They are definitely going to be a holiday staple in our home!
Thank you, Jessie! Adding crushed candy canes on top is such a wonderful idea. 🙂 Enjoy! xo
These look amazing! Can you freeze these?
Thank you, Bianca! I actually have not tried freezing these. Cookies are typically perfectly fine in the freezer, but with this recipe, I’m not sure how the marshmallows would taste after being frozen. The cookies are definitely best enjoyed straight out of the oven or within 3 days at room temperature!
Wow!!! These cookies look so delicious!! Your photos are gorgeous! So happy I found your blog 🙌
★★★★★
Hi, Megan! Thank you so much! That means a lot to me! 🙂