Description
Hot cocoa and cookie lovers unite! Peppermint hot chocolate cookies are a festive treat perfect for winter holidays and cookie exchanges.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine grain salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon mint or peppermint extract
- 2/3 cup buttermilk (shaken before measuring)
- 2 cups chocolate chips
- 1 cup mini marshmallows
- 6 peppermints or 2 candy canes (optional but encouraged!)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter (I like to do this in 15-second increments at 50% power, but you can also do it in a small saucepan on the stovetop and transfer it to a bowl afterward). While the butter is still warm, add the cocoa powder to the butter and whisk until very smooth. Whisk in sugar, vanilla, peppermint extract, and buttermilk.
- Gradually add the flour mixture and stir until no streaks of flour remain (I like to stir in about 1/3 of the mixture at a time to fully, evenly incorporate it). Gently stir in the chocolate chips.
- Drop dough by heaping tablespoons (I like using a #50 scoop) onto prepared baking sheet, leaving a few inches in between each cookie to allow for spread. Press a few mini marshmallows into the surface of each cookie.
- Bake for 10-14 minutes, until cookies are set around the edges. Remove from oven and sprinkle with crushed peppermints while they're still hot.
- Let cookies cool for 3-5 minutes on the baking sheet, then use a spatula to gently transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Use any mix of milk, dark, semi-sweet, and white chocolate chips that you like. I find that using a variety of chocolate chips works best and results in a more chocolatey flavor.
To freeze cookie dough, form scoops and freeze on a flat surface until solid. Transfer to an airtight container, removing as much air as possible.
To bake from frozen add 2-3 minutes to the bake time.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 173
- Sugar: 20.4 g
- Sodium: 42.4 mg
- Fat: 7.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 26.9 g
- Fiber: 1.9 g
- Protein: 2.3 g
- Cholesterol: 5.5 mg
