Hot Cocoa Thumbprint Cookies
Hot Cocoa Thumbprint Cookies bring together a favorite seasonal drink and everyone’s favorite sweet treat and combines them into one super snack that everyone will love.
Cookies are always a favorite year-round, and when the weather gets cold, everyone loves hot cocoa. So we decided to combine those two delicious treats into one. What you end up with is a cookie that’s perfect for the holiday season or any time the weather is chilly.
Table of contents
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It only uses a few simple ingredients, most of which are in your kitchen already.
- It’s an easy, quick recipe.
- Every bite tastes like delicious peppermint hot cocoa!
🛒Ingredients
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You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make these hot cocoa thumbprint cookies. The stars of the show are listed below, but you’ll find the complete list of ingredients along with amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Butter
- Cocoa powder
- Milk
- Ghirardelli chocolate melting wafers
- Crushed peppermint candies
- Jet-Puffed Mini Marshmallow Bits
🔪 How to Make Hot Cocoa Thumbprint Cookies
Making this recipe is very straightforward. Both the dough and the center filling only take a few minutes to make!
Step 1: Prep
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Step 2: Combine the Wet Ingredients
Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Then, add the cocoa powder and milk and mix again.
Step 3: Combine the Dry Ingredients
Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in a bowl.
Step 4: Make the Cookie Dough
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing as you go.
Step 5: Bake
Roll the dough into small, 1-inch balls and place on the baking sheet. Press down in the center of the balls with your thumb, then bake for 9 minutes until the cookie look dray and start to crack a bit around the top.
Press down the centers again with a small spoon while warm. Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Step 6: Make the Filling
Melt the chocolate wafers per package directions. Then, fill the thumbprint centers with chocolate.
Step 7: Top
Crush the peppermints with the flat side of a kitchen mallet and sprinkle on top. Then, sprinkle with marshmallow bits. Enjoy!
📝Variations
Do you want to change up this recipe and make it your own? Here are some ways that you can do that!
- Peppermint – Omit the peppermint for pure hot cocoa cookies.
- More Peppermint – Add peppermint extract to the cookie dough for even more peppermint cocoa flavor.
- Hot Cocoa – Add actual hot cocoa to the cookies in place of cocoa powder.
If you love this recipe, then you’ll be excited about these hot cocoa cheesecake bars.
🥄 Equipment
It only takes a few simple pieces of kitchen equipment to make this recipe.
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Stand or hand mixer
- Wire rack
- Microwaveable bowl
- Mallet
🥫 Storage
Store these cookies in an air-tight container for up to a week at room temperature or 2 weeks in the refrigerator. For longer storage, freeze them in an air-tight, freezer-safe conatainer for up to 3 months.
💭 Tips
These cookies really are super easy to make. We only have a couple of tips for you to remember.
- Be sure your butter is fully softened for easy creaming and proper baking.
- Let your cookies cool fully before filling.
⁉️ FAQ
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
The precise location of their inception isn’t know, but we do know that they originated in the 19th century somewhere in Eastern Europe.
You can fill the depression with chocolate, pudding, custard, or fruity fillings.
They’ll keep for up to a week at room temperauter, 2 weeks in the fridge, and up to 3 months in the freezer.
🍽 More Recipes
Do you enjoy cookies? Then try these delicious recipes:
📌 PIN IT!!
🧾Recipe Card
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
Hot Cocoa Thumbprint Cookies
Equipment
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- Stand or hand mixer
- Wire rack
- Microwaveable Bowl
- Mallet
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 2 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 10 oz bag Ghirardelli’s chocolate melting wafers
- 10 pieces peppermint candies; crushed
- ½ cup jet puffed mini marshmallow bits
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place parchment paper on a baking sheet.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. You can use a hand mixer as well. Mix in cocoa powder and milk.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Add dry ingredients slowly while mixing. Mix well.
- Roll dough into small balls (about 1″ wide) and place on prepared baking sheet.
- Use your thumb to press down in the center of the balls.
- Bake for 9 minutes until cookies look dry and start to crack a bit around the top. Gently press down the centers again with a small spoon. Allow to cool.
- Melt the Ghirardelli’s chocolate wafers as listed on the package. Fill the thumbprint centers with the chocolate. Crush the peppermints with the flat side of a kitchen mallet and sprinkle on top. Add some marshmallow bits.
