This post may contain affiliate links, please see the privacy policy for details.
Looking for something seasonal, scrumptious, and fun? These bite-sized hot cocoa cookie cups fit the bill! You only need five ingredients to make them and they’re really cute. Sugar cookie cups with a pretzel handle are filled with chocolate fudge and topped with mini marshmallows to make a miniature edible cup of cocoa. You can make these adorable little bites in little more than twenty minutes, and they’re a lovely snack to pair with a cup of coffee, cocoa (of course), or your favorite hot holiday beverage. Make these sweet treats for Christmas parties, cookie exchanges, and holiday eating!
Sugar cookie dough, hot fudge, pretzels, marshmallow bits, and chocolate wafers combine to make these cute cookie cup treats which are sweet and satisfying.
You might also like oatmeal butterscotch cookies, this gorgeous gingerbread loaf with warm spices, or maybe crunchy homemade nut brittle.
Why You’ll Love It
So quick to make: Count on these taking just ten minutes to prepare and twelve minutes to bake.
Such a cute treat: These little hot cocoa cookie cups are just adorable!
Ideal for a dessert board: Whether you’re working on a Polar Express dessert board or a cookie tray, these hot chocolate cookie cups are a perfect addition.
Hot Cocoa Cup Cookie Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Sugar cookie dough squares: I used Pillsbury sugar cookie dough.
Hot fudge: To look like the cocoa in the sugar cookie dough cup.
Pretzel twists: To be the handles on the cups.
Mini marshmallow bits: These miniature hot cocoa cups need miniature marshmallow bits on top!
Melted chocolate wafers: To stick the pretzel handles to the sugar cookie dough cups.
How to Make Hot Chocolate Cup Cookies
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Make the cookie dough cups: Press sugar cookie dough square into greased mini muffin tins to make 12 cookie cups.
Bake them: Bake for 12 minutes or until golden.
Hollow them out: Press the top of each one with a measuring spoon to make an indent.
Let them cool completely: Let them cool and then remove from the tin.
Add the handles to the cups: Melt the melting wafers and break the pretzels in half. Stick the pretzel handles to the cookie cups using the melted wafers.
The finishing touches: Melt the hot fudge and divide between the cookie cups. Top with mini marshmallows and serve.
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten-free option: If you want a gluten-free version, use gluten-free ingredients. I used these gluten-free pretzel twists.
Hot fudge alternatives: Use melted milk chocolate or semi sweet chocolate chips instead of melted chocolate wafers. You could combine dark chocolate chips with a few white chocolate chips to achieve a realistic cocoa-like color.
Marshmallow bits: I used these mini marshmallow bits but another way is to snip larger marshmallows into small pieces. If you aren’t a fan of marshmallows, add a mini candy cane to each of the cookie cups filled with hot fudge instead. Or sprinkle some coarse brown sugar grains on top.
Another flavor: Feel free to add a few drops of vanilla extract, mint extract or another kind.
Serving Suggestions
More sweet treats: Add along with these Swiss roll trains to a Polar Express dessert board and perhaps also some gingerbread man cookies.
Special savory snacks: Some savory bites that would go well include poinsettia focaccia bread and seasoned jalapeno popcorn.
Holiday drinks: What could be more festive than a mug of boozy hot chocolate? Well, perhaps a cranberry margarita (or two!)
How to Store Cookie Cups
Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature and eat within a week.
Freeze: It’s best not to freeze these because they’ll thaw out mushy and soft.
Top Tips
Grease your muffin cups: Don’t forget this step. If you do, the cookie cups might break when you try to remove them.
Don’t overcook the cups: Depending on your oven, these can take anywhere from 10 to 14 minutes to bake. The best way to tell when they’re done is to see when they turn golden brown.
Work quickly: The melted chocolate wafers won’t stay liquid for too long, so work quickly to stick on the cup handles. If it sets before you’re done, you can always remelt it.
Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups FAQs
Yes. Use a full-size muffin tin and use 2 cookie dough squares in each muffin hole. These do make a great Christmas cookie recipe whether mini or full-size.
Absolutely, you can use any kind you want, perhaps chocolate fudge, chocolate chip or another kind.
Not a marshmallow fan? You can substitute mini candy canes in each of the sugar cookie cups instead.
Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups Recipe
Hot Cocoa Cookie Cups
Ingredients
- 12 sugar cookie dough, pre-cut squares, I used Pillsbury
- ½ Cup hot fudge
- pretzel twists, mini
- ¼ Cup mini marshmallow bits
- 2 Ounces chocolate melting wafers
- nonstick cooking spray, for greasing
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and grease a mini muffin tin.
- In every other muffin space, press in a square of cookie dough until it comes up the sides of the hollow (so you’ll have 12 cookie cups)
- Bake on the center rack of the oven for 12 minutes (or until golden brown).
- Once you remove the tin from the oven, take the back of a round teaspoon-size measuring spoon and gently press down on the top of each cookie cup to hollow it slightly.
- Allow them to fully cool.
- Once completely cool, carefully remove them from the tin.
- Melt your melting wafers for 30 second increments (until fully melted, stirring between each increment).
- Break one pretzel twist in half. Dip the ends in the melted chocolate then attach to the side of a cookie cup.
- Repeat with the remaining cookie cups.
- Melt your hot fudge then fill each cookie cup with 1 to 1½ teaspoons of melted fudge.
- Top each cookie cup of melted fudge with 3 mini marshmallow bits and serve.
Notes
Don’t overcook the cups: Depending on your oven, these can take anywhere from 10 to 14 minutes to bake. The best way to tell when they’re done is to see when they turn golden brown.
Work quickly: The melted chocolate wafers won’t stay liquid for too long, so work quickly to stick on the cup handles. If it sets before you’re done, you can always remelt it.
Nutrition
A batch of these cute little hot cocoa cookie cups is ideal for the holiday season. You can make hot chocolate cookies as part of a dessert tray or cookie platter, or make them to serve with after-dinner coffee. They’re a lovely combination of sugar cookies, fudge, chocolate, and marshmallows, created to resemble a mug of hot chocolate completely with marshmallow topping.
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
These little hot cocoa cookie cups are adorable and delicious! They’re super easy to make and perfect for holiday gatherings. A definite crowd-pleaser!