Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups with Gooey Marshmallow Cream

Delicious hot chocolate cookie cups are baked into petite cookie shells and filled with marshmallow creme for a playful, easy dessert — perfect for the holidays and winter gatherings.

Cookie cups are a festive and fun twist on classic cookies — small, handheld desserts with an open center that can be filled with a variety of sweet fillings. These Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups recreate the cozy flavor of hot cocoa in cookie form: rich chocolate cookie shells topped with a soft marshmallow filling for the taste and feel of sipping on hot chocolate with marshmallows.

They’re great for holiday cookie exchanges, party platters, gifting, or simply keeping a batch on hand for a seasonal treat. The recipe is straightforward, uses common pantry ingredients, and yields bite-sized cookie cups ready to fill while still warm.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Lightly spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray or brush with a thin layer of melted butter.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon baking soda until evenly combined.
3. In a separate large bowl, cream 3/4 cup softened butter with 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Add 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, mixing until smooth.
4. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until a uniform chocolate cookie dough forms.
5. Fill each mini muffin cup about 3/4 full with cookie dough. Bake in the preheated oven for 13 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers are still slightly soft.
6. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately press the end of a spatula or the back of a small measuring spoon gently into the center of each cookie to form a shallow well. Allow the cookie cups to cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
7. Transfer the cookie cups to a wire rack to finish cooling. Once slightly cooled, fill each cup with marshmallow creme (about 7 ounces total for the batch). Place marshmallow creme into a sandwich-size zip-top bag, snip a small corner, and pipe the filling into each cookie cup for a neat finish.
8. Let the filled cookie cups rest until the marshmallow creme settles. Serve at room temperature. Store cooled cookie cups in a single layer in an airtight container for up to two days.

Frequently asked questions

• Can I substitute hot chocolate mix for cocoa powder? No — hot chocolate mixes vary in sugar and added ingredients such as milk powder or whey, which can change the texture and structure of the cookie dough. Use unsweetened cocoa powder for consistent results.
• Do I need to chill the dough before baking? No. This dough can be portioned straight into the mini muffin tin and baked without chilling.
• How should I store these cookie cups? Store completely cooled cookie cups in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. Avoid stacking to prevent them from sticking together.
• Can I vary the filling? Yes. While marshmallow creme gives a true hot-chocolate-with-marshmallows effect, you can also fill the cups with chocolate ganache, flavored frosting, Nutella, or caramel for a different flavor profile.

Tools used to make this recipe

• Mini muffin tin (for shaping the cookie cups)
• Mixing bowls and a spatula or electric mixer
• Wire cooling rack
• Sandwich-size zip-top bag (used as a simple piping bag for marshmallow creme)

More cookie recipes

If you enjoy these hot chocolate cookie cups, try other cookie variations for holidays and year-round baking. Below are a few options to inspire your next batch:

Chocolate Cookies

Sea Salt Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups with Nutella

Red Velvet Cookie Cups

Pin or save this recipe and try it for your next gathering — these Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups are an easy, crowd-pleasing dessert that captures the flavor of hot cocoa in a charming, sharable bite.