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These Hot Cocoa Cookies are gluten free, lower sugar, and can easily be made dairy free! They’re the perfect combination of a soft, chewy cookie, with the rich chocolate flavors of hot cocoa. They’ll be a hit this holiday season!
Two of my absolute favorite treats in the wintertime (especially around the holidays) are cookies and hot chocolate! So I knew I needed to try to combine the two and I can honestly say, they are perfection 🙌 Topped with mini marshmallows, crushed candy canes, and more chocolate, these really do taste like a cozy cup of cocoa in cookie form!
These cookies have become a staple in my house this time of year. They’re incredibly decadent and rich you’d never guess they’re made with healthier ingredients. I don’t know about you, but that’s how I like my holiday cookies – made with simple ingredients that will make me feel well while also tasting like a super indulgent treat! That’s why these cookies are one of my favorite holiday recipes along with my Snickerdoodle Cookies, Single-Serve Christmas Cookie, and Chai Sugar Cookies. I love them so much that I even made a Single-Serve version for times when I don’t want to make a whole batch 🙈
Watch the full video tutorial HERE.
Why You’ll Love These
- Twist on a cozy classic – Drinking hot chocolate is a staple this time of year, so why not try all of the flavors you love in cookie form?
- Lower sugar – Compared to regular cookies, we’re not using a big amount of sugar that will leave you feeling crashed afterwards. If you want to make these even lower sugar, you can use coconut sugar or monkfruit sweetener!
- Crowd pleaser – I’m not joking when I say these barely last a couple of days in my house 😆 They’re one of the recipes my family loves and requests the most! Perfect for making for your family, yourself, or bringing to any holiday get togethers.
- Dietary friendly – These cookies are gluten free and lower in sugar already, with a few swaps listed below you can make them dairy free!
What You’ll Need
- Almond flour – I love using Bob’s Red Mill Super-Fine Almond Flour because it’s a lot more ground than others I’ve tried.
- Oat flour – You can buy pre-ground oat flour or make your own by blending oats. If I don’t have oat flour on hand, I’ll blend these gluten free sprouted rolled oats.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – Make sure it’s unsweetened and the only ingredient is cocoa. You can also use cacao powder.
- Egg – I haven’t tried these with an egg replacer to make them vegan but if you do, please let me know what worked for you!
- Butter – If you want to make these dairy free use a vegan butter like Miyoko’s, it’s my favorite for its clean ingredients and similar consistency!
- Vanilla extract
- Organic cane sugar – To make these lower sugar or refined sugar free, you could also use coconut sugar or monkfruit sweetener instead.
- Sea salt
- Baking soda
- Toppings – For the chocolate coating, you’ll need chocolate chips and coconut oil. If you want to add more toppings, I love mini marshmallows and crushed candy canes!
How To Make
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy. (Tip: I like to use a handheld mixer for this! If you have a standing mixer, you can use that).
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, and continue to beat until smooth and fully mixed in.
- Slowly add in the dry ingredients one at a time and mix until completely smooth and a thick, sticky dough forms. (Tip: For this step, I like to switch to a silicone spatula so it’s easier to mix the dough as it gets sticky)
- Freeze the dough for thirty minutes (Tip: Do NOT skip this step , it’s super important for getting the fluffy, soft texture of these cookies)
- Once the dough has had time to freeze, scoop out each cookie, roll into balls, and place on the baking sheet about two inches apart. Gently flatten each cookie using your palm.
- Bake for about ten minutes, until risen and the tops are slightly cracked.
- Once the cookies are finished baking, allow them to completely cool before decorating.
- Make the chocolate topping my adding chocolate chips and one teaspoon of coconut oil to a small bowl, microwave for fifteen seconds, stir, and repeat until melted and smooth.
- Top each cookie with the chocolate and option to add mini marshmallows, crushed candy canes, or other toppings of choice. Enjoy!
Recommended Tools
- Large baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Glass mixing bowls
- Stainless steel measuring cups and spoons
- Silicone spatula
- Handheld mixer or standing mixer
- Cookie scoop
More Holiday Cookie Recipes
Taylor Swift Chai Sugar Cookies (Gluten Free)
Single-Serve Christmas Cookie (Gluten Free, Vegan)
Single-Serve Hot Cocoa Cookie (Gluten Free, Vegan)
Hot Cocoa Cookies (Gluten Free, Dairy Free Option)
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup butter (softened0 (can use vegan if dairy free)
- 1 + 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup oat flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/3 cup organic cane sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
Toppings: chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, candy canes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Beat together butter and sugar.
- Add in egg vanilla extract and beat until smooth.
- Add in almond flour, oat flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda and mix until smooth.
- Freeze dough for 30 min.
- Scoop out cookie dough, roll into balls and place on baking sheet. Slightly flatten and bake about 10 minutes, until the tops are a little cracked.
Toppings (optional)
- Melt chocolate chips in a bowl with 1sp coconut oil by heating in the microwave in 15 second intervals – stir between each.
- Spread the melted chocolate on top of each cookie. Top with mini marshamallows and candy canes. Enjoy!
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest!