These Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups are adorable, delicious sugar cookie cups filled with a fudgy center, topped with miniature marshmallows and finished off with a pretzel handle. The perfect Christmas cookie that will be loved by kids and adults, alike!
Christmas is coming, ready or not. And that means it’s time to start planning for all the Christmas goodies. These Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups will be the star of your dessert table, this holiday season. From the soft, sugar cookie cups to the fudgy chocolate filling, the miniature marshmallow toppers, and the salty pretzel handles, they are dessert perfection.
And what’s even better, is how simple they are to make. Well, and how adorable they are, of course. I mean, who’s going to pass these up, really??
Even though it is an easy recipe to make, if you need to split up the process, you can make the cookie cups ahead of time, then make the filling and add the pretzel handles later on. I actually made the cookie cups in the morning, then made the filling and finished the cups later in the afternoon while Nat was napping. It worked out perfectly!
So you are probably asking yourself, how exactly do I make these adorable little treats? Well, let me tell you.
How to make Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups:
1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray two 12-cup mini muffin tins with cookie spray (I like the cookie spray with flour in it) and set aside.
2.) In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar on low speed until fluffy. Stir in extracts and egg, mix well, scraping down the sides as needed.
3.) On low speed, mix in the flour and baking soda until just combined.
4.) Using a medium cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop cookie dough into prepared baking tins. Using a teaspoon, press the mixture down into each tin, creating a cup, and pressing the dough up the sides. Make sure you don’t press all the way through to the bottom, just enough to hold the filling. It will puff up during baking, so don’t worry when you see that!
5.) Bake for 8-10 minutes, until cookies are starting to lightly brown. Remove and allow to cool completely.
6.) Combine the chocolate chips and condensed milk in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 1 minute, then remove, add vanilla extract, and stir. If chocolate wasn’t completely melted when you took it out of the microwave, it should melt as you stir.
7.) Carefully spoon about a tablespoon of the mixture into the center of each cooled cookie cup, then top with a few miniature marshmallows. The fudgy filling sets up fairly quickly, so don’t be alarmed. If you need to heat it, do so about 15 seconds at a time.
8.) Once all the cups are filled, use the remaining chocolate to dip the ends of your pretzels handles in before attaching them to the sides of the cookie cups. Hold them in place a few seconds to make sure they stick, then set aside to set up completely. Cookie cups can be store in an airtight container for up to a week.
And just like that, you have yourself one adorable Christmas treat, that will be the talk of your holiday gathering.
If you love this recipe, check out these other holiday goodies!
Cranberry Eggnog Fudge
Orange Cranberry White Chocolate Bread
Pecan Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies
Follow me on Pinterest for more great recipes!
Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1 egg
- 2 1/3 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups good quality dark chocolate chips
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 12-15 mini pretzel knots, rounded ends broken off to make “handles”
- Miniature marshmallows, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray two 12-cup mini muffin tins with cookie spray (I like the cookie spray with flour in it) and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar on low speed until fluffy. Stir in extracts and egg, mix well, scraping down the sides as needed.
- On low speed, mix in the flour and baking soda until just combined.
- Using a medium cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop cookie dough into prepared baking tins. Using a teaspoon, press the mixture down into each tin, creating a cup, and pressing the dough up the sides. Make sure you don’t press all the way through to the bottom, just enough to hold the filling. It will puff up during baking, so don’t worry when you see that!
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, until cookies are starting to lightly brown. Remove from oven and use teaspoon to press the centers back down (they will puff up during baking) and allow to cool completely.
To make the filling
- Combine the chocolate chips and condensed milk in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 1 minute, then remove, add vanilla extract, and stir. If chocolate wasn’t completely melted when you took it out of the microwave, it should melt as you stir.
- Carefully spoon about a tablespoon of the mixture into the center of each cooled cookie cup, then top with a few miniature marshmallows. The fudgy filling sets up fairly quickly, so don’t be alarmed. If you need to heat it, do so about 15 seconds at a time.
- Once all the cups are filled, use the remaining chocolate to dip the ends of your pretzels handles in before attaching them to the sides of the cookie cups. Hold them in place a few seconds to make sure they stick, then set aside to set up completely. Cookie cups can be store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Welcome to #ChristmasSweetsWeek 2019! Co-hosted by Terri from Love and Confections and Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures! What better way to celebrate the holidays than with food and fun? 25 bloggers from around the country have come together to share some of their favorite sweet Christmas recipes!! Deck the halls and get ready for very merry sweet treats, like fudge, cookies, Christmas morning breakfasts, layer cakes, cocoa, and more! Follow along on social media with our #ChristmasSweetsWeek hashtag. Happy Holidays!
Enjoy these #ChristmasSweetsWeek recipes from our bloggers:
Christmas Beverages:
Fluffernutter Latte from The Kitchen Prep
Hansel and Gretel Gingerbread Latte from Blogghetti
Mexicoco from YumGoggle
S’mores Hot Chocolate from For the Love of Food
Christmas Breakfasts:
Cinnamon Roll Pancakes from Daily Dish Recipes
Flaky Nutella Christmas Tree from Shockingly Delicious
Gingerbread Sweet Rolls from The Redhead Baker
Grinch Pancakes from Katie’s Cucina
Mini Chocolate Peppermint Baked Donuts from It Bakes Me Happy
Christmas Pastries and Desserts:
Angel Sugar Crisps from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
Chocolate Cherry Loaf from Seduction In The Kitchen
Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups from Sweet Beginnings
Peppermint Chunk Cookies from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Snowman Cupcakes from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Toy Soldier Frosted Brownies from Big Bear’s Wife
Bourbon Balls from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Chocolate Peppermint Truffles from Family Around the Table
Christmas Crack (Saltine Toffee) from Palatable Pastime
Gingerbread Fudge from Love and Confections
Slow Cooker Chocolate Peanut Candy from Cheese Curd In Paradise
Spiced Pecans with a Rum Glaze from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Star Crunch Inspired Bars from Our Good Life
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