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Sweet Vanilla Hot Chocolate Molten Cookies. Homemade chocolate cookies that taste just like your favorite mug of creamy vanilla hot chocolate! These cookies, similar to a lava cookie, are made with real vanilla extract, semi-sweet chocolate chips, cocoa powder, and the real secret – big chunks of dark chocolate. A light sprinkle of sea salt after baking makes them perfect. When eaten warm, the puddles of chocolate melt into every inch of the cookie, making each cookie melt in your mouth. So delicious. And not too sweet, but just sweet enough. They’re the perfect holiday cookie to bake, share, and gift this holiday season!
It’s finally here!! It’s time for all the holiday cookies!! And you all, I’ve been baking cookies for days. Between these cookies, the recipe I hope to share on Friday, and then the cookie box, it’s been one sweet cookie after another.
I’m not complaining; it’s been fun, and I’m excited to share each recipe with you all. Since I’m working on getting the cookie box posted relatively soon, I’ve been testing sweet recipes daily and even at night.
I love holiday baking, but it can be a lot of work! These hot cocoa cookies took a few days to perfect, but they were worth it – so excited to share!
The one thing about these cookies versus other hot chocolate cookies is that I nixed the marshmallows. But I promise you will not miss them. These are delicious hot cocoa cookies!
I took the idea from the nightly mugs of hot chocolate I make for Asher this time of year. She has a routine of showing up once it’s dark while my dad and I clean the studio. Her one request is a mug of steamy cocoa. She picks out her favorite Christmas mug, and then I make her the simplest hot cocoa. It’s perfect.
These cookies have everything in them that I use in Asher’s hot chocolate!
Details
Step 1:
Melt together the butter and chocolate chunks; the mixture will be thick.
Step 2: finish the cookie dough in the bowl of a stand mixer
Next, using an electric mixer, whisk the eggs up in a separate bowl with the sugar. This is the secret to the melt-in-your-mouth chocolate cookie. You have to use room-temperature eggs and really whisk them until you see plenty of bubbles on top.
You’ll notice I’m using a lot of vanilla, two tablespoons. The vanilla provides the cookies with a really nice flavor that can stand up to all the chocolate.
Now add the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, and salt.
Step 3: the chocolate chunks
I use a large 6.3-ounce bar of dark chocolate.
Chop the bar into rather large chunks. The bigger chunks melt into puddles throughout the cookies. So yummy, trust me.
Step 4: freeze
Roll the dough into decently-sized balls. This is a sticky dough, so using a cookie scoop or a smaller ice cream scoop is easiest for this dessert.
Freeze the dough balls on the cookie sheet until firm. Don’t skip this step. You want the dough to be chilled so the cookies will bake nicely. This only requires 15 to 30 minutes in the freezer.
Step 5: bake
Bake until just set. Then a light sprinkle of sea salt (if desired), and you’re good to eat!
Warm hot chocolate cookies for all! And a dip through a little whipped cream is highly recommended – so yummy!
Looking for Christmas cookie recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Chewy Frosted Cinnamon Swirl Snickerdoodles
Easy Slice ‘n’ Bake Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies
Easy Vanilla Bean Christmas Lights Cookies
Soft Gingerbread Latte Cookies with Brown Butter Icing
Lastly, if you make these Vanilla Hot Chocolate Molten Cookies be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Vanilla Hot Chocolate Molten Cookies
Servings: 18 cookies
Calories Per Serving: 244 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 2. In the microwave, melt the butter and chocolate chips together. 3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until bubbles form on top, about 2 minute. Add in vanilla and melted chocolate, whisking until the mix looks glossy. Mix in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks. Put the bowl in the freezer, let the dough sit for 30 minutes, until it is scoop-able. The batter should be like a thickened fudge. DO NOT skip this step. It's essential to the recipe.4. Line a small baking sheet or plate with parchment paper (anything that fits in your freezer). Using a 1/4 cup measure cookie scoop, scoop the dough into balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. Freeze for 15-30 minutes, until firm. DO NOT skip this step. It's essential to the recipe.5. Pull the dough balls out of the freezer. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Space the cookies 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-12 minutes or until the cookies start to set around the edges, the centers should be a little doughy. Let cool on the pan. 6. Sprinkle with sea salt. Eat warm or let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Hot chocolate with whipped cream is wonderful for dipping (:
Notes
Freezing: the cookie dough balls can be frozen for up to 3 months. When ready, thaw, then bake as directed.
Trouble Rolling the Dough: step 2 of the recipe is important, make sure you are really whisking your eggs and getting a very glossy look. It’s should look like a thick shiny chocolate brownie batter by the time step 2 is complete. If you are still having trouble. Start by adding 1/4 cup additional flour, then add more as needed. Some readers have used up to 1 cup of additional flour, but I have never personally found this needed.
This post was originally published on November 28, 2023
I made two batches. The first I used Ghirardelli morsels and the second I used Tollhouse. I found the Ghirardelli melted much better and they came out crinkly and beautiful. The toll house batch tasted fine but didn’t look as nice or taste as good. Brought to a cookie party and everyone raved about them.
Hey Maureen,
Thanks for the thoughtful feedback after trying this recipe, I’m happy to hear it was a win!
Happy Holidays!🎄🎁
Delicious but ended up superrrrr flat and not exactly “servable”…I felt like
I followed the recipe exactly. Maybe I need to add more flower?
Hi Karley,
Thanks so much for trying these cookies and your feedback! I would chill your dough next time, that should help!
Happy Holidays!
These are to DIE for! I can’t stop eating them they’re a household favorite already. I subbed the flour for gluten free flour from King Arthur and they still came out perfectly! Crunchy outside and gooey chocolate middle.
Hey Sarena,
Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and your comment!
Happy Holidays!🎄
The cookies didn’t flatten – they were more round and ball like. What did I do wrong?
Hi Paige,
Hmmm, so sorry to hear this! If you want to try again, I would skip the second freeze. I hope this helps!
Happy Holidays!
Tieghan! These cookies may very well win our family cookie challenge! They are rich and decadent, definitely not your average cookie. My only question, though, is what’s the secret to rolling the dough into balls? I did not add any extra flour, so maybe that was it or extra whisking on the eggs? Chilling the scoop? My hands were a sticky mess, but worth it. Forget the sugar plums. I’ll be dreaming about these cookies! Thank you for another recipe that doesn’t disappoint.
Lol thanks so much, Kathy!! I am so glad these cookies were a hit! For rolling the dough, try putting a touch of coconut oil on your hands and on the scooper. That should help. Let me know if you win!
Well, Tieghan, I didn’t win, but here’s the reason why – I lost to someone who made your Gooey Chocolate Crinkle Cookies! Thank you for helping make our holiday a delicious delight!
Lol wow, that is so cool:) Thanks for sharing, Kathy!!
For all the prep work to have a recipe vary but up to a whole cup of flour, I should have known then that they would be a fail. Baking is more exact than that. Disappointed I wasted the ingredients on these.
Hi Nicole,
Sorry to hear these cookies did not turn out for you. Please let me know if there is anything specific that I can help with. Happy Holidays!
I had a lot of trouble with these despite following the recipe exactly.
Hi Alice,
Very sorry to hear this. Is there anything that I can help with? Please let me know!
Tried these and was disappointed. The cookies never got a molten center—just dense and cakey. Chilled the dough as suggested, but still nothing. The flour instructions were confusing, saying some people need “up to a cup more,” which shouldn’t be guesswork in baking. A good recipe shouldn’t vary buy a full CUP variation of flour. Mine also spread weirdly and didn’t get the shiny tops like the photos.
Hi Meghan,
Thanks for trying these cookies and sharing your feedback, very sorry to hear they did not turn out for you!
Delicious recipe! They kind of taste like the Costco chocolate muffins (which are my fave). Can this exact recipe be used to make mini muffins? Would the dough still need to be frozen?
Hey Zar,
Awesome! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, so glad it was enjoyed! So sorry, I have never tried making these as muffins so I am not sure how well that would work for you!
once I bake them am I able to freeze them?
Hi Stephanie,
You bet, that will be just fine for you to do! I hope you love these cookies!
I made these yesterday, and they are absolutely delicious. They are hard to scoop and shape but I was able to chill them enough to make them workable. I love how the center stays gooey even 2-3 days old. I plan to send with my son for their elementary school’s Polar Express day! (Add a little powdered sugar to make them look extra festive)
Hey Kenna,
Happy Sunday! So kind of you to try this recipe and leave feedback, I’m glad it was a hit!
Never make this recipe.
This recipe is very poorly written and comes out horribly as followed perfectly. I froze 2 hours each time and weighed the ingredients to the gram. I’m an experienced baker and any recipe that ends with “some people have to add up to a cup of flour but I don’t” is an outrageous acknowledgement that the directions are a poor written and just an excuse for clickbait digital ads to sell on this website. Baking is chemistry and no baking recipe varies by 1 cup of flour.
Just a suggestion, I think your trouble rolling the dough note should reference step 3 since it involves the eggs. These are very good though. They were one of my favorites from last year.
Hey Ash,
Thanks so much for sharing your feedback! So glad to hear you enjoyed these cookies! Have a great Sunday!
To freeze the dough do you just not bake them after the second freeze time?
Hi Christina,
Correct:) Please let me know if you have any other questions!
I can’t wait to try these! I’m thinking about adding mallow bits to mine to really make it feel like a hot chocolate cookie. Any tips or modifications on baking time if I do this?
Hi Chelsey,
I’ve never tried this, but sounds yummy! I hope you love this recipe! Happy Holidays!🎄🎁
These look great and I want to make them for a work cookie competition. I feel like to maximize my chances of winning, I should have a frosting or glaze to go with them. Do you have any suggestions on something that might work?
Thanks so much, Paige! Love to hear these cookies are always enjoyed!
I honestly think a glaze might over do it, but if you want, I would do something super simple!
Let me know how it turns out:)
These cookies are SO delicious, love the strong vanilla and strong chocolate flavors together! Recipe is super easy. It is a bit of a mess with the chocolate and the sticky dough but overall super simple.
Question – mine cooked properly, they spread properly, set around the edges and were soft and chewy in the middle, but they didn’t get crinkly and shiny like yours – they are a bit “foamy” looking on top like little bubbles popped all over the top. Any tips on how to get the shiny/crinkly look? Did I over-mix the eggs? Did I crowd the pan? Did I need more flour or need to freeze longer? Any thoughts would be helpful.
Hey Kylie,
Thanks so much for making these cookies, I am so glad to hear they were enjoyed!
For the crinkle look, whisking the eggs like crazy is key, you want them to have lots of bubbles on top. You could also try freezer longer next time, 30-45 minutes. Finally, I wouldn’t bake more than 6 cookies on a tray.
I hope this helps! Let me know how they turn out:)
These are so so good!! I know some people had trouble with them not coming out right but I was vigilant about the freezer time and they came out perfect. After I made the dough I put it in the freezer for 30mins, then scooped and placed on cookie sheet with parchment paper and placed back into the freezer until firm, about 15 mins, then right into the oven for 10mins. They came out perfect. Hope this helps anyone who may have had an issue.
Hey Christina,
Awesome!☃️ I am so glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it!
These look even better than the picture & made my apt smell heavenly !!! Can’t wait to try!!! I have made a different cookie recipe every Thanksgiving the last couple of years and they never disappoint! Happy Thanksgiving 🦃 😊❤️
Yay! Thank you so much for choosing to make this recipe, Samantha! Happy Thanksgiving!