These Mexican hot chocolate cookies are soft chocolate cookies full of cinnamon, chili pepper, and a hint of cayenne. Perfect if you’re looking for something sweet with a kick! Kind of like a chocolate snickerdoodle…only better.
So what’s in Mexican hot chocolate? Mexican hot chocolate is flavored with one of my favorite ingredients–aka Cinnamon. Seriously, I love the stuff and could’ve probably named this blog Topped With Cinnamon. It also has a bit of spice to it, usually in the form of chili powder. Fun fact: hot chocolate actually originated in Mexico, where it was made with ground up cocoa, water, cornmeal, and chili peppers.
Now imagine these flavors–chocolate, cinnamon, and chili–baked into a cookie!
These cookies are soft of like a chocolate snickerdoodle with a kick. They start with a soft chocolate cookie dough that’s full of cinnamon, chili, and a pinch of cayenne. Then, they’re rolled in a cinnamon sugar mixture before being baked to perfection.
If you’ve never tried this before then I highly recommend it! These cookies are so soft, tender, and flavorful.
Ingredients for Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
In terms of equipment, you will need two large cookie sheets, parchment paper, and a mixer (either a stand mixer or hand mixer will work).
To make these cookies, you will need:
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Cream of tartar–I told ya they resemble a snickerdoodle 😉
- Baking soda
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Vanilla extract
- Unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- One large egg, also at room temperature
- Ground cinnamon
- Chili powder
- Optional: cayenne pepper. Cayenne pepper adds a more nuanced spice that hits you on the way down. I’d highly recommend adding some–if you can take the heat!
How To Make Them
These hot chocolate cookies are very easy to make!
- Make the dough: scroll down to the recipe for more detailed instructions, but here’s a brief summary! Start by whisking all of the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Then, in a mixer, cream the butter and sugar together. Add an egg, vanilla, and lastly the dry ingredients. You’ll want to fold the dry ingredients in until the flour is just combined.
- Chill: chilling is essential here to make the dough easier to handle before you roll it. It also helps marinate the chocolate, cinnamon, and chili flavors together which results in a more flavorful cookie. I recommend at least half an hour. If you are chilling overnight (which is great), let the dough soften to 15-30 minutes on the counter first before rolling it.
- Roll the dough: form 1.25″ balls of dough with your hands, and then roll them in a cinnamon sugar mixer. Kind of kind making a snickerdoodle!
- Bake: Bake the cookies for 10-11 minutes, or until the edges are set and middles puffed up.
- Optional step: As you can see in the pictures, I drizzled the tops of my cookies with some melted dark chocolate. This is 100% optional, but adds just a little extra chocolate. 🙂
The last step is, of course, to enjoy your freshly baked cookies!
How Spicy Are These Cookies?
The spice level is 100% customizable to your tastes. You can even leave out the chili if you want. The recipe calls for ¼ tsp of chili powder, but you can add more or less depending on your tastes. And of course, the pinch of cayenne is also optional.
How to Store Leftovers
Store leftover Mexican hot chocolate cookies in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days. They’re best in the first 1-2 days, but will last up to 5.
Not Ready to Bake Yet?
Not a problem! Simply hover over any image in this post (or tap if you’re on mobile), and click the pin icon in the corner to save it to Pinterest to come back to later.
Did You Make This Recipe?
If so, I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to leave a comment, rating, or take a picture and share it with me on Instagram @toppedwithhoney. Looking forward to seeing your sweet and spicy Mexican hot chocolate cookies!
Explore More Cookies & Chocolate
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Salted Butter Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies
Dreamy Stuffed Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground chili powder
- pinch of cayenne pepper, optional
- ½ cup unsalted butter (one stick), softened
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For Rolling
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon, chili powder, and cayenne if using. Set this aside for now.
- In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and ⅔ cup sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Then add the egg and vanilla and continue beating until creamy.
- Add the dry ingredients to your mixer, fold them in until just combined. Wrap and transfer the dough to the fridge to chill for half an hour (or overnight). If chilling overnight, let the dough soften for 30 minutes first.
- When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Stir the ⅓ cup sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon together in a small bowl.
- Form 1.25 inch balls of dough and roll them in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place them onto the baking sheets, making sure to space them at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-11 minutes, or until the cookies are puffed up and edges are fully set. It's okay if the middle still looks a bit shiny.
- Let the cookies cool for 5-10 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Optional: drizzle some melted chocolate over the top and sprinkle with a little more cinnamon sugar. Enjoy!
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