Chewy Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
This recipe is my baby. It’s the first recipe I ever developed myself and it’s the recipe I’m most often asked for. When I ask people what I should bring to their picnic, bake sale, birthday party, the answer is invariably MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE COOKIES. DUH. They are spicy, chewy, chocolatey and just the right size. If you usually just window shop when you look at baking blogs, I encourage you to give these a try. They’re memorable, foolproof and delicious.
The Best Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
These aresoft and chewy like a molasses cookie. By blooming the cocoa in warm butter you get a deep, rich chocolate flavor. And the hint of spice and heat from the cinnamon and cayenne makes this cookie stand out.
Perfect Size, Even Bake
But did I mention how easy they are? Oh, they are easy. It takes two bowlsand a fork. You do not even need a mixer. Sometimes I just dump everything in one bowl. You can whip up this dough, stick it in the fridge for up to three days, and then bake them whenever. If you have a cookie scoop they will all be the EXACT SAME SIZE, which is great if you like to intimidate others with your baking powers.
The Perfect Cookie Scoop!
I have done an embarrassing amount of research on cookie scoops (quality, volume, gauge) and have found that this Zeroll EZ Disher in size 50 is the way to go. It makes perfectly sized cookies. Unlike some other cookie scoops I’ve bought in the past, it doesn’t break after a few uses. It holds about 1.3 tablespoons of dough,so if you don’t have a scoop and want to measure it out, one tablespoon+one teaspoon of dough (or 23 grams if you have a digital scale) will do it. Or you can just eyeball it, they’ll pretty much taste and look amazing no matter what. You can use any #50 cookie scoop, I’ve got details of how to choose the right size cookie scoop and which brand to buy here.
Best of all, these store well and are sturdy enough to ship. I always include a half dozen Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies in my Xmas cookie boxes because I know they’ll still taste fresh and delicious no matter how far they travel. These Chewy Molasses Cookies also make a perfect pairing. And also check out my most pinned cookie recipe: Chewy Chocolate-Espresso Cookies.
More Foolproof Cookies from Bakers Brigade:
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- Chewy Molasses Cookies
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- Malted Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
And Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Cookie Scoops:
- Cookie Scoop Sizes Explained
Print Recipe
Chewy Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
This is my most-requested recipe, no contest. These have the texture of a traditional chewy molasses cookie plus deep chocolate flavor, the warmth of cinnamon and a nice little heat from the cayenne pepper. You can mix it up in one or two bowls, no mixer needed. These are great for make-ahead and store and ship well.
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons butter melted
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder I prefer Nestle
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar +1/2 c. for rolling
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Ingredients - 12 tablespoons butter melted
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder I prefer Nestle
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar +1/2 c. for rolling
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
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Instructions
In a large bowl, stir the cocoa and molasses into the warm butter. In medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Add sugar, egg and vanilla extract to the large bowl. Stir dry ingredients into the wet. Cover and chill dough for as little as an hour or up to 3 days.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll 1 tablespoon of dough into balls (a #50 cookie scoop is great for this), and roll them in the remaining white sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are puffed, centers are set and they are beginning to form cracks. Do not overbake. Leave on sheets until they are cool enough to transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
If you want a slightly more substantial cookie, use a #30 cookie scoop, 2 tablespoons dough, for each cookie. You will need to add a minute or two to the bake time and the batch will make about 18 cookies instead of 30.
FAQs
Mexican hot chocolate contains spices like cinnamon and chili and chopped bittersweet chocolate to create a very rich but less sweet flavor. Whereas traditional American hot chocolate is usually made with a combination of cocoa powder and/or chocolate and tends to be more on the sweet side.
What is the secret to chewy cookies? ›
Cornstarch helps product soft and thick cookies. Using more brown sugar than white sugar results in a moister, softer cookie. An extra egg yolk increases chewiness. Rolling the cookie dough balls to be tall and lumpy instead of wide and smooth gives the cookies a bakery-style textured thickness.
What are America's most loved cookies? ›
The chocolate chip cookie is far and away America's favorite cookie This should come as no surprise to anyone who enjoys the tasty treat. More than 53% of American adults prefer the cookies over the next most popular kind, peanut butter.
Why are chewy cookies chewy? ›
Well, the long and short answer to chewy cookies is it's all about the moisture content. Cookies that are dense and chewy incorporate more moisture into the batter. This can be achieved by making substitutions with wet and dry ingredients, or even just changing the way you incorporate certain ingredients.
Why does abuelita hot chocolate taste different? ›
Mexican hot chocolate has a different taste than other hot chocolates, as it has a bold chocolate taste and incorporates spices and flavors like cinnamon. Its unique tablet form creates a frothy and rich drinking experience.
Why does Mexican hot chocolate taste better? ›
The most significant difference is in the ingredients. Mexican hot chocolate uses various spices, including cinnamon, cloves, and ancho chili pepper.
How do I make my cookies chewy instead of crunchy? ›
How To Make Cookies Chewy Without Cornstarch
- Go heavy on brown sugar. It has more moisture than its granulated counterpart, which means the cookie comes out less crispy. ...
- Choose margarine or shortening instead of butter. ...
- Use baking powder instead of baking soda. ...
- Rest your dough. ...
- Shorten baking time.
Eggs bind the ingredients and make for moist, chewy cookies. Adding too many eggs can result in gummy, cake-like cookies. Adding too few eggs can result in dry, crumbly cookies. Beat each one in separately and thoroughly.
What is the #1 selling cookie? ›
Oreo is the best-selling cookie in the world. It is now sold in over 100 countries. Oreo was first produced in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company, now known as Na-Bis-Co. But did you know Oreos are a copycat product?
How to get chewier cookies? ›
Try adding an extra yolk when you make up the recipe. Swapping out some of the white sugar in the recipe for brown sugar will give you softer, chewier cookies, and if you don't have brown sugar you can simply add a tablespoon of molasses per cup of granulated sugar. Food lover who loves to cook and bake.
Light corn syrup is another ingredient that you can add to cookie dough that will help it stay softer longer. The corn syrup you buy at the grocery store is not the high-fructose corn syrup that soft drinks are made with; it's a sugar that is liquid at room temperature and helps other sugars say liquid at high heat.
Does melting butter make cookies chewy? ›
For chewier cookies and bars, we melt our butter instead of following the usual procedure of creaming softened butter with sugar. This simple switch frees up the water content of the butter so that it can freely interact with the flour in the dough or batter.
Why is it called Mexican hot chocolate? ›
It Started in Mexico
As early as 500 BC, the Mayans were drinking chocolate made from ground-up cocoa seeds mixed with water, cornmeal, and chili peppers (as well as other ingredients)—a much different version from the hot chocolate we know today.
How is Mexican chocolate different? ›
Mexican chocolate is made with cacao, sugar, and cinnamon. It boasts a grainier texture than other types of chocolate thanks to all of the extra added sugar. While cacao nibs, sugar, and cinnamon form the base of traditional Mexican chocolate, you may also see it made with almonds, vanilla, or even chiles.
What can I use instead of Mexican hot chocolate? ›
Replace the Mexican chocolate called for in your recipe with an equal amount of semisweet chocolate or cocoa powder. Add 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and, if you like, a drop of almond extract for every ounce of chocolate.
Why is Mexican hot chocolate gritty? ›
It has a noticeably grainy texture because it's processed only to the “liquor” stage, before it's poured into the disk-shaped molds to cool and harden. Classically, it's flavored with cinnamon and vanilla. To make the drink, this solid chocolate is broken into pieces, then just melted into a pot of hot milk.
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