Chewy Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies Recipe
These chewy Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies combine rich cocoa, warm cinnamon, and a touch of cayenne pepper to deliver a perfectly spiced treat with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Rolled in sugar for a crackly exterior, these cookies offer a delightful balance of sweetness and subtle heat, inspired by traditional Mexican hot chocolate flavors.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 24 minutes (excluding chilling time)
- Yield: 30 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons butter (melted)
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 cup sugar (+ 1/2 cup for rolling)
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder (preferably Nestle)
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, stir the cocoa powder and molasses into the warm melted butter until fully combined.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper.
- Mix Dough: Add sugar, egg, and vanilla extract to the wet ingredients bowl and mix well. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients until a consistent dough forms. Cover the dough and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or up to three days for better flavor development.
- Preheat Oven: When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Shape Cookies: Roll about one tablespoon of dough into balls using a cookie scoop (#50 size recommended). Roll each dough ball in the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar to coat.
- Arrange on Baking Sheet: Place the sugar-coated dough balls two inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
- Bake Cookies: Bake one sheet at a time in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until cookies are puffed, centers are set, and cracks begin to form on top. Take care not to overbake for chewy texture.
- Cool: Let cookies rest on the baking sheet until cool enough to transfer, then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Optional Larger Cookies: For larger cookies, use a #30 cookie scoop (approximately 2 tablespoons dough per cookie). Bake for an additional 1 to 2 minutes and expect about 18 cookies per batch instead of 30.
Notes
- Chilling the dough improves the flavor and helps control spreading during baking.
- Adjust cayenne pepper to taste depending on your heat preference.
- Use room temperature egg for better dough consistency.
- Do not grease baking sheets as the sugar coating helps prevent sticking.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Keywords: Mexican hot chocolate cookies, chewy cookies, chocolate cinnamon cookies, spiced chocolate cookies, cayenne pepper cookies