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Home Recipes By Meal Dessert

Healthy Hot Cocoa Cookies

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By: Erin Antoniak • Updated On June 18, 2026
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Healthy Hot Cocoa Cookies are like a cup of cozy hot chocolate in the form of little treats! They’re comforting and are gluten-free, flourless, and made with simple ingredients.

hot cocoa cookies

The most delicious healthy hot cocoa cookies

When the air is crisp, the holiday decorations are out, the Christmas music is playing, and there’s snow on the ground, who can resist a nice, cozy cup of hot chocolate? I know I can’t! There’s something about it that just puts me in the best mood.

This year, as I sipped on my first cup of hot chocolate of the season, I got an idea: hot chocolate cookies! These are a popular holiday treat that I see around each season, but I’ve never tried making them myself. I decided to give it a go, and the results were not disappointing!

As always, I swapped some traditional ingredients for some healthier options, and officially created healthy hot cocoa cookies. They’re gluten-free, flourless, and use simple ingredients.

Enjoy these treats alongside a hot beverage like coffee, and ohhh my gosh. The taste is unbeatable! They were a total hit in my house. I’m sure your family and friends will love them too! In my opinion, this is one of the best healthy cookie recipes I’ve created.

Chocolate cookies are my favorite, so I wanted to share my Easy Nutella Cookies too.

cookie leaning on mug

Ingredients required to make these treats

The ingredients in this recipe are simple and easy. We won’t be using any hard to find items; most of these are probably already in your house! For me, the only items I had to go get for this recipe were the marshmallows and the cocoa powder! Here’s a list of what you’ll need:

  • Egg
  • Coconut sugar
  • Almond butter
  • Vanilla
  • Cocoa powder
  • Baking soda
  • Chocolate chips
  • Mini marshmallows

Required kitchen tools

Since this recipe is so quick and easy, you’ll only need 4 kitchen tools. Before you begin preparing the cookies, gather a baking sheet, parchment paper, mixing bowl, and mixing spatula or spoon!

stack of hot cocoa cookies

How to make healthy hot cocoa cookies

This healthy dessert recipe is very, very easy to make! All in all, it should only require about 20 minutes from start to finish.

Start by preheating your oven to 350F. Then, line your baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix together the egg, coconut sugar, almond butter, and vanilla. Then, stir in the cocoa powder and baking soda. It gets thick at this step.

Next, add the chocolate chips and mini marshmallows. They may not stick in the batter, but just form them so extra marshmallows and chocolate chips are on the top of the cookies. Make them look “loaded.”

Next, roll the dough into balls, place onto the baking sheet, and flatten ever so slightly. They won’t (and shouldn’t) spread too much.

Bake for 12-14 minutes, and let cool completely before removing from the pan.

How to make vegan cocoa cookies

Many people love to veganize my recipes, because it’s always so simple! For this recipe, there are only two non-vegan items.

The first is chocolate chips, though these are an easy swap. Simply use a dark chocolate, milk free version!

The second non-vegan item in this recipe is the egg. This can be substituted by choosing from a few different options:

  • Applesauce: Try ¼ cup applesauce! You won’t taste it, and the consistency works well to achieve the same binding effect as eggs.
  • Ground chia or flaxseeds: Either option will work, though these may create a slight nut flavor. Purchase a ground version, or ground them yourself. Then, mix 1 tbsp of either seed with 3 tbsp water. Mix until they have fully absorbed the water, and then use in place of the egg. Here is a helpful infographic!
  • Egg replacer: There are a bunch of vegan egg replacers to choose from, and the packaging should contain specific instructions for that brand.
hot cocoa cookies

How I created this healthy cookie recipe

Traditional hot cocoa cookies use ingredients like butter, flour, and regular sugar! I prefer using ingredients that have higher nutrition contents, so that’s what I did for this recipe.

  • Sugar: For this recipe, I used coconut sugar in place of granulated. Both are sugars, but coconut sugar is slightly lower in calories and carbs. It also tastes great!
  • Flour: I typically stay away from all-purpose flour when baking healthier treats, but I prefer to omit any type of flour when possible. With this recipe, I was able to cut it out completely!
  • Butter: Instead of using regular butter, my recipe uses almond butter. It adds a fantastic taste and is perfect for giving the dough the required consistency. Plus, it adds protein! If you’d like, you can use peanut butter instead.

Try these chocolate treats too!

If you liked this tasty cocoa recipe, you’ll also love these delicious, chocolatey treats! Choose from brownies, fudge, muffins, and more.

  • Peppermint Cocoa Tahini Freezer Fudge
  • Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes (gluten free)
  • Double Chocolate Mint Paleo Cookies
  • Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
  • Pecan Pie Brownies
healthy hot cocoa cookies
stack of hot cocoa cookies
Erin Antoniak

Healthy Hot Cocoa Cookies

4.84 from 24 votes
Healthy Hot Cocoa Cookies are like a cup of cozy hot chocolate in the form of little treats! They’re comforting and are gluten-free, flourless, and made with simple ingredients.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Servings: 12 cookies
Course: Dessert, gluten-free, holiday
Cuisine: American
Calories: 227
Ingredients Method Nutrition

Ingredients
  

  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 cup runny almond butter cold. (whole foods brand is great)
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup mini marshmallows

Method
 

  1. Mix together egg, coconut sugar, almond butter, and vanilla.
  2. Stir in cocoa powder and baking soda (gets thick here)
  3.  Add in chocolate chips and mini marshmallows – they may not stick in the batter but just form them so extra marshmallows and chocolate chips are on top of the cookies, making them look ‘loaded’.
  4. **If your nut butter was warm, chill dough for 30 minutes so they do not spread.
  5.  Roll into balls and flatten slightly.
  6. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes.
  7. Let cool completely before removing from pan.

Nutrition

Calories: 227kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 5gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.002gCholesterol: 14mgSodium: 126mgPotassium: 219mgFiber: 3gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 20IUCalcium: 83mgIron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!

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4.84 from 24 votes

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Recipe Rating




  1. Jessica says

    Posted on 12/16 at 4:15 pm

    5 stars
    These cookies are a great flourless and festive option for the holidays! I didn’t mix the marshmallows in, I just plopped them on top. They are not very sweet but still delicious!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 12/19 at 7:38 pm

      Hi Jessica, so glad everyone loved them!

      Reply
  2. Sara R says

    Posted on 12/11 at 2:08 pm

    5 stars
    Subbed peanut butter since that’s what I had but will definitely try with almond butter next time! Delicious and super easy to throw together!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 12/11 at 5:30 pm

      Hi Sara, so glad you enjoyed them and made them your own!

      Reply
  3. Emily says

    Posted on 12/10 at 5:15 pm

    5 stars
    These are ridiculously good and so fun for the holidays! I used Nutzo nut and seed butter, otherwise followed the recipe exactly.

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 12/11 at 5:26 pm

      Hi Emily, so glad you loved them and made them your own! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Bridget says

    Posted on 12/8 at 10:41 am

    5 stars
    These cookies are AMAZING! The dough, as mentioned in the recipe, gets very thick, so it is difficult to mix in marshmallows and choco chips. But that’s not an issue at all because Erin’s recommendation to add them on top to create a “loaded look” works perfectly. I will be making these cookies to share with family for Hanukkah and Christmas this year. I know they will be a hit!

    Side note: my husband (who is not a cookie guy) cannot keep his hands off these cookies. He’s already requested that I make another batch!!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 12/9 at 11:22 am

      Hi Bridget, so glad you both loved them!! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Daniela says

    Posted on 12/6 at 7:47 pm

    5 stars
    I am always blown away by ELW recipes. These cookies are SO GOOD and SO EASY to make!!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 12/7 at 3:37 pm

      Hi Daniela, so happy you enjoyed them!! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Laura toigo says

    Posted on 12/11 at 11:59 am

    5 stars
    I made these cookies for the first time #ELWcookieweek and they were incredible. So easy and perfect. I did end up subbing the almond butter for half cashew butter half peanut butter because that’s what I had 🤷🏼‍♀️ But still amazing.
    My mom tried the hot cocoa cookies and loved them so much she’s making them for an annual cookie exchange for our family where we make like 6+ dozen of each cookie to share with my aunts/uncles and she’s so excited to use this recipe. I have a feeling this will be in the cookie rotation for a lot of holidays to come!
    Thanks Erin!!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 12/11 at 2:34 pm

      Hi Laura, I am so happy you loved them and participated in cookie week! Thanks for sharing and glad you both love my cookies! 🙂

      Reply
  7. Kellen says

    Posted on 12/8 at 9:38 pm

    5 stars
    YUM! I used pb instead of almond butter because that’s what I had in the pantry and they’re really good! I want to make them again when I buy more almond butter too!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 12/9 at 1:59 pm

      Hi Kellen, I am so glad you liked it and made it your own!

      Reply
  8. Lauren says

    Posted on 12/6 at 4:00 pm

    5 stars
    I love anything with marshmallow and these are amazing! All of Erin’s recipes have floored me and never let me down. Question – I don’t generally keep a huge amount of nut butter to spare a cup and am wondering if regular butter can be subbed in a pinch. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 12/8 at 3:13 pm

      Hi Lauren, I am so glad that you like them. Unfortunately, regular butter will not work for these! Let me know if you make them and how they come out!

      Reply
  9. Laura says

    Posted on 11/28 at 11:37 am

    5 stars
    These cookies are to die for. So festive, creative and delicious! I’ve subbed peppermint extract for vanilla before and I thought it was lovely.

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 11/30 at 3:38 pm

      Hi Laura, thanks for your kind words and love you made them your own!

      Reply
  10. Katie says

    Posted on 3/10 at 5:49 pm

    2 stars
    Not sure what I did wrong but the batter wasn’t runny enough to mix in the chocolate chips & marshmallows. Added almond milk to the batter to make it easier to mix & then my cookies spread apart and ran into each other in the oven.

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/9 at 10:28 pm

      Hi Katie, it ounds like the type of nut butter you used wasn’t runny enough. When baking any of my recipes, it needs to be just two ingredient runny nut butter. My favorites are from Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods Market! Let me know how they come out next time!

      Reply
  11. Cameron says

    Posted on 1/28 at 6:35 pm

    5 stars
    My kids don’t like when I make “healthy” desserts. These cookies disappeared in five minutes. Probably one of the best healthier dessert recipes I’ve found. Kudos, Erin!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 2/5 at 8:04 pm

      Thank you for sharing!! SO glad you like them.

      Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/10 at 9:37 pm

      Hi Cameron, I am thrilled your kids enjoyed them so much!!

      Reply
  12. LA says

    Posted on 1/20 at 8:55 am

    5 stars
    These cookies are amazing. I had never had a hot cocoa cookie before and wow. This is such a great recipe, you really can’t mess it up. I’ve made it maybe 4 times since discovering it and it’s one of my husband’s favorites. Subbed peanut butter once and didn’t love them as much but still delicious.

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 2/5 at 8:03 pm

      Aw, I love that! Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/11 at 8:23 am

      Hi! Thank you so much for your kind words! I am so happy you both love them so much!!

      Reply
  13. Emily says

    Posted on 1/19 at 2:04 pm

    Love this cookie recipe!! My boyfriend and family absolutely loved it as well and they could not believe that they were healthier. SO delicious.

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/11 at 8:56 am

      Hi Emily! Thanks for your kind words! I am so happy everyone enjoyed them so much! 🙂

      Reply
  14. Kristen says

    Posted on 1/19 at 1:25 pm

    5 stars
    These cookies were INCREDIBLE!!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/11 at 9:10 am

      Hi Kristen! I am so happy you like them! 🙂

      Reply
  15. Brittany says

    Posted on 12/26 at 1:38 pm

    5 stars
    I made these for my whole family for Christmas, everyone loved them! Thank you for the delicious recipe:)

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/12 at 8:58 am

      Hi Brittany, I am so happy everyone liked the cookies!!

      Reply
  16. Lennie Gail says

    Posted on 12/14 at 9:12 pm

    5 stars
    So so so delicious! Used peanut butter and was so happy with the results!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/12 at 3:24 pm

      Hi Lennie! I am so happy you enjoyed them and love that you added peanut butter! Yum!!

      Reply
  17. Tom says

    Posted on 12/11 at 9:26 am

    5 stars
    Wow these are so creative and tasty!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 12/12 at 5:44 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/13 at 7:29 am

      Hi Tom! So happy you love them! 🙂

      Reply
  18. Elisabeth Pavone says

    Posted on 12/10 at 10:15 pm

    5 stars
    SO delicious and easy! Will definitely make again!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 12/12 at 5:44 pm

      SO glad you liked them!!

      Reply
  19. Bonnie Laboy says

    Posted on 12/10 at 10:11 am

    Can seed butter be used for this recipe as well ? Thank you

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 12/10 at 8:34 pm

      Yes!

      Reply
  20. Tom Morrissey says

    Posted on 12/10 at 8:25 am

    One of my favorites. And easy clean up too!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      Posted on 8/13 at 7:38 am

      Hi Tom! I am so happy you like them! Easy clean up is the best, isn’t it?

      Reply
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