Vegan Hot Chocolate Cookies
These vegan hot chocolate cookies are soft, chewy and perfectly chocolatey. They’re packed with dairy-free chocolate chips and veggie marshmallows for a cosy, comforting treat that’s perfect to enjoy alongside a hot drink.
If you’ve been looking for the best vegan hot cocoa cookies, this is the recipe for you! It’s super easy, with simple ingredients, and it’s suitable for beginner bakers. The cookies are soft and chewy, filled with chocolate chips and gelatine-free marshmallows.
If you’re more experienced in the kitchen and prefer to have the quick, condensed version of the recipe, you can find it in the recipe card at the end of this post. Otherwise, for detailed notes, tips and step-by-step instructions, keep on reading. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- Flax seeds: Flax seeds are my favourite egg substitute to use when making cookies. If you mix them with some water and let them sit for a while, they’ll become thick and gelatinous, with a similar texture to eggs. This mixture helps to bind the rest of the ingredients together, preventing crumbly cookies.
- Margarine: Although all vegan ‘butter’ is technically margarine since it’s made with oils, I recommend using the spreadable type for this recipe rather than the blocky type. My go-to is Vitalite dairy-free spread.
- Sugar: I usually always use a mixture of both light brown sugar and caster sugar (also known as superfine sugar) in my cookies. This is key to getting that soft, chewy texture in the middle with slightly crispy edges. I recommend using soft light brown sugar for the best flavour as the darker version can be a bit overpowering.
- Flour: I use self-raising flour in my cookies to create a soft, light texture. Using this type of flour saves the need to add any extra raising agents such as baking powder.
- Cocoa powder: To make these vegan hot chocolate cookies, I added some cocoa powder. You can use a vegan drinking hot chocolate powder such as Cadbury’s if you prefer, but I find the flavour is much more chocolatey using cocoa.
- Dairy-free chocolate chips: My two favourite types of chocolate chips to use are Asda’s dark chocolate chips and Moo-Free baking drops.
- Vegan mini marshmallows: Of course, there’s no perfect hot chocolate without marshmallows! I used Freedom’s pink and white Mallows but I also really like Dandies vanilla marshmallows.
Equipment
Here are the tools you’ll need to make these vegan hot cocoa cookies:
- Baking tray: You’ll need a large baking tray or two for these cookies. I usually just bake half a batch at a time then reuse the same tray.
- Baking paper: To stop the cookies from sticking! Of course, you can omit this if you’re using a non-stick cookie tray.
- Mixing bowl: You’ll need a large mixing bowl to mix all of the ingredients together. This recipe makes quite a lot of dough. To make the flax egg, you’ll also need an additional small bowl, ramekin or mug.
- Utensils: To make these cookies you’ll need a wooden spoon for mixing the ingredients, plus a small tea spoon to mix the flax egg.
- Food scale: I always recommend using a food scale to get accurate results when baking. Cups can work but it can be a little hit and miss.
How to make vegan hot chocolate cookies
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F (or 160°C/325°F if you’re using a fan or convection oven). Line a large baking tray or two with baking paper.
Step 2: In a small bowl or mug, mix together 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds and 2 tablespoons of water. Let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes or so until it becomes thick and gloopy. This will be your flax ‘egg’.
Step 3: In a large bowl, mix together 200g of vegan margarine, 150g of caster sugar and 100g of soft light brown sugar.
Step 4: Once smooth, add your flax egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the bowl. Mix well.
Step 5: Add 260g of self-raising flour and 60g of cocoa powder to the bowl. Start mixing and when it starts to stick together, use your hands to press it all into a large ball of dough.
Step 6: Add 100g of dairy-free chocolate chips and 50g of vegan mini marshmallows to the bowl. Gently knead them into the dough using your hands.
Step 7: Divide the cookie dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each one into a ball. Gently flatten to around 1-inch thick.
Step 8: Place the cookies onto the tray, leaving some space to allow for spreading (I usually do 6 per tray). Top the cookies with extra marshmallows and chocolate chips if desired.
Step 9: Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until firm around the edges. They’ll still look a bit wobbly on the inside but will firm up as they cool.
Step 10: Leave the vegan hot chocolate cookies on the tray until they’re completely cool to avoid breakage. Then they’re ready to enjoy!
Top tips
- Take your vegan hot cocoa cookies out of the oven after the recommended time. They’ll look a little underbaked at first but this is key to getting that soft and chewy texture. If you leave them in too long, they’ll end up hard and crispy once they’ve cooled down.
- Non-stick baking trays will bake the cookies a couple of minutes quicker so make sure to keep an eye on them.
- Use the spreadable type of vegan ‘butter’ rather than the block. The latter contains less water and will make it harder for the dough to come together.
- Try serving these warmed-up with some vegan whipped cream or ice cream for the ultimate ‘hot chocolate’ vibe.
FAQ
As I mentioned earlier in the post, I used Freedom Mallows, which I purchased from Amazon. There are also some other options available from Holland & Barrett and Asda. You can also cut up regular-sized vegan marshmallows if you can’t find mini ones.
They should be good to eat for up to 5 days if you store them appropriately. I recommend keeping them in an airtight container at room temperature or a cool, dry place such as a kitchen cupboard.
Yes, you sure can! To freeze vegan hot cocoa cookies, pop them into airtight containers or ziplock bags, or wrap them tightly in tinfoil. Freeze for up to 1 month. When you’re ready to eat them, let them sit out at room temperature on a wire rack or plate for an hour or so until fully thawed. Do not refreeze.
More vegan cookie recipes
I hope you like these vegan hot chocolate cookies! If you make them at home, please let me know how you get on by leaving a comment or rating below. Enjoy!
Vegan Hot Chocolate Cookies
Soft and chewy vegan hot cocoa cookies with mini marshmallows and chocolate chips.
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoons Ground flax seeds
- 2 Tablespoons Cold water
- 200 g Vegan margarine (¾ cup + 1 tablespoon) the spreadable type, not the block
- 150 g Caster sugar (¾ cup)
- 100 g Soft light brown sugar (½ cup)
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 260 g Self-raising flour (2 cups)
- 60 g Cocoa powder (⅔ cup)
- 100 g Dairy-free chocolate chips (~½ cup)
- 50 g Vegan mini marshmallows (~2oz)
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 180℃/350℉ (or 160℃/325℉ for fan or convection ovens).
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Line a large baking tray or two with baking paper.
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In a small mug or bowl, mix together the flax seeds and water. Let it sit for 5 minutes or so until thick. Set aside for now.
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In a large bowl, mix together the margarine, caster sugar and soft light brown sugar. Stir in the flax seed mixture along with the vanilla extract.
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Add the self-raising flour and cocoa powder to the bowl and mix. When it's starting to stick together, use your hands to press it all into a ball of dough.
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Add the chocolate chips and marshmallows and gently knead them into the dough with your hands.
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Divide the cookie dough into 12 pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Gently flatten the balls to make discs that are roughly 1 inch thick.
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Place the cookies on the tray, leaving a bit of space in between to allow for spreading. Top with extra marshmallows and chocolate chips if desired.
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Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are firm around the edges and wobbly on the inside. They'll look a bit underbaked but will firm up as they cool so trust the process!
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Leave the cookies to cool completely before removing them from the tray.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
