Vegan Hot Chocolate Cookies (Gluten-Free)
These Vegan Hot Chocolate Cookies are soft and chewy with chunks of dark chocolate and gooey marshmallows. Made with better-for-you ingredients, they’re gluten-free, dairy-free, and perfect for the holidays!
Hot chocolate and cookies in one—am I dreaming?
These vegan hot chocolate cookies are soft, decadent, and loaded with chunks of melty chocolate and gooey mini marshmallows in every bite.
I couldn’t help myself from blasting Christmas music while I was baking these festive cookies. I can’t wait to serve them at Christmas!
These holiday cookies are perfect for cookie swaps, Christmas dessert tables, or as a sweet treat while watching your favorite holiday movie. I’ll be watching The Holiday (anyone else have a major crush on Jude Law?!). And you better believe I’ll be pairing these hot chocolate cookies with a cup of my healthy hot chocolate.
So, if you’re looking for a fun, festive, and unique Christmas cookie recipe that’s made with better-for-you ingredients, this is the recipe for you!
Why You’ll Love These Vegan Hot Chocolate Cookies
- Hot chocolate in cookie form. Packed with rich chocolate flavor and gooey mini marshmallows.
- Easy-to-make. Made in one-bowl with just a few steps!
- Made with better-for-you ingredients. These cookies are vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, oil-free, and refined sugar-free for a healthier holiday treat.
Ingredients to Make Vegan Hot Chocolate Cookies
Scroll down to the recipe card to get the full recipe with measurements.
- Oat Flour – I make my own oat flour by blending oats until they reach a flour consistency. Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats as necessary.
- Cocoa Powder – adds chocolate flavor.
- Maple Syrup – adds natural sweetness to the cookies.
- Almond Butter – provides healthy fats and adds moisture to the cookies. Make sure you use all natural almond butter that’s naturally runny (not thick). For a nut-free version, substitute for sunflower seed butter.
- Non-Dairy Milk – just a little to add moisture and richness. Any type of milk will work: oat milk, soy milk, almond milk, or even regular milk (so long as you’re not dairy-free).
- Coconut Sugar – just a little to add extra sweetness and a touch of crispiness to the cookies.
- Vanilla Extract – adds a depth of flavor.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder – this recipe uses both baking powder and baking soda to achieve that soft, plump, and chewy texture.
- Salt – enhances all the flavors.
- Vegan Mini Marshmallows – I use Dandie’s vegan mini marshmallows.
- Vegan Chocolate Chips – use your favorite dairy-free chocolate chips or chunks or chocolate bar to add pockets to melty chocolate goodness to these cookies.
How To Make Hot Chocolate Cookies
- Preheat the Oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the Ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, almond butter, coconut sugar, and vanilla extract until combined. Mix in the oat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, vegan chocolate chips and mini marshmallows. Mix until a sticky dough forms.
- Scoop. Use a cookie scoop to scoop tablespoon-sized amounts of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between each cookie as they will spread a little during baking.
- Bake and Cool. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to set properly. This is a crucial step since the cookies are made with almond flour, they need to set properly. Move the cookies to a wire rack to cool for an additional 5 minutes, then, enjoy!
Tips for the Perfect Vegan Hot Chocolate Cookies
- Add extra marshmallows. Press a few mini marshmallows and chocolate chunks on top before baking for a festive look.
- Let the cookies cool. Allow the cookies to cool before enjoying so they set properly (tempting, I know!).
More Vegan Cookie Recipes You’ll Love
- Iced Gingerbread Cookies (Vegan & Gluten-Free)
- Homemade Nutter Butter Cookies
- The Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies (gluten-free)
- Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Easy 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
- Healthy Peanut Butter Blossoms
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and ★★★★★ star rating below letting me know how you liked it! This helps others find my recipes. I appreciate your support, as always. xo, Megan
Vegan Hot Chocolate Cookies (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ⅓ cup almond butter
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 2 tbsp non-dairy milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Dry ingredients
- 1 cup oat flour, use certified GF as needed
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- pinch salt
- ¼ cup mini vegan marshmallows
- ¼ cup mini vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, almond butter, coconut sugar, and vanilla extract until combined.
- Fold in the oat flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, chocolate chips and mini marshmallows. Mix until a dough forms.
- Use a cookie scoop to scoop tablespoon-sized amounts of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between each cookie as they will spread a little during baking. If desired, press a few mini marshmallows and chocolate chunks on top before baking.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to set properly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool for an additional 5 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
- I make my own oat flour by blending rolled oats or quick oats in a blender until a fine flour forms. You can also buy oat flour at the grocery store. Use certified gluten-free oats if necessary.
