Gooey Matcha Hot Chocolate Cookies

Cozy up for the holidays with these gooey matcha hot chocolate cookies. These cookies are filled with bitter matcha powder, brown sugar, and gooey marshmallows. In this post, learn how to get the perfect melted marshmallow effect and that magical crackly texture.

The holidays are my favorite time of year. There’s just something about cozying up at home with some hot chocolate and Christmas cookies. This year, I wanted to pay homage to one of my favorite recipes I made this year – my matcha hot chocolate recipe – with a Christmas cookie. I was really surprised how much I loved this recipe, and as a bonus, how easy it was. These are my matcha hot chocolate cookies made with a gooey cookie stuffed with marshmallows.

How I came up with this recipe

As mentioned, this recipe is inspired by my matcha hot chocolate recipe. I also took inspiration from the NY Times’ Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies from last year’s cookie week. I tested this recipe a few times, trying to get the wet to dry ingredient balance correct and ensuring the center had this gooey spot of marshmallow.

I personally think that gooey marshmallow center is what makes these cookies magical. That took a few tries, as the marshmallows tended to melt into the cookie, so the trick was stuffing just the right amount, so there was that gooey effect but the cookie didn’t totally explode. That ended up being 5 mini marshmallows. I also upped the matcha a bit compared to my other cookie recipes (see my matcha white chocolate cookies or matcha crinkle cookies), since these cookies only contain light brown sugar which can overpower the matcha flavor.

Use high quality matcha powder!!

The real key to this recipe is high quality matcha powder. High quality matcha gives you the best flavor and color. I personally use Aiya culinary grade matcha powder for this reason. If you use lower quality matcha, you might get a mottled green/brown color instead.

Making my matcha hot chocolate cookies (with pictures!)

1. Combine 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, 1 1/2 tbsp of matcha powder, 1 tsp of baking soda, and 1/4 tsp of salt in a bowl. Set aside. Make sure to sift the matcha powder to prevent clumping.
   • Tip #1: Before you start, make sure your mini marshmallows are frozen!
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of unsalted butter and 1 1/3 cups of light brown sugar.
3. Add the egg and 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Mix well.
4. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients from step 1.
5. Using a 2 tbsp (#40 cookie scoop), scoop the dough onto a baking sheet. Cover and let it cool in the fridge for 2 hours.
   • Tip #2: Make sure to level off the cookie scoop after scooping. This ensures uniform sizes, and a round shape.
   • Tip #3: If your baking sheet doesn’t fit in your fridge, feel free to use a plate.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Pour 1/4 cup of granulated sugar into a bowl.
7. Now it’s time to form the cookies! Take out about half of the cookie dough balls. Let the rest sit in the fridge while you form the first half. Take one and flatten the cookie dough.
8. Place 5 mini marshmallows in the center, and enclose them with the cookie dough. Roll the cookie dough between your palms into a ball. Coat with the granulated sugar and place it on a prepped baking sheet. Repeat this process for the rest of the cookie dough. Make sure the cookies are at least 2 inches apart.
   • Tip #4: To get the gooey spilled out marshmallow effect, leave a tiny opening where you can still see the marshmallows. See picture above for reference.
9. Place the first tray into the fridge while you form the second half of the cookie dough. Alternatively, you can bake the first tray while you form the second half.
10. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are slightly brown.
11. Once done, take the baking sheets out of the oven and tap them a few times on the counter. This helps the cookies get that crackly effect.
12. Cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Did you make this dish?

If you made this dish, I would love to see!

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