This Cinnamon-Spiced Hot Chocolate Cookies Recipe is a warming and fudgy treat, which uses Mexican cocoa powder and a pinch of cayenne pepper to create a sophisticated flavor profile. It’s a perfect holiday slice-and-bake cookie, ready to eat after a short chill and bake.
Jump to RecipeCinnamon-Spiced Hot Chocolate Cookies Ingredients
The Spiced Cocoa Base:
- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour: The structural foundation.
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon Unsweetened Mexican Cocoa Powder: This gives the cookie its distinct stone-ground texture and spiced flavor. SEO Tip: If you can’t find it, use regular cocoa powder and add an extra 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon.
- 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda & 1/4 teaspoon Salt: For lift and flavor balance.
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon: Adds the classic warmth associated with Mexican hot chocolate.
- Generous pinch Ground Black Pepper & Cayenne Pepper: The secret ingredients. These provide a gentle “kick” at the back of the throat that intensifies the chocolate.
The Wet Mix:
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon Packed Light Brown Sugar: Adds moisture and chewiness.
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon Granulated Sugar: Ensures crisp edges.
- 3 tablespoons Sweet Butter, at room temperature: For flavor.
- 3 tablespoons Margarine: Using a mix of butter and margarine helps the cookie hold its shape better during baking and creates a specific texture.
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract: Rounds out the spices.
- 1 Egg White: Binds the dough without adding too much moisture or fat, keeping the texture crisp-chewy.
Optional Garnish:
- 1/2 cup Dulce de Leche: For a creamy, caramel finish.
- 1/4 cup Almonds, finely chopped: Adds crunch.
How To Make Cinnamon-Spiced Hot Chocolate Cookies
- Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, thoroughly whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set this aside.
- Prep Sugars: Combine the brown and granulated sugars in a small bowl. Use your fingers to press out any hard lumps of brown sugar to ensure a smooth dough.
- Cream Butter and Spices: In a medium mixing bowl using a hand mixer, beat the butter and margarine until creamy. Add the sugar mixture, cinnamon, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and vanilla. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute. Adding the spices to the fat helps bloom their flavor.
- Add Egg White: Beat in the egg white and continue mixing until the mixture is smooth.
- Form the Log: Stop the mixer. Add the flour mixture, beating on the lowest speed just until incorporated. Use your hands to gather the dough and form it into a neat log, roughly 9 to 10 inches long and 1 1/2 inches thick.
- Chill (Important): Wrap the log in waxed paper or plastic wrap. Twist the ends like a candy wrapper. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes to firm up.
- Preheat and Slice: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap the log and use a sharp knife to slice rounds a scant 1/4-inch thick.
- Bake: Arrange slices 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. The cookies will puff and crackle, then settle.
- Cool and Serve: Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. If desired, drizzle with dulce de leche and sprinkle with chopped almonds once cool.
Recipe Tips
- Why use Margarine? This recipe specifically calls for a blend of butter and margarine. The margarine has a higher melting point which helps these slice-and-bake cookies maintain their round shape and spread less than an all-butter dough.
- Slicing the Log: To keep the cookies round while slicing, rotate the log a quarter turn after every cut. This prevents one side from flattening out from the pressure of the knife.
- Adjusting the Heat: The “generous pinch” of cayenne is what makes these “hot” chocolate cookies. If you are sensitive to spice, start with a small pinch. If you love the heat, go for 1/8th of a teaspoon.
- Mexican Cocoa Substitute: If you don’t have Abuelita or Ibarra chocolate discs (which are usually ground), regular Dutch-processed cocoa works fine as long as you increase the added cinnamon as noted in the ingredients.
What To Serve With Cinnamon-Spiced Hot Chocolate Cookies
- Horchata: The creamy rice drink cools down the spice of the cookie.
- Mexican Coffee (Café de Olla): Coffee brewed with cinnamon and piloncillo sugar is a perfect match.
- Vanilla Ice Cream: Crumbled over ice cream, the spice adds a nice contrast.
- Cold Milk: Essential for any chocolate cookie.
How To Store Cinnamon-Spiced Hot Chocolate Cookies
- Room Temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. These cookies have a great shelf life.
- Freezing the Log: You can freeze the unbaked dough log for up to 2 months. Just thaw it in the fridge for an hour before slicing and baking.
Cinnamon-Spiced Hot Chocolate Cookies Nutrition Facts
- Calories: 90 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fat: 4g
- Protein: 1g
- Sugar: 9g
Nutrition information is estimated per cookie without the optional dulce de leche topping.
FAQs
Black pepper adds a complex, earthy heat that lingers differently than cayenne. It highlights the cocoa flavor, making it taste more “chocolatey” without making the cookie savory.
No, stick to the egg white. The yolk adds fat and emulsifiers that would change the texture from a crisp slice-and-bake cookie to a softer, cakey drop cookie.
If the dough is too cold, it may crack. Let the log sit on the counter for 5-10 minutes to soften slightly before slicing. Use a sharp, thin knife.
Cinnamon-Spiced Hot Chocolate Cookies Recipe
Course: DessertCuisine: Mexican-InspiredDifficulty: Easy30
servings15
minutes45
minutes90
kcalA slice-and-bake Mexican hot chocolate style cookie featuring a rich cocoa base warmed with cinnamon, cayenne, and black pepper.
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp Mexican cocoa powder (or cocoa + cinnamon)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp light brown sugar
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp granulated sugar
3 tbsp butter, room temp
3 tbsp margarine
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch black pepper & cayenne pepper
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg white
Dulce de leche (optional)
Directions
- Whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
- Cream butter and margarine.
- Beat in sugars, spices, and vanilla.
- Mix in egg white.
- Stir in flour mix; form dough into a log.
- Chill log for 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Slice log into 1/4-inch rounds.
- Bake 12-14 minutes until crackled.
- Cool and top with dulce de leche if desired.
Notes
- Rotate the log while cutting to keep rounds even.
- The spice level can be adjusted to taste.
- Egg whites ensure a crisp texture.
