There hot cocoa cream pies were my first ever published recipe! First, they appeared in The Bake Feed’s “Holiday Cookies 2021” issue of their annual holiday print, alongside another of my recipes. Then, they got published again when they turned that issue into an official “Holiday Cookies” cookbook in 2022!
Now that it’s been some time since their debut, they gave me permission to share the recipe here on my blog for those that may have missed them. With that said, I highly recommend grabbing that “Holiday Cookies” cookbook as it holds some of my new favorite recipes to bake around the holiday season!
Setting the scene: Pillowy marshmallow buttercream pressed between two soft and chewy milk chocolate cookies—warm and cozy “hot cocoa” hugs with every bite!
Some Materials You May Need:
- Large baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Stand mixer with whisk & paddle attachment
- Various mixing bowls
- Sifter
- Measuring cups/spoons
- Medium saucepan + heat-safe bowl (or double boiler)
- Whisk
- Spatula
Do tag me over on Instagram if you make these hot cocoa cream pies, friends! Find the recipe below, along with some helpful tips in the blog to ensure they come out perfectly every time.
Happy Baking!
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Hot Cocoa Cream Pies
- Prep Time: 30 Min.
- Cooling Time: 1-2 Hours
- Cook Time: 15 Min.
- Total Time: 2-3 Hours
- Yield: 12–15 Sandwich cookies 1x
Description
Pillowy Marshmallow Buttercream pressed between two soft and chewy milk chocolate cookies—warm and cozy “hot cocoa” hugs with every bite!
Ingredients
Milk Chocolate Cookies
- 1/2 cup (113 grams) cold unsalted butter
- 8 ounces (226 grams) 30% cacao milk chocolate, chopped
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (170 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar 2 large eggs (100 grams)
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract 1 1/4 cups (156 grams) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons (15 grams) Dutch process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (1.5 grams) kosher salt
Marshmallow Buttercream
- 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups (480 grams) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 7 ounces (198 grams) marshmallow crème
Instructions
- In the top of a double boiler, combine cold butter and chocolate. Cook over simmering water, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat sugars and eggs at medium-high speed for 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl halfway through mixing and after mixing. With mixer on low speed, slowly pour in chocolate mixture, beating until well combined, about 1 minute. Beat in vanilla. 3. In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Sift flour mixture over sugar mixture, and gently fold with a silicone spatula until combined and no streaks of flour remain. Let dough stand, uncovered, for 30 minutes to hydrate. (This allows some of the moisture to redistribute, giving you a more scoop-able dough, deeper flavor, and even bake).
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line several large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a 1½-tablespoon spring-loaded scoop, scoop dough, and place 3 to 4 inches apart on prepared pans. 7. Bake, one batch at a time, until edges are set, centers are still soft, and tops look crackly, 11 to 13 minutes. Let cool on pan for 10 minutes. (Cookies will deflate and become even more crackly on top as they cool). Remove from pan, and let cool completely on wire racks.
- Make the Marshmallow Buttercream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter at medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape sides of bowl. With mixer on low speed, add confectioners’ sugar, ½ cup (60 grams) at a time, beating until combined after each addition (1 to 2 minutes total). Increase mixer speed to medium-high speed, and beat for 2 minutes. Using a silicone spatula, gently fold in marshmallow crème until combined. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use.
- Place Marshmallow Buttercream in a pastry bag fitted with a wide round piping tip (Wilton No. 12 or 2A). Pipe buttercream in a spiral motion onto flat side of half of cookies. Place remaining cookies, flat side down, on top of buttercream. Best enjoyed same day. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. If refrigerating, let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving to let the buttercream soften.
Notes
- Make the cookies first and then the buttercream: you have to let your cookies cool completely anyways, so you’ll have plenty of time to make the buttercream while you wait.
- Don’t skip the step that says to let the dough hydrate for 30 minutes! This ensures you can properly scoop the dough and affects how they will bake too. If you skip this step, the cookies may not bake correctly and be hard to handle.
- Make sure to let your milk chocolate cookies cool completely before piping on the marshmallow buttercream! If they’re too warm it’ll just melt the buttercream and your cookies won’t stick together and it will make a mess.
Baking the Milk Chocolate Cookies
These hot cocoa cream pies can seem somewhat intimidating at first. While they do require a bit more effort than a chocolate chip cookie, the individual steps are easy once you break them down.
I always recommend reading a recipe all the way through once or twice before baking. That way there are no surprises when it comes to any cooling, ingredients, or materials needed! Below are some things to watch out for when making the milk chocolate cookies.
Tips for Making The Cookies:
- These will spread quite a lot (notice how thin they are), so be sure to space these out quite a bit. If your worried or don’t have large enough baking sheets, just bake these in batches. Place fewer scoops on each sheet to ensure they don’t touch when they spread.
- As mentioned above in the recipe, don’t skip the step that tells you to let the dough hydrate for 30 minutes prior to scooping. Just like a pie dough, this cookie dough needs that time to hydrate. This will give you a dough that’s easier to scoop and handle, along with one that bakes properly.
- Let these milk chocolate cookies cool completely and make your marshmallow buttercream while they do (which will help pass the time). If you don’t, the buttercream will just melt against the warm cookie and nothing will stick together (not to mention the mess, no thank you!).
As a bonus tip: any time a recipe has you scrape down the mixing bowl, it’s for good reason. Scraping the bowl allows your ingredients to be properly mixed together. If you never scrape down the bowl, you’ll have things at the side and bottom that either aren’t properly beaten or never get mixed in at all.
How to Make Marshmallow Buttercream
Say hello to your new favorite buttercream: marshmallow buttercream! Not only is it super easy to make, but it’s what brings these hot coco cream pies together (literally). It’s essentially just an american buttercream folded with marshmallow crème—that’s it!
Just beat your softened, room temperature butter in a stand mixed fitted with the paddle attachment until fluffy. Then, beat in your powdered sugar in batches until combined and smooth until you’re left with that traditional american buttercream texture. After that, you just fold in the marshmallow crème until it’s evenly incorporated.
Trust me, it’s buttercream bliss and takes these hot cocoa cream pies to the next level!
Check out my most recent recipes:
- Hot Cocoa Cream Pies
- Roasted Crispy Rice Treats Dipped in Chocolate Frosting
- Giant Chocolate Blueberry Pop Tart
Looking for something else to bake?
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