Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups

Name: Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 14 min
Total time: 34 min
Ingredients: 1 package Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough; ½ cup heavy whipping cream; 2 tbsp hot cocoa mix; 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips; ½ cup white chocolate chips; 12 mini pretzels; 1 cup Jet-Puffed Mallow Bits

Updated: Mar 7, 2025 · by Tonia Larson

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These Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups made with sugar cookie dough are filled with hot chocolate ganache, have a pretzel handle and mini marshmallows on top!

Disclosure: Pillsbury provided me with Pillsbury Dough Products. All opinions are 100% my own.

Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups are perfect for cold winter days and they are a fun holiday cookie to bring to Christmas parties, cookie exchanges and potlucks!

They do take a little extra time to make because attaching the pretzel handles is time-consuming but the hot chocolate cookies cups are so cute that it’s worth it. And everyone loves the smooth hot chocolate ganache that they are filled with!

I made these Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups for the first time in the Pillsbury Test Kitchens. I first imagined making these cookies at the beginning of December while I was doing a little brainstorming about recipes to make in January and February.

What came to mind was cold weather and hot chocolate. I wanted to try making a hot chocolate cake, hot chocolate cheesecake, and hot chocolate cookie cups, so I made a list on my iPhone.

Then, when I was at the Pillsbury Test Kitchens and was given the challenge of making my own cookie, I remembered my list and decided to give these a try. These four pictures are from my day in the test kitchens.

To make the hot chocolate cookie cups, I started by putting one tablespoon of Pillsbury sugar cookie dough into greased mini muffin tins or try using a greased silicone mini muffin pan.

(Update – an optional step would be to roll the sugar cookie dough balls in granulated sugar before putting them into the mini muffin tins to help prevent sticking.)

I baked them for 12-14 minutes at 375 degrees. Allow the cookies to cool completely in the pan before gently removing them.

Step Two: Chocolate Ganache

Next, I made chocolate ganache by bringing the whipping cream to a boil.

After quickly stirring in hot chocolate, I poured the hot cream over semi-sweet chocolate chips and let it sit for 3 minutes. Then, I stirred the mixture until the chocolate chips were melted and the ganache was smooth.

Step Three: Pretzel Handles

I broke off the loops on some mini pretzels to use as handles. I melted a little white chocolate and used it to attach the pretzel handles to the cookie cups.

Step Four: Assembly

Spoon the chocolate ganache into the cookie cups and top with mini marshmallows (I used Jet Puffed Mallow Bits).

Enjoy the Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups with a cup of real hot chocolate. These cookies are super popular during the holidays and throughout the entire winter.

This recipe can be made with or without forming the sugar cookie dough in the pan.

1. Leave the dough as a ball and it will puff up while baking and sink when removed from the oven, leaving a “dip” for the ganache. This is the EASIEST method and it is how I made my Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups.

2. If you make an indentation in the sugar cookie dough ball before baking, it will still puff up while baking and sink when removed from the oven, leaving a “dip” for the ganache.

3. The straighter the sides of the mini muffin pan, the straighter the side of the cookie cups will be.

4. To make a bigger “cup” to fill with ganache, you can use a small cup (like a medicine cup) to make an indentation in each cookie, after removing them from the oven.

WARNING – when you press the cup into the soft cookie dough it can pull away or tear the cookie dough on the sides of the cup leaving small gaps. And you may need to make additional ganache if using the method.

Question #2: What should I do if my cookies overflowed in the muffin pan and spread out too far?

1. Use a small cookie cutter (mine is 2 inches in diameter) to cut away the extra cookie immediately after taking them out of the oven.

2. Try using less cookie dough in each of the cups.

I’ve made sugar cookie cups using Pillsbury Sugar Cookie dough many, many times using different pans, from different brands, in different kitchens and have not had issues with them sticking, but several of you have, so here are some things to try:

1. Roll the sugar cookie dough in a granulated sugar before placing it in the cups.

2. If the cookie cups are only a little bit stuck, try using a thin knife to gently pry up the edges.

3. Remember, mini muffin pans vary by brand, materials used to make the pans and the age of the pan.

4. I now use this Silicone Mini Muffin Pan to make my Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups and it works great! If you want to try a new pan, I would definitely recommend that one.

Here is a look at the inside of the hot chocolate cookie cup once the ganache has cooled in the fridge. It is fudge-like so no, it will not spill out.