Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownie Cookies are the perfect combination of brownies and cookies with the added flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg! With chewy edges, fudgy centers, crinkly tops, and decadent flavors, these brownie cookies are absolute perfection!
Sometimes, on very wonderful and rare occasions, the stars align and all your favorite things come together. And sometimes, this wonderful and rare occasion creates a whole new favorite thing and you’re forever changed for the better.
Hi, let me tell you about these Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownie Cookies.
You guys, I love cookies. And I love brownies. I love making cookies and brownies. And most importantly, I love warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. So now I love these Mexican hot chocolate brownie cookies because it’s all of these loveable components coming together to create a magical thing. You’ve heard of a brownie cookie before, right? As you might guess, it’s a dessert hybrid between a cookie and a brownie. Chewy edges (like a cookie), round (like a cookie), fudgy center (like a brownie), paper-thin crackly tops (like a brownie), and super rich and chocolatey (like a brownie). Sounds magical, right? Right. But throw in some warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, and now we’re speaking a whole new language of decadence and deliciousness.
Now, I don’t claim to be an expert on the flavor profiles of Mexican hot chocolate, and in my research I found a lot of variations when it comes to spices. All had cinnamon, most had nutmeg, and others added heat with chili and/or cayenne pepper. Lots of different options. I opted for a milder route and used cinnamon and nutmeg. The spices in combination with the chocolate create this elevated, deeper flavor that’s out of this world. Now, if you wanted to spice things up a little bit more, you could definitely add chili powder and/or cayenne pepper to these cookies- I’ve got notes below on that. But either way, these Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownie Cookies simply won’t disappoint. Have I convinced you to try them yet?
Chewy, fudgy, decadent, super chocolatey, and full of good flavor. My new favorite cookie. And my new favorite brownie.
What you’ll need to make these Mexican hot chocolate brownie cookies:
Butter: Adds richness, flavor, and moisture to these cookies. Melting the butter with the chocolate makes these brownie cookies fudgy and gooey.
High-quality dark or semisweet chocolate: Using melted chocolate in addition to cocoa powder makes these extra decadent. I use 70% chocolate in these cookies, and the depth of flavor was spot on.
Espresso granules: Optional, but highly recommended. Adding espresso won’t make the brownie cookies taste like coffee; it simply enhances and deepens the chocolate flavor.
Granulated sugar + brown sugar: Granulated sugar adds sweetness, makes these especially tender, and helps the cookies spread in the oven. A little bit of brown sugar adds flavor, moisture, and a little chewiness.
Eggs: For structure and binding.
Vanilla: For added flavor.
Flour: A little bit of flour adds just enough structure to these cookies while still keeping them gooey and fudgy. Be sure you’re measuring your flour correctly, either by weight or using the spoon and level method, to ensure your cookies have the right texture.
Unsweetened natural cocoa powder: A couple of tablespoons of cocoa powder add extra chocolate flavor.
Baking powder: For a little leavening power.
Kosher salt: A touch of salt for balance.
Ground cinnamon + nutmeg: Warm spices make these brownie cookies extra delicious, similar to a Mexican hot chocolate flavor. The spices add great depth and enhance the chocolate flavor. I opted for mild spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, but if you’re feeling adventurous you can try adding chili powder and/or cayenne pepper! I’d start with 1/4 teaspoon chili powder and a pinch of cayenne.
Flakey salt for topping.
FAQs:
Why is this recipe primarily listed in grams? I develop my recipes in grams because weighing your ingredients is the best, most accurate way to bake. Baking is a science and precision is key to success! Measuring cups are not standardized, and what’s more, the way each baker uses them varies drastically, which ultimately gives you inconsistent (and sometimes negative) results. For instance, did you know that scooping flour out of a cannister can give you 50% more flour than what’s called for in the recipe? By weighing your ingredients rather than using measuring cups, you can confidently know that you are using the correct amount of each ingredient, giving you greater success & delicious results. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale, like this one when you bake. Plus, it makes clean up a lot easier!
What is the batter supposed to look like? This batter is somewhere in between a cookie dough and a brownie batter. It should be thick enough to hold it’s shape when scooped onto a baking sheet, but still soft, similar to a brownie batter.
A few notes before you bake:
If you’re feeling spicy, try adding some chili powder and/or cayenne pepper to these Mexican hot chocolate cookies! I recommend starting with 1/4 teaspoon chili powder and just a pinch of cayenne.
The key to getting the shiny, crackly, paper-thin tops is whisking the eggs and sugar on high speed for 6 minutes. Be sure not to skip that step or shorten the length of time. Let your mixer do the hard work, and you’ll end up with those beautiful, crackly tops!
Print
Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownie Cookies
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 18 cookies 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Dessert, Snack
Description
Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownie Cookies are the perfect combination of brownies and cookies with the added flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg! With chewy edges, fudgy centers, crinkly tops, and decadent flavors, these brownie cookies are absolute perfection!
Ingredients
- 113 gm (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pats
- 7 oz. (200 gm) high-quality dark or semisweet chocolate, chopped*
- 1/2 teaspoon espresso granules (optional, but highly recommended)
- 250 gm (1 1/4 cups) granulated sugar
- 60 gm (1/4 cup, firmly packed) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 125 gm (1 cup, spoon and leveled) all-purpose flour
- 12 gm (2 tablespoons) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Flakey salt for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the butter, chopped chocolate, and espresso granules in a heatproof bowl set over a pot filled with 2″ of simmering water, being sure that the water doesn’t touch the bowl with your ingredients. Heat, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat on high speed for 6 minutes; the mixture will be pale and thickened.
- Next, turn the mixer down to low speed and, with the mixer running, pour the slightly cooled chocolate mixture into the mixing bowl in a steady stream. Increase the mixer to medium speed and continue to mix until the chocolate is fully incorporated into the batter.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, kosher salt, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and gently fold in by hand using a rubber spatula, just until incorporated and no more pockets of flour are visible. Be careful not to overmix.
- Using a #24 spring-loaded cookie scoop (holds a little more than 2 1/2 tablespoons of batter), scoop the batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 3″ apart. Sprinkle with flakey salt, if desired. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges and tops are set. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before removing the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
*Chocolate: I use 70% chocolate for these cookies
Storage: Keep cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
