Hot Chocolate Balls
Hot Chocolate Balls taste just like a cup of warm cocoa. In fact, go ahead and enjoy a few with a cup of hot chocolate. It would certainly make for an indulgent treat.
Pin Hot Chocolate Balls to make later.
If you’ve ever had a Snowball (cookie), Russian Tea Cake, Italian Wedding Cookies, or Mexican Wedding Cookies, these hot chocolate balls are very similar in texture.
The aforementioned are all rolled in powdered sugar while these cookies are rolled in a combination of cocoa and powdered sugar.
Ingredients
This cookie recipe is what I call a pantry staple recipe. By that I mean you most likely have everything on hand. This is a recipe is comes together quickly.
- Butter
- Confectioners’ Sugar
- Rodelle Dutch Process Baking Cocoa
- Flour
- Rodelle Vanilla Extract
- Cinnamon
- Pecans
I’m proud to be a Brand Ambassador for Rodelle products. These Hot Chocolate Balls are part of the 2021 Cookie Celebration. Rodelle products are all-natural, many are organic and gluten-free.Â
Disclaimer: As a brand ambassador for Rodelle I receive free products, however; the opinions expressed are my own.
I made these Gluten-Free Brownie Cookies with both the cocoa and vanilla for a gluten-free friend. Before knowing her I never knew some vanilla extracts have gluten.
Rodelle’s vanilla extract is made from the finest hand-selected vanilla beans. It offers a deep, rich flavor.
Tips for Making the Perfect Cookies
- Measure the ingredients precisely. Use the spoon and sweep method for measuring the flour.
- The pecans need to be very fine. Use a nut grinder to achieve this. This means spoon the flour into the measuring up and sweep a flat edge to level it out.
- Don’t grease the cookie sheets, use parchement or a silicone baking mat. Greasing the pans will encourage spread of the cookies.
- Use a cookie scoop to achieve consistent cookies that are the same size and bake evenly.
- When rolling the cooled cookies in the coating mixture, use a fork to avoid touching the cookies and making them blotchy.
FAQs
- Can I freeze these cookies? Yes, but wait to roll them in the cocoa mixture until you thaw them. You could easily freeze the unbaked cookie dough too.
- Can I omit the nuts? Yes, absolutely! If there are nut allergies feel free to leave them out.
- Can I just roll the cookies in cocoa? I don’t suggest it because cocoa can be bitter by itself. You need the sweetness of the confectioners’ sugar to balance the flavor. Plus, it contributes to the hot chocolate taste.
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Similar Cookies
If you make this Hot Chocolate Balls recipe and enjoy it, here are some similar cookie recipes.
- Chocolate Chip Pecan Wedding Cookies
- Peppermint Snowball Cookies
- Muddy Snowballs
- Lemon Meltaway Cookies
Hot Chocolate Balls
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar divided
- 1/2 cup Dutch Processed Baking Cocoa divided
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Beat butter with 1/2 cup of confectioners' sugar until combined. Mix in 1/4 cup cocoa powder and vanilla until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
- Beat in flour, cinnamon, and pecans.
- Using a cookie scoop, shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on prepared baking sheets at least 1-inch apart. Cookies will not spread much.
- Bake for 18 – 20 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned. Let cool 5 minutes.
- Transfer cooled cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Combine remaining confectioners' sugar and cocoa in a small bowl and whisk. Roll cooled cookies and set aside.
- Store in a covered container.
