These Hot Cocoa Meringue Cookies are light, airy, and bursting with chocolate flavor. Made with whipped egg whites and infused with hot cocoa mix and chocolate chips, they offer a delightful twist on classic meringues. Garnished with chocolate sprinkles or mini marshmallow bits, they make a perfect sweet treat for any occasion.
Total Time:1 hour 8 minutes
Yield:24 cookies
Ingredients
Meringue Base
2 large egg whites room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Flavorings and Garnish
2 tablespoons hot cocoa mix without marshmallows
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Chocolate sprinkles for garnish
Mallow bits for garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar: Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer on high speed to beat until soft peaks form.
Add sugar gradually: Slowly add the granulated sugar while continuing to beat the mixture until stiff peaks are achieved. The meringue should stand straight up on the beaters when lifted, ensuring it isn't under mixed.
Incorporate hot cocoa mix: Sift the hot cocoa mix over the meringue and gently fold it in. Avoid stirring to prevent the meringue from weeping.
Fold in chocolate chips: Carefully fold the semi-sweet chocolate chips into the meringue with just a few folds, minimizing agitation to help the meringue set properly.
Scoop onto baking sheet: Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop, place round mounds of the meringue batter onto the prepared cookie sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Add garnish: Sprinkle the tops of the mounds with chocolate sprinkles or mallow bits as desired.
Bake the cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 23 minutes. Once the edges begin to brown slightly, turn off the oven but leave the cookies inside to dry for an additional 30 minutes without opening the oven door.
Cool and store: Remove the cookies from the oven and place them on wax paper to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature to maintain freshness.
Notes
For best results, ensure egg whites are at room temperature before beating to achieve maximum volume.
Do not overmix when folding in cocoa mix and chocolate chips to prevent the meringue from deflating.
Be patient during the drying phase in the turned-off oven to get crisp, dry meringues rather than sticky or soft ones.
You can substitute semi-sweet chocolate chips with mini chocolate chips for more even distribution.
Use high-quality hot cocoa mix without marshmallows to avoid excess moisture in the meringue.
Store cookies in an airtight container to keep them crisp for up to a week.
