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These hot cocoa bars may be one of the coziest desserts we’ve ever dreamed up!! They’re chocolatey and marshmallowy – just like your favorite winter drink, but in gooey, fudgy dessert form. We put a twist on our popular fudgy brownie batter recipe. Hot cocoa powder is baked right into the batter. Marshmallow fluff is sandwiched between two layers of rich coco brownie.
The final result is a crackle-topped brownie with a chewy, gooey center. Dust with some powdered sugar for a wintery effect. They make a perfect holiday dessert or something cozy on a cold wintery day!
Why You’ll Love These Hot Cocoa Dessert Bars
- They’re actually made with hot cocoa mix! We couldn’t make hot cocoa brownies without hot cocoa mix. It really gives these brownies a rich chocolate, sweet and slightly creamier flavor. Similar to hot cocoa.
- Gooey in the center & crunchy on the edges. A perfect brownie has a chewy center and firm edges and that’s exactly what you’ll get with these brownies. The addition of dark melted dark chocolate in the dough helps to create a gooey center.
- Perfect crackle top! These brownies have a super crackly to, which is due to the added sugars from the cocoa powder. It makes the brownies look beautiful.
- Fun and festive for the holidays. Everyone loves hot chocolate during the holidays, which makes this a fun dessert for your family and friends to enjoy all winter long. They’re warm and cozy. And when dusted with powdered sugar, they look very wintery.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Butter
- Chocolate chips
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Hot cocoa powder
- Salt
- Flour
- Marshmallow fluff
- Powdered sugar
How to Make Hot Cocoa Dessert Bars
These hot cocoa dessert bars are very similar to our fudgy brownie batter recipe, but we had to make a few tweaks to adjust for the extra sugar and fat in the hot cocoa packets. Let’s dive into the details!
Step 1: Prep your cookie pan.
First step is to always prep your baking sheets! Buttering and lining the baking pan with parchment paper may seem a little excessive, but trust us, it will make your life so much easier when you’re trying to remove the bars from the pan. Scroll for more details on prepping your baking dish.
Step 2: Make brownie batter…
Making brownie batter homemade could not be easier. It’s almost just as simple as boxed and tastes so much better.
The only equipment you need to make the brownies is a bowl, saucepan and a whisk – no electric mixer needed!
Start by melting butter and chocolate in a saucepan over medium heat until smooth mixture. Use a whisk to mix chocolate into butter.
Next, mix in sugar to help lower the temperature of the butter. Lightly whist eggs into the batter, on at a time!
Lastly, you’ll fold in your flour-hot cocoa mixture into the batter until just combined. You want to make sure you don’t over mix the batter.
Step 3: Assemble bars and bake
The fun part!! First pour brownie batter into a 9×11 inch pan. Spread half of the brownie batter in an even layer across the bottom of the pan.
Scoop dollops of marshmallow fluff over the top of the brownie batter. Pour the remaining batter to put over marshmallow fluff. Gently spread batter in an even layer to cover marshmallow fluff.
Place in the oven to bake at 350ºF for 35-45 minutes until cooked through.
Step 4: Dust with powdered sugar, slice and enjoy!
Test doneness with a fork or tooth pick. If it comes out clean, It means they are done baking. Let the brownies cool before dusting with powdered sugar and slicing. Slice into 12-16 bars.
Tips for the Perfect Gooey Texture
- Use real chocolate and cocoa powder! Using dark chocolate chips and cocoa powder makes a super rich chocolate flavor to the brownies and also creates that delicious fudgy texture.
- Do not over mix the batter. Why? Over-mixing the batter can create a tough brownie. For a soft brownie, make sure you stir just until the ingredients are just combined.
- Avoid tough brownie edges!! No body likes a corner brownie because they are typically the toughest edges to chew. But we have a trick for you to make sure the edges do not get too tough. The key step: Let the brownies cool for about 10-15 minutes before removing them from the pan to cool completely.
Easily remove dessert bars from the pan with this trick!
No one likes to leave bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Try this fool-proof method to remove dessert bars from the pan every, single time!
- Butter the pan. Making sure to cover the bottoms, corners, and sides.
- Place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan making sure it is long enough to hang above the batter 1-2 inches. This parchment paper will act like a sling for your brownies.
- After the dessert bars are baked and cooled. It is important that they are cooled for at least 10-15 minutes before you lift them from the pan. Carefully lift up on both sides of the parchment paper and lift up out of the pan. Place them on a cutting board to slice and serve.
How to Store and Reheat
Before you store your brownies make sure they have cooled completely. Whether your baking ahead or have leftovers, here are our tips for storing your brownies.
- Room temperature: Store in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 3-4 days. After about 4 days, they will start to dry out and won’t taste as good.
- Reheat in the microwave for 20-30 seconds until warm.
Tip: We don’t recommend storing these brownies in the fridge because they could dry out quicker and make the marshmallow tough.
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Hot Cocoa Dessert Bars
Description
These Hot Cocoa Dessert Bars are made with rich brownie batter, hot cocoa powder, and marshmallow fluff for a cozy winter dessert. Perfect for bake nights, holiday gatherings, or a fun day in with friends.
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter
- 6 oz chocolate chips
- 1 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup hot coco powder (about 2 packets)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup flour
- 12 oz marshmallow fluff
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar (for dusting)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and prep a 11×9 baking pan by buttering the pan and lining the parchment paper.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter and chocolate chips. Remove sauce pan from heat until it is just melted.
- Remove from heat and whisk in sugar and eggs, one at a time. Pour into a medium bowl and mix in cocoa powder and salt. Next add in flour and fold into the batter with a spatula until the flour is fully mixed in.
- Pour 1/2 the batter into pan and spread into an even layer. Place dollops of marshmallow fluff over the top of the batter. Scoop out dollops of the remaining batter to put over marshmallow fluff. Gently spread batter in an even layer to cover marshmallow fluff.
- Place in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes until baked through. Use a toothpick or fork to test the doneness of the brownies. If your toothpick removes clean, the brownies are done. If not finished cooking, place back in the oven for 3-5 more minutes increments.
- Remove from oven and let the brownies cool for 10-15 minutes.
