The NYT Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies recipe has become popular, especially the version shared by the New York Times.
I’ve seen many talks about it across YouTube, TikTok, and Pinterest.
I made these chewy, spicy-sweet Mexican hot chocolate cookies with cinnamon, chili powder, and rich chocolate.
How to Make NYT Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
NYT Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies are chewy, spicy-sweet cookies made with cocoa, cinnamon, and a hint of chili powder. It is inspired by the famous New York Times recipe.
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour: This gives the cookies structure and chewiness.
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened: Butter will make your Mexican hot chocolate cookies rich and moist.
- ¾ cup granulated sugar + ¼ cup brown sugar: This combination will help in caramelization and make the cookies soft from the inside and a little crispy from the outside.
- ¼ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder: This gives a deep, smooth chocolate flavor and is less acidic than natural cocoa.
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon – Even though we add chili powder, cinnamon brings a warm, cozy spice flavor that enhances depth and a hint of sweetness.
- ½ teaspoon chili powder – It makes the cookies more interesting because of its spiciness. (For a sharper heat, you can swap it with ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper.)
- ¼ teaspoon salt – You’ll need a little salt to enhance the flavors of chocolate and spices.
- ½ teaspoon baking soda – It’ll help Mexican cookies spread properly and give them a light texture.
- ¼ cup whole milk – This keeps the cookie dough soft and easy to mix.
Instructions:
- Soften the butter at room temperature: You want to soften the butter at room temperature so that it can easily mix. I recommend keeping it at room temperature for around 30 minutes.
- Mix the dry ingredients: Take a bowl and whisk together flour, Dutch processed cocoa, cinnamon, chili powder, baking soda, and a pinch of salt (based on your taste or the quantity you are cooking).
- Cream the butter and sugar: Take another bowl and beat room temperature softened butter with granulated and brown sugar until it gets light and fluffy.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients: Gradually add the dry mixture to the butter mixture and mix it until it’s properly combined (don’t overmix because it can make cookies dense)
- Scoop and bake: Use cookie scope to portion dough onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for around 10-15 minutes.
Pro Tips
- Don’t overmix the dough, as it can make your NYT Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies tougher. Just mix it until no flour streaks remain.
- Chill the duff for 30 minutes before you start baking it to prevent excessive spreading. If your kitchen is warm, you can even use a fridge.
- After baking it for 10-15 minutes, you also want to check if the edges are crispy, but the center is soft.
Ingredient Substitutes
If you want to adjust the recipe to fit different dietary needs, here are some easy swaps:
- Gluten-free Mexican hot cocoa cookies: You can swap all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. But let the dough rest before baking it for better texture.
- Coconut oil or vegan butter: There are good options if you want to replace butter with a dairy-free version. Coconut oil is good (If you don’t want coconut flavor)
- Maple syrup or coconut sugar: It’s a good alternative to granulated sugar, especially If you want refined sugar-free version of these spicy cookies. However, if you use maple syrup, make sure to reduce other liquids slightly.
- Almond milk, oat milk, or soy milk: These milk options are better if you want dairy-free alternatives to whole milk. But for extra creaminess, you can use full-fat coconut milk. It will work very well.
- cayenne pepper for heat lovers: A great substitute to enhance the spicy Mexican hot chocolate cookies experience. Swap ½ teaspoon chili powder for ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper for extra heat.
Spicy Mexican hot chocolate cookies Variations
Spice Level
- If you prefer mild Mexican hot chocolate cookies, reduce the chili powder to 1/4 teaspoon.
- You can increase chili powder to 1 teaspoon if you want your cookies to be more spicy. It’ll enhance Mexican chocolate flavor while keeping the sweetness balanced.
Add-Ins
- Nuts: You can chop some of your favorite nuts like pecans and walnuts; I personally love pistachios. You can also try that for extra crunch, but make sure to toast these nuts beforehand to enhance their flavor.
- Marshmallows: Marshmallow is also a good option to use. I recommend you try mini marshmallows for a gooey surprise.
- Orange zest: For a citrusy twist, you can add one teaspoon of orange zest.
Different Shapes & twists
- If you want a festive touch, You can roll dough balls in cinnamon sugar before baking.
- You can also add a pinch of peppermint extract or top your cookies with sprinkles for a Christmas-themed treat.
What to Serve with Mexican hot chocolate Cookies
To fully enjoy your Nyt Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies, it is important to pair them something delicious.
Serving Suggestions
- These chewy, spicy cookies are perfect when dipped in Mexican hot chocolate, served with cold milk, or eaten as a soft cookie sandwich.
- You can also serve them alongside a glass of red wine or use them to create a decadent chocolate dessert board. (Btw, I haven’t tried red wine yet) As I’m health-conscious.
- You should always warm these Mexican Hot Chocolate cookies a little to enhance their flavor and gooey texture; you can use a microwave for that.
- If you want a decadent taste, you can serve them with a scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream; it will give you a dessert-like experience.
- You can also crush these Mexican cookies and sprinkle over yogurt or oatmeal for a chocolatey breakfast treat.
- Eating Mexican cookies with hot chocolate is also a nice way to enjoy them (I really like to dip my biscuits and other things in that coffee, hot chocolate, etc). It will give you a traditional Mexican experience.
- Eat like an ice cream sandwich: You just have to place a scoop of ice cream between two cookies and then freeze them for a few minutes. Then, it will have a very different taste, like cookie ice cream.
More Serving Ideas:
- You can serve these cookies alongside Glace Hot Chocolate for a smooth contrast of textures.
- Pair with White Chocolate Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries if you like a fruity twist.
- Serve them on a dessert board with Dark Chocolate Sweet Potato Chipotle Fudge for layered spicy-sweet flavors.
Storing Tips to Keep Your Cookies Fresh and Delicious
You can use an airtight container and put all your cookies in that and keep that container at room temperature; by doing so, you can keep your cookies soft and chewy for around 5 days.
Besides this, you can also place them between fresh mint pepper layers to prevent them from sticking.
However, if you want your cookies to be chewy, then you need to store them in a fridge because the cold air of your fridge will sweeten them up while keeping the flavor intact.
Freezing:
Baked Cookies: If you want to use these cookies for a longer duration, more than a week, like for 2-3 months, then you need to freeze them in an airtight container or a freezer bag and let them thaw at room temperature.
Cookie dough: You can freeze dough balls; they will be safe for up to 2 months. Whenever you want to make cookies, you can use that cookie dough directly from the fridge. For fresh cookies, I recommend this option.
Pro tip: If you are freezing baked cookies in a fridge for a longer time, then you will need to warm them up in the oven at 300°F for around 3 to 5 minutes. It will give them back their fresh texture.
Gifting Ideas
These NYT Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies are really unique, sweet, and spicy. You can also give them to your friends, colleagues, or family members. Here are some ideas.
- You can use a decorative tin or a box and then tie it with a beautiful ribbon for a thoughtful homemade gift and pack all your cookies in that.
- Make sure to layer your cookies between parchment paper to prevent them from sticking and make them look perfect when the receiver opens the gift.
- You can also attach a handwritten note with the recipe, storage tips, or serving suggestions for personal touch. (I have already mentioned a couple of suggestions; you can also add your own)
- For a festive twist). You can include a packet of Mexican hot chocolate mix or cinnamon sticks alongside the cookies.
Nutrition Facts: Are These Cookies Healthy?
This is the approximate number based on ingredients. However, the original nutritional value will depend on what kind of ingredients you are using.
- Approximately 150 calories per cookie (based on a batch of 24 cookies).
- Carbs: 20g
- Fats: 7g
- Protein: 2g
Why This Easy NYT Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies Recipe Beats the Rest
These NYT Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies are particularly best for those who love cookies, spices, chocolate, etc.
So, when you make these cookies, you get all these flavors in one cookie.
Plus, these cookies are very easy to make. And on top of that, there are too many ingredients and substitutes that you can use to make it.
You can turn it completely vegan, gluten-free, etc.
From my perspective, when I tried it, I really liked the flavor and its texture. I also like that they are crispy from their edges, which is really good, and soft from the inside and from the center.
On the other hand, most traditional cookies are either sweet, salty, or different flavors (most cookies have one flavor.
These are the things that make the difference between Mexican hot chocolate cookies and other cookies. So you should try them.
FAQs about the NYT Mexican hot chocolate cookie
Here are the most common questions and their answers about these Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes, you can make NYT Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies dough 2 days before the final baking day. Or you can even freeze that for up to 2 months. It won’t really affect its texture.
But if you are refrigerating, make sure to cover them tightly to prevent them from drying out.
If you are freezing, you can also wrap them in a plastic wrap or simply place them in an airtight container.
When you are baking, you will just take them out of the fridge and keep them at room temperature for at least 10-15 minutes for easier scoping.
How do I prevent the cookies from spreading too much?
If you want to prevent your cookies from spreading too much, you need to chill the cookies for at least 30 minutes before baking.
This will solidify the fat and slowly spread in the oven.
Besides this, you shouldn’t overmix the dough. If you do so, it will get too much air in them, which will cause them to spread.
Lastly, if you see your cookies are spreading, you can add one extra tablespoon of flour or consider baking the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet instead of a greased one.
Can I freeze the baked cookies?
Absolutely, you can freeze your NYT Mexican hot chocolate cookies using an airtight container or a freezer-safe bag and keep your cookies ready to eat for 3 months.
However, when you want to eat them later, you need to keep them at room temperature for a few minutes, and later, you can also reheat them in the oven for up to 5 minutes or in a microwave for 10-15 seconds.
You can simply check it with your hand to see if it gets warm for a fresh bed test.
So yeah, you can not just freeze bed cookies; you can also freeze the cookie dough.
What cocoa powder should I use?
I recommend you use the Dutch process cocoa powder to make NYT-Mexican hot chocolate cookies because it is less acidic, smooth, and has a rich and deep chocolate flavor, which we really need for these cookies.
Besides this, this cocoa powder also reacts differently with baking soda, which we need in these cookies, plus it helps achieve perfect texture.
However, it is also okay to use a different cocoa powder, too; cookies will have a slightly bitter taste and a different texture.
So any other cocoa powder works well too, but recommended is dutch process cocoa powder.
Can I make spicy chocolate cookies less spicy?
Yes, simply reduce chili powder to 1/4 tsp or you can skip it for a mild version.
Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies Recipe (Better Than NYT!)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon chili powder or swap with ¼ teaspoon cayenne for extra heat
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ cup whole milk
Instructions
Prepare First:
- Let the butter soften at room temperature for around 30 minutes. If it’s too cold, it won’t mix properly, and if it’s too melted, the dough will get too runny.
- Measure your spices carefully—chili and cinnamon can easily overpower the cookies if you add too much.
Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions:
- Mix dry ingredients → In a bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, chili powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Cream butter and sugar → In another bowl, beat softened butter with granulated and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients → Gradually mix the dry mixture into the butter mixture, but don’t overmix—otherwise, the cookies might turn out dense.
- Scoop and bake → Use a cookie scoop to portion dough onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10-15 minutes.
- Check doneness → The edges should be crispy, and the center should be soft.
Pro Tips:
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking if you want to prevent the cookies from spreading too much.
- Don’t overmix the dough, or your cookies will turn out tougher. Just mix until there are no streaks of flour left.
- Let them cool on a wire rack to keep the texture just right.
Notes
- Serving Suggestions: These cookies taste amazing with a glass of cold milk, a cup of coffee, or even hot chocolate. You can also crush them over yogurt or oatmeal for a chocolatey breakfast. If you’re feeling fancy, make an ice cream sandwich by putting a scoop of ice cream between two cookies.
- Storage Tips: Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
- Variations: Add nuts (pistachios are great), mini marshmallows, or even orange zest for a different twist.
I’m a self-taught home cook who turns everyday ingredients into comforting, café-style recipes. I test everything in my own kitchen (sometimes more than once), tweak flavors how I like them, and share only what I actually enjoy.
Most of my recipes are chocolate-based or have a creative twist, and I keep them preservative-free, beginner-friendly, and fun to make.
If you love cozy drinks, healthier desserts, or bold flavor combos — you’re in the right place. [Read full story]
Didn’t think chili in cookies would work but omg it does