These Mexican Hot Chocolate Sugar Cookies are festive, fun, and so easy to make! Soft, gluten-free chocolate sugar cookies that are made with spiced hot chocolate and are great for holiday cookie platters! They’re dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan-friendly, and you’ll want to make them over and over again!
Tis the Season for Cookies
All I want to do is plop my bottom on the couch with a cup of coffee and a yummy little treat. These warm, cozy, and cheerful Mexican hot chocolate sugar cookies will do the trick.
What makes these Mexican hot chocolate sugar cookies so amazing? It’s all in the ingredients! I mixed together my own Mexican hot chocolate blend with some some non-dairy dark chocolate hot cocoa mix (I used Ghirardelli), add in some cinnamon, coconut sugar, chili powder for the spice, and a dash of nutmeg!
Sugar Cookies Ingredients
Below is an overview of the ingredients and recipe. Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the complete details and nutrition information.
- Gluten-free flour mixture – I used fine blanched almond flour and sifted coconut flour.
- Dairy-free hot cocoa mix – Or ⅔ substitute cup coconut sugar + ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- Coconut oil – Not melted.
- Avocado – Replacing the butter in these cookies!
- Egg – For a vegan option, replace egg with a chia or flax egg.
- Dark chocolate shavings – Use a dairy-free dark chocolate for vegan option.
- Baking essentials – Baking soda, kosher salt, and vanilla extract.
- Mexican hot chocolate spices – Cayenne, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
- Optional Topping – Cinnamon Sugar (¼ cup coconut sugar + 1 Tablespoon cinnamon) and melted dark chocolate
How to make MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE SUGAR COOKIES
- Whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and chili powder in a large bowl.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the coconut oil and hot cocoa mix until creamy. Add in avocado and vanilla extract until combined.
- Add egg and mix gently just until incorporated.
- Stir in the flour mixture until a batter forms. Don’t overmix.
- Fold in the dark chocolate shavings and form dough into a ball. Wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate until firm (1-2 hours)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside while you roll out the cookies.
- Remove dough from fridge and roll out with a rolling pin between 2 sheets of parchment paper or by dusting rolling surface and top of dough lightly with a gluten-free flour.
- Cut out shapes with cookie cutters and place on baking sheet, leaving a few inches between each cookie. Sprinkle each cookie with cinnamon sugar.
- Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheet.
More of Our Favorite
Gluten-Free Cookie Recipes
Mexican Hot Chocolate Sugar Cookies (Vegan, Paleo)
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 16 smaller cookies or 10 large cookies 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Mexican Hot Chocolate Sugar cookies – This easy chocolate sugar cookies recipe has no butter! Gluten free, Paleo and Vegan friendly Christmas cookie recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon cup fine blanched almond flour
- ¼ cup sifted coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¾ cup dairy free hot cocoa mix or ⅔ cup coconut sugar + ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup coconut oil, not melted
- 1 small avocado (¼ to ⅓ cup, mashed)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large egg (see notes for vegan option)
- ¼ to ⅓ cup dark chocolate shavings
- Optional Topping – Cinnamon Sugar (¼ cup coconut sugar + 1 Tablespoon cinnamon) and melted dark chocolate
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne powder.
- In another large bowl, or stand mixer, beat together the coconut oil and hot cocoa mix until creamy. Add in avocado and vanilla extract until combined.
- Add egg and mix gently until incorporated.
- Stir in the flour mixture until a batter forms. Don’t overmix.
- Fold in the dark chocolate shavings and form dough into a ball. Cover and place in fridge for 1-2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Remove dough from fridge and place on the counter lined with parchment paper.*
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap or cover rolling pin in gluten free flour and roll dough flat. Use cookie cutters to make shapes and place 4″ apart on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle each cookie with cinnamon sugar.
- Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely before removing them from the baking sheet. The bottoms will harden as they cool.
- Top cooled cookies with cinnamon sugar and drizzle with dark chocolate, optional.
Notes
Substitute – For a vegan option, replace egg with a chia or flax egg. In a small bowl, place 1 Tablespoon chia seeds or ground flax seed with 2 ½ Tablespoons water. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes until an egg-like consistency forms.
Baking Tips– Instead of rolling the dough flat, roll dough into balls and press flat with the back of a measuring cup sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Baking Time for vegan option can vary, check for doneness at 12 minutes.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12-15 minutes
- Category: snack, dessert
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: American, Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 144
- Sodium: 137 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg
I made this recipe and made thumbprint cookies with an all natural tart cherry filling. They are good also rolled out thin and flat. I would like to try them with some white or dark chocolate drizzled on top!
I love the cherry addition! Thanks for feedback Shelly!
These are awesome. I made them with 1/2 black cocoa and a touch of nutmeg as suggested. I love the subtle cayenne, sprinkled with roasted coconut as well over melted chocolate and cocoa/sugar…divine…thank you. Also used real fresh eggs, such a nice texture!
Love love it! real fresh eggs ==> YASS! Thanks for your feedback Judi!
Have you tested these with anything besides avocado? I don’t normally have them around.
You could try with 1/3 or 1/4 cup pumpkin purée or apple sauce. Or even almond butter like my almond butter cookies
Do you have an estimate how long they will last if stored in an airtight container?
Thanks a lot 🙂
THey last a few days on counter or I could keep them in fridge for up to a week or 10 days, no prob!
wish this were in front of me right now. Love this holiday.
Best of luck to you in your move?
Question: How much Almond Flour??
oh no, the recipe must have had glitches. SOrry! it’s 1 cup and 1 tbsp.
I think I would like these 18980934258432x better than regular sugar cookies, just something about that chocolate and cinnamon combo 🙂 Good luck with your move friend! Praying for everything to go smoothly!
I totally agree friend. But I am bias. LOL!
These look amazing – and so do your photos! I just want to curl up with a hot chocolate and a few of these by the Christmas tree!
SAFE TRAVELS Lindsay!!!! New adventures for sure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
Life moving way too fast? Right there with you. Such a good “problem” to have, but it certainly feels overwhelming. I think cookies are a great solution. Good luck, friend – you got this!
P.S. Yes to this: “The world doesn’t need another “OMG I’m too busy for you” mentality.”
Amen sista! Can we hit pause and eat more cookies? LOL!
ladyyyy you are killing it with dessert this holiday season!
haha it’s been a baking fest all month! I might need a veggie soup soon. LOL!
YUM. Looks like an epic creation
You know it girl!
Good luck with the house hunting!
Though I have more than one day, my hubby and I are trying to find a place for the start of January, so here’s to good house vibes for the both of us 🙂
Sending you all the house hunting vibes too!
Oh my lawd… GOOD LUCK! It’s going to be fine. Things always work out… because they have to. 😉
Now to the cookies… I LOVE baking with avocado! Gotta try these very soon. If we were leaving for a wedding in Mexico tomorrow at 6am I’d have them baking already. LOL!
I’ll have an extra margarita for you. In the rain… because that’s what it’s supposed to do all weekend. 😛
Love you brother!
I’m already cold! take me with you to MExico!
Hi Lauren,
I can’t wait to try some of your recipes! Totally unrelated, but what type of “krill oil” do you recommend? I am looking for one to combat both ADHD and inflammation from all the running I do. Thanks Lauren! Much appreciated!
Diane Robison
Oh yay! Keep me posted.
Are you making Paleo or vegan ?
Oops sorry. Wrong person. Lol! I meant to say, have you checked out thrive market?
I have a cookie swap party to go to today and I am so making these! They sound and look so yummy,and I can’t believe they’re healthy! Can’t wait to see what everyone thinks of them! I always bring snickerdoodles, which someone else also brings and it is like a battle of the snickerdoodles!! These are so creative!!
yay! Keep me posted.
Are you making Paleo or vegan ?
1. Best of luck with your move to Utah!! I know it must seem overwhelming right now, but God is with you 🙂
2. These cookies – WOW. They look amazing! 😀
3. Sending you love, Lindsay!!
Thanks friend! I will take it! Hehe
Gorgeous photos!! I definitely would love a hot cocoa topped with whipped cream and one of these cookies right now (and it’s 7:00am) ?
haha totally acceptable for 7 am! i did it.
Need to make these!! Mmm.. It’s 1cup + 1TBSP right?! Okay now let’s eat these cookies together <3 Safe travels!! xxoo
yep! Give or take. Let me know if you try it!
MOVING TO UTAH?!?!?!?!?!?!??!??!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!!!? If you want to hide from your first world problems for a hot second, just take a batch of these cookies and hide in the closet… And devour about 10 of them. 😉 That’s what I would do. Wrapped in a snuggie with a space heater.
Can i come to LA and get some warmth. Plus we can make these cookies. just sayin….
Duh! You’re always invited. Although, pathetically enough, when it’s 50 degrees here, everyone is freezing (including me). I am going to San Fran today and it’s going to be cold and rainy, and I am like AW SHIT I DONT HAVE CLOTHES FOR THAT KIND OF WEATHER! lol
maybe I’ll hitch a ride to CA instead. And ya San Fran is wet cold. BRRRR!
YUM, beautiful, and festive! LOVE!
thanks friend!
CAN WE ADD DOS EQUIS TO THE BATTER, lol. I hope you get all of your first world problems ironed out. Ain’t nobody got time fo dat!
One day to find a place to live? Oh boy! I feel your stress & anything below 45 is just unbearable to me! You will get through it though. Just eat more cookies!