Candy Cane Marshmallow Hot Cocoa Cups
There’s nothing quite like making holiday treats with your kids. But a lot of the time, baking can be difficult since they are too little to deal with the heat of the oven or stove. I’m a big believer that no-bake recipes are always best, and if we can make something fun, tasty, adorable and EASY, that is always the best. These candy cane marshmallow hot cocoa cups fit the bill perfectly!
These simple treats are so so cute. Tiny little hot cocoa mugs made out of jumbo marshmallows and pretzels dipped in white chocolate. They’re brimming over with chocolate and marshmallows and sprinkles, and their little faces are painted on with edible markers. What’s not to love?? They are part craft project and part tasty treat! Whether you’ve got little ones to help you or not, they are perfect to take to your next holiday party.
At their heart, these are basically marshmallow pops. Instead of a candy stick, though, we are using a candy cane. This makes the entire thing edible, as well as making it look absolutely adorable. I also originally bought some candy eyeballs for this, but I wasn’t a fan of how they looked, so I didn’t end up using them. But you can totally go that route if you want to.
Here’s what you’ll need.
Ingredients
- Jumbo Marshmallows
- Candy canes (equal to marshmallows)
- Mini Pretzels (equal to the number of marshmallows)
- 1 package white candy melts
- 1/4 cup chocolate candy melts
- Holiday Sprinkles
- Mini marshmallows, optional
- Edible Markers in Black and Pink
The process for this is fairly simple. You will definitely want to help any children with the heating of the candy melts and with cutting a slit in the marshmallows. But otherwise it is a pretty safe and easy activity.
Instructions
If you’ve ever made any sort of cake pop or dipped treat before, you’ll be familiar with the process here. To start, you’ll want to melt your white candy melts according to the package instructions.
Dip the tip of the candy canes into the melted candy melts, and then press them into the center of the marshmallows.
Now that your candy canes are secured, it’s time to add the “handles” to your mugs. To do this, you’ll need to make a small incision on the side of your marshmallow. Dip one side of the pretzel into the chocolate and then immediately into the marshmallow.
Let it sit for five minutes or so as you complete the others.
After all of your pretzels are fully set, carefully lift the treats by the candy cane handles, and submerge the entire marshmallow/pretzel combo into the candy melts to coat it. Be sure to fully cover the sides.
Drag the bottom of the treat across the bowl to scrape off excess chocolate on the bottom. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, and let them dry until fully set (about 15 – 20 minutes).
Now comes the fun part!
Melt your chocolate, and add it to a piping bag. Make a small hole, and pipe around the top of the marshmallow to make your “hot cocoa.” Immediately add your sprinkles and mini marshmallows to decorate.
Once the top is set, you can turn it and add on the eyes with more melted chocolate. Or, if you prefer, you can draw them on with marker. I like the look of the chocolate, though.
Finally, add on your faces with edible marker, drawing a smile and some rosy cheeks. This is where kids really shine, as they can make the cutest faces.
You could make them all the same, or you can try creating different emotions. My kids want to try creating cups to look like different emojis! That could be so much fun!
These tiny little hot cocoa mugs are just so bright and fun, and they are a great treat after dinner or as a reward at the end of the school week.
One thing my kids LOVE to do is to bite off the pretzel handle and then use the rest of the treat as a hot cocoa stir stick! It makes a REALLY fun addition to their hot chocolate!
My oldest suggested that next time we make them, we use the curved tops of mini candy canes as the mug handles so that they can use these as stir sticks without having to bite off the pretzel. I think he’s on to something there!
What do you think? Do you love them as much as I do??
Candy Cane Marshmallow Hot Cocoa Cups
These cute candy cane marshmallow hot cocoa cups are the perfect foodie craft to make with your kids. Turn some jumbo marshmallows, pretzels, candy melts and peppermint sticks into and absolutely adorable dessert for your holiday party. Salty and sweet, with endless decorating possibilities, these are going to be the hit of the season!
Ingredients
- Jumbo Marshmallows
- Candy Canes (equal to marshmallows)
- Mini Pretzels (equal to marshmallows and candy canes)
- 1 package white candy melts
- 1/4 C chocolate candy melts
- Holiday Sprinkles
- Mini Marshmallows (optional)
- Edible Markers in Black and Pink
Instructions
- Melt the white candy melts according to package instructions.
- Dip the tip of the candy canes into the melted candy melts and then into the center of the marshmallow.
- Make a small incision on the side of the marshmallow.
- Dip one side of the pretzel into the chocolate and then immediately into the marshmallow.
- (Let sit 5 mins) you and repeat these for the others while waiting.
- Carefully lift the treat by the candy cane and dip into the melted candy coating.
- Be sure to cover the sides fully.
- Drag bottom of treat across the bowl to scrape off excess chocolate on the bottom.
- Place on parchment lined baking sheet, and let dry until set (about 15-20 mins)
- Melt chocolate and add to piping bag, make a small hole and pipe around the top of the marshmallow.
- Immediately add sprinkles and mini marshmallows.
- Once set add eyes to the front of the marshmallow with melted chocolate.
- Using an edible marker draw on a smile and use the pink markers to make the rosy cheeks!
Notes
You can use candy eyes instead of chocolate if you prefer. Or you can draw them on with edible marker.
If you want to make these into fully functional hot chocolate stir sticks, replace the pretzel with the curved part of a mini candy cane.
Try using yellow candy melts instead of white, and draw emoji faces for a fun twist!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 48Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 40mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 0gSugar: 5gProtein: 1g
This nutrition information is automatically calculated and may not be entirely accurate. Please do your own research if you are overly concerned about specific macros.
I hope you love this recipe. Don’t forget to share!
Katie Reed is a passionate writer and mother of four vivacious boys from Salt Lake City, Utah. Drawing from her own journey through TTC, pregnancy, and the joys of raising children, she offers a wealth of insight into the world of motherhood. Beyond her heartfelt tales, Katie delights her readers with family-friendly recipes, engaging crafts, and a curated library of printables for both kids and adults. When she’s not penning her experiences, you’ll find her crafting memories with her husband and sons—Dexter, Daniel, Chester, and Wilder.
Just adorable!!! And I love the built-in handle!!!