Winter is basically here and we all know that one of the best ways to get through it is with a hot beverage! Whether that’s tea, coffee, the golden drink - which became very popular a couple of months ago - or today’s pick: hot chocolate! So, if you ever wondered “how do you make the perfect hot chocolate?”, you’ve came to the right place today. These thirteen recipes are the coolest and most creative hot chocolate ideas you’ll find!
“Love is like swallowing hot chocolate before it has cooled off. It takes you by surprise at first, but keeps you warm for a long time.” - Henri Frederic Amiel
Vanilla Extract
Maybe you’ve tried making hot chocolate with vanilla extract already, but it’s such a special flavor it deserves to be on this list. This particular recipe takes a splash of the extract, but you can try and adapt it as you’d like.
Peppermint Melts
I first heard about peppermint melts last month, but I hadn’t tried them yet. This hot chocolate ingredients combo sure gave me a good reason to start loving the peppermint addition, though you can also try making your own peppermint melts at home.
It’s really simple as well:
You’ll simply melt some peppermint candies, pour them into silicone molds (make sure these are on a flat surface, like a cookie tray, for better results) and let it sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes to harden.
Peanut Butter
It’s no news that peanut butter and chocolate blend in flavors amazingly, now put that together in a hot chocolate recipe. I can already picture sitting by the fire, all cozied up with a fluffy arm-knit blanket, and a cup of this delicious recipe!
Pinch of Pepper
This is a recipe for a Mexican hot chocolate, and it’s a really interesting one since it mixes:
- Ice cream
- Vanilla extract
- Peppery whipped cream
Interestingly enough, if you have a sweet tooth, this is sure an option to try this year!
Cinnamon Classic
Well, this is the most obvious answer for the question “what can you add to hot chocolate?” Cinnamon is one of our favorite ingredients to give a special touch for both coffee and hot chocolate. Tastes very Christmas-y, don’t you think? Check it out!
Caramel Heaven
Another option for those with a sweet tooth, this combo of caramel and chocolate can be really delicious! But for those who are not that into the sweet stuff, this recipe can work too…
And here’s why:
There a special ingredient that kind of breaks all the sweetness, can you guess what it is? Well, I’ll just tell you: it’s lemon juice! It doesn’t quite seem like something that’d work, but it totally does!
Coconut Combo
This a true coconut combo, it has:
- Unsweetened coconut milk
- Can chilled coconut milk
- Toasted coconut
It’s an amazing recipe! There are a lot of recipes with both chocolate and coconut, so no doubt it makes a perfect duo!
Almond
Not only does this make a delicious hot chocolate recipe for the holidays, it’s also dairy-free! Whether you have a friend who can’t have dairy, or even yourself, this is one of the best dairy-free options to try.
Honey Sweets
Chocolate and honey can also blend in well if you have the right recipe, and The Food Charlatan sure has it right! With all the right amounts for the perfect hot chocolate, this is a must-try this year!
Wine Hot Chocolate
Now, if your question revolves a bit more on the grounds of “what alcohol to put in hot chocolate?”, you can stop asking because the answer is wine! Of course, whiskey, Bailey’s, and even flavored vodka can be good choices with the right recipe.
However:
None of those will ever be as delicious as wine + chocolate! We can assure you that the recipe you need is right here and it’ll call for seconds!
Maple Syrup
I hadn’t really had maple syrup with anything but pancakes, but after having this recipe I started feeling like maybe I should explore some more recipes with it. It’s surprisingly (at least for me) delicious and I’m glad I found this recipe!
Orange Zest
I think orange zest was the most surprising ingredient when I was looking for items for this list, it had never occured me to try putting it in hot chocolate (even though I’m a huge fan of putting orange zest in cake toppings). All I have to say here is: MAKE IT!
Ice Cream
You may be wondering “okay, so ice cream and hot chocolate, how does that go together?”, well, it’s actually pretty simple. You’ll basically prepare the hot chocolate, serve the ice cream, and pour the mix onto it! Surely this will be easier to appreciate with a spoon, but the results are amazing!
Hope you’ve liked reading so far, I sure had a great time gathering the most awesome recipes for you! Let us know which is your favorite in the comments below and share some photos of your own creations with us through our Facebook page!
