Chocolate of the Day: Variations on Hot Chocolate

I love hot chocolate, whether it’s from a packet, homemade with cocoa powder, or purchased at a coffee shop. But I got to wondering, is there more to hot chocolate than powder and milk? After the jump, some easy ways to dress up your hot chocolate.

A variety of recipes follow, some made with instant hot chocolate, some made on the stove. I hope this inspires you to experiment with your hot chocolate!

Orange Hot Chocolate (instant hot chocolate mix)

Ingredients

• 1 packet hot chocolate mix
• Water or milk for hot chocolate mix
• 1/4 tsp orange zest (or to taste)
• 1 tsp orange blossom water (or to taste)

1. Mix hot chocolate mix according to directions on box/packet

2. Stir in orange zest and orange blossom water. I added them when I added the mix to the water.

3. Enjoy! I think this one would especially benefit from whipped cream, but I didn’t have any.

Tequila Hot Chocolate (instant hot chocolate mix)

Ingredients

• 1 packet hot chocolate mix
• Water or milk for hot chocolate mix
• 2 ounces tequila per mug (or more or less to taste)

1. Mix hot chocolate mix according to directions on box/packet

2. Stir in tequila.

3. Enjoy! This combo was way more delicious than I ever could have imagined.

Chai Hot Chocolate (made on the stove with cocoa powder)

This recipe makes 3 servings

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/8 cup cocoa powder
• Dash of salt
• 2 teaspoons chai mix*
• 1/6 cup hot water
• 2 cups milk
• 3/8 teaspoon vanilla (I used 1/2 because I really like vanilla)

*I used Badshah Kamal Tea Masala, which is a mix of ginger, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves. You could use a different mix, add the spices individually, or include a tea bag in with the other ingredients (take it out before serving!).

1. Mix sugar, cocoa, salt, spices, and mix.

2. Add water. If using a tea bag, include here.

3. Cook over medium heat until it boils. Boil for two minutes. Whisk occasionally.

4. Add milk. Heat but do not boil.

5. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

6. Enjoy! This one was so good, I wish I’d started drinking chai hot chocolate sooner.

Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate (made on the stove with chocolate chips)

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup chocolate chips
• 2-3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
• 32 ounces milk (4 cups)

1. Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter over medium heat. Stir occasionally.

2. Add  milk. Whisk ingredients together.  Whisking is really important.

3. Simmer until blended.

4. Enjoy!

Coconut Hot Chocolate (made in the slow cooker with chocolate chips)

This is a good recipe for a crowd. This recipe makes 2-4 servings, but easy to double.

Ingredients

• 13 ounces (1 can) of coconut milk
• 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 ounces chopped chocolate or more to taste (I used semi-sweet chocolate chips)
• 1/16 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1/16 teaspoon salt

1. Combine ingredients in slow cooker. Stir.

2. Cook on low for 2 hours.

3. Whisk every 15 minutes. Whisking is really important; it didn’t incorporate well when I just stirred with a spoon.

4. Enjoy! This one was so good (in large part because of the sweetened condensed milk).