10 Tasty Hot Chocolate Recipe Ideas
Cinnamon and Clove
Most hot chocolate recipes are relatively easy and straightforward to follow, especially since you honestly don’t need a lot to make hot chocolate enjoyable. But if you’re looking for a little extra kick in your hot chocolate, then this is the way to go. Make your hot chocolate as you usually would, but before you finish off your sweet treat, add just a bit of cinnamon and cloves into it. You can either put two or three cloves and one cinnamon stick into the pan as you cook it. Or you can sprinkle a bit of the grated spices on top when you are done.
Cherry Swirl
I do not know a single person who has not enjoyed the mixture of dark chocolate and cherries. So for these hot chocolate recipes, that is what we are going to focus on. You can do this in a few different ways. If you have access to a type of cherry liquor and are looking to make this a spiked beverage, then feel free to add a shot to your drink for that extra kick. If you have cherry syrup on hand, that’s also something that you can feel free to use, either homemade or store-bought is fine. The last option you can do is perhaps try a bit of cherry jam to add to your mix. Sounds weird, but I promise it works.
Mexican Spice
Out of all the hot chocolate recipes that are on this list, if you have not tried this one, you absolutely must give it a try. Mexican spice hot chocolate is not only one of the most traditional ways to make hot chocolate, but it is absolutely one of the most delicious. You’ll need: chili powder, nutmeg, cayenne, vanilla, and cinnamon for it to all come together. Take the extra spices and wrap them in a sachet or put them into a loose leaf tea bag if you have one on hand. Then simply steep it into the pot as you would a tea as you make the hot chocolate. This stuff seriously just can not be beaten.
Pinch of Salt
Let us say that you do not have a whole lot of spices available on hand, though. Let’s say that you are a poor college student that is desperately in need of a pick me up after a very long day of classes, work, and exams. Then this hot chocolate recipe is undoubtedly the one for you. Not only is this one the easiest one to find, but it’s also probably the most surprising. All you need to do is stir in just a little pinch of salt. It’s literally that easy. Much like a salted caramel stirring in a bit of pinch of salt adds a whole new complex variety of flavor and will heighten the experience of hot chocolate to be even better than you expect it to be. So next time you are at a loss for a way to spice up your hot chocolate game but do not want to do all the work, just put a little pinch of salt in it.
Mocha Flavored Whipped Cream
This is a classic when it comes to hot chocolate recipes. Not only is mocha just a fantastic flavor combo to go with hot chocolate, but whipped cream is excellent for it as well. The process of making it is actually pretty easy too. Take a little bit of cocoa powder, and take a bit of instant coffee and put it into your heavy whipping cream. Then go and make your hot chocolate as you usually do. As it is sitting on the stove and getting all nice and delicious, whip your cocoa, coffee, and whipping cream together till you get peaks. This can be either soft or stiff, depending on your personal preference. Once the hot chocolate is done, take it off the stove, pour your mocha whipped cream on top and enjoy!
Nutmeg
Nutmeg is one of the best additions to hot chocolate out there. Nutmeg gives hot chocolate that slightly spiced Christmas taste to your delicious drink. But it is also a natural ingredient to find that not a lot of people talk about. I personally would recommend getting it whole, then grating it over your hot chocolate fresh. Not only does this add a specific brightness to the overall flavor of the nutmeg, but it also rounds out the taste of the hot chocolate.
Irish Coffee
This is one of those hot chocolate recipes that is not for the kids. If you have never put a little bit of Irish coffee into your hot chocolate after a very long and hard day, then you are severely missing out, my friend. Not only does the creamy Irish coffee do wonders to enhance the flavor of the hot chocolate, but it is also a great drink to relax with. You will certainly not find something like this at Starbucks.
Butterscotch
Butterscotch is one of those flavors that people just have a tendency to forget, and I honestly do not get why. It is incredible for most desserts, especially on ice cream, and I think it should be used way more. Hot chocolate is no exception to this. You do not even need to make it fancy to make it taste delicious either. Just get some store-bought butterscotch sauce, and put it into your hot chocolate to dissolve. Make sure you stir it in as well to get the flavor evenly dispersed and ta-da! You are done.
Peppermint
Let’s face it, hot chocolate recipes are great, but a lot of them are missing out on the ultimate flavor combination: chocolate and mint. And that is something that should be rectified. A few dashes of infused mint simple syrup truly can make your hot chocolate go from good to fabulous in a matter of seconds. It is possible to create simple mint syrup at home, all you do is make simple syrup, put a sprig of fresh mint into a container and store it in a cool, dry spot (pantry or kitchen cabinet will do well) for about a week. Of course, you could also just buy it from the store as well. Either way, putting that refreshing taste of mint into your hot chocolate is seriously hard to beat.
