Perfect for a cozy dessert, brunch treat, or Christmas morning indulgence, these holiday hot chocolate recipes are far from ordinary. It's time to set aside your Swiss Miss, and craft yourself a steaming mug of creamy, chocolatey goodness—and don't forget the whipped cream.
Cookie Butter Hot Chocolate
To make this decadent cookie butter hot chocolate, you will first need to prepare your hot chocolate base (two tablespoons of hot chocolate mix or unsweetened cocoa powder and one cup of almond milk), and then add one tablespoon of cookie butter. To heat this mixture, the stovetop or microwave works perfectly. Gently heat on the stovetop over medium-low heat for about five minutes, or microwave for roughly a minute and a half.
To top this cookie butter hot chocolate, you have to go all out. I topped mine with whipped cream, about half a tablespoon of melted cookie butter, a crumbled Speculoos cookie, vegan mini marshmallows from Trader Joe's, and an extra cookie for garnish.
#SpoonTip: A scoop of the Trader Joe's Speculoos ice cream would be perfect for a cookie butter hot chocolate affogato.
Almond Joy Hot Chocolate
Growing up, Almond Joys were definitely one of my favorite candies. I just think it's hard to go wrong with coconut and chocolate, don't you?
To make this Almond Joy hot chocolate, you will first need to prepare your hot chocolate base. For this version, I used two tablespoons of hot chocolate mix, a half cup of light canned coconut milk, and a half cup of almond milk. Once again, the stovetop or microwave works fine to heat the drink. Gently cook on the stovetop over medium-low heat for about five minutes, or microwave for about a minute and a half.
#SpoonTip: A couple drops of almond extract adds a unique depth of flavor.
To top this Almond Joy hot chocolate, I used coconut whipped cream, semisweet dark chocolate chips, chocolate syrup, toasted coconut flakes, and toasted slivered almonds. And voilá, you just made a candy bar in hot chocolate form. Nice.
Loaded S'mores Hot Chocolate
For me, the best part about camping trips was definitely sitting around the campfire, roasting marshmallows and creating gooey smore's sandwiches. However, I don't go camping enough to enjoy the familiar marshmallow, Hershey's chocolate, and graham cracker hybrid as much as I would want to. Moreover, though incredibly sweet, crunchy, and warm, these portable pockets of joy make a sticky mess. Thus, to channel my love for ooey-gooey smore's without the added mess of roasting marshmallows, I reconstructed the beloved treat into liquid form.
To make one cup of this unique concoction, you will only need about 5 minutes of prep time and another 5 minutes of cooking time. Start off by preheating the oven to a low broil and placing the oven rack as close to the top of the oven as possible.
Meanwhile, heat one cup of your milk of choice and a half cup of water in a saucepan over medium heat until warmed through (be careful not to overheat!).
Next, stir in two tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder, one tablespoon of sugar, and a pinch of salt. This acts as the chocolatey goodness of the smore's cookie sandwich.
For the graham cracker portion, rub a marshmallow around the rim of your mug to create an adhesive surface. Then, dip the mug in finely crushed graham crackers.
#SpoonTip: Add graham cracker crumbs to the bottom of your mug for extra graham flavor.
Finally, pour the hot chocolate into your mug and top with either mini or large marshmallows. Set the mug on a baking sheet in the oven and broil marshmallows until golden brown. For presentation purposes and to make your hot chocolate Insta-worthy, top with a drizzle of chocolate syrup and extra graham cracker crumbs.
Cookies & Cream Hot White Chocolate
Last, but surely not least, is a play on your favorite cookies and cream flavor combination. Imagine the comforting taste of dipped oreos in milk, but without the inconvenience of broken cookie pieces falling into your drink or having to reach your hand in the bottom of your cup to reach the milk. Yes, you can avoid these annoyances with this cookies & cream white hot chocolate.
To make a steaming mug of this liquid-form oreo, heat two cups of your choice of milk in a saucepan until scalding, and then remove from the stovetop. Whisk in a quarter cup of oreo cookie crumbs, reserving some for garnish, one quarter cup white chocolate chips, one tablespoon of sugar, one half teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Once the oreo cookies thoroughly dissolve, pour the blend into a mug, and finish with whipped cream and more oreo cookie crumbs.
#SpoonTip: Want more oreo? Line your mug with oreo cookie crumbs because there is no such thing as too much oreo (#facts).
And there you have it! Next time you are craving a cup of hot chocolate, remember that you don't have to stoop down to the level of the basic Swiss Miss hot chocolate mix— you are so much better than that. This guide to four different holiday hot chocolate recipes will help you impress your friends and family with something they won't expect. I mean, with cookie butter, chocolate-coconut, cookies and cream, and smore's how can you go wrong? There's something for everyone here. Cozy up this winter season with a fuzzy blanket, a Christmas movie, and a cup of one of these unique holiday hot chocolate recipes and you'll be #holidaygoals.