Even though I have grown past the point of Christmas morning excitement, I will never be too old for Christmas morning traditions, which my family is big on. I refuse to open my presents without having hot cocoa to drink. I’m not sure when this tradition developed, and I’m pretty sure my mother is the only one who indulges me in this, for the rest of my family sleeps in until the last possible second. Nevertheless, it has become a tradition for me. This year, my cocoa of choice will not be a packaged Swiss Miss in a cup, but, instead, one of these delicious homemade versions.
You don’t know hot cocoa until you’ve had homemade hot cocoa. First, the pre-mixed versions never quite mix in all the way. While they still do the job, warming you up immediately, adding your own flavor to the classic hot chocolate is an even better way to enjoy the cold-weather drink.
With the crisp autumn breeze quickly turning to a bitter winter chill with each coming day, TheCelebrityCafe.com is counting down the Top 10 hot chocolate flavors for this season. Serve one of these yummy drinks full of warmth for your family, or yourself, this winter. Get creative and share your own favorite in the comments below.
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10. Nutella Hot Chocolate
With three different types of chocolate, this drink is fit for the chocolate lover. This recipe calls for milk chocolate chips AND dark chocolate chips with a tablespoon of Nutella to add more richness and a hint of hazelnut. It’s almost like classic hot chocolate, but better. YUM!
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9. White Hot Chocolate
This is one indulgent hot chocolate recipe, but it is so worth the splurge. Melted white chocolate combines with marshmallow cream, cinnamon and nutmeg to make a hot chocolate with a whole lot of warmth and flavor. Serve with cinnamon rolls to keep with the rich, decadent theme, or enjoy a cut my itself.
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8. Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate
The salted caramel flavor has been around for a few years, flavoring everything from taffy to ice cream. Now, here it is in hot chocolate! This recipe is one for those who just can’t choose between sweet and salty, because with this you have both. Just the thought of this hot cocoa warms me up.
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7. Caramel Corn Hot Chocolate
This is a fun recipe that used caramel corn to flavor the hot chocolate, without leaving it in the drink to make it clumpy. It calls for almond milk, because it makes the mixture creamier, but any milk will do just fine. Topped with caramel corn pieces, this drink not only tastes good, but it looks good, too!
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6. Peppermint Hot Chocolate
For those of you who love Starbucks’ holiday flavored Peppermint Mocha, you’re sure to love this hot-chocolate version with the same great peppermint taste. It’s also surprisingly simple! Just stir in chocolate and peppermint pieces into boiling milk, and, voila, you have a tasty and festive drink to warm you up.
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5. Red Velvet Hot Chocolate
This looks intriguing, because it’s red hot chocolate. However, the color was just achieved by using some food coloring. This single-serving recipe just calls for vanilla, chocolate chips and milk, so it’s very simple. If you feel like getting creative, she includes ingredients for homemade whipped cream, which is also fairly simple.
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4. Thin Mint Hot Chocolate
This hot cocoa tastes just like your favorite Girl Scout cookie. By adding peppermint spice and vanilla extract together, this recipe achieves the same delicious, pepperminty taste of Thin Mints. If you have some on hand, you can garnish the top with a cookie or dunk ‘em in the warm drink.
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3. Cookies and Cream Hot Chocolate
This recipe reminds me of when you are dunking oreos in milk and accidently drop a few pieces in the cup. They are too hard to get out, so you just drink it anyway. Except, this recipe purposefully uses crushed up oreos in a hot chocolate mix to make cookies & cream hot chocolate. Garnish with whipped cream (to add the cream part to the name) and some more crushed up pieces of cookie.
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2. Snickers Hot Chocolate
This drink has all the flavor that we love about the Snickers candy bar, achieved with three simple ingredients: chocolate, peanut butter and caramel sauce. What’s more to love? Whip it up, top with some crushed candy bar and enjoy!
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1. Pumpkin Hot Chocolate
This twist on the classic cold-weather drink is the perfect one for transitioning into Winter. With cinnamon, nutmeg and pumpkin, this recipe is full of all the favorite Fall flavors. Serve this pumpkin flavored hot-chocolate at your family Thanksgiving or holiday party, and you’re sure to win over your guests.