Hot cocoa recipe roundup

Stovetop peppermint: 

Ingredients: 

1/4 cup cream

1 Tbsp sugar

1 1/4 cup whole milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cocoa

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chip morsels

1 Tbsp Andes Peppermint Baking Chips

Toppings: marshmallows, candy cane

Instructions: 

1. Add cream, sugar, milk and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring it to a boil.
2. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cocoa, morsels and peppermint to the saucepan.
3. Whisk everything together until it’s melted and smooth.
4. Pour into mugs and top it off with some marshmallows and candy canes.

*Stovetop pumpkin coconut:

Ingredients:

 1 13 ounce can full-fat coconut milk

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chopped

3 to 4 Tbsp pumpkin pie syrup:

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

⅓ cup pumpkin puree

½ tsp pumpkin pie spice

½ tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp dutch process cocoa powder

1/8 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp coconut extract if desired

Toppings: whipped cream or coconut whipped cream, flaked coconut

Instructions:

1. Heat the milk, chocolate, pumpkin syrup, cocoa and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk until everything is combined and cook it until it is steaming, warm and has slightly thickened. Then remove it from heat and stir in the vanilla and coconut extracts.
2. Pour into mugs and top it with your toppings of choice!

For pumpkin pie syrup:

1. Heat the sugar, water, pumpkin puree and pie spice in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk constantly until the sugar dissolves and let the mixture start to simmer. Remove it from the heat and let it cool slightly, then add the vanilla extract. Strain it through a fine mesh strainer so you’re left with a syrup consistency. This can be kept in a sealed container refrigerated for a week.

Kit Kat: 

Ingredients: 

2  (45 grams each) full sized Kit Kat chocolate bars

1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Tbsp sugar (more or less depending on your sweetness level!)

1 3/4 cups milk

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

2 Tbsp boiling water

1/4 tsp Vanilla

Pinch of salt

Toppings: Any kind of whipped cream

Instructions:

1. Snap Kit Kat into 8 sticks. (Keep some to garnish) Place the rest in a food processor and process until they are fine crumbs.
2. In a small saucepan, add 3 Tbsp ground Kit Kat, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt. Pour in boiling water and heat over medium and stir frequently, allowing the mixture to come together as a paste then add the milk and cream. Stir and raise the heat, bringing it to just before a boil.
3. When hot, remove from heat and add the vanilla extract. Divide into two cups and top with whipped cream and sprinkle some Kit Kats on top.

Unicorn:

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/4 cup white chocolate drink mix

Optional: 2 Tbsp powdered whole milk (to thicken)

Optional: 1 Tbsp white chocolate-flavored sugar syrup 

1 Tbsp white chocolate sauce

1-2 drops pink gel food coloring

Toppings: Any kind of whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles, mini colored marshmallows

Instructions: 

1. Heat milk in the microwave or in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it starts to bubble around the edges.
2. In a large mug, combine the white chocolate drink mix, powdered milk (optional), white chocolate syrup (optional) , white chocolate sauce, and food coloring. Pour about 1/2 cup of warm milk over top and whisk everything together until it’s smooth and the powder is mixed in. Pour in the remaining milk and whisk until it’s fully combined.
3. Top it with whipped cream, sprinkles and marshmallows.

*Gingerbread: 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup raw cashew nuts (soaked ahead of time)

2 1/2 Tbsp cocoa or cacao powder

5 medjool dates pitted

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

A pinch of ground cloves

A pinch of salt

2 cups water

Toppings: Any kind of whipped cream and chocolate shavings

Instructions:

1. Soak the cashew nuts in enough boiling water to cover them for at least an hour (or in cold water overnight). Drain them well and rinse them off. 
2. Place the soaked cashews in a blender with the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.
3. Pour into a pan and heat it on medium-low while stirring until it’s warm. Then top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings!

Matcha honey: 

Ingredients:

1 14-oz can coconut milk (or normal milk)

1 cup milk

2 Tbsp honey

2 cups white chocolate chopped

2 tsp ground matcha tea

1 tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp salt

Toppings: mini marshmallows, toasted (if desired)

Instructions:

1. Combine the milks, honey, chocolate, matcha and salt together in a large saucepan and stir constantly. When the chocolate is melted and the mixture is warm enough, turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
2. Serve immediately with marshmallows.

*Cocoa with a kick: 

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp high-quality cocoa powder

⅓ cup cane sugar

⅛ tsp cinnamon

2 tsp cornstarch

A pinch of salt or sea salt

4 cups unsweetened almond milk (or regular milk for non-vegans) 

1 tsp vanilla extract

Toppings: coconut cream and shaved chocolate.

Instructions

1. Whisk together the cocoa powder, sugar, cinnamon, cayenne, cornstarch and salt in a small bowl.
2. Heat the almond milk (or regular milk) and vanilla in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat until the mixture is hot and steamy.
3. Whisk the milk and slowly add the cocoa mixture to the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high, then reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 5 to seven minutes to let it thicken. Make sure to stir it often.
4. Remove it from heat and let it sit for about five minutes before you drink it.
5. Divide into mugs and add your toppings.

Cinnamon:

Ingredients:

2 cups whole milk

2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Tbsp sugar

Optional: 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

10 Campfire® Holiday Mix Marshmallows (or normal marshmallows)

Toppings: Any kind of whipped cream

Instructions:

1. Heat milk, unsweetened cocoa powder, sugar and cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the sugar and cocoa powder are dissolved, add the marshmallows and stir constantly until they are melted into the hot chocolate. 
2. Top with whipped cream and more marshmallows to serve.

Earl Grey: 

Ingredients:

2 cups milk

2 tsp Earl Grey tea leaves

½ cup chocolate

Instructions:

1. In a small pot over medium heat, warm the milk until steam rises from the top and milk is piping hot. Be careful with this step, do not let the milk boil otherwise it can burn.
2. Remove the milk from heat and stir in tea leaves. Cover the pot and let it sit for 10 minutes.
3. Strain the milk through a sieve to remove tea leaves, and return milk to the pot. Place the pot back on medium heat and add the chocolate, stirring it until melted.
4. Pour it into mugs and serve.

Italian style: 

Ingredients:

3.5 oz (100g) chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips

2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

2 Tbsp white sugar

2 cups + 2 Tbsp milk

4 tsp cornstarch

1 pinch salt

Instructions:

1. Add 2 cups of milk to a saucepan and add the chopped chocolate, cocoa powder and sugar. Heat the mixture, stirring it occasionally until the chocolate and sugar is fully melted.
2. Mix the cornstarch with 2 Tbsp of milk then add it to the chocolate mixture. Stir the hot chocolate until it’s thick and smooth, add a small pinch of salt 
3. Serve in mugs.

Source: Brit + Co