When flurries are furiously falling or the cold air is stinging your face, there’s nothing better to come inside to than a steaming mug of hot chocolate. Warm your numb hands up on the hot cup and drink up that rich chocolatey drink. Or at least, that’s how it should be. Because in truth, there’s hot chocolate and there’s hot chocolate. Powdered Swiss Miss is great for a quick sip, but it’s not all that exciting. There are plenty of ways to spice up your hot cocoa game, from trying out new flavors and toppings to making your own hot chocolate from scratch. Here are a bunch of ways to make better hot chocolate.
Add richness to your hot cocoa mix.
First of all, if you’re still using hot water, stop what you’re doing and swap to milk. It’s a quick change that will immediately make any mix you’re using so much better. You can also add chocolate chips or melted chocolate to your mug for a richer, more chocolatey drink. But don’t stop there. Experiment by adding spices, Nutella or cookie butter, or even coffee to give your mix a flavorful twist.
Try flavored hot chocolates.
The world of hot chocolate is a whole lot bigger (and better) than just the traditional milk chocolate flavor. A variety of brands, including Target and Cocoa Classics, sell flavored hot chocolates like caramel, peppermint (my personal recommendation), white chocolate, and even raspberry. They’re an easy way to change up your regular hot chocolate experience.
Grab (or make!) hot chocolate bombs.
If you like to have fun with your food, hot chocolate bombs are the way to go. There’s a ton of them out there, in all kinds of shapes and sizes and flavors. Just drop one into a cup, pour some hot milk over top, and watch your hot chocolate come to life. It’s quick like a packet but way more fun. Plus, if you’re feeling crafty, you can also make your own hot chocolate bombs.
Set up a mini hot cocoa bar.
Forget about coffee bars. Hot cocoa bars are where it’s at this winter. Display your hot cocoa-making materials like decor by leaving out your favorite mugs and the non-refrigerated toppings, like bottles of sprinkles, hot cocoa bombs, or stirs on a little try or even just nicely arranged on the counter.
Make hot chocolate from scratch.
There is no better cup of cocoa than a freshly made cup of cocoa. Sure, making hot chocolate from scratch is going to be way more time-consuming than dumping some powder into a cup, but I promise, it’s worth it for a thicker, tastier, more chocolatey cup of sweet, warming goodness. Warning: it might be hard to go back to the packet afterwards.
Top with things that aren’t marshmallows.
We all know that marshmallows go well with hot chocolate. And I’m not saying marshmallows aren’t an option. What I am saying is that there’s a ton of other toppings that will make your hot chocolate that much better. Try topping with flavored whipped creams and sprinkles, crushed mints (put those leftover candy canes to use!), caramel syrup, or sprinkle with cinnamon. You could also pick up some hot chocolate stirs to quickly add something special to your chocolatey winter drink.