Recipe

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Upgrade your mugs with this delicious Christmas hot chocolate that feels and tastes like the holidays!

Keep reading to learn how to make epic hot chocolate for Christmas, how to customize this recipe, and the best festive toppings.

a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows, a candy cane, and surronded by Christmas ornaments

Christmas Hot Cocoa

Nothing screams holidays more than a cup of hot cocoa. This is the time of the year when I love making pumpkin spice hot chocolate and gingerbread hot cocoa, but when I want to stick to the most simple flavors, this Christmas hot chocolate is my favorite!

It's creamy, smooth, deliciously chocolatey, and it comes together easily on the stove in less than 10 minutes. Why buy those mixes in the supermarket when you can make something much better at home in no time?

Ingredients

You’ll make this drink with regular unsweetened cocoa powder, granulated sugar, hot water (to dissolve the ingredients), salt (just a pinch to enhance the flavor), your favorite dairy or non-dairy milk, and vanilla extract for extra deliciousness.

How to Make Christmas Hot Chocolate

Check out the steps to make this epic Christmas hot chocolate at home:

Cook the cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and water on the stove until smooth. Remember to stir constantly.
Add milk once the mix simmers. It doesn't have to boil, you just want to heat it up!
Add vanilla right before removing the hot cocoa from the heat. Pour in cups and enjoy with candy canes, Christmas sprinkles, Christmas marshmallows, or your favorite hot cocoa toppings.

Recipe Variations

There are many ways you can you adapt this Christmas hot chocolate to what you have around and your needs. Check them out:

Use evaporated milk: use it to replace ½ of the milk; it makes hot cocoa thicker and creamier.
Use chocolate chips: swap cocoa powder for chocolate chips and get an even more velvety hot cocoa.
Use Nutella: not cocoa powder around? This Nutella hot chocolate is the most delicious fix!
Use white chocolate: combine it with berries to make pink strawberry hot chocolate or raspberry hot cocoa. Yummy!
Add tequila: try this Tequila Hot Chocolate Recipe for a boozy twist!
Add coffee: combine coffee with hot cocoa for an epic hot chocolate espresso.
Make it in bulk: make hot cocoa in the slow cooker if you need cups for a crowd!
Make it for one: you can assemble it directly in a mug as I explain in the notes of the recipe card.
Make it dairy-free: use your favorite non-dairy milk to yield a creamy dairy-free hot cocoa that everyone can enjoy!

Christmas Hot Chocolate

a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows, a candy cane

Servings: 4 cups

Cook Time: 8

Total Time: 8

Upgrade your mugs with this delicious Christmas hot chocolate that feels and tastes like the holidays!

5 from 7 votes

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Ingredients

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup hot water
⅛ teaspoon salt
4 cups milk, dairy or non-dairy
1 teaspooon vanilla extract

Toppings:

Instructions

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cocoa powder, sugar, water, and salt.
Cook until smooth, stirring constantly, and bring to a simmer.
Reduce the heat, and add the milk, making sure it doesn't boil.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the hot chocolate into mugs and serve immediately with your favorite toppings.

Notes

For one: in the bottom of a mug, mix 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Heat 1 ¼ cups of milk in the microwave or stovetop until hot (but not boiling). Pour a little bit of the hot milk, just enough to cover the powdered mixture, and with a small whisk or spoon, dissolve the cocoa and sugar. Once you have a chocolatey base, add ¼ teaspoon of vanilla. Pour the rest of the hot milk into the mug and stir to combine.