Name: Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 4 cups milk (any); 1 cup chopped dark chocolate*; 3 tablespoons salted caramel sauce; 1/4 teaspoon salt

Recipe

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This rich and delicious salted caramel hot chocolate has the perfect blend of savory-sweet flavor, and it's super easy to whip up!

Make this velvety hot chocolate recipe in 10 minutes and top it with whipped cream and extra salted caramel drizzle for the ultimate cold-weather treat.

large white mug of hot chocolate topped with caramel and whipped cream

Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa

All my hot cocoa recipes make everyone sip-smile-sip-smile. While classic hot cocoa is always a keeper, I like serving this salted caramel hot chocolate to satisfy the sweet tooth even more!

This recipe is a sweeter version of my hot chocolate with chocolate chips: it's super creamy and velvety smooth since it's made of chocolate pieces instead of cocoa powder. And it only takes 10 minutes!

Ingredients

The four ingredients you need for this hot chocolate recipe are dairy or non-dairy milk, dark chocolate (in chunks, pieces, or semi-sweet chocolate chips), salted caramel sauce (use my easy homemade recipe or one from the store), and a pinch of salt to make this incredible drink even tastier!

The best chocolate to use is baking chocolate, which melts into a smooth and even consistency compared to candy bars. Varieties of chocolate that are quality in taste and easily found at local grocery stores include Guittard, Ghirardelli, and Nestlé Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips.

How to Make Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate

To make creamy salted caramel hot chocolate, heat the milk in a saucepan, being careful not to let it boil. Once the milk is warm, add the chopped chocolate, caramel sauce, and salt. Stir until the chocolate is melted. Serve with marshmallows, whipped cream, or your favorite hot chocolate toppings.

Using Cocoa Instead of Melting Chocolate

If you only have unsweetened cocoa powder, make my caramel hot cocoa instead. Yes, this means that hot chocolate and hot cocoa aren't the same thing. While both are delicious, hot chocolate gets its rich flavor from melting chocolate with milk. Hot cocoa uses cocoa powder and sugar, mixed milk, and vanilla extract for a light and sweet beverage.

Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate

Servings: 4 servings

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 10

This rich and delicious salted caramel hot chocolate has the perfect blend of savory-sweet flavor, and it’s super easy to whip up!

5 from 13 votes

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Ingredients

4 cups milk, any
1 cup chopped dark chocolate*
3 tablespoons salted caramel sauce
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, gently heat up the milk. Once the milk is warm, but not boiling, add in the chopped dark chocolate, caramel sauce, and salt. Stir to combine.
Once the chocolate has melted, turn off the heat and serve. Top with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel, if desired.

Notes

You can use chocolate chunks, pieces, or semi-sweet chocolate if you do not have dark chocolate.
Alternatively, if you want a recipe that uses unsweetened cocoa powder, use my Hot Cocoa Recipe and add the caramel sauce and salt amounts shown above.
Nutritional information was calculated using 1% dairy milk and semisweet chocolate chips.