6 Charming Hot Cocoa Recipes for Dark Evenings

Hot cocoa belongs to dark evenings! The best part is that it can easily be customized to suit your taste. While standard hot cocoa works for any occasion, if you're looking for a touch of luxury, try these recipes.

The simplicity of these recipes lies in the fact that each version is easy to create from a basic hot cocoa base. You don't need complicated equipment or hard-to-find ingredients. Tweak the cocoa to your liking and try something new at the same time.

You can use this base recipe for all the variations:

1. 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder (use dark cocoa powder for a stronger flavor)
2. 1–2 teaspoons of sugar, according to taste
3. A pinch of salt (salt brings out the chocolate flavor)
4. 2.5 dl of milk (or a mixture of milk and cream)
5. Heat all ingredients in a saucepan, but do not let the chocolate scorch at the bottom. Stir and let it cool slightly. Wait until the sugar has completely dissolved before removing the pan from the heat.

Lovely mint hot cocoa

1. Mix one piece of After Eight chocolate into the base recipe or melt mint chocolate into the hot milk.
2. Add 1–2 drops of peppermint extract to taste.
3. Whip the cream and add some peppermint to it as well, then pipe it on top of the hot cocoa.
4. Grate some mint chocolate over the whipped cream and serve.

Creamy Oreo hot cocoa

1. Crush 5 Oreo or Domino cookies into fine crumbs.
2. Whip the cream and fold in half of the cookie crumbs.
3. Place the remaining crumbs into a saucepan with the other hot cocoa ingredients and stir.
4. Pour the hot cocoa into mugs, pipe or dollop the whipped cream on top, and serve.

Mellow white hot chocolate

1. Chop 200 grams of white chocolate into a saucepan and omit the cocoa powder from the recipe.
2. Add the milk and heat the mixture until the chocolate is completely melted.
3. Add a pinch of vanilla sugar to the mixture.
4. If desired, whip some cream to garnish the hot chocolate and grate some white chocolate on top.

Delicious hazelnut hot cocoa

1. Add ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of sugar to the base recipe.
2. Add 6–7 teaspoons of hazelnut spread (or your nut spread of choice) and stir until the spread has completely melted into the cocoa. Pour the mixture into mugs.
3. Whip the cream into stiff peaks and place it on top of the hot cocoa.
4. Crush a handful of nuts (salted nuts also work if you want to combine sweet and salty) and sprinkle them over the cream.

Coffee lover’s mocha cocoa

1. Mix 0.5 dl of espresso or instant coffee powder into the base recipe.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla sugar.
3. Do not let it boil; just heat it through to avoid a bitter taste.
4. Add cream to the mixture if you prefer a creamier cocoa.
5. Pour into mugs and garnish with whipped cream or cocoa powder.

Warming chili hot cocoa

1. Add 1–4 teaspoons of cinnamon to the base recipe, according to taste.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of nutmeg.
3. Mix in a pinch of cayenne pepper or chili powder. Taste as you go to ensure it doesn't get too spicy. If it becomes too hot, add more cream.
4. Pour into mugs and serve.

For variety, you can also experiment with different cocoa powders, chocolates, or spices. For the milk, you can use whole or low-fat milk, but even fat-free milk or plant-based alternatives (like oat or almond milk) work well.

Source: The Recipe Critic, Blendtec