8 Indulgent Hot Chocolates for the Coziest Winter

Temperatures are dropping throughout the West, which means it’s time to heat things up inside with a rich cup of hot chocolate. The classic recipe is always a great choice, combining ground chocolate or cocoa powder—we recommend always using the highest quality available. Try adding coffee, nutmeg, or vanilla extract to change things up in the classic. Or better yet, try one of the recipes below for a rich drink for dessert, a snack, or just for curling up with on any cold night.

One of our favorite hot chocolate recipes below includes caramel. Another addition is, of course, brandy. Or change the form altogether with The Crafty Chica‘s advice, and make a hot chocolate bomb.

This season, no matter your preference, try these tasty variations:

Totally Decadent Hot Chocolate

Caitlin Bensel

Hot chocolate becomes even more of an indulgent treat when a big dollop of caramel is stirred into it. Orange peel and vanilla bean bring the flavor.

Recipe: Decadent Hot Chocolate

Mexican Hot Chocolate Bombs

Courtesy of Kathy Cano-Murillo

Kathy Cano-Murillo of The Crafty Chica has added a fun twist to hot cocoa bombs with this recipe. Incorporate your own favorite flavors and toppings for fun portable hot chocolate balls for parties or gifts.

Recipe: Mexican Hot Chocolate Bombs

Brandied Hot Chocolate

Greg DuPree

Adding French brandy to hot chocolate is like teleporting to the Alps.

Recipe: Brandied Hot Chocolate

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Mexican chocolate is both spicy and sweet, the ideal combination for a cold winter’s night. Cinnamon, dried chilis, orange peel, and vanilla bean are the perfect complement to semi-bitter chocolate.

Recipe: Mexican Hot Chocolate

Boozy Frozen Hot Chocolate

If you’re cozy inside by the fire, why not break out the rum for a frozen version of this holiday treat?

Recipe: Boozy Frozen Hot Chocolate

Champurrado (Thick Mexican Chocolate Drink)

Getty Images

A traditional Mexican beverage that combines hot chocolate with masa (corn flour) for a nourishing, warming beverage.

Recipe: Champurrado

Hot White Chocolate

Photo by Alex Farnum

It’s everything we love about dessert, only more portable and fun to hold in your hands.

Recipe: Hot White Chocolate

Layered Mocha

Greg DuPree

This deconstructed mocha is based on the classic bicerin from Caffè al Bicerin in Turin, Italy.

Recipe: Layered Mocha

And… Don’t Forget the Homemade Marshmallows

Punch up any hot chocolate—homemade or made from a mix—with your own marshmallows. They’re fluffy and pillowy, a far cry from the rigid, stale kind in the grocery store.

Add a drop of food dye for fun hues, or experiment with flavors by mixing in peppermint oil, vanilla, matcha powder, or cocoa powder.

Recipe: Homemade Marshmallows

If you’re looking for a great gift, seek out mixes from Western chocolate makers: Dandelion Chocolate’s Single Origin Hot Chocolate Mix, or Guittard’s Grand Cacao Drinking Chocolate.

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