The Best Hot Cocoa Recipes
If you love drinking hot chocolate, as much as I do, then you are going to love all these different styles and flavors of hot chocolate recipes to enjoy during the winter.
hot cocoa history
As early as 500 BC, the Mayans were drinking chocolate made from ground-up cocoa seeds mixed with water, cornmeal, chili peppers, and other ingredients. They would mix the drink by pouring it back and forth from a cup to a pot until a thick foam developed and then would drink the beverage cold.
In the early 1500s, Cortez, the explorer, brought cocoa beans and chocolate drink-making tools to Europe. Although the drink still remained cold and bitter-tasting, it gained popularity and was adopted by King Charles V as well as the Spanish upper class. After its introduction in Spain, the drink began to be served hot, sweetened, and without the chili peppers. The Spanish were very protective of their wonderful new beverage, and it was over a hundred years before news of it began to spread across Europe.
In the 1700s, chocolate houses became popular even though chocolate was very expensive. In the late 1700s, the president of the Royal College of Physicians, Hans Sloane, brought from Jamaica a recipe for mixing chocolate with milk, which made the drink more palatable in his opinion. The English started adding milk to their chocolate which was enjoyed as an after-dinner beverage.
In 1826, Coenraad Johannes van Houten developed the first cocoa powder-producing machine in the Netherlands. The machine would separate the greasy cocoa butter and leave cocoa powder. The powder was then mixed with milk and water to make chocolate bars.
Up until the 19th century, hot chocolate was used as a treatment for fever, chest, stomach, and liver diseases as well as a special drink. When chocolate was introduced to the French in the 17th century, it was reportedly used to fight against fits of anger and bad moods. We all know now that chocolate may increase serotonin, which may help reduce the stress that leads to anxiety.
I hope you find one or two recipes in this list to enjoy for the holidays and when it’s so chilly outside. Grab a cup of hot cocoa, curl up with a cozy blanket, and enjoy.
traditional
- Traditional Hot Cocoa
- Make Your Own Hot Cocoa Mix
- Frozen Hot Chocolate
- White Chocolate Hot Cocoa
- Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate
your favorite spices
- Mint Hot Chocolate
- Peppermint Hot Chocolate
- Salted Caramel Ginger Hot Chocolate
- Matcha Hot Chocolate
just for the kids
Hot Chocolate bombs
- How to Make Hot Chocolate Bombs
- Unicorn Hot Chocolate Bomb
- Rudolph Reindeer Hot Chocolate Bomb
- Snowmen Hot Chocolate Bomb
favorite flavors
- Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate
- Hazelnut Hot Chocolate
- Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate
- Candy Bar Hot Chocolate
- Cookies and Cream Hot Chocolate
healthy
adult only
- Bailey’s Boozy Hot Chocolate
- Bourbon Hot Cocoa
- Peppermint & Whipped Vodka Hot Cocoa
- Crock Pot Rumchata White Hot Cocoa
around the world
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A great history of hot chocolate and who knew it dated back to 500 BC. These are some great ways to enjoy our favorite hot drink.
I was born allergic to milk but I have always wanted to try hot chocolate! My husband loves it and I’m sure my daughters will too when they get older so I’ll have to make some of these!
Thank you for these. We love hot cocoa! We will be trying a lot of these recipes for sure.
Oh my gosh, i never thought about strawberry white hot chocolates before! I’m not super big on chocolate flavor, but I would like to try that one.
OMG this is amazing!!! So many wonderful options. I really love hot chocolate as you probably realised.
I think I lost my sweet tooth along with my milk teeth so I’m going to pass on the ones that looked sweet no matter how yummy they looked in the pic. But count me in for the healthy hot cocoa recipes! Actually, I might just start off with the sugar and dairy free one.
I love hot cocoa especially during cold seasons. These recipes look sooo mouthwatering!
I love drinking hot cocoa. Thanks for this great list!
I’ve tried some of these. I can’t wait to try the others.
I love having hot cocoa during the cold months but I haven’t tried creating my own. Thank you for the list. They all look good!
This will definitely be on my list, like you I’m a chocolate lover. I’m gonna make all of this one at a time. Thanks for sharing this with us.
I’m going to have to try out many of these. I love hot chocolate. My family and I love to have them during movies or cold nights.
We have never made hot cocoa from scratch, but it would be a fun winter project! I like all the different ideas you have.
We are big fans of hot chocolate here, I didn’t know I could make them myself. I will definitely be trying it out. Thanks.
So, I usually do hot chocolate with coffee and some peppermint during the winter. It’s one of my guilty drink pleasures. If I want to make it an adult drink, I switch the peppermint out with peppermint schnaps, and put a bit of Bailey’s in it.
Wow there’s so many options here. I think my favourite would be the ginger caramel hot chocolate.
Hot cocoa is our favorite winter drink. We make it very often. It’s great to know more about it!
I drool over the pictures while reading! It’s kinda cold here and as much as I want to make these, I guess I will settle first with Hot Cocoa. Can’t wait to try the others too!