Great news! We're officially within TWO WEEKS of Christmas so no one can get mad at you for being a Christmas Freak!!! That means its time to unashamedly break out the cookies, candies, family recipes, and (most importantly) hot cocoa.
With the help of the writers at The Huffington Post, and the designers at SheKnows, we've compiled a list of our favorite ways to spice up your hot cocoa this season (and a handy-dandy infographic to make it a little easier).
The great thing about chocolate is that it can be combined with many different flavors and still taste great! Below, we've highlighted our top 5 favorite ways to make hot chocolate more than just...well...hot chocolate.
5. IRISH
1 cup milk, 1/2 cup chocolate chips, 3 oz Bailey's Irish Cream
Bottoms up! There's never anything wrong with making a drink Irish, especially when it involves Bailey's Irish Cream.
**Presentation Tip: Use the mini (3 oz) bottles of Bailey's and set them bottoms up in whipped cream topping.
4. AZTEC
1 cup milk, 5 oz chopped dark chocolate, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, pinch of cayenne pepper
Need a kick? Not for the faint of heart, Aztec Hot Cocoa is proof that chocolate is good with ANYTHING.
**Presentation Tip: No whipped cream on this one! Top with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon and garnish with a cinnamon stick.
3. LAVENDER
1 cup whole milk, 1/4 tsp lavender buds, 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
If you're a tea person, this one is for you. Soft, elegant, and amazing. But hey, even if you're not, might as well give it a shot.
**Presentation Tip: Top with a dollop of marshmallow fluff and a lavender stem.
2. CARAMEL
1/2 cup milk, 5 oz milk chocolate, 1/4 cup heavy cream, 3 tbsp caramel sauce
Chocolate and caramel is a classic combination. Really, you can't go wrong (unless you pronounce in care-uh-mel, then you're wrong.) (just kidding...kinda.)
**Presentation Tip: Pile high with whipped cream and drizzle caramel sauce over the top.
1. PEPPERMINT
1 cup whole milk, 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, 1 tsp peppermint extract
Cliché, we know. But c'mon, it's incredible! At least we didn't pick pumpkin spice... (it's on the infographic if you want it *wink*).
**Presentation Tip: Top with marshmallows and a candy cane! Festive AF.
Things to note:
- All of the recipes in this article have no more than 4 ingredients, making it quick, simple and worth it!
- One of the recipes on the infographic is a vegan option (yay!) but note that any of the below options can be made vegan by substituting out the animal products for vegan-friendly versions as you normally would.
