More than a dozen rich and creamy hot chocolate recipes plus tips and tricks for customizing any hot chocolate recipe to make the drink of your dreams.
I firmly believe that there is a hot chocolate for every occasion (yes, even sweltering summer days can be hot chocolate days!).
Some days call for a quick and easy cup of classic hot chocolate . And some days you need something so rich and decadent you’ll probably want to take a little nap afterwards.
Today I’ve gone back into the Baking Mischief archives and pulled together all of my hot chocolate recipes so no matter what sort of hot chocolate day it is for you, you can find just the recipe you’re looking for.
And before we get to the recipes, I want to give you a couple tips and tricks for customizing any hot chocolate so if one of the recipes here isn’t the hot chocolate today calls for, you can still make the hot chocolate of your dreams.
How to Customize Any Hot Chocolate Recipe
Note: All of these customizations are for single servings. If modifying a larger batch, scale things up by the serving size.
For Richer Hot Chocolate
For a rich and creamy hot chocolate, use full-fat milk instead of non-fat or low-fat. For an indulgently rich drink, replace ⅓ cup of the milk with heavy cream or half and half.
For a More Intensely Chocolatey Flavor
Add 1 to 2 ounces (2 heaping tablespoons to ⅓ cup) of chopped semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate (high-quality chips are fine). This will also make the drink sweeter, so if you prefer a less-sweet drink, cut the sugar by up to half.
Try Switching Cocoa Powder
You can use both natural and Dutch-process cocoa powder for hot cocoa, but the flavor they add is each slightly different.
Natural cocoa powder gives you a brighter, slightly acidic chocolate flavor while Dutch-process cocoa makes a darker-colored drink with a more robust chocolate punch. If your cocoa isn’t giving you quite the flavor you’re looking for, try swapping out the type you’re using.
To Make Spiked Hot Chocolate
To make any hot chocolate boozy hot chocolate, simply make the hot chocolate recipe as written, and once you remove it from the heat, add the alcohol of your choice to taste (usually 1 to 2 ounces/2 tablespoons to ¼ cup).
Some good spiking options are: Baileys and other Irish cream liqueurs, Kahlua and other coffee liqueurs, flavored vodkas like marshmallow or whipped cream, and peppermint schnapps.
Have Fun With Your Toppings
Aside from the classic whipped cream and marshmallows, you can get really creative with your toppings. Try flavored whipped creams like peanut butter or chocolate whipped cream.
You can also finely chop chocolate or use a vegetable peeler down the side of a chocolate bar to make chocolate curls. Sprinkles or chopped candy or peanuts are also a delicious addition.
And for a real show-stopper of a hot chocolate, drizzle something delicious over the top like fudge sauce , caramel sauce , or even dulce de leche .
The Hot Chocolate Recipes
This dirty chai latte is sweet and spicy and so easy to make at home with just a handful of ingredients.
It’s the season for sweet and warming coffee drinks. I have a bunch of them on the site, mochas , caramel lattes , white chocolate mochas , etc., but you can never have too many recipes involving coffee, so I have another one for you today.
Friend, have you ever had a dirty chai latte?
What is a dirty chai latte?
If you’ve never had a dirty chai latte before, a dirty chai is simply a chai latte with a shot or two of espresso.
It’s the best of both the tea and coffee worlds because it takes the simple and sweet, slightly spicy chai latte and adds a little depth and bitterness from the espresso and an extra boost of caffeine.
At Starbucks or your corner cafe, a chai latte is made with chai concentrate, milk, and freshly brewed espresso.
But since you probably don’t have chai concentrate and espresso ready to go at home, we’re going to modify the recipe a bit so you can still make this in your kitchen without having to run to the store or drop $$$ on an espresso machine .
Dirty Chai Tea Latte Ingredients and Equipment Notes
- Chai tea bags: Use your favorite chai brand. Regular or decaf will work just fine.
- Granulated sugar: If you want to experiment with flavors, try swapping brown sugar in for the white granulated sugar called for in the recipe.
- Milk: Any milk, including non-dairy milks will work great here (I love a chai latte with oat milk). For an extra rich and creamy latte, you can add a splash of half and half or heavy cream to the measuring cup before filling it up the rest of the way with milk.
- Coffee or espresso: True lattes are made with espresso, but most people don’t have espresso-making capabilities at home, so this recipe uses strongly brewed coffee. However, if you would like to use espresso, you absolutely can. You’ll need slightly more milk, just shy of ¾ cup.
- Handheld milk frother: A handheld milk frother is totally optional, but I love using one. While they can’t fully recreate the microfoam of a milk steamer, they do a pretty good job of making your at home latte feel a little extra special.
How to Make a Dirty Chai Latte
Make the chai concentrate: In the microwave or a small pot on the stove, bring water to a boil. Pour water into an 8-ounce mug. Add tea bags and steep for 5 minutes until you have a dark, extremely concentrated cup of chai.
Heat milk: While your tea bags steep, heat milk to steaming. You can do this in the microwave (about 45 seconds to a minute) or on the stove. Whisk vigorously or use a handheld milk frother to foam the milk.
Frothing the milk is optional, but it can give your at-home latte a little more of that cafe magic.
- Finish the concentrate: Once steeped, discard the tea bags. Add the sugar, and stir until completely dissolved.
Assemble: Pour most of the milk into the chai mixture, using a spoon if needed to hold back the foam before adding the coffee or shot of espresso. Stir, taste, and add more sugar if needed.
Enjoy: Pour the last of the milk and the foam over the top of the latte. Sprinkle with cinnamon or cinnamon sugar if desired, and enjoy!
What’s the difference between chai latte and dirty chai?
The only difference between a chai latte and dirty chai is the espresso. Before you add espresso you have a chai latte and as soon as the espresso is mixed in, it’s a dirty chai.
Can I double this recipe?
Absolutely. To double the recipe, hover over the serving size in the recipe card below or click if you’re on mobile, and slide the slider.
You Might Also Enjoy
- Cinnamon Dolce Latte
- Hot Chocolate
- Iced Mocha
- Iced Chai Latte
- Iced Dirty Chai Latte
Recipe Notes
- This recipe makes a 1-cup (8-ounce) latte. If you want to fill an oversized cup, double the recipe.
Equipment
- Handheld milk frother, optional
Ingredients
- ▢ ¼ cup filtered water
- ▢ 2 chai tea bags
- ▢ 2 teaspoons ( 8g ) granulated sugar * plus more to taste
- ▢ ½ cup milk any percentage
- ▢ ⅓ cup strongly brewed coffee
- ▢ Cinnamon or cinnamon sugar optional for topping
Instructions
- In the microwave or on a small pot on the stove, bring water to a boil. Pour water into on 8-ounce mug. Add tea bags and steep for 5 minutes.
- While your tea bags steep, heat milk to steaming. Whisk vigorously or use a handheld milk frother to foam the milk.
- Once steeped, discard tea bags and stir in sugar until completely dissolved.
- Pour most of the milk into the chai mixture, using a spoon if needed to hold back the foam. Add coffee or shot of espresso. Stir, and add more sugar if needed.
- Pour the last of the milk and the foam over the top of the latte. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
Freezing whipped cream is an excellent way to save leftovers so you can use them later in hot chocolate or over your favorite desserts.
This time of year, it’s not unusual to have extra whipped cream sitting around.
And whether you made a big batch for pumpkin pie , to serve over hot chocolate , or spoon over waffles , if you have leftovers you don’t want to waste (or eat with a spoon), you should absolutely take that leftover whipped cream and freeze it.
Can you freeze whipped cream?
Yes. Instead of throwing it out, you can easily freeze extra whipped cream in individual servings for later use. These single servings are great for adding to hot drinks like mochas or lattes or on top of individual desserts.
And while frozen and defrosted whipped cream is never going to be as beautiful and voluminous as freshly whipped cream, it’s still going to be sweet and creamy and delicious.
Tool Notes
- Piping bag/tip: You absolutely do not need to pipe your whipped cream to freeze it; a spoonful of whipped cream freezes just as well. But piped cream does look pretty. If you’d like to recreate the swirls I have here, I used a 1M open star tip .
- Parchment paper: Parchment paper makes the whipped cream so much easier to move and work with. You could technically freeze these directly on a plate, scrape them loose with a knife, and freeze them in a bag, but it’s kind of like handling ice cream with your bare hands. I don’t recommend it.
How to Freeze Whipped Cream
- Prepare your freezing surface: Line a baking sheet or large plate that will fit in your freezer with parchment paper. Make sure to double check the fit. You’re going to be real mad if you have a tray of perfectly piped whipped cream and it doesn’t fit in your freezer!
- Pipe and freeze: Pipe or spoon dollops of whipped cream onto the parchment paper and freeze until solid, 3 to 4 hours.
- Transfer: Remove the frozen whipped cream from the freezer and, working quickly, cut the parchment paper into pieces so each dollop of whipped cream is on its own square. Whipped cream starts defrosting fast, so have your tools and storage container ready to go so you can get it back in the freezer as quickly as possible.
Transfer the squares of whipped cream to a freezer bag or airtight container, and store for up to 1 month.
4: Use and enjoy: When you’re ready to use the whipped cream, place frozen dollops directly into hot beverages or place them on whatever you’re serving them over and allow them to sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes to thaw. Serve and enjoy!
Whipped Cream Recipes to Try
(All of these freeze nicely and are excellent in hot chocolate)
- Classic Whipped Cream
- Chocolate Whipped Cream
- Cream Cheese Whipped Cream
- Cinnamon Whipped Cream
- Coffee Whipped Cream
- Peanut Butter Whipped Cream
Can I freeze a big batch of whipped cream to serve to guests later?
I would not recommend making a large batch of whipped cream just to freeze it and serve later. Frozen whipped cream is a great use for leftover whipped cream, but it’s not going to be as beautiful and fluffy as freshly whipped cream. Save the frozen whipped cream for your morning coffee, and make a fresh batch for guests.
How long will frozen whipped cream last in the freezer?
For best results, use your frozen whipped cream within a month of freezing it, preferably within a couple of weeks. Because of its delicate flavor, I find whipped cream more susceptible to picking up off flavors from the freezer if left for too long.
Recipes to Serve With Whipped Cream
- Chocolate Pudding for Two
- Small Pumpkin Pie
- Chocolate Chip Waffles
- Banana Pudding
Equipment
- Parchment paper
- Large plate or baking sheet
Ingredients
- ▢ 1 cup heavy cream
- ▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- ▢ 2 tablespoons to ¼ cup ( 15-30g ) powdered sugar *
Instructions
- Combine heavy cream, vanilla extract, and sugar in a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer.
- Using a whisk, handheld electric mixer, or the whisk attachment of your stand mixer beat until the cream whips up to your desired consistency. If needed, stop to scrape the sides of the bowl halfway through to make sure everything is being incorporated.
- Line a baking sheet or large plate that will fit in your freezer with parchment paper.
- Pipe or spoon dollops of whipped cream onto the parchment paper and freeze until solid, 3 to 4 hours.
- Remove the frozen whipped cream from the freezer and, working quickly, cut the parchment paper into pieces so each dollop of whipped cream is on its own square.
- Transfer the squares of whipped cream to a freezer bag or airtight container, and store for up to 1 month.
- When you’re ready to use the whipped cream, place frozen dollops directly into hot beverages or place allow them to sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes to thaw. Serve and enjoy!
