Ways To Spice Up Your Hot Chocolate

by Rucsandra Curtis, Year

10

Hot chocolate is winter’s staple beverage. Although we all know and love this drink, it’s easy to get tired of the same old recipe. Here are some ways to give your hot chocolate a delicious twist.

1. Salted caramel swirl

First of all, you need to start out with your standard hot chocolate recipe. Then, stir in a tablespoon (and save some to drizzle later) of store-bought caramel sauce. Put whipped cream, caramel drizzle, and a sprinkle of sea salt (optional) on top, and you’re done!

2. Add candy cane flavour

All you need to do is grab a candy cane and use it to stir your hot chocolate until it has melted slightly. This will cause your hot chocolate to have a minty essence. If you want a bolder flavor, you could try to add a few drops of peppermint oil to your drink.

3. Use a stick instead of powder

Instead of using your typical powder to make hot chocolate, use a hot chocolate stick instead. You can buy them from Lidl, or you can make them yourself (there are lots of recipes online). All you have to do is dip the stick into the warm milk, and wait for it to melt in there.

4.

Use a hot chocolate bomb

You can buy one or you can make one yourself. Once you have your hot chocolate bomb, you just need to drop it in a glass of warm milk and wait for it to melt in there.

5.

Add a bright pop of color

For a colorful upgrade, search your grocery store for any coloured marshmallows and sprinkles. Prepare your hot chocolate as you normally would and then add these colourful toppings! This recipe is perfect for any time of year and is especially good for birthday parties.

6. Add caffeine

For an extra dose of caffeine, all you need is a teaspoon or two of instant coffee. Stir it into your hot chocolate and you’re done. This can be helpful if you need a drink to help keep you awake but don’t like coffee.

7. Spice it up

If you’re a fan of more spicy flavors, try adding a pinch of nutmeg and/or a pinch of cinnamon to your hot chocolate. Take it a step further by adding a cinnamon stick to stir with.

8. Try a different flavored hot chocolate powder

You can buy a different flavoured hot chocolate powder, such as a white chocolate or peppermint flavoured hot chocolate powder. You can get those from Lidl.

Those were some of the ways that you can spice up your hot chocolate. I hope you enjoy them!