Homemade Hot Chocolate

Learn how to make the BEST homemade hot chocolate! Rich, creamy, and deeply chocolatey, it's the perfect cozy treat for a cold winter night.

Hot chocolate

When the weather outside is frightful, there’s no better way to warm up than with a rich, creamy cup of homemade hot chocolate. Really, take it from us – last winter was a particularly snowy one here in Chicago, and we did a lot of shoveling. When our fingers and toes would start to tingle from the cold, I’d come inside and make this hot chocolate recipe. It’s thick and comforting, the perfect fortifying treat on a chilly winter day.

With the holidays right around the corner, I thought it would be a great time to share this recipe with you. Made with a melted chocolate bar and pure maple syrup, it’s far more flavorful than any hot cocoa mix. I’ll have it on repeat all winter long, and I hope you will too.

Chopping chocolate bar on a cutting board

Homemade Hot Chocolate Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:

  • Dark chocolate – My #1 tip for making the best hot chocolate? Use a chocolate bar instead of cocoa powder! It gives this recipe a creamy texture and an extra-rich chocolate flavor. I like to use dark chocolate – 70% is my favorite. Choose a vegan chocolate bar to make this recipe vegan!
  • Almond milk – Use store-bought, or make your own.
  • Cinnamon and vanilla extract – For warm depth of flavor.
  • Maple syrup – For sweetness.
  • And a splash of bourbon – Totally optional, but a really fun touch for a cozy grown-up drink.

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Adding chopped candy bar to small saucepan of milk

How to Make Hot Chocolate

This recipe is SO simple to make!

All you have to do is warm the almond milk over low heat, add the chopped chocolate, vanilla, and cinnamon…

Whisking homemade hot chocolate in small saucepan

…and whisk until smooth and warmed through, about 15 minutes.

Adding maple syrup to homemade hot chocolate

Pour in the maple syrup and bourbon, if using, and stir to combine. That’s it!

Serve in mugs with your favorite hot chocolate toppings. I like coconut whipped cream and dark chocolate shavings, but regular whipped cream or marshmallows would be delicious too.

Best hot chocolate recipe

More Cozy Winter Treats

If you love this recipe, try one of these cozy treats next:

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Homemade Hot Chocolate

rate this recipe:
4.90 from 49 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves 2
The BEST hot chocolate recipe! Smooth, creamy, and full of rich chocolate flavor, it's comforting and cozy on cold winter nights.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups almond milk
  • 3 ounces dark chocolate, 70% cacao, chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla
  • Pinch cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons bourbon, optional
  • Whipped cream and chocolate shavings, optional, for serving

Instructions

  • In a small saucepan, heat the almond milk over low heat. Add the chocolate, vanilla, and cinnamon, and whisk for 15 minutes, or until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth and warmed through.
  • Add the maple syrup and bourbon, if using, and stir to combine. Serve hot with whipped cream or chocolate shavings, if desired.

56 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Gretchen Foster
    12.29.2021

    4 stars
    A real treat after some backyard sledding! Kids enjoyed the version sans bourbon while the parents sipped on the hot coco with an added kick!

  2. Elizabeth Warren
    12.27.2021

    5 stars
    This hot chocolate was so easy and quick to make! I liked how rich and creamy it turned out, even without the whipped cream. It paired perfectly with cookies for Santa. I agree with other reviewers that adults might enjoy this more that kids. I will try adding the bourbon or Kahlua next time!

  3. Aimee Villwock
    12.26.2021

    5 stars
    Made this to top off our Christmas weekend – hot chocolate this rich is a simple way to make an evening feel special. I’d prefer a little more sweetness, but that’s an easy adjustment to make next time.

  4. Cecilia Caughman
    12.24.2021

    5 stars
    This was SO delicious and decadent! I used oat milk.

  5. Stevie Smith
    12.23.2021

    5 stars
    Easy, creamy and delicious! Nice to have a vegan hot chocolate!

  6. Diane Blodgett
    12.22.2021

    5 stars
    I made the hot cocoa today! My husband and I both thought it was delish!

  7. Donovan Brown
    12.20.2021

    This was lovely!

  8. Lauren Winston
    12.20.2021

    5 stars
    I really liked this hot chocolate. It was definitely rich but not overly sweet, which I appreciated since I’ve been loading up on cookies for the holidays and needed a little bit of a balance. It was super quick and easy to make too. Will definitely make it again!

  9. Brooke Poppe
    12.20.2021

    Sweet and delicious! topped with some coconut whip from Trader Joes 🙂

  10. Anna Bartels
    12.19.2021

    5 stars
    Very rich and delicious. I actually felt like I needed a glass of plain almond milk to wash it down.

  11. Robyn Icks
    12.19.2021

    5 stars
    This is the best hot chocolate recipe I’ve made! So silky and smooth and punched full of flavor.

  12. Beth Cannon
    12.19.2021

    4 stars
    Made this last night with dark chocolate, it was delicious! More of a grown up taste than for kids but still great

  13. Maggie Cooney
    12.19.2021

    5 stars
    So yummy, and super easy to make!!

    • Andrea Brady
      12.19.2021

      5 stars
      Super yummy!! I topped mine with a shot of Kaluhu:)

  14. Kate Morgan
    12.18.2021

    5 stars
    Just made this and topped it with some vegan marshmallows. So tasty!

  15. Lacy Fry
    12.18.2021

    Loved this recipe, very easy and very tasty!

  16. Mary Bishop
    12.18.2021

    5 stars
    The hot chocolate was delicious. Made it with the grandkids. They really enjoyed making and drinking. 😋

  17. Stacy Olson
    12.17.2021

    5 stars
    Delicious! My husband and I loved the bourbon addition 🙂

  18. Lisa W
    12.17.2021

    4 stars
    Very decadent and did not suffer from the accidental addition of a whole teaspoon of vanilla. 🙂

  19. Brenda Leis
    12.17.2021

    5 stars
    Meant to give this 5 stars

  20. Brenda Leis
    12.17.2021

    I doubled the recipe and made this for my family on a windy, stormy night. It was a delicious treat.

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Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.