Who doesn’t love a cozy cup of hot chocolate? Hot chocolate is such a universal childhood favorite drink, from the classic Nestle packets to warm homemade hot chocolate. Everyone has a favorite recipe, and as you get older, you start making your own for nostalgia and enjoyment. If you want great homemade hot chocolate recipes, here are the top 13 most popular from my blog you should try!

Pick from a classic, flavored, adult-friendly, kid-friendly, or unique flavor combination. There’s a hot chocolate for everyone.

Best 13 Homemade Hot Chocolate Recipes to Try

Classic Hot Chocolate Mix

Did you know you can make a hot chocolate mix from scratch? This classic hot chocolate mix recipe is one of the best homemade hot chocolate recipes for cozy nights at home. Once you make a batch, add a couple of tablespoons to hot water or milk for a nostalgic treat.

This also makes the perfect DIY Christmas gift!

Tip: Try adding a pinch of cinnamon or a drop of peppermint extract for a festive twist.

Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate

From bar to drink, salted caramel hot chocolate is a must try. You get all that caramel goodness in liquid form, and it adds the perfect sweet and salty touch to chocolate. I’m a big fan of a pinch of salt in anything sweet, so if you love that combination, you need to try this recipe. Plus, it has the mose decadent salted caramel whipped cream that’s just divine.

Tip: Garnish it with a sprinkle of flaky salt for a nice crunch.

Bone Broth Hot Chocolate

Don’t knock it until you try it! This bone broth hot chocolate has made its round on social media for its… unique combination. But trust me, I was a skeptical before I made it and now I’m a fan. You get a bunch of collagen from the bone broth and it adds the most amazing velvety texture.

You can’t even taste the chicken flavor to be honest! The savoriness just tastes like salted caramel or kettle corn. It’s seriously a must try.

Tip: Use plain broth for the best flavor. Most chicken stock has added veggie and spice flavor, but it tastes best with plain broth.

French Hot Chocolate

You can’t go to Paris and not have the famous chocolat chaud. French (or European) hot chocolate is thick, velvety, and makes you feel like you’re at Charlie’s Chocolate Factory. The hot chocolate is much thicker than the American version and almost feels like you’re drinking melted chocolate.

But the best part is adding the freshly whipped cream on top and eating it together. It’s an experience you just have to try.

Tip: Use a good dark chocolate so you get a nice creamy texture and great cocoa flavor. It shouldn’t be too sweet!

Tiramisu Hot Chocolate

This is definitely a more experimental and fancy hot chocolate! Tiramisu has chocolate in it, so why not turn it into a hot chocolate? The base is basically a rich mocha, but the highlight is the delicious mascarpone cheese cream on top.

Tiramisu hot chocolate is basically dessert in a cup, but sooooo good.

Tip: Serve it with a ladyfinger for the ultimate dessert experience.

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Have you ever had cinnamon in your hot chocolate? Mexican hot chocolate is a delicious cinnamony chocolate drink, most widely made with Mexican chocolate tablets. Your local Mexican grocery store will 100% have chocolate tablets, whether its the iconic Abuelita or Mexican-owned Ibarra.

Traditional Mexican hot cocoa isn’t spicy, but modern versions add a little guajillo or cayenne pepper for a nice kick.

Tip: Use a combination of chocolate tablets and dark chocolate if you want a semi-sweet flavor. The tablets are quite sweet!

Thai Tea Hot Chocolate

Okay, if you haven’t infused tea in your hot chocolate, then you need to try it. Tea and chocolate don’t sound like they go together, but the tea adds so much flavor! This Thai tea hot chocolate is an amazing fusion of Thai flavors and chocolate.

You get that aromatic vanilla and malty black tea flavor, which cuts the bitterness of the chocolate. It’s also super easy to make in one pot!

Tip: Make a Thai tea flavored whipped cream to garnish on top!

Earl Grey Hot Chocolate

This is probably my most popular Earl Grey hot chocolate, which is creamy, delicious, and tastes slightly like fruit loops! Earl Grey tea is so aromatic from the bergamot, which is slightly citrusy and floral. Chocolate pairs really well with both those flavors, so this is an iconic pairing. You gotta try it for yourself!

Tip: Make a vanilla or honey whipped cream to go on top, it will complement the flavors so well.

Chai Hot Chocolate

If you like Mexican hot chocolate, then you’ll love its even spicier cousin, chai hot chocolate. The cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, and clove are so fragrant and bring a lot of aroma to hot chocolate. They bring out the woody, fruity accents of cocoa and are a great match!

You can easily make this by adding chocolate to homemade chai, which makes it thick and creamy.

Tip: Use freshly ground spices for the best flavor! Nothing beats fresh spices.

Hojicha Hot Chocolate

This is a really popular drink at Dandelion Chocolate’s Japan cafe, and so much so that they made their own hot chocolate mix. Hojicha is a roasted Japanese green tea that’s super nutty and toasty. It has a coffee-like aroma and kind of reminds me of chestnuts.

Clearly, it’s an aromatic flavor that is just dying to be paired with chocolate. It’s super easy to make with hojicha powder or looseleaf tea in one pot.

Tip: Use hojicha powder for the best flavor! Looseleaf hojicha tea leans more mild.

White Matcha Hot Chocolate

White hot chocolate is an amazing alternative to cocoa-based drinks, and perfectly highlights a lighter flavor like matcha. Plus, you get an amazing bright green color that makes it more appetizing. Matcha works well with creamy flavors, so white chocolate is a perfect pair.

Make this as a cozy sweet treat in the morning and get a caffeine boost at the same time!

Tip: Add a toasted marshmallow on top for extra cozy vibes and a slightly caramel flavor.

Hot Chocolate Bombs

Hot chocolate bombs are perfect for kids or as a date night activity! They’re super easy to make and make the cutest DIY gifts as well. You can buy everything and customize the chocolate mold and flavors inside.

You can also take it up a notch and make the hot cocoa mix yourself! (Scroll back up for the recipe).

Tip: Customize the flavor inside the bomb by adding crushed pieces of the ingredient. You can add toffee, white chocolate, caramel, orange zest, etc.

Whipped Hot Chocolate

Last but not least, this whipped hot chocolate is such a fun take on dalgona coffee. It’s basically hot cocoa whipped cream topped on milk for a super creamy and frothy way to make classic hot chocolate.

This almost tastes like a mousse because it’s so fluffy. This is perfect for kids or if you want to switch up how you drink hot chocolate mix. We all need to let our inner child out sometimes!

Tip: Add a lot of hot chocolate mix to the whipped cream to get a strong hot chocolate flavor! It will dilute as it mixes into the milk.

Tips for the Best Hot Chocolate

Here are some tips to make any of these hot chocolate recipes the best it can be:

• Use Good Quality Chocolate: Cheaper chocolate is made with more sugar, artificial flavors, and lower quality cocoa so it’s not as robust. If you like a sweeter flavor, then that’s a great option! But if you’re looking for a more chocolatey flavor, use a good quality semi-sweet or dark chocolate! It will make a huge difference.
• Melt the Chocolate Completely: It’s easy to think you’ve melted the chocolate, but until it’s silky smooth, you need to keep melting it. It will take a little bit of time, but it’s worth it to get the best texture.
• Use Full Fat Milk: Whole milk adds the nicest texture in my opinion! A creamy hot chocolate is just so satisfying, and you can’t get that texture using 2% milk.
• Add Whipped Cream: The fluffy cream just balances the rich hot cocoa so nicely. There’s a reason why it’s the default topping for hot chocolate! If you can, make it fresh and from scratch.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does chocolate have caffeine?

Surprisingly, chocolate does have caffeine in it, but not like coffee or tea. Cacao, which is what makes chocolate, naturally has caffeine and also has a similar stimulant called theobromine. There’s about 0.1-0.7% of caffeine per cocoa pod, which ends up in the cocoa powder you eat! Dark chocolate has more caffeine than milk because it has more cocoa in it. The typical cocoa powder you get from the store has about 20 mg of caffeine per cup.

Can I make these with cocoa powder?

Of course! You can make all of these recipes with cocoa powder only, you’ll just have to use maybe 2 – 3 times the recipe amount of it to get the same richness real chocolate gives. It will also not give you the same creamy texture since there’s not cocoa butter or oil.

Can I make these iced?

Yes, I love a good iced hot chocolate or frozen hot chocolate. You can make all the hot chocolates the same way, then let it cool completely. You can even chill it in the fridge before serving so it’s extra cold. Pour it into a glass with ice, top with whipped cream, and enjoy!

Try a few recipes and see which hot chocolate you like best! Then, experiment with flavors and make your own amazing hot cocoa concoction. If you try any of these, let me know what you think in the comments below! Enjoy!