Say hello to this wintery cozy version of a dalgona coffee, but make it hot chocolate! It’s a super easy and fun variation of hot chocolate that’s perfect as an activity or cool winter beverage. If you love super creamy and delicious hot chocolate, then you need to try this easy whipped hot chocolate!

It tastes even better if you use a homemade cocoa mix, too! Here’s how to make this fun whipped hot cocoa at home!

What is Whipped Hot Chocolate?

I think the inspiration for this drink came from dalgona coffee, the amazing and delicious whipped coffee trend that spread on TikTok like wildfire. I’ve seen whipped everything, from matcha, Thai tea, strawberry, and now hot chocolate.

Beyond the fancy name, this really is just a hot chocolate-flavored whipped cream topped onto milk. Not that it’s not good, but it feels a little short-cutty with the heavy cream, haha. Nonetheless, it’s a fun food trend to try and eat!

The whipped part is made by whipping hot cocoa mix and heavy cream until it’s nice and fluffy.

What Does Whipped Hot Chocolate Taste Like?

It tastes like a really creamy hot chocolate, almost like a mousse. The cream adds a lot of air and lightness to the hot chocolate, but the flavor is pretty light since it’s usually combined with plain milk.

If you opt to add the whipped hot cocoa on top of more hot chocolate, then it’ll taste like a light and fluffy version of a hot chocolate! You’ll get a more intense chocolate flavor, but with the airiness of whipped cream. It doesn’t taste too different from hot cocoa, but the texture is different.

What Hot Cocoa Mix to Use

Luckily, it’s super easy to make this drink because you use hot cocoa mix! You can use literally any brand, so use your favorite, and add a good scoop of that to heavy cream before whipping.

The default milk chocolate flavor works great, but feel free to use dark chocolate, cocoa, or other flavored mixes.

How to Make Cocoa Mix

I actually made my own cocoa mix to use in this recipe! It’s super easy to make a DIY cocoa mix with some cocoa powder, milk powder, and powdered sugar! I like to use a ratio of 1:1:3, so one part cocoa powder, 1 part sugar, and 3 parts milk in my cocoa mix. I find that it emulates store-bought powders well, but with less sugar.

And it’s such an easy gift to make for the holidays!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s super easy and fun!
• The texture is so light and fluffy.
• A cool spin on the classic hot chocolate.
• Innovatively use hot cocoa mix!
• Make this with friends for a fun winter activity!

Whipped Hot Chocolate: What You’ll Need

Equipment

• A handheld frother or electric mixer

Ingredients

• 1-2 tbsp hot cocoa mix (homemade or store-bought)
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup ice
• 2-3 mini marshmallows (garnish)

Whipped Hot Chocolate Recipe

1. Buy or Make Cocoa Mix. Get your favorite hot cocoa mix or make your own at home with cocoa powder, milk powder, and powdered sugar. You’ll want it to be presweetened, though, so the cream is sweetened.
2. Make Whipped Hot Chocolate. Add hot cocoa mix and a little hot water to a separate cup or bowl and mix until a paste forms. Then add the heavy cream and, using a handheld frother or an electric mixer, whip the cream until it’s light and fluffy. It should be able to hold a shape but not stand stiffly up.
3. Assemble Drink. Add ice and milk to a separate glass, then top with the whipped hot chocolate. Garnish with a dusting of hot cocoa mix and mini marshmallows.
4. Mix and Enjoy!

Note: You can manually whip the cream using a manual whisk, but it will take a lot longer and require some arm muscle.

How to Make Whipped Hot Chocolate Without Heavy Cream

Don’t have heavy cream on you and want a way to make this whipped hot cocoa without it? It’s possible!

The Vegan Route: Coconut cream or oat cream works as a great heavy cream substitute, and it’s vegan-friendly! They both have a high fat percentage that emulates heavy cream well, so you’ll get a nice and creamy topping!

The Vegan Route II: You can also whip aquafaba and the hot cocoa mix with an electric mixer until stiff-ish peaks form. This won’t have the same creamy texture heavy cream has, but you’ll get a whipped topping!

The Scientist: Did you know heavy cream is essentially milk with more fat in it? So, you can make heavy cream by mixing melted butter and milk together. You’ll need to melt the butter and whisk the milk in, then blend it to emulsify. Chill it in the fridge and voila, you have heavy cream (or at least, something really close to heavy cream)!

Tips for the Best Whipped Hot Chocolate

• Make a Paste First: Hot cocoa mix tends to clump, especially if you add it to a liquid like milk or water. To make the smoothest cream, mix the cocoa and some hot water into a creamy paste before adding heavy cream to make the whipped hot cocoa. This eliminates any dry clumps and gives you a silky result.
• Use a Hot Cocoa Base: If the whipped hot chocolate and milk are too creamy in flavor, add some hot cocoa mix to your milk and make an iced (or hot) hot cocoa drink. Then, top with the whipped hot cocoa to have an extra chocolatey whipped drink!
• Don’t Overwhip: If you make hot chocolate whipped cream, it won’t mix as easily with the milk, and you’ll see it start to separate. You want to whip the cream until soft peaks form, which is when it’s the perfect pourable and light consistency.
• Adjust for Taste: If you want a stronger hot chocolate flavor, use a half a spoonful more of the hot cocoa mix in your cream and increase until you’re satisfied!

Whipped Hot Chocolate Variations

Since this recipe is pretty classic, it gives a lot of room for experimenting with flavors! Here are some that are worth a try:

• Peppermint Whipped Hot Chocolate: Nothing like a fresh minty hot cocoa! Add peppermint syrup or extract to the milk and cream, and color with red food dye if desired!
• Dalgona Hot Chocolate: Playing into the whipped trend, you can replace the hot cocoa cream with regular dalgona coffee (whipped coffee). The base can be an iced or hot cocoa, which you then top with the coffee, kind of like a mocha!
• Spiced Whipped Hot Chocolate: An easy way to cozy up this drink is by adding some warm spices like cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, etc. You can add it to the cream, milk, or both for some fall comfort.
• Vegan Whipped Hot Chocolate: As mentioned before, you can make this drink vegan by swapping the heavy cream and milk for your favorite dairy-free alternatives.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Use Just Cocoa Powder?

If you don’t have hot cocoa mix on you, you can always use plain cocoa powder instead! You’ll want to use cocoa powder and powdered sugar (or regular sugar, even) in your heavy cream, which will taste pretty similar to hot chocolate! It won’t have that slightly evaporated milk flavor, but it’s a good substitute.

What is in Hot Cocoa Mix?

Hot chocolate mix is just cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and powdered milk all together! Storebought versions typically are mostly sugar, followed by milk, then cocoa powder (seriously, just read the ingredient list of any packet). However, if you want a more chocolatey version, you can use the same amount of cocoa powder and sugar to 3 parts milk!

Can I Make Hot Whipped Hot Chocolate?

Sure, you can! It’s like any hot chocolate with whipped cream on top; you can make hot milk or hot chocolate for the base, then top it with the whipped hot chocolate. The cream will melt much faster from the heat, but it will be delicious and extra cocoa-y.

Other Hot Chocolate Recipes to Try

If you like this fun whipped hot cocoa recipe, then you’re probably interested in more delicious hot chocolate recipes. Here are some you should try next:

• Earl Grey Hot Chocolate
• Bone Broth Hot Chocolate
• Matcha White Hot Chocolate
• Hot Chocolate Bombs