Christmas Hot Chocolate Recipes, From a Small Cup for Two to a Pot for a Crowd

What is the real reason to get excited for December? For my kids, it’s hot chocolate. The steamy, chocolatey, whipped-cream-piled-high, marshmallow-melting kind that makes you want to put on fuzzy socks and cancel all your plans.

I’ve tasted my fair share of hot cocoas over the years – from gas station disappointments to fancy cafe masterpieces that made me question all my life choices – and I’ve finally narrowed it down.

These are my 5 all-time FAVORITE Christmas hot chocolates. The cozy, festive, hug-in-a-mug legends my family waits all year to sip again.

So grab your favorite mug, get cozy, and let’s get sipping. Trust me, you’re going to want to try all of them.

Choose Your Christmas Moment

Each of these fits a different kind of December night, from a quiet cup for two to a pot for a full house. Every recipe below comes with the full ingredient list, and the video to cook from sits right under it.

French Hot Chocolate

French Hot Chocolate is the thick Paris cafe style cup I make when I want something small and serious. I found it in a video with over two million views on YouTube, and people who made it say it is the richest cup they have ever made, so it went on my list. This cup is more melted chocolate bar than cocoa powder, and a small mug is plenty. It is almost a meal.

French hot chocolate takes one saucepan and about 15 minutes. The milk soaks up the cinnamon and vanilla first and gets strained, so the chopped dark chocolate melts into a smooth cup. One pot makes about two small mugs.

If the cup tastes too much like straight dark chocolate, a little more milk and a pinch more sugar fix it. Straining it a second time makes it even smoother. I don’t reach for the very darkest bar on the shelf, since a much darker one can turn bitter. Lots of people who made it love the cinnamon, but you can leave it out and it is still rich.

Ingredients

• 100g dark chocolate (at least 70%), finely chopped
• 500ml whole milk
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 pinch salt

Peppermint Candy Cane Hot Cocoa

Peppermint Candy Cane Hot Cocoa is the mix I keep in a jar for busy nights and small gifts. It made my list because the mix is just four things and needs no cooking at all. The crushed candy canes are what make every mug taste like Christmas.

You stir everything together in a bowl and pour it into a jar. A few spoonfuls stirred into hot water make one mug, and one batch fills a jar for the season. I keep mine sealed in a dry spot. The mix is easy to make with kids, and a little jar with a ribbon is a good gift for a teacher or a neighbor.

People who make this cocoa mix say they come back to it every December. One person made it in March and said it was still worth it, and for some it is the first thing that gets them excited for Christmas. I don’t add anything else. The candy canes bring all the peppermint the mix needs.

Ingredients

• 3 cups powdered milk
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup sugar
• crushed candy canes

Gingerbread Hot Chocolate

Gingerbread Hot Chocolate is the creamy pot that tastes like gingerbread cookies in a mug. I picked it because cinnamon, allspice and ginger turn plain hot chocolate into Christmas, and most of us already have those spices from baking. The bittersweet chocolate keeps it from getting too sweet, and the little gingerbread men on top make it feel like a party. Gingerbread is the flavor people ask for first.

Gingerbread hot chocolate takes one large saucepan and about 15 minutes, and it makes three servings. The chopped chocolate and a little chocolate syrup melt into hot milk, and a hard whisk at the end gives it a foamy top.

If you have only ever had packet cocoa, this pot will taste like a big step up. Families who make it say it has become a yearly thing with their kids. I go heavy on the vanilla here, and it works. If bittersweet is too dark for the kids, semi-sweet chocolate is a simple swap.

Ingredients

• 6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 4 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup chocolate syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• whipped cream, for topping
• marshmallows, for topping
• little gingerbread men, for topping

Christmas Hot Cocoa for a Crowd

Christmas Hot Cocoa for a Crowd is the big pot I make when the house is full. I keep coming back to it because it makes six or more mugs at once, with a cinnamon stick and nutmeg for the Christmas part. This pot uses cocoa powder, not chocolate bars, so a big batch stays cheap. The pot can sit on low heat while everyone helps themselves.

Everything goes into one large pot on the stove, milk and half and half first, and the whole pot takes about 20 minutes. The part everyone likes is the cup of marshmallows that melts right into the pot instead of floating on top.

People who made this cocoa say they make a pot for the grandkids at Christmas, and I can see why. This crowd pot is the easy one when you are feeding a lot of people and don’t want to stand over the stove. For toppings I do whipped cream, a little grated chocolate and crushed peppermint if I have it.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 4 cups of milk
• 2 cups of half and half
• 1 cup of marshmallows
• whipped cream for topping
• grated chocolate for topping
• crushed peppermint for topping (optional)

Mexican Champurrado

Mexican Champurrado is not quite hot chocolate: it is a thick, warm Mexican drink made with corn and chocolate. Many families drink it with tamales at Christmas and New Year, which is why it feels right to me for Christmas Eve. The masa makes it thick, almost like loose porridge, and the cinnamon and star anise make it smell like the holidays.

A few words may be new. Masa harina is the corn flour used for tortillas and tamales. Piloncillo is a cone of dark brown cane sugar. Mexican chocolate comes in disks with sugar and cinnamon already in it.

Champurrado takes one pot and about 25 minutes. The spices steep in water, the masa thickens the drink, and the chocolate, piloncillo and milk go in last. I froth it at the end with a whisk or a wooden molinillo. One pot makes about four mugs. I learned to whisk the masa into a little cold milk first so it does not go lumpy, and to add a bit more masa if I want a thicker drink. Serve it hot, because it gets thick as it cools. Dark brown sugar works in place of piloncillo if that is what you have.

Ingredients

• 3 cups water
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 whole star anise
• 1/4 cup masa harina
• 3 oz piloncillo, finely chopped
• 1/2 disk Ibarra chocolate
• 2 cups milk

Christmas Hot Chocolate FAQ

I get the same questions every December when I make these, so here is what has worked for me.

Can I Make It Ahead?

Yes. I put leftovers in the fridge within two hours and use them within three to four days. Milk drinks can settle or form a thin skin as they cool, and that is normal. I whisk well while reheating on the stove or in the microwave until it is steaming hot, and add a splash of milk if it has thickened.

Can I Make These Dairy Free?

You can, with small swaps. For the ones made with melted chocolate, canned coconut milk or another non-dairy milk works with dairy-free chocolate. For champurrado, almond milk or another plant milk works. Expect the flavor to change a little, especially with coconut, so taste it and add a bit more sugar if it needs it.

How Do I Keep It Warm?

For a party I keep the pot on low and stir now and then so the bottom does not burn. A slow cooker on low or warm also works for serving. Either way, keep the cocoa hot the whole time it sits out, and get any leftovers into the fridge within two hours of turning the heat off.

Can I Add Something for Grown-Ups?

Yes. I stir about a tablespoon of an Irish cream like Baileys, or Kahlua or amaretto, into each mug, not the whole pot. That way the kids keep their cocoa plain and the adults can make their own as strong as they like. Start with less and add more to taste. For rum or brandy, about half that is plenty.

I still make every one of these before the tree comes down, but most nights I pick the one that fits the crowd at the table. If you are not sure, start with the small French cup. You can always make the big pot tomorrow.