This Gingerbread Hot Chocolate is extra creamy, decadent, and full of warming spices. It's the perfect festive hot chocolate for the holidays! Serve it at your Christmas Day brunch or on any cold winter day when you're craving something sweet. It comes together in just a few minutes, it's easy to make in a big batch, and it's always a hit!
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Why You'll Love This Hot Chocolate
Extra festive and perfect for Christmas - If you're looking for the best Christmas hot chocolate, this is it! It's packed with warming spices from a homemade gingerbread spice mix, it's extra chocolatey, and not overly sweet. You'll love this one!
Extra creamy and decadent - Melting ¼ of a dark chocolate bar per person for this hot chocolate is a game-changer here! It makes it super creamy and thick. It tastes decadent and luxurious. It's everything you want in a Christmas hot chocolate!
Easy and quick - You only need a few simple ingredients to make this hot chocolate and you can easily half the recipe or double or triple it for the whole family. It's fail-proof and really easy to whip up last minute.
Ingredients
- Milk - You can use any milk here. My favorites are almond milk or cashew milk by Elmhurst because they're extra creamy and I always have them on hand. Whole milk or any other plant-based milk works.
- Chocolate - I like using dark chocolate that's at least 65-75% so the hot chocolate isn't too sweet and it's extra rich. This is a personal preference so use whatever chocolate bar you like most!
- Cacao powder - To make the drink even more chocolatey, I add some cacao powder. Cacao powder is the raw unroasted version of cocoa powder and both are great here. Use whichever one you have.
- Gingerbread spice - I highly recommend making your own Gingerbread Spice Blend. It only takes a few minutes and you can use it in a ton of recipes!
- Honey - Honey is a classic in gingerbread and it can't be missing in this hot chocolate. Add more or less based on your preference.
- Molasses - This one is a staple in classic gingerbread cookies but we don't actually add it to our cookies so I don't use it in this hot chocolate either. I did include it in this recipe though for that old-fashioned gingerbread flavor so many love!
- Sea salt and vanilla - Sea salt brings out the sweetness of everything and balances all the flavors out along with the vanilla. Vanilla paste or vanilla powder work as well. If you're using vanilla powder you'll need much less of it.
Variations and Substitutions
- Dark rum - You can turn this into spiked hot chocolate by adding a little bit of rum. I actually like adding it in the beginning to cook off the alcohol but keep the flavor.
- Sweetener - Honey and molasses are classics in anything gingerbread flavored but if you don't have them, maple syrup also works great! Alternatively, if you want to keep the hot chocolate sugar-free, you can use sugar-free sweeteners like stevia or erythritol. Make sure to use a sugar-free chocolate bar as well.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Add ¼ cup of milk to a small saucepan and bring to almost a boil.
- Take it off the heat and add the chopped chocolate.
- Whisk consistently until the chocolate is completely melted and mixed with the milk. Make sure none is stuck to the bottom of the saucepan.
- Whisk in cacao powder, gingerbread spice, honey or molasses, and a pinch of sea salt.
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- Add the rest of the milk.
- Set the saucepan over medium heat and whisk everything until combined.
- Warm it up until it steams and gently simmer it for 1-2 minutes. It doesn’t need to cook.
- Turn off the heat and divide the hot chocolate between two cups.
- Top each drink with whipped cream and grated chocolate or any other toppings. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Make sure all of the chopped chocolate has melted before you put the saucepan back on the stove and add the rest of the ingredients. This prevents it from sticking to the bottom and burning.
Serving and Storing
This hot chocolate is best served right away while it's still hot. It will thicken as it cools.
Toppings: I like serving it with a good dollop of homemade whipped cream and a sprinkle of grated chocolate or a dusting of cacao powder. You can also add mini marshmallows if you prefer.
If you do need to store it, keep it in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 1-2 days. Close it with a lid only after it's completely cooled down. Reheat it in a small saucepan on the stove. You can add a splash of milk if it's too thick.
FAQs
It's a spice mix usually made of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. I have a recipe for my own homemade gingerbread blend, you can use it for so many recipes during the holidays!
Some recipes call for tapioca starch or corn starch to thicken hot chocolate. I don't find this necessary in this hot chocolate because the melted chocolate makes it plenty creamy and decadent. If you find you want it creamier, mix ¼-1/2 teaspoon of tapioca or cornstarch with a splash of milk and add it to the hot chocolate towards the end. Simmer it for a minute or two until it thickens. Be careful not to add too much, otherwise it will turn into pudding texture.
Other Festive Hot Chocolate Recipes
If you're in the mood to try even more hot chocolate variations this holiday season or you want to make a hot chocolate bar at your family brunch, I highly recommend any of the four delicious drinks below! To see all the latest ones, head over to Hot Drinks.
📖 Recipe
Gingerbread Hot Chocolate
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Hot Drink
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Gingerbread Hot Chocolate is extra creamy, decadent, and full of warming spices. It's the perfect festive hot chocolate for Christmas!
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk, divided (I used almond milk)
- ½ bar dark chocolate, roughly chopped or broken apart
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
- 1 tsp gingerbread spice (or my favorite Christmas spice mix)
- 1 tbsp honey or molasses (or both)
- Pinch sea salt
- Garnish: whipped cream, grated chocolate, cacao powder, gingerbread cookies, or cinnamon
Instructions
- Add ¼ cup of milk to a small saucepan and bring to almost a boil.
- Take it off the heat and add the chopped chocolate.
- Whisk consistently until the chocolate is completely melted and mixed with the milk. Make sure none is stuck to the bottom of the saucepan.
- Whisk in cacao powder, gingerbread spice, honey or molasses, and a pinch of sea salt.
- Add the rest of the milk.
- Set the saucepan over medium heat and whisk everything until combined.
- Warm it up until it steams and gently simmer it for 1-2 minutes. It doesn’t need to cook.
- Turn off the heat and divide the hot chocolate between two mugs.
- Top each drink with whipped cream and grated chocolate or any other toppings. Enjoy!
Notes
Storing: The hot chocolate tastes the best fresh but if you need to, you can store it in a jar in the fridge for a day and reheat it in a small pot on the stove. It will thicken in the fridge as it cools.
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