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There’s truly nothing better on a cold winter day than a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Maybe it’s our nostalgia talking and the childhood memories of drinking hot chocolate on cold snow days, but let’s be honest here…we’ll always be kids at heart and hot chocolate will always hit the spot.
While we love a classic, creamy hot chocolate, we wanted to have some fun with the flavors this week. Without any hesitation, this hazelnut hot chocolate is probably the BEST hot chocolate we’ve ever tasted. It’s a rich, chocolatey hot cocoa infused with hazelnut spread and topped with homemade marshmallows, a drizzle of hazelnut spread and a sprinkle of chopped hazelnuts.
This delightful treat only takes a few minutes to whip up on the stove. It’s the perfect drink for a cold winter day or for a cozy night in with friends.
Want more hot chocolate recipes? Try these:
- Frozen Hot Chocolate
- Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa with Salted Caramel Marshmallows
- Cozy & Creamy Oat Milk Hot Chocolate
Hazelnut Hot Chocolate
Ingredient Snapshot
- Whole Milk
- Organic Cacao Powder
- Vanilla
- Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
Direction Snapshot:
- Add all the ingredients in a sauce pan on low-medium heat.
- Heat for 5-8 minutes until the hazelnut spread is melted, cacao powder is blended and it’s steamy.
- Pour the hot cocoa into a mug, add toppings and enjoy.
Hot Chocolate Q&A
Can I use alternative milk?
Yes, you can certainly use alternative milk for this recipe. Whether it’s lactose free milk, almondmigk, oat milk, coconut milk or any other milk you love. While it may not be as creamy with some of these alternative milks, you still get the delicious chocolate hazelnut flavor.
What are some good hot chocolate toppings?
Some of our favorite toppings for the hazelnut hot chocolate are:
- Marshmallows (we always make homemade marshmallows — they make all the difference)
- Melted hazelnut spread
- Chopped hazelnuts
- Sprinkle (chocolate sprinkles, rainbow sprinkles)
- Whipped Cream
What kind of cacao powder do you use to make hot chocolate?
We highly recommend using an organic cacao powder — not to be confused with the baking Hershey’s cocoa powder. In our opinion it tastes a lot better too.
Cacao powder is the raw, unsweetened powder that’s derived from cacao beans and nibs and ground into a fine powder. It’s less processed than baking cocoa powder.
Hazelnut Hot Chocolate
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup of hot chocolate 1x
Description
It’s a rich, chocolatey hot cocoa infused with hazelnut spread and topped with homemade marshmallows, a drizzle of hazelnut spread and a sprinkle of chopped hazelnuts.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tbsp organic cacao powder
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp chocolate hazelnut spread
- Toppings: marshmallows, melted hazelnut spread, chopped hazelnuts
Instructions
- In a small sauce pot on low-medium heat, whisk all ingredients together.
- Heat mixture for 5-8 minutes (until hazelnut spread is melted, cacao powder is mixed in and the mixture is steamy). You don’t want the mixture to get too hot or boil too fast because it may burn.
- Pour hot cocoa into a mug. Top with marshmallows, whipped cream, hazelnut spread, and chopped hazelnuts.
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
