Hot chocolate is the ultimate snowy-day staple. The perfect pick-me-up after a day of holiday shopping or an afternoon on the slopes, you probably have your favorite, go-to hot cocoa recipe, and we love a good tradition. But this year, you might just want to level up your drink with one of these clever varieties conjured up on TikTok.
From tea-infused to dippable, there are so many ways to make the classic drink new again—you won’t want to fall back on the premade mix.
3 Elevated Hot Cocoa Recipes
For complex flavor and a sophisticated edge, try an Earl Grey tea-infused twist on the classic cocoa. TikTok creator @megstearoom, who often posts book reviews with tea in hand, recently uploaded an aesthetically-pleasing, leveled-up take on the drink. The video’s already racked up nearly 300,000 views and 33,000 likes.
Start by warming milk (if needed, substitute in your favorite type) on the stove, and add Earl Grey tea, steeping five minutes. As the creator explains, you can go for loose leaf or bagged tea, and you can steep for more or less time depending on your preferred strength of flavor.
Next, add in a few tablespoons of cocoa mix—though you can opt for straight cacao with a spoonful of maple syrup as an alternative. Stir until smooth, add in a dash of cinnamon (and garnish for an added flair), and serve. Though Earl Grey makes an obvious pairing for chocolate, feel free to test out different tea flavors with this recipe—the refreshing flavors of peppermint tea would balance out the richness of the chocolate.
On the subject of mint, you’ll also want to try these Peppermint Mocha Hot Cocoa Cups that creator @dippedtampa whipped up on TikTok. This recipe is a bit more labor-intensive, but it’s worth the energy—and you can save them for festive occasions later on. Start with a small paper cup, and cut a slit into the side. Then line the slit with a piece of tape—this allows the filling to stay in and makes the assembly process easier at the end of the recipe.
Heat up chocolate until melted, either on the stove or in the microwave, and fill up the cup, making sure that you let the chocolate coat the entire inside surface. Let it sit in the freezer for at least five minutes, and once it’s solid, remove the Dixie cup and fill the chocolate cup with two scoops of cocoa mix and some mini marshmallows.
Stick a candy cane in the middle, and secure everything with another spoonful or two of melted chocolate on top. Once everything is covered but the chocolate is still warm, throw in mini marshmallows and a chocolate drizzle to make the presentation shine. Chill in the freezer once more, and you have a scrumptious, stirrable treat that just needs to be added to warm milk when you're ready to indulge.
If you love the signature hot cocoa flavor but aren’t in the mood for a steaming cup, creator @easybakekitchn has you covered with an appetizer-like, chocolate-flavored tutorial (with over 12 million views). Simply mix Cool Whip, marshmallow fluff, and hot chocolate powder together, and serve with mini marshmallows, graham crackers, ginger snaps, or sugar cookies (or a tasty smorgasbord of them all).