How to Dress Up a Boring Cup of Hot Chocolate
December 10, 2019
While it might be difficult to call a creamy, delicious cup of hot chocolate “boring,” there may be times that you want to jazz it up a little. Whether you’re inviting the girls over for brunch or want to make a special after-school treat for the kids, here are a few easy ideas that you can use to dress up your plain hot chocolate.
Before we get started, let’s discuss making the cup of chocolate. You can use water or give it a creamier taste and texture by using any type of milk—dairy milk (low fat, nonfat, or full fat), soy milk, almond milk, or any other plant-based milk variety. These ideas for dressing up your hot chocolate should work well no matter how you make the drink, so the choice is up to you.
After you’ve made your hot chocolate, the first step to make it special is to add whipped cream to the top. For a holiday flavor, you can add chopped peppermint candies or candy canes. Other options include chocolate, toffee, or mint candies for a different taste. Just chop them up and sprinkle over the top of the whipped cream.
You can take it a step further and drizzle on an additional topping. Chocolate syrup, hot fudge sauce, butterscotch syrup, and homemade caramel make great options. Just be careful when you drink it not to make a mess.
Now if that seems like a bit much to you, don’t worry! You can still dress up your hot chocolate without going all out on the sweets. My favorite is to add a quick dash of cinnamon to the hot chocolate. Cinnamon gives it a subtle taste that is a step beyond.
If you’re looking for a jolt of caffeine, make your own mocha by mixing half hot chocolate and half coffee. Add your favorite coffee creamer for a flavor boost or stir in a little bit of eggnog to make it festive. Then, grab a peppermint stick or a chocolate-coated stirring spoon, and mix it all up.
So, which of these delicious alternatives to plain old hot chocolate will you try first?
