Espresso Hot Chocolate
on Dec 07, 2021, Updated Mar 14, 2024
Espresso Hot Chocolate is your regular hot chocolate with a shot of espresso coffee. Make this comforting drink this winter for some holiday cheer and a caffeine boost.
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About Espresso Hot Chocolate
Espresso Hot Chocolate is nothing but your regular hot chocolate perked up with espresso shots (or strongly brewed coffee).
It is chocolaty, thick, rich, creamy, comforting, and sweet. If you love coffee, this is just the perfect winter drink.
This mocha hot chocolate comes together in just 10 minutes using simple ingredients. It can be made in a pot over the stovetop, an instant pot, or a slow cooker. I am sharing all three recipes in the post below.
So, make it this holiday season for some holiday cheer! Top it with marshmallows, whipped cream, caramel syrup, chocolate shavings, sprinkles, or just a sprinkle of cinnamon powder.
If you like hot chocolate, try some of these variations: Kahlua Hot Chocolate, Instant Pot Hot Chocolate, Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate, Oreo Hot Chocolate, and Baileys Hot Chocolate.
Here are some more warm beverages that you may like: Nutella Coffee, Beaten Coffee, Mexican Mocha, Caramel Latte, and Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea Latte.
Ingredients
Milk – To make the best hot chocolate, use whole milk (full-fat milk). However, you can use skim, low-fat, or plant-based milk.
Heavy Cream – Add some unsweetened heavy cream to make the hot chocolate rich and creamy.
Cocoa Powder – Unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder is the best for making hot chocolate. I used Hershey’s, but you can use any brand you like.
Dark Chocolate Chips – Add dark chocolate chips to make the drink chocolaty and indulgent. You can also replace dark chocolate chips with semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Espresso – For the best taste, use freshly made espresso shots. If you don’t have an espresso machine, use strongly brewed coffee.
Brown Sugar adds a nice color and caramelized flavor to hot chocolate and makes it sweet. You can replace it with other alternatives, such as white sugar, maple syrup, honey, or sugar-free substitutes like stevia or monk fruit.
Vanilla Extract – Choose a good quality extract.
How To Make Espresso Hot Chocolate
Add the following ingredients into a pan and mix well to combine.
- 4 cups of whole milk
- ¼ cup unsweetened heavy cream
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Cook on medium heat until the milk comes to a boil. Stir frequently to avoid scorching the milk at the bottom of the pan.
Add the following ingredients and cook until the chocolate chips dissolve and the hot chocolate is thick and creamy. Stir frequently.
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3-4 shots of espresso (or ½ cup of strongly brewed coffee)
Pour the hot chocolate into serving mugs.
Note – You can pass the hot chocolate through a fine-mesh strainer if it has a few fat globules.
Garnish with whipped cream, marshmallows, and a sprinkling of instant coffee powder, and serve immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make it in an instant pot, press the SAUTE button. Add milk, cream, brown sugar, and cocoa powder to the inner pot. Mix it well and let it cook until the milk boils.
Add dark chocolate chips, vanilla extract, and espresso shots, and cook until the chocolate chips dissolve. Garnish and serve.
To make it in a slow cooker, dump all the ingredients into the inner pot of the slow cooker. Cover the lid and cook on low for 4 hours. Garnish and serve.
To make it vegan, replace dairy milk with dairy-free milk options such as almond milk, soy milk, oat milk, coconut milk, or cashew milk. Chocolate is vegan but still make sure to check the label as some brands may add dairy to their products. Skip adding heavy cream to the recipe.
Peppermint extract, cinnamon powder, caramel sauce, or a splash of bourbon, dark rum, or Kahlua are some options that can be added to this recipe.
To make this drink even more chocolaty, you can replace regular milk with chocolate milk or add some chocolate syrup, chocolate powder, or hot cocoa mix.
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Perfect Espresso Hot Chocolate Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole milk (full-fat milk) (or you can use skim,-low fat, or plant-based milk)
- ¼ cup unsweetened heavy cream
- ½ cup brown sugar (or you can use any other sweetener that you like)
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips (or semi-sweet chocolate chips)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3-4 shots espresso (or ½ cup strongly brewed coffee)
Instructions
- Add milk, heavy cream, brown sugar, and cocoa powder into a pan and mix well to combine.
- Cook on medium heat until the milk boils. Stir frequently to avoid scorching at the bottom of the pan.
- Add chocolate chips, vanilla extract, and espresso, and cook until the chocolate chips dissolve and the hot chocolate is thick and creamy. Stir frequently.
- Pour the hot chocolate into serving mugs.
- Note – You can pass the hot chocolate through a fine-mesh strainer if it has a few fat globules.
- Garnish with whipped cream, marshmallows, and a sprinkling of instant coffee powder, and serve immediately.
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