Spiced Hot Chocolate

Make your own coffee-shop-worthy drink at home with this easy spiced hot chocolate recipe!

Cinnamon and nutmeg add festive flavour, but it's the star anise that makes this warm drink extra special. 

I wanted to create a spiced hot chocolate drink that I could enjoy at home during the holidays.

(Ok, technically, this is actually a spiced hot cocoa recipe, but more on that later...)

🍫 Ingredients and Substitutions

• Dutch-processed Cocoa Powder has a nice chocolatey flavour and no bitterness. Learn more about this ingredient below. Substitute with instant hot chocolate mix, and don't add any additional sugar to the recipe.
• Light Brown Sugar can be substituted with white sugar. If you want to use a sugar substitute, like monk fruit, you may need to use less.
• Salt brings out the flavour of this drink - don't omit it.
• Whole Milk refers to cows' milk, but you can use your favourite dairy-free milk instead.
• Vanilla Extract adds subtle flavour, but almond extract can be a fun substitution to experiment with! Otherwise, you can't omit this.
• Cinnamon Sticks impart a sweet earthy flavour without adding grittiness to your drink. You can substitute with ground cinnamon, but don't add more than half a teaspoon.
• Star Anise Pods are a beautiful anise-flavoured spice that adds depth to this recipe. If you don't like licorice or anise flavours, omit it.
• Nutmeg adds a comforting warm nutty flavour, but a little goes a long way.

Please scroll down to the recipe card to get the full ingredient list and recipe instructions.

Please note: Cinnamon sticks and star anise pods are not edible. These should be removed before serving the drink.

📖 Variations

• Ginger and Cardamom also work well in this recipe, according to a reader named Renee! I would add a small amount to the recipe and adjust the flavour to your preference.
• Chile Powder adds even more warmth to this recipe, but be sure to only use a tiny pinch! You can try ground chipotle, ancho or (for the brave) cayenne pepper. A little goes a long way!

Tip: If you're buying chile powder at the grocery, be sure to read the ingredients. There are seasoning blends (chilli powder) that contain oregano and other seasonings, which is not what you want for hot chocolate!

🧐 Which Cocoa Powder Should You Use?

To make a delicious cup of hot chocolate (or hot cocoa) from scratch, you need to use Dutch-processed cocoa powder.

If you haven't heard of this ingredient before, it might sound fancy. But there's a good chance that you already have this in your pantry!

Many popular brands offer a Dutch-processed variety of cocoa powder.

Fry's cocoa powder, which is well-known here in Canada, is Dutch-processed. Hershey's Dutched Cocoa is called Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa. Camino also has a Dutch-processed cocoa powder, which is fair-trade and organic.

So what does Dutch-processed mean?

Dutch processing raises the pH of the cocoa to 7 (neutral) or 8 (basic/alkaline), which creates a mild (less bitter) flavour and a darker colour.

Using Dutch-processed cocoa powder instead of natural cocoa powder results in a smooth, easy-to-drink beverage. So, be sure to check the label on your cocoa powder.

What's the Difference Between Hot Cocoa and Hot Chocolate?

While we often use those names interchangeably, there are several differences between hot cocoa and hot chocolate.

Hot chocolate is actually a thick, rich, hot drink made from melted shaved chocolate and whole milk or cream. This drink gets its sweetness from the sugar in the melted chocolate.

Hot cocoa is a thinner hot drink made from cocoa powder, which is usually sweetened with sugar. You can either make it from scratch, like I am here, or you can make it from a hot cocoa mix (otherwise known as instant cocoa).

Since this recipe is made with cocoa powder and not chocolate, I originally called it a spiced hot cocoa recipe. (Which is accurate!)

However, many readers have reached out to tell me that they would call this a hot chocolate recipe, so I've changed the name.

How Much Sugar Should You Add?

I used a ratio of 1:1 for the cocoa powder and light brown sugar in this recipe because it creates the amount of sweetness that most people will want from hot chocolate.

However, when I make this recipe for myself, I add less sugar. Play around with the quantity to find what works best for you.

If you want to try using a sugar alternative like a monk fruit sweetener, add a small amount at a time. I've found that sugar substitutes can be even more sweet than regular sugar.

🧑🏽‍🍳 How to Dissolve Cocoa Powder

Technically, you could just toss all of the ingredients into a pot, mix them, heat it up and call it a day. I did that the first time I tested this recipe, and the result was fine.

However, I noticed on the Fry's cocoa can that they recommend dissolving the cocoa and sugar in a small amount of cold milk before adding the hot milk, so I tried that.

The resulting hot cocoa was smoother and well incorporated. So, if you have the time, try following the extra step and see if it makes a difference to you.

How to Avoid Skin Forming on the Milk

Once you take your hot chocolate mixture off the heat, you may find that it develops a skin on your milk.

This is normal and happens often when you heat milk up and then let it cool down again without stirring.

To avoid getting a skin on your hot chocolate mixture, be sure to continue stirring it occasionally after you remove the pot from the heat. Keep giving it a stir here and there as it cools down, and you should be able to avoid forming a milk skin.

If your hot chocolate does form a skin on top, and the film bothers you, you can skim it off.

Otherwise, just whisk it back into the drink and it should melt away.

🌶 Adding Spices to Your Hot Chocolate

Cinnamon and nutmeg are classic warm spices, and if that's all you have on hand, you can just use those and still have a really nice cup of cocoa.

If you want to change things up, or be a bit more adventurous, here are a few tips:

• Cinnamon sticks add flavour without adding texture to the drink.
• If you want to use ground cinnamon, add no more than half a teaspoon.
• The longer you leave the star anise pods in the hot chocolate mixture, the stronger the flavour will be. 15 minutes will give you a mild licorice flavour, whereas 2 hours (in the fridge!) will create a pleasant but more intense taste.
• Experiment with adding ground chile pepper to your drink (like chipotle or ancho powder) but only add a very tiny amount. The idea is to add warm flavour to the hot chocolate - not blow out your tastebuds with spiciness!

Regardless of which spices you choose to infuse into your drink, be sure to remove and discard the whole spices after the 2-hours. Any longer, and your hot chocolate is likely to taste bitter and unpleasant.

☕️ The Best Toppings for Hot Chocolate

The best part of hot chocolate is the toppings! Here are some tasty ways to top this warm drink:

• A dollop of whipped cream
• A handful of mini marshmallows
• A dusting of cocoa powder and/or ground cinnamon
• A drizzle of condensed milk