Candy Cane Hot Cocoa
Peppermint Hot Cocoa is made with a blend of chocolate, cocoa powder, peppermint tea, and crushed candy canes. This would make a wonderful Christmas hot cocoa!
Creating This Recipe for Peppermint Hot Cocoa
This time of year, Madeline is a broken record when it comes to requests for hot cocoa. I think it is one of the cutest things ever that she loves the tradition of cocoa at Christmastime.
My kids don’t know it, but I look forward to their requests of hot cocoa. Almost as much as they look forward to me making it!
Peppermint hot cocoa is the favorite as of late. Because hot cocoa is super simple to make from scratch, we never buy pre-made mixes.
This Candy Cane Hot Cocoa is perfect for the cold and snowy nights we have here in Colorado. A steaming mug of hot chocolate with Christmas stories before bed is definitely something the kid in me enjoys as well.
For a fun evening activity, pair a mug of Candy Cane Hot Cocoa with a round of Christmas Book Bingo.
Peppermint Hot Cocoa Ingredients
I made this batch of hot cocoa with cocoa powder and dark chocolate. I think a combination of the two creates the richest, creamiest hot cocoa.
For this Christmas hot cocoa recipe, you’ll need:
- Milk (or water)
- Cocoa powder
- Dark chocolate
- Honey
- Peppermint Herbal Tea bags
- Whipped cream and crushed candy canes (optional)
For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.
How to Make Peppermint Hot Cocoa
Making hot cocoa from scratch couldn’t be easier! Here’s an overview of how this recipe is made:
- Combine milk, cocoa powder, dark chocolate, honey and tea bags in a saucepan.
- Bring to boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags.
- Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream and crushed mints.
The above is simply a quick summary of this recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.
How to Warm Up Milk for Hot Cocoa
The best way to warm up milk for hot cocoa is to heat it on the stove. Use a heavy-bottomed saucepan, as milk scalds easily.
As soon as the milk starts to gently bubble, immediately turn the heat down so it stays at a low simmer. You don’t want the milk to come to a rolling boil, as it can burn quickly.
Hot Cocoa Variations to Try
I prefer to infuse our own homemade cocoa with different flavors depending on our mood. Peppermint flavor is just one example, but there are many other ways to customize your hot cocoa.
1. Customize Hot Cocoa with Teas
Herbal teas are a fun way to customize your cup for an extra special flavor. Peppermint, Raspberry, and Orange or Tangerine teas all pair well with chocolate.
In this Christmas hot cocoa recipe, I used some peppermint herbal tea to add the candy cane flavor. Other teas, like chai, provide some really tasty spice elements that pair well with chocolate.
2. Customize Hot Cocoa with Holiday Candies
Holiday candies are fun to place at the bottom of a mug of hot chocolate. Things like homemade fleur de del caramels or fudge melt easily and can be stirred into the drink.
Seasonal flavored Hershey’s Kisses are also fun to try!
3. Customize Hot Cocoa with Whipped Cream
Whipped cream, naturally, goes well on top of hot cocoa. Try flavoring your whipped cream with different extracts or liqueurs.
4. Customize Hot Cocoa with Fun Toppings
Toppings are great too! You can sprinkle things like shredded coconut, toffee bits, nuts, shaved chocolate, or crushed peppermints on top of the whipped cream.
Chopped up bits of candy cane go perfectly on top of the whipped cream in this mug of Candy Cane Hot Cocoa.
5. Customize Hot Cocoa with Marshmallows
Don’t forget to give homemade marshmallows a try sometime. They’re worth the extra effort!
I would definitely give these Chocolate and Peppermint Dipped Marshmallows a try to pair with this peppermint hot cocoa. We also love this recipe for Chocolate Raspberry Vanilla Bean Marshmallows.
More Kid-Friendly Holiday Drinks:
In this Hot Spiced Apple Cider, fresh pressed apple cider and tart pomegranate juice are paired with mulling spices and fresh fruit to create a cozy beverage perfect for sipping during this autumn and winter season.
For this Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate recipe, I infused the milk with a vanilla bean. I also combined vanilla fleur de sel with melted caramel to drizzle in the hot chocolate.
This Pumpkin Spice White Hot Chocolate is infused with real pumpkin puree and plenty of pumpkin spice for a delectable fall drink!
This easy Pumpkin Spice Chai Latte, featuring real pumpkin, can be whipped up in just a few minutes for you to enjoy and warm up with this fall.
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Candy Cane Hot Cocoa
Candy Cane Hot Cocoa is perfect for the cold and snowy nights during the winter!
Ingredients
- 2 cups of water or milk
- 2 tablespoons. cocoa powder
- 1/2 oz. dark chocolate
- 2 tablespoons. honey
- 2 bags Celestial Seasonings Peppermint Herbal Tea
- Whipped Cream
- Candy Canes or Round Peppermints, crushed
Instructions
- Combine 2 cups water or milk, cocoa powder, dark chocolate, honey and tea bags in a saucepan.
- Bring to boil, simmer 5 minutes and remove tea bags. Top with whipped cream and crushed mints.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 222Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 79mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 2gSugar: 25gProtein: 6g
GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.
Disclosure: Celestial Seasonings hired me to photograph a selection of their holiday drinks. I was compensated for my time.
We all enjoyed this recipe for Candy Cane Hot Cocoa so much that I thought it was perfect to share this time of year.
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
This sounds truly perfect. Love the recipe!