Last year, I enthusiastically shared my top ideas for making homemade hot chocolate and putting together a hot chocolate bar for events (toppings, add-ins, and other accessories included!). Now I’m adding another option to your party drink collection: sweet and creamy white hot chocolate! This recipe for white hot chocolate is super simple and yields a smooth and decadent drink, combining white chocolate with the milk of your choice (dairy or dairy-free) and a hint of vanilla. The result is super warming, comforting, and a delicious treat for any sweet tooth during the frosty winter months, especially when paired with a gingerbread cookie or some peppermint bark! While I treat this white chocolate milk as an occasional sweet treat, it slots in well in my fall/winter rotation of pumpkin spice lattes, hot mulled “spiced” apple cider (Wassail), and matcha green tea lattes!
The white hot chocolate ingredients
This hot chocolate with white chocolate requires just 3 base ingredients, including:
Milk: I recommend using milk above 2% fat; otherwise, it won’t be creamy enough. For a vegan hot chocolate, use the dairy-free milk of your choice (unsweetened oat milk, cashew milk, or coconut milk are my favorites). White chocolate: You can use store-bought or homemade white chocolate or white chocolate chips (dairy, vegan, or even keto/sugar-free). I recommend using good-quality chocolate, though, for the best flavor and texture. Guittard and Lindt are both delicious. Vanilla: I used vanilla powder. However, you could use vanilla extract or paste in this white chocolate milk.
Optional drink add-Ins
Salt: To balance the sweetness in the white chocolate. Extracts: Natural food-grade extracts/oils are the easiest way to flavor the white chocolate milk mixture. Flavors that pair well include rose (or rose water), lavender, peppermint, cherry, raspberry, orange, lemon, almond, coconut, etc. Use a few drops per serving. Spices: I love experimenting with warming spices like ground cinnamon, nutmeg, gingerbread spice, pumpkin pie spice, etc. Eggnog: Use eggnog in place of milk for a super decadent Christmas treat. Alcohol: If you want to spike the drink, you’ve got plenty of options to choose from. Baileys, Amaretto, Kahlua, bourbon, eggnog, peppermint schnapps, and other spirits/ liqueurs (peppermint, coffee, orange, cherry, chocolate, gingerbread, coconut, raspberry, strawberry, etc.) Orange: Infuse the white chocolate milk naturally by adding the peel/zest of an orange to the saucepan ( strain before serving). For more flavor, use natural orange extract. Matcha: Whisk 1-1 ½ teaspoon of matcha (per serving) into hot water (about ½ cup and reduce the milk by that much). Then pour that into the white hot chocolate and mix well. Coconut white hot chocolate: Use some coconut extract, optionally a teaspoon of coconut butter (for richness), and top with shredded coconut. Strawberry white hot chocolate: Add 1 ½-2 cups of frozen/fresh strawberries. Add to the saucepan when the milk warm. When ready, use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. Use a drop or two of natural red food coloring for bright pink color. Chai spiced: You can either simply add some chai spice powder to the white chocolate milk mixture OR follow my method for Indian Chai, adding 20-25g chocolate per serving. Hot white chocolate mocha: Add a teaspoon of instant espresso powder (adjust amount to taste). Peppermint white hot chocolate: Add peppermint extract and top with crushed peppermint candy.
How to make white hot chocolate?
How to serve white hot chocolate?
My favorite part about making homemade hot chocolate is being able to go crazy with the toppings (especially when entertaining). Here are some of my favorite toppings. Then, heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Once warm, add the white chocolate and the vanilla. Whisk the mixture well until the chocolate has completely melted. Heat the mixture for between 5-8 minutes, bringing it to just under a boil (WITHOUT boiling). Then remove from the heat. If you’re adding any extras, do so with the chocolate. Then, at the end, taste and adjust any of the flavors to personal preference. Transfer the white hot cocoa to mugs, top with your toppings of choice (recommendation below) and enjoy! Then, either serve the white chocolate hot cocoa immediately OR change the crockpot to the KEEP WARM setting.
Whipped cream: or vegan Coconut Whipped Cream; Berries: I love serving this homemade white hot chocolate with raspberries (fresh or freeze-dried). You can also add a sprinkle of any freeze-dried berry powder to garnish. Marshmallows: or vegan marshmallows. Regular or mini. Chocolate shavings/chips: dark chocolate, milk, or white – dairy-free if necessary. Coconut: shredded coconut or coconut flakes/chips work well in hot chocolate with white chocolate (especially if you’ve added coconut butter or extract to the mixture). Nuts: candied or chopped toasted nuts. Peppermint candy: Candy canes, crushed peppermint candy, or peppermint sticks work REALLY well when creating a peppermint white hot chocolate (with peppermint extract). Cookies: Oreos, gingerbread (like this mug topper), pinwheel cookies, Biscoff, etc., can be placed whole in whipped cream or crushed over the top of the drink. Coarse Sea Salt: Just a pinch to enhance the flavors and balance the sweetness. Caramel sauce: Decadent or healthy caramel sauce (vegan) will work. Spices: Like cinnamon or other warming spices.
Recipe notes and top tips
Use high-quality white chocolate: It’s the main flavor in this drink, so it’s essential not to use the stuff that’s ‘cheap and nasty.’ For an even creamier drink: Use half and half or evaporated milk instead of some or all of the milk. Creating a hot chocolate bar for events/parties: Check out my hot chocolate bar post for everything you’ll need, including optional add-ins, toppings, and accessories! To keep the drink warm: If you’re making a large batch of white hot cocoa for an event, you can keep it warm either in a coffee carafe (thermos/flask) OR in a crockpot on the LOW/KEEP WARM setting. Adjust the sweetness: Most white chocolate is already sweet enough that I don’t feel the need to add any additional sweetener. However, do so if preferred. For frothy white hot chocolate: Either use a hand-held milk frother or whisk into the saucepan OR transfer the mixture to a blender and pulse until frothy. For vegan white hot chocolate: Use dairy-free white chocolate and milk.
Other hot drink recipes
Homemade Chocolate Mix – for instant hot cacao Loose Leaf Green Tea How To Make Ginger Tea Easy Masala Chai (Indian Spiced Tea | Chai Latte) Pineapple Skin Tea (Anti-Inflammatory Tea) Date Seed Coffee (Caffeine-Free Coffee Alternative) Healing Mushroom Coffee (Adaptogen Coffee)
If you try this easy white hot chocolate recipe, let me know your thoughts in the comments. I’d also really appreciate a recipe rating and would love to see your recreations—just tag @AlphaFoodie. Reheat: You can reheat the hot chocolate either in the microwave or on the stovetop, whisking/stirring well until warm.
