Our family loves hot chocolate. We like to get a little fancy with it and have fun coming up with different flavor combinations. Hot chocolate is hard to mess up. It’s a great way to have kids do some creative cooking.
I have a selection of coffee syrups. Our favorite flavors are vanilla, caramel, peppermint, and raspberry. Here are some of our favorite combinations. I also like to mix a mug with ½ coffee and ½ flavored hot chocolate. Not only is it fewer calories, but it tastes like a fancy coffee store treat.
Peppermint: Add either a splash of peppermint syrup OR stir the hot chocolate with a candy cane. As the candy melts, the peppermint flavor will fill the hot chocolate. Small peppermint candies work for this, too. Andes mints are incredible!
Caramel: Add a splash of caramel syrup, OR a spoonful or two of caramel ice cream topping, OR butterscotch baking chips, OR even a couple of caramel candies. It’s like drinking a candy bar.
Raspberry: Add a splash of raspberry coffee syrup, OR stir in a few of those raspberry candies. They are hard to find other than at Christmastime.
Cinnamon: Something about cinnamon is extra warming. Add a sprinkle or two of cinnamon or cinnamon sugar mix to the hot chocolate and stir. If you have vanilla coffee syrup a splash seems to enhance the flavor.
To top off the hot chocolates, my kids think whipped cream is a must. Not only does it make the hot chocolates look beautiful and fancy, it makes the drink taste extra creamy and delicious. Marshmallows are fun, too. Candy sprinkles from sugar cooking baking don’t really add to the taste. But those colorful sprinkles on top of whipped cream make the drink look extra fancy and festive.
Consider candy bars, baking chips, crushed or whole flavored candies and sticks for experimenting. And those flavored coffee creamers work great in hot chocolate, too! The combinations are endless. Have fun experimenting!
Also See:
The Hot Chocolate Bar and Hot Vanilla
Frugal Food: Make Your Own Hot Chocolate Mix