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Hot Chocolate

Living in Florida, one of the things I miss is the extreme change of seasons. There’s no first warm spring day. And there’s no first snowfall of the year. Since there’s no big change outside, I try to recreate the feeling of the seasons with food and drink inside.

Nothing puts me in mind of the first snowfall like hot chocolate polka-dotted with marshmallows. Give me that mug, a sweater, and Baby It’s Cold Outside from the speakers and I’ll completely forget that it’s 90 degrees outside.

It’s this love of hot chocolate, the recognition that it triggers memories of ice skating, sledding, snow-angels, caroling, and fireplaces for so many people, that made us decide to do a whole topic about it.

Where Did Hot Chocolate Originate?

The first chocolate drinks were made thousands of years ago in Mexico by the Mayans. The Aztecs and other peoples throughout South America made their own versions too but they were different than what we think of as hot chocolate today. In fact, the first chocolate drinks were served cold and unsweetened, having chili peppers added instead. You can try my modern Mexican Hot Chocolate recipe that has cayenne and cinnamon in it.

In the 1500s, Spanish explorers brought back cocoa beans to Europe and it eventually evolved into the sweetened, hot version most people are familiar with today. It was a luxury among the upper classes for hundreds of years, before new processes made it more affordable and accessible to the general public.

Are Hot Chocolate And Hot Cocoa The Same?

While I tend to use the terms pretty interchangeably, technically hot cocoa is made with cocoa powder, sugar, and hot milk. Hot chocolate on the other hand is made with real chocolate, either chocolate chips or a chocolate bar chopped up. The chocolate gets melted into hot milk or cream for a sweet and decadent drink.

You can find all sorts of hot chocolate recipes below including slow cooker hot chocolate for a crowd, frozen hot chocolate, and even a big homemade marshmallow extravaganza. Enjoy!

Hot Chocolate Recipes

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How To Make Hot Cocoa

Hot cocoa is so decadent and delicious, and it only needs 3 ingredients that you probably already have on hand. Enjoy!

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Easy Hot Chocolate with Real Chocolate

Learn how to make hot chocolate using chocolate chips. It only needs three additional ingredients to make it super delicious!

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How To Make Marshmallows

Learn how to make homemade mini marshmallows from scratch. Your hot chocolate will love you for it!

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Frozen Hot Chocolate

Frozen hot chocolate is a great way to enjoy the decadent flavor of winter even if you live in a hot hot place.

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Hot Cocoa Truffle Bombs

These Hot Cocoa Truffle Bombs are just as impressive as the other version. Plus tastier, richer, chocolatier, and cozier – we’re talking warm hug and cable knit blanket kind of cozy.

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Hot Chocolate in the Slow Cooker

Slow cooker hot chocolate is rich, decadent, hot, steamy and soooo easy. Learn how to make a big batch of hot chocolate for a crowd in your slow cooker.

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Boozy Hot Chocolate Guide

Give your hot chocolate a massive upgrade: Add booze. Here’s our boozy hot chocolate guide.

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Hot Chocolate Around the World

4,000 years ago, some believed Hot Chocolate brought wellness and strength. We don’t know about that. But we sure know it tastes good and that’s why people all over the world drink it today.

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Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

The best gifts are homemade. This Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix proves it and you can adjust it to make it perfect for individual tastes!

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Hot Chocolate Toppings

Our guide to the best ever DIY hot chocolate bar with so many great toppings is going to be the biggest party hit you’ve ever seen.

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Christine Pittman

Christine is the founder of TheCookful and also of her blog COOKtheSTORY. Her passion is explaining the WHY behind cooking – Why should you cook things a certain way; Will they turn out if you do it differently; What are the pros and cons of the method? Learn more about Christine, her cookbooks, and her podcast.

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