Decadent White Hot Chocolate
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If you’re looking for a new twist to your classic hot chocolate, then you’ll love this Decadent White Hot Chocolate! It looks like a fresh coat of snow, and trust me, it totally tastes as good as it looks! Mix and match with your favourite toppings!
You may find it odd that I’m sharing a hot chocolate recipe in March when you may think of this for a Christmas recipe. Well, hey, there’s still a ton of snow here in Canada, people are still skating on the Rideau Canal, and I’m still cold! Plus, who can resist a hot chocolate at any time of the year? It’s just truly a comforting drink! Of course, you can totally save this recipe for Christmas, but I hope you won’t wait that long to try it out!
I’ve actually been loving my hot drinks this winter! Better late than never to indulge! From Starbucks, I’ve recently tried the Sugar Cookie Oat Latte (unfortunately you can’t order it anymore!), the Caramel Macchiato, and right before writing this, the white hot chocolate. My go-to order is a Cafe Mocha, so of course that always has a special place in my heart! I still gotta try the White Chocolate Mocha, but trust me, I will be doing that very soon!
As I said, hot chocolate is comfort in a cup. I had one yesterday with a nice box of poutine on the Rideau Canal - it’s a yearly tradition and I was almost too late! Thankfully I got my dream combo right on time! I’m a huge chocolate lover, and you’ll see this in my S’mores Hot Chocolate recipe, but there sure is a soft spot in my heart for white chocolate.
I don’t know about you, but I view white hot chocolate as a very special and royal delight. Dark chocolate is my favourite, but when there’s white chocolate, you know things are getting fancy! I find white chocolate is very fitting with winter because white is like snow right! Sounds silly, but it’s true! Plus, you just can’t resist that smooth creaminess. White chocolate is truly in its own league! Comment below if you love white chocolate - though I imagine you do if you’re here! And I’m so glad you’re here because if you’re a white chocolate lover, then this will take your hot chocolate game to a whole new level!
What is White Hot Chocolate?
This Decadent White Hot Chocolate recipe is inspired by the Starbucks White Hot Chocolate. The Starbucks version is made by pumping a mysterious a white chocolate sauce, and then steamed milk is added to the cup. It’s finished with some whipped cream. I have to say I literally watched them make the white hot chocolate about 8 hours before I made this recipe, so I can say this confidently that that’s what they do at Starbucks!
What we’ll be doing in this recipe is making our hot chocolate over the stove by boiling milk and adding white chocolate in. It’ll be a bit more involved than what they make at Starbucks, and to be fair, I think it’ll taste a lot better! You’ll see how easy peasy this white chocolate recipe is, and it’s going to be your new favourite hot drink I’m sure!
Don’t forget to watch the video at the bottom of this post to give you a full picture on how to make this amazing White Hot Chocolate recipe! Also, be sure to subscribe to me on YouTube if you haven’t already! I love to share the video recipes to complement the written recipes, as I find a video is more tangible than reading how to make something new. Hit the bell button on YouTube so you’re notified when my video recipes go live to go along with the written recipes! Now let’s get to the recipe!
tips for creamy homemade white hot chocolate
Be careful not to overheat the chocolate or milk, the chocolate may turn split if too hot.
The type and flavour of chocolate you use will change this drink - experiment!
Don’t add sweeteners until the very end, in most cases, the sweetness from the chocolate will be more than enough.
Ingredients for white Hot Chocolate
Time to see the ingredients we’ll need to make this Decadent White Hot Chocolate! You’ll be surprised to see that the ingredient list is quite small, and I’m sure you’ve already got everything on hand! Remember, the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD with all ingredient quantities is at the bottom of this post! You can easily scale all of the ingredients based on how many cups of hot chocolate you plan on making!
Milk: For this Decadent White Hot Chocolate recipe, I’ll be using 2% milk, and this is the standard drink that’s used in making the drink at Starbucks. You could use whole milk for an even creamier texture, and you could even use non-dairy alternatives. I didn’t use whole milk because I’ll be adding cream to add thickness, but if you don’t have cream on hand then go for a whole milk. If you’re using a non-dairy alternative, keep in mind the taste and texture won’t be the same.
Chocolate: Just use your favourite white chocolate bar. Of course you want to look for the best kind out there! At the grocery store, I could only find the Lindt white chocolate, but that’s okay because Lindt is my favourite anyway!
Vanilla extract: A little touch to add a wonderful aroma to our white hot chocolate.
Half and half cream: Half and half cream, also known as 10% fat cream, is the perfect cream combined with 2% milk. This will add extra richness to our hot chocolate. Of course, you could use 18% or even 35% whipping cream if you want a really thick hot chocolate!
Pecans: This is a unique special touch to our hot chocolate. Pecans are sweet and buttery and will add a good finish to the hot chocolate.
Marshmallows: Just some cute mini marshmallows to complete our hot chocolate! You could use large ones if you want, but I dunno how you’d eat them! Please comment below if you have the answer to this!
You may be wondering why there’s no sugar in this recipe but I’ve shown it in the picture above. No, I didn’t forget to write it! White chocolate is quite sweet on its own, so as I was making the white hot chocolate I didn’t find a need to add sugar. If you have a really big sweet tooth, then of course you could add a little touch of table sugar or your favourite sweetener!
How to make decadent white hot chocolate
Add milk to a non-stick saucepan and turn the heat to medium to medium low heat. Stir the milk occasionally as it comes up to a simmer.
Once the milk is steaming, break and add the chocolate bar to the milk. Turn the heat to low and stir/whisk to melt the chocolate.
Stir/whisk occasionally to melt the chocolate and ensure the milk doesn't burn at the bottom. Be careful not to overheat the chocolate or milk, the chocolate may turn split if too hot.
Once the chocolate has completely melted, add vanilla and mix again. Then, add in the cream and whisk well, heat for 1-2 more minutes.
Pour to your serving cups and top with marshmallows. Optionally, roast the marshmallows with a baker's torch.
Using a microplane, grate some pecans and white chocolate.
Serve hot and enjoy!
Can I reheat white hot chocolate?
I do recommend you serve this right away as it’ll be the tastiest when it’s piping hot! However, if you’re like me, you can’t wait to take a sip of your hot beverage as soon as it’s ready, but then once you’ve had that taste, you get busy and totally forget about your drink. I’ve left a mocha for over four hours before!
Is this you as well? Then don’t worry! You can certainly reheat your hot chocolate! To reheat in the microwave, do so in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval to ensure the hot chocolate is entirely warmed through. Otherwise, you can add the hot chocolate back to your pot and reheat it that way. If you’ve left your hot chocolate with hot chocolate or whipped cream, then those toppings have probably melted. Re-top your hot chocolate if desired!
can i make white hot chocolate for a crowd?
I’m sure a crowd would love to enjoy this Decadent White Hot Chocolate! My only advice is to make sure that you have a large enough pot to boil the amount of milk that you need! I made this hot chocolate for two, and my saucepan has enough space to make hot chocolate for about four at most. I would recommend a Dutch oven to make a big batch of hot chocolate, and if you don’t have a Dutch oven, then a wok would be amazing! The wok I use is excellent at retaining heat, and you can really make a huge batch of hot chocolate in it since it’s so huge!
topping ideas for Creamy White Hot Chocolate
I topped my White Hot Chocolate with mini marshmallows and grated pecans and shaved white chocolate. Of course, you can top your Decadent White Hot Chocolate however you’d like! Here are some ideas to switch things up!
Whipped Cream (I recommend my Homemade Whipped Cream!)
Crumbled candy cane
Is there Coffee in a White Hot Chocolate?
No, this recipe doesn’t have any coffee, which is why it’s a Hot Chocolate! However, at the time of writing this, I do plan on sharing a recipe for a White Chocolate Mocha! Sign up for the newsletter at the bottom of this post so you don’t miss when that recipe goes live!
Serving suggestions for white hot chocolate
You could have your White Hot Chocolate with any baked good! I had mine with cookies I made from cookie dough from my Stuffed Cookies! I just didn’t stuff the cookies, and had them as chocolate chip cookies. It was so much fun to dip them in the hot chocolate! You could also enjoy some cinnamon buns, donuts, Buttermilk Pancakes, Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes, Espresso Brownies, or a warm and gooey Protein Skillet Cookie! Of course, this Decadent White Hot Chocolate is amazing on its own! :)
More Recipes with white chocolate!
Watch How to Make white hot chocolate here:
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Starbucks White Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 3 Cups milk
- 7-8 squares of good quality white chocolate bar + more for garnish
- 1/4 Cup Half and half cream
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 Pecans, finely grated
- Handful of Mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Add milk to a non-stick saucepan and turn the heat to medium to medium low heat. Stir the milk occasionally as it comes up to a simmer.
- Once the milk is steaming, break and add the chocolate bar to the milk. Turn the heat to low and stir/whisk to melt the chocolate.
- Once the chocolate has completely melted, add vanilla and mix again. Then, add in the cream and whisk well, heat for 1-2 more minutes.
- Pour to your serving cups and top with marshmallows. Optionally, roast the marshmallows with a baker's torch.
- Using a microplane, grate some pecans and white chocolate and serve hot, and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
550.18Fat (grams)
24.89Sat. Fat (grams)
15.06Carbs (grams)
67.52Fiber (grams)
0.22Net carbs
67.30Sugar (grams)
61.34Protein (grams)
16.13Sodium (milligrams)
251.50Cholesterol (grams)
48.80Nutrition info is an estimate.
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Welcome to Cooking With Anadi. This platform is all about making cooking exciting and finding new ways to bring classic flavours and recipes at your service. Join me in my personal journey in the world of cooking. Hope you have a great ride!
