White Hot Chocolate
This white hot chocolate is creamy, rich, and lightly flavored with vanilla. It’s a cozy, warm drink perfect for pairing with your favorite pancake recipe!
Traditional hot cocoa is delicious, but there’s something to be said for a mug of creamy white hot chocolate.
White chocolate doesn’t just have a creamy texture, it also has a creamy, mild flavor. It doesn’t taste like chocolate, it just tastes… well, creamy! A good white chocolate is rich and buttery, with subtle notes of vanilla.
When white chocolate is combined with milk and cream to make white hot chocolate, it plays up that dairy flavor, creating an indulgent concoction perfect for sipping on a chilly morning. If you enjoyed our white chocolate pancake recipe, this white hot chocolate is a must-make!
About this white hot chocolate recipe
Making hot chocolate from scratch, including this white hot chocolate, is super easy and totally worth it. While powdered instant hot chocolate mixes are convenient, they just don’t match the taste and texture you get from melting actual chocolate into milk and cream.
Because white chocolate is naturally sweeter than dark chocolate—and because it’s caffeine-free!—this white hot chocolate is a great recipe for kids. Try topping it with a marshmallow snowman for a really fun treat! Even better, the color and mild flavor makes it easy to come up with fun hot chocolate creations! Keep reading for some of our favorite ideas.
What you need
- Whole milk – Whole milk will yield the creamiest results!
- White chocolate chips – Splurge on the high quality white chocolate chips. It makes a real difference here since white chocolate is the star of the show! You can also use a chopped white chocolate bar.
- Heavy cream – The addition of heavy cream will make your cocoa taste super decadent and rich tasting!
- Vanilla – Use vanilla extract, or if you’d like, you can use fresh vanilla bean for a more pronounced flavor. Scrape the seeds and steep the bean in the saucepan while the hot chocolate simmers.
- Whipped cream, ground nutmeg, and additional white chocolate chips for garnish
How to make it
Combine the ingredients. In a medium saucepan, heat all the ingredients over medium heat, stirring constantly.
Simmer. Once the chocolate has melted, cook for another 3 minutes, continuing to stir constantly. Don’t let the mixture come to a boil.
Serve. Divide the white hot chocolate into two mugs and garnish with the whipped cream, nutmeg, and white chocolate chips.
FAQs
White hot chocolate tastes creamy, rich, and a little bit buttery, with subtle notes of vanilla. It’s delicious!
No, there’s no caffeine in white hot chocolate. This is because white chocolate is made by removing all of the cocoa solids, and it’s the cocoa solids that contain caffeine.
White chocolate is made with only the cocoa butter from cocoa beans; all of the cocoa solids are removed. Milk and dark chocolate have varying amounts of cocoa solids, which is where the percentages on the packaging comes from.
How to make this white hot chocolate your own
White hot chocolate is your perfect canvas for customization! Here are some of our favorite ideas:
- Make it in the microwave. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl or large glass measuring cup and heat it in 20-second intervals, stirring after each.
- Add flavored whipped cream. We have lots of options! Try lemon whipped cream, cinnamon whipped cream, or coffee whipped cream.
- Make it minty. Add a drop of peppermint extract and garnish with crushed candy canes, a la our peppermint hot chocolate. Pair with mint chocolate chip pancakes.
- Add a splash of caffeine. A shot or two of espresso makes this white hot chocolate the perfect mid-morning pick-me-up. You might also love our mocha frappuccino.
- Make it fun. Add colorful mini marshmallows, pink food coloring, and sparkly sanding sugar for unicorn hot chocolate! Pair with unicorn pancakes, of course!
Make Ahead Ideas
If you’d like, you can make white hot chocolate ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to drink it. Because the recipe is so simple and because it only makes two servings, you’ll probably just want to make it fresh!
Storage Suggestions
Store white hot chocolate in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing it.
Reheating Tips
You can reheat chilled white hot chocolate in the microwave or on the stovetop in a small saucepan until it’s warmed through. Just make sure it doesn’t come to a boil!
More hot chocolate recipes
Get the Recipe: White Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 5 ounces white chocolate chips
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- whipped cream, ground nutmeg, and additional white chocolate chips for garnish
Instructions
- In a medium sized pot, heat all the ingredients over medium heat, stirring constantly to melt the chocolate, about 5 minutes.
- Once the chocolate has melted, continue to stir for an additional 3 minutes or until heated through. Do not boil.
- Pour into mugs and serve warm with whipped cream, nutmeg, and additional white chocolate chips for garnish.
Notes
- Nutrition information does not include toppings.
- If you prefer a less sweet hot chocolate, you can reduce the amount of white chocolate chips by 1-2 ounces.