Mint Hot Chocolate

This easy to make homemade mint hot chocolate features fresh mint steeped in milk and cream. Use your favorite chocolate bar to make this decadent and indulgent beverage.

On chilly nights, there is nothing quite as comforting as a mug of hot chocolate.  None of that instant powdered hot cocoa that you mix with water. I’m talking about real deal hot chocolate made with milk, cream, and your favorite chocolate bar.

Seattle Chocolates sent me a selection of chocolates as part of their #ChocolateGives campaign during the holiday season. The chocolate junkie in me jumped for joy when I opened my box of chocolates.  I had no obligations to write a post or create a recipe, but I was really impressed with Seattle Chocolate’s quality and range of products.

Ingredients

Homemade hot chocolate is super simple to make. This recipe only requires a handful of ingredients: milk, cream, fresh mint, and chocolate bar.

There are many ways to customize hot chocolate to your specific liking. I used a combination of whole milk and heavy cream to make this a rich drink. However, you can make it even more decadent by all heavy cream or half-and-half. Swap in any non-dairy milk alternative of choice. Oat milk, almond milk, or soy milk are great options.

Steep fresh mint into your milk of choice. To extract the most flavor, tear or bruise the mint leaves before adding to the liquids. Steep the mint for about 10-15 minutes, or longer if you prefer. There are several mint varieties to choose from. Spearmint and peppermint are the most common variety.

The final ingredient is chocolate! I used a combination of Seattle Chocolate Meltaway Mint paired with a 72% dark chocolate bar. You may use any chocolate of your choice! Chop up for favorite chocolate bar whether it be white chocolate, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate. This recipe also works with chocolate chips.

Assembly

1. To make this mint infused hot chocolate, place milk and cream in a pot and bring it to a simmer. Remove from heat and add crushed/torn mint leaves. Cover the pot and let the mint steep.
2. Chop up the mint truffle bar.  To balance out the sweet milk chocolate, I also added chopped 72% dark chocolate.  Once mint has steeped, bring milk mixture back to a simmer.
3. Pour hot milk over chopped chocolate.  Stir or whisk to combine until chocolate melts.  That’s it.  It’s time to drink up.

How to extract the most mint flavor

In order to get the most flavor out of mint, it’s best to bruise them.  Essentially you want the oils in the leaf to meet the milk mixture.  (It’s similar to why mint leaves are crushed in mojitos.)

Serving Suggestions

Serve warm, immediately after mixing together. This recipe makes about 2 cups which is a generous serving for two people. Garnish with fresh mint.

Top with whipped cream or marshmallows for added decadence. Mint hot chocolate pairs wonderfully with homemade chocolate marshmallows or vanilla marshmallows. Toasted whipped meringue frosting is another excellent topping choice. Use the recipe from these sweet potato cupcakes for the meringue recipe.

Related Mint Recipes

• Mint Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
• Dark Chocolate Mint Ice Cream
• Mint Mojito Coffee
• Peppermint Patty Cookies