Almond Hot Chocolate Recipe

This Almond Hot Chocolate recipe is inspired by a Starbucks holiday special from a few years ago. A super rich and creamy hot chocolate rounded up with a sweet almond flavor! A great drink to keep you warm during these cold winter days.

Treat yourself with a big cup of piping hot chocolate! Top with some torched marshmallows for some added indulgence, or serve up with a dollop of whipped cream! The perfect drink to make when the hot chocolate cravings kick in on a cold winter day.

If you’re looking a for a sweet treat to warm you up on a dreary winter da, look no further. This post will teach you how to make rich and creamy hot chocolate with a touch of almond flavor at home.

Keep this recipe ready to celebrate national hot chocolate day on the 31. January!

WHY IS THIS RECIPE SO GOOD?

This hot chocolate is inspired by a holiday edition Starbucks drink from a few years ago my brother and I absolutely loved. Unfortunately they did not bring the drink back so we had to start testing recipes to keep being able to enjoy our favorite hot chocolate.

Now I know you may be asking yourself what’s so special about homemade hot chocolate when you could just use a pre-portioned packed cocoa powder mix. You are right, it is much faster. However, in my opinion, nothing tastes better than homemade.

This is why you should make homemade hot chocolate:

• Easy to make: Making super rich and creamy hot chocolate could not be any easier!
• Very quick: All you need are a few minutes. The extra time is worth it!
• Few ingredients: This recipe only asks for 5 ingredients to make you a cup of chocolate goodness.
• Chocolate flavor: Forget chocolate powder! This recipe uses real chocolate melted straight into your milk which gives you a much stronger and richer chocolate flavor.
• Copy Cat: Make a Starbucks drink at home in no time.
• Customize: You can customize your homemade hot chocolate! Make it fit your dietary needs or flavor preference. Plus you know what is in your hot chocolate! You might want to try this Baileys hot chocolate!

INGREDIENTS FOR HOMEMADE ALMOND HOT CHOCOLATE

This recipe only asks for 5 ingredients which usually are easy to get. Here is what you need:

• Chocolate: Use a high quality chocolate bar broken into pieces or chocolate chips. It is recommended to go for the dark or semi-sweet chocolate as the almond paste usually already is very sweet from the added sugar. If you decide to go with any other chocolate like milk or white chocolate it is recommended to add less than the recipe says to reduce the sweetness.
• Milk: Any kind of milk works for this recipe. If you go for cow milk or plant based milk does not matter.
• Heavy Whipping Cream: To make the hot chocolate extra creamy this recipe uses heavy whipping cream.
• Vanilla Bean: A fresh vanilla bean gives the hot chocolate more flavor and depth. Vanilla extract can be used instead.
• Almond Paste: The almond paste is the secret ingredient for the copycat almond hot chocolate. Make sure to use pure almond paste and not marzipan. I usually get this at Coop here in Switzerland. In the US i usually get this.
• Optional Toppings: Top off your hot chocolate with your favorite toppings. Find some suggestions below.

TOPPING SUGGESTIONS:

There are endless options to top off your hot chocolate! Here are some of my favorites:

• Marshmallow
• Grated chocolate
• Whipped Cream
• Frothed milk

HOW TO MAKE BAILEYS HOT CHOCOLATE

This easy to make hot chocolate for two only needs a few minutes of your time to be ready to get indulged . The perfect drink to make when the hot chocolate cravings kick in.

Here is how it is done:

1. Add the milk, heavy whipping cream and chocolate to a small pot.
2. Make a cut in the middle of the vanilla bean to expose the seeds. Scrape out the seeds and add them to the milk mixture. Put the remaining vanilla bean into the pot too. Alternatively you can add vanilla extract after melting the chocolate.
3. Turn the stove onto medium heat.
4. Let simmer and stir the mixture with a whisk or a heat-proof rubber spatula till the chocolate is melted.
5. Once melted turn down the heat to low to let the vanilla sit a bit longer and release its flavor into the hot chocolate.
6. Add 1 generous tablespoon of almond paste and whisk till it dissolved into the hot mixture.
7. Pour the hot chocolate into a cup and add any additional toppings you loke.
8. Enjoy!

Expert tip: Add a pinch of salt to your hot chocolate mix to cut trough the sweetness and give it this gourmet taste!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Q: Can I make this with white chocolate?

A: Yes you can also use white chocolate. As long as there is no filling like nuts in the chocolate you can use whatever you like. However, white chocolate is much sweeter than dark chocolate which I usually use. That is why i recommend cutting down the amount of chocolate you add when using a sweeter chocolate like the white kind.

Q: Can I make this recipe ahead of time?

A: Yes you can prepare the hot chocolate beforehand. Keep the mixture in the pot on the stove on low heat. If you have a “keep warm setting” on your stove even better. You can also let it completely cool down and heat the hot chocolate back up on the stove. If you let your mixture stand around for a long time the milk will form a thin layer on the surface. Simply remove that before pouring the hot chocolate into the cup so you won’t have the pieces in your drink. If you do not plan on drinking it within a few hours keep it in the fridge.

Q: Can I use vanilla extract instead of a vanilla bean for this hot chocolate recipe?

A: Yes you can also use white chocolate. As long as there is no filling like nuts in the chocolate you can use whatever you like. However, white chocolate is much sweeter than dark chocolate which I usually use. That is why i recommend cutting down the amount of chocolate you add when using a sweeter chocolate like the white kind.

Q: Can I make this almond hot chocolate vegan?

A: Yes! Use your favorite plant-based milk and use a vegan chocolate to make this a vegan almond hot chocolate.

If you want to intensify the almond flavor but do not care about the creaminess then almond milk would be a great choice. To make it more creamy use a plant-based cream substitute with not to much flavor of its own. If you can not get a good substitution you can simply leave out the cream.

If you want it to be more creamy and can not get a good cream replacement then oat milk is your way to go. Oat milk is thicker and creamier which makes it perfect for hot chocolate. Make sure to use an oat milk without a strong oat taste.

Replacing the dairy with a plant-based option also makes this a dairy free hot chocolate recipe.

Q: Can I use almond extract for the hot chocolate instead of almond paste?

A: We have tested this recipe with almond extract at first and it does work. However, the flavor is a bit artificial and just not the flavor we were looking for. We do not recommend using the extract but if you do not mind the artificial flavor you can totally use the extract if you can not get the almond paste.

Q: Is this almond hot chocolate recipe gluten free?

A: Yes, as long as you choose a gluten free almond paste you are good to go.

Q: Is hot chocolate healthy?

A: Hot chocolate itself is not really what you would call healthy. However, you can make it a healthier version by using a very dark chocolate with a high % of cocoa and no sugar and use a low fat milk. You can also replace the cream with milk. The almond paste does contain sugar tough and is important for the flavor.

OTHER WARMING DRINKS YOU MIGHT LIKE:

• BAILEYS HOT CHOCOLATE IN 5 MINUTES
• CARAMEL APPLE HOT TODDY
• PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE MADE AT HOME