This post has been sponsored by Dragon Glassware. All opinions expressed are my own.
Today we're preparing a super simple holiday treat that the entire family will love - Eggnog Hot Chocolate. Combining just a handful of basic ingredients, including eggnog, chocolate, and sugar, today's hot chocolate couldn't be easier to prepare.
Perfect for cold wintry nights around the Christmas tree, homemade hot chocolate is something that everyone should have in their holiday recipe repertoire. Now, without further introduction, let's dive right in.
Why You'll Love Today's Hot Chocolate
- Decadently Thick. Homemade hot chocolate is supremely rich, but homemade hot chocolate with eggnog ratchets this up to positively decadent levels. This is a seasonal treat like few others.
- Layers of Flavor. The eggnog, flavored sweetener (or maple syrup, or sugar and vanilla), held together in melted chocolate, creates a wintry mix of flavors that's perfect for icy December evenings.
- A Twist on an Old Favorite. While I love homemade hot chocolate as much as the next home-gourmand, this is a twist on that old time favorite I don't mind getting used to.
How To Sweeten Eggnog Hot Chocolate
There are three ways that I find work best for sweetening today's hot chocolate, and I'll cover those three ways below.
- Natural Sweetener. This is the ideal way to sweeten today's hot chocolate. In my previous hot chocolate recipe, I used Torani Syrup. For today's, I used Torani Italian Eggnog syrup, which plays to the 'eggnog flavor' of today's Eggnog Hot Chocolate. Using Torani's caramel or white chocolate flavors would also be delicious in today's recipe. However, there are other ways to flavor today's hot chocolate.
- Natural Maple Syrup. This is my son's preferred way to sweeten homemade chocolate - and this is usually how he sweetens his whenever he makes it for himself. He describes this as providing a 'pleasantly wintry' flavor to the beverage - I'm still not quite what that means. But I will agree that it gives the hot chocolate a 'very' pleasant background maple flavor, though this comes at the expense of making the hot chocolate ever-so-slightly 'less' sweet. You 'can' use a touch more to account for that slight lack of sweetness, but in my mind that ratchets up the maple flavor just a bit too high for my taste - though preferences vary.
- The Old Fashioned Way - Sugar and Vanilla. Using about three teaspoons of sugar and ¼ teaspoon of vanilla is what I consider the 'old fashioned' way to flavor homemade chocolate, and you really can't go wrong doing this.
Decorating Today's Hot Chocolate - Piece by Piece
- The Whipped Cream. In my opinion, whipped cream simply 'makes' the look of today's hot chocolate. It provides a 'snowy' backdrop for the sprinkles, which in turn give the hot chocolate its Christmas color. It's also simply delicious.
- Red and Green Sprinkles. Classic Christmas colors, not a lot to explain here. However, you can also throw some white sprinkles into the mix to give the white background of the whipped cream a bit of 'shine.'
- Side Garnish - Cinnamon Sticks and Candy Canes. You can either put these directly into the hot chocolate or simply garnish the saucers with these.
Eggnog Hot Cocoa
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1-2 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup eggnog
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh nutmeg, grated
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder
- Whipped Cream for topping
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, whisk together milk, eggnog, nutmeg, and cocoa powder over medium-low heat until incorporated. Whisk regularly until it is hot.
- Serve immediately with fresh whipped cream. Enjoy!
Notes
This recipe yields either (1) 12 oz. mug or (2) 6 oz. cups.
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
More Christmas Favorites
- Candied Cranberries. One of my favorite holiday items - candied cranberries. Tart, sweet, and crisp, this little delicacies are perfect as edible garnish, or as a quick way to add some sharp sweetness or color to a variety of recipes, such as cakes, whipped cream, and as nice bonus they're simply delicious on their own.
- Gingerbread Eggnog Coffee. Yes, I love eggnog. Yes, I love gingerbread. And yes, gingerbread eggnog coffee is as delicious as one might imagine. Grab my recipe for it here.
- Gingerbread Cookies. No holiday table is complete without gingerbread cookies.
And that's our easy recipe for Eggnog Hot Cocoa. If you enjoyed today's recipe or have any questions or suggestions, be sure to let us know in the comments below. We always love hearing from you!
Cheers!
Jacqueline Debono says
What a delicious idea. I love hot chocolate and eggnog too, so this recipe is definitely calling my name!
Heidy says
What an awesome idea---who would have thought Eggnog Hot Cocoa could be so addicting? I loved this recipe, and it's perfect for so many occasions this winter. Saving your Eggnog Hot Cocoa recipe to make again! Happy New Year!
Marta says
I've honestly never thought o combine hot cocoa and eggnog, but this was a fantastic drink!
Veronika says
My mouth is watering! This eggnog hot cocoa looks soooo delicious!I need to make it ASAP!
Leslie says
Chocolate eggnogg? I feel like I've been missing out!! This is no doubt the most perfect recipe for the Holidays.
Chef Dennis says
Oooh My wife is super loving this Eggnog Hot Cocoa! It's really delicious and the combination is perfect.
dishnthekitchen says
How wonderful! I think we have just enough eggnog left over to make this delicious looking Hot Chocolate.
Chef Zeed says
I used a portion of your recipe and a portion of another recipe, used only Lactade milk and Lactade eggnog, to make my wife a cup of pure delight. She is lactose intolerant. My recipe is for those who are of the "thicker is better" minded. I'll leave the ingredients below, I'm quite sure you'll know exactly how to combine them. Oh, and I topped it with homemade whipped cream. I'll even add a few optional additions. I always like to include everyone's tastes in my recipes.
Lactose free, thick and creamy, eggnog hot cocoa.
-3 cups Lactade eggnog (or 2 depending on your taste)
-1 cup Lactade milk (or 2 if using only 2 cups of eggnog)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup 100% pure cocoa powder
- 1/2 to 1 whole cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I love thick hot cocoa and so does my wife, so I used 1 whole cup)
- splash of pure vanilla extract (I'm more heavy handed with vanilla, it's just so yummy)
OPTIONALS: Top with or add to your taste.
- peppermint stick
- cinnamon stick
- cinnamon sprinkle
- whipped cream or frothy milk. I make my own whip cream from scratch ....yummy!
- as much love and holiday spirit as you can muster. Always a must no matter what you're making.
Thank you for the idea. I hope you get a chance to enjoy this recipe.
Living the Gourmet says
Sounds so wonderful! Thank you so much for coming by and taking the time to share your lactose free variation! It is always so much fun to see how my recipes inspire different foodies and fills my heart. Cheers to you and yours this holiday season!! 🙂
Denise says
What a delicious combination! This Eggnog Hot Cocoa is decadent and flavorful, thank you for sharing your recipe!
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer says
Oh wow, what a brilliant flavor marriage! Eggnog and hot cocoa! This definitely made me perk up and instantly crave it! It's super cold out right now and I believe I have all the ingredients on hand! Thank you for sharing such a lovely recipe!
DAVID J MYERS says
Catherine, Very interesting combination! My wife loves hot chocolate and eggnog so this recipe will really get her attention! Merry Christmas! Stay Safe and Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
Catherine says
Dear Dave, I hope that your wife enjoys this recipe if she gives it a try. I know my son enjoyed it very much. I hope that your Christmas was beautiful. Wishing you and Laurie lots of Christmas joy. Please stay safe as well.