Easy Peppermint Hot Chocolate

I don't know about you, but the moment December rolls around, you will not find me without a cup of hot chocolate in my hand. Well, okay, maybe I lied a little. I am hoping that you can't find me without a cup... especially if we are talking about a cup of easy peppermint hot chocolate.

Growing up, I used to make instant hot chocolate from those little packets. You know, the ones that you mix with hot water and somehow they taste like you are drinking hot water with a little side of cocoa. Maybe I just added too much water, but they always turned out to be too diluted for me.

Ever since I discovered how to make real hot chocolate, I have never gone back. There is just no reason to when it is this easy (we are talking 5 minutes) to make it homemade. All it takes it mixing together creamy milk, decadent chocolate, and minty crushed candy canes. Five minutes later and you have yourself a cup of winter heaven! In fact, you can make this festive drink without the candy canes and you will have good old regular hot chocolate. So you are basically getting 2 recipes in 1.

How to Make the Perfect Hot Chocolate

1. milk - milk just makes your hot chocolate more creamy, thick and rich. If you want to go dairy-free, you can substitute this with water and still get good results, but just not as creamy.
2. chocolate - the key to getting a sweet hot chocolate is to use milk chocolate. Then you don't need to add extra sugar to sweeten up your drink.
3. candy canes - this is my favourite part of this drink because let's face it, who doesn't love a little extra holiday touch. If you don't have candy canes, you can add a pinch of peppermint extract instead.

I also love to dip some sweets into my hot chocolate. It must be the Spanish influence on me (I was born in Spain!). Some of my favourites for dipping are: banana bread, brown sugar bundt cake, and pumpkin scones.

Recipe

Easy Peppermint Hot Chocolate

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★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Sam | Ahead of Thyme
• Total Time: 7 minutes
• Yield: 2 servings

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Description

Make yourself a festive holiday drink in 5 minutes by combining creamy milk, chocolate, and minty candy canes for a cup of easy peppermint hot chocolate.

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Ingredients

• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1 large mint-flavored candy cane, crushed and divided
• whipped cream, for topping (optional)

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Instructions

1. Bring milk to a simmer over medium heat. Turn heat down to low and add chocolate and half of the crushed candy cane. Whisk until chocolate and candy cane has melted, about 3-4 minutes.
2. Pour hot chocolate into two cups and top with whipped cream and the remaining crushed candy cane.

Notes

• Make homemade whipped cream: Combine ½ cup heavy cream and 2 tablespoons of icing sugar in a small bowl. With a hand mixer, whip until medium peaks form.

• Prep Time: 2 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Category: Drink