A recipe for Dark Hot Cocoa! This quick and easy drink comes together with black cocoa powder, sugar, milk, and vanilla.
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I recently had some leftover black cocoa powder and wanted to try making a fun, kid-friendly drink for Halloween. The result was this Dark Hot Cocoa!
Black cocoa powder is combined with sugar, water, and a pinch of salt. The mixture is place over medium heat until everything is dissolved, then the milk is whisked in and heated through before serving.
For an extra Halloween touch, I topped each mug with frothed milk in the shape of a ghost and lined the glasses with holiday-themed sprinkles.
A Few Hot Cocoa Tips
Heat the black cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and water together first before adding the milk. This will help dissolve the powder and create a more smooth drink.
Keep an eye on the milk while it is heating on the stove. Do not bring to a boil. It should only be steaming and heated through. Milk tends to quickly go from cold to boiling over, especially at the exact second you turn your back.
Add the vanilla extract after removing from heat for the best flavor.
Adjust the amount of sugar/black cocoa powder to milk as desired to taste.
While I topped with Dark Hot Cocoa with frothed milk, you can also serve the drink with marshmallows, whipped cream, and/or sprinkles. Claire prefers a big pile of whipped cream with three chocolate chips to resemble a ghost face.
I also rimmed the glasses with melted dark chocolate and Halloween-themed sprinkles. This is optional, but adds a fun, festive touch.
The Dark Hot Cocoa is best immediately after heating. With time, the chocolate will settle to the bottom of the glass.
Notable Ingredients
I used black cocoa powder to create the deep dark chocolate color and flavor. It can be found in the specialty baking section of some grocery stores or on Amazon: Black Cocoa Powder.
If unavailable, you can substitute with dark cocoa powder or plain unsweetened cocoa powder. The color just won’t be as dark.
Looking for more Halloween inspired recipes?
Try my:
Dark Hot Cocoa Recipe
Adapted from Baking Mischief
Dark Hot Cocoa
Ingredients
Sprinkle Rim:
- 2 ounces (57 grams) dark chocolate chips or chopped
- Sprinkles
Dark Hot Cocoa:
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (38 grams) black cocoa powder
- Pinch salt
- 3/4 cup (180 milliliters) water
- 2 1/2-3 cups (590-710 milliliters) milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
To make the Sprinkle Rim:
- Place the dark chocolate in a shallow, wide bowl and heat in the microwave in 20 second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth.
- Place the sprinkles in another shallow wide bowl or rimmed plate.
- Dip the top of each heat-safe glass in the melted chocolate, then immediately coat in the sprinkles.
- Set aside while you prepare the hot cocoa.
To make the Dark Hot Cocoa:
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, black cocoa powder, salt, and water.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, whisking often, until all the powder has dissolved.
- Slowly whisk in the milk and continue to cook until heated through.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla extract.
- Serve immediately in sprinkle-rimmed heat-safe glasses if desired.
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