Gingerbread hot chocolate is the ultimate cozy winter drink! Made with cocoa powder, molasses, and warm spices, this easy homemade hot chocolate takes just 15 minutes to make.
There’s nothing quite like a warm mug of hot chocolate on a chilly day, and this Gingerbread Hot Chocolate is a festive twist on the classic winter favorite. It’s rich, creamy, and perfectly spiced with all the flavors of gingerbread, like cinnamon, ginger, and molasses.
This recipe comes together in just 15 minutes with simple pantry staples like cocoa powder, milk, and a touch of vanilla. You can easily adjust the sweetness or spice level to suit your taste, and it’s just as delicious with dairy-free milk.
Whether you’re sipping it by the Christmas tree, making it for a holiday movie night, or warming up after playing in the snow, this Gingerbread Hot Chocolate is the perfect warm treat to share with family and friends.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Dark brown sugar: You can use light brown if you prefer.
- Spices: You can adjust the spices according to your tastes.
- Molasses: I don’t recommend using blackstrap molasses as it can be bitter.
- Salt: The pinch of salt helps to balance the hot chocolate out. It doesn’t make it salty.
- Milk: Substitute your favorite type of milk or nondairy milk.
How to make gingerbread hot chocolate
Here you’ll find instructions and step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.
Step 1: In a medium saucepan, combine the first seven ingredients.
Step 1: Gradually stir in milk.
Step 3: Cook, stirring regularly, over medium heat until heated through. You want the hot chocolate to simmer, not boil, so reduce the heat if needed.
Step 4: Remove from heat, and stir in the vanilla.
Step 5: Serve topped with whipped cream.
Recipe Tips!
- Dairy-free: This recipe can easily be made dairy-free by substituting the milk for nondairy milk, like almond milk or oat milk.
- Serving suggestions: You can serve the hot chocolate as-is, with homemade whipped cream, or with gingerbread cookies.
Storage
Store any leftover hot chocolate in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The hot chocolate will keep for 3-4 days when properly stored in the fridge.
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Gingerbread Hot Chocolate
Equipment
- Medium saucepan
Ingredients
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tablespoons molasses not blackstrap
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoons ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- Pinch salt
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Whipped cream
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the first seven ingredients.¼ cup dark brown sugar, ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 ½ tablespoons molasses, 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1½ teaspoons ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground allspice, Pinch salt
- Gradually stir in milk.3 cups whole milk
- Cook, stirring regularly, over medium heat until heated through. You want the hot chocolate to simmer, not boil, so reduce the heat if needed.
- Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Serve topped with whipped cream.
Notes
- Dark brown sugar: You can use light brown if you prefer.
- Spices: You can adjust the spices according to your tastes.
- Molasses: I don’t recommend using blackstrap molasses as it can be bitter.
- Salt: The pinch of salt helps to balance the hot chocolate out. It doesn’t make it salty.
- Milk: Substitute your favorite type of milk or nondairy milk.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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