Frozen Hot Chocolate

I know winter is the perfect time to curl up with a mug of hot cocoa, but I’ll be honest: I like my treats cold! I’m the kind of gal who orders cold brew coffee all year round and will happily stop for fast-food ice cream even when temps are well below freezing. So how do I combine my appreciation for hot drinks with chocolate and my love of all things chilly? With a frozen hot chocolate recipe!

You’re probably thinking, can you even make cold hot chocolate? I get it—it’s definitely an oxymoron. But it’s possible to turn winter’s favorite drink into an icy treat worth enjoying no matter the weather.

What is frozen hot chocolate?

Frozen hot chocolate is just what it sounds like: Hot chocolate blended with ice to make an indulgent frozen treat. The result is an exceptionally chocolaty drink that’s as rich as it is refreshing! The most famous restaurant version is from Serendipity 3 in New York, but it’s easy to learn how to make frozen hot chocolate at home.

When learning how to make frozen hot chocolate, we start with the basics: real chocolate. The foundation of a great hot chocolate—frozen or otherwise—is a fantastic chocolaty base. Making homemade rich hot chocolate from scratch tastes much better than powdered hot chocolate mixes. It takes only 15 minutes, and you can make it ahead if you’re running short on time.

Frozen Hot Chocolate Ingredients

Taste Recipes

• Milk: We use milk to make the hot chocolate base. Feel free to use half-and-half or heavy cream to amp up the richness, or use nondairy milk to make frozen vegan hot chocolate.
• Chocolate and baking cocoa: Combining chopped chocolate and baking cocoa creates hot chocolate with a thicker, creamier texture than powder alone. Just make sure you use cocoa powder made with 100% cacao. Hot chocolate mixes contain added ingredients, so they can make this frozen hot chocolate recipe taste too sweet.
• Confectioners’ sugar: This fine, powdered sugar blends easily into the hot chocolate base. We don’t recommend substituting another type of sugar. Confectioners’ sugar also contains cornstarch, which helps thicken the drink.
• Ice cubes: The best blender should be high-powered enough to handle regular ice cubes, but low-powered blenders work better with crushed ice.
• Vanilla extract: Vanilla brings out the chocolate’s richness and tones down the sweetness for a more well-rounded hot chocolate. Feel free to substitute other flavored extracts, like peppermint extract to make an irresistible mint chocolate treat.
• Optional garnishes: Top your frozen hot chocolate recipe with miniature marshmallows, whipped cream or sprinkles.

Directions

Step 1: Make the hot chocolate base

Taste Recipes

In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup milk with the chocolate, cocoa powder and confectioners’ sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth, about three minutes.

Editor’s Tip: Keep the heat low enough so the mixture doesn’t come to a boil—don’t let it boil at all. Too-hot temperatures can cause the chocolate to seize up, creating a gritty hot chocolate.

Step 2: Blend the frozen hot chocolate

Taste Recipes

Transfer the chocolate mixture to a blender. Add the ice, vanilla and remaining 1 cup milk. Cover and blend until smooth.

Step 3: Garnish as desired

Pour the frozen hot chocolate into a glass. Garnish with toppings as desired.

Editor’s Tip: I like a big dollop of homemade whipped cream and chocolate shavings on my frozen hot chocolate. But you can mix it up however you like with sprinkles, caramel, crushed peppermint candies or any other toppings you love.

Taste Recipes

Recipe Variations

• Add coffee: Use frozen cold-brew coffee ice cubes to blend the hot chocolate, or add brewed or instant coffee to give the drink a hot chocolate coffee vibe. You could also top the drink with coffee whipped cream to add a caffeinated finish.
• Make it boozy: Add Irish cream liqueur, creme de cacao or coffee liqueur (as in our homemade Kahlua recipe) to make a frozen version of spiked hot chocolate.
• Spice it up: Blend in a pinch of ground cinnamon to make this frozen drink taste like Mexican hot chocolate, or add other warming spices like ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves and allspice to create pumpkin-spiced hot chocolate.

How to Store Frozen Hot Chocolate

Like most frozen drinks, frozen hot chocolate doesn’t store well. We recommend enjoying it just after blending so it doesn’t melt. If you end up with leftovers, store them in a jar with a tightly fitted lid in the fridge for up to three days. Reblend the drink with extra ice just before serving.

Can you freeze frozen hot chocolate?

Surprisingly enough, we don’t recommend freezing this frozen hot chocolate recipe. The smooth drink can become gritty and crystalized in the freezer. If you must store frozen hot chocolate in the freezer, don’t keep it for longer than a week. Let the contents thaw completely, and reblend the drink with ice before serving.

Can you make frozen hot chocolate ahead of time?

You can make the hot chocolate base for frozen hot chocolate up to three days ahead of time. After making the base, let it cool slightly. Transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to three days. When you’re ready to make frozen hot chocolate, transfer the mixture to the blender and proceed as directed.

Frozen Hot Chocolate Tips

What type of chocolate should you use for frozen hot chocolate?

You can use any type of baking chocolate to make a frozen hot chocolate recipe. Use semisweet chocolate for a balanced sweetness or dark chocolate to lean into chocolate’s bitter character. For a sweeter drink, swap in milk chocolate or candy bars.

Can you make frozen hot chocolate with chocolate milk?

We use regular milk to make our frozen hot chocolate, but you can absolutely start with chocolate milk to boost the chocolaty flavor. Feel free to experiment with chocolate-flavored dairy-free milk alternatives too.