There’s nothing cozier than huddling in a blanket on a chilly winter day with a steaming mug of hot chocolate. However, with so many varieties to choose from, the Gamut has sampled and ranked some popular hot chocolate recipes to make the harrowing decision easier!
- French Hot Chocolate
Recreate the Parisian street café experience at home with a cup of this luxurious,bittersweet hot chocolate. Consisting of only whole milk and chopped dark chocolate, the French version of the famed drink is slowly cooked to achieve its signature thick texture. This hot chocolate’s ranking turned out quite controversial: some Gamut staffers found the drink to be too rich and bitter while others favored the chocolate’s deep complexity. For those with a sweet tooth, this drink may be more palatable once topped with whipped cream or a spoonful of sugar.
- Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate with Marshmallow
Renowned for its nostalgia and foolproof convenience, the Swiss Miss instant hot chocolate is the quickest recipe on this list. Overall, most of the Gamut found Swiss Miss to be simply okay — this classic recipe works for those who are lazy or in a time crunch, but the overbearing sugariness diminishes the overall quality of the drink.
- Starbucks Classic Hot Cocoa
The coffee giant’s version of instant hot cocoa was agreed to be a step-up from Swiss Miss. Also a powder-based recipe, this drink had a more authentic chocolate flavor than its household staple competitor. A major drawback to this recipe, though, is the copious amounts of the hot cocoa mix needed to make the taste distinct. Otherwise, it became merely chocolate milk.
- Champurrado
This chocolate-based atole is a warm, comforting hug packed with a subtly spicy punch, and was almost unanimously the class favorite. Most voters agreed that the cinnamon was a refreshing change of pace from traditional hot chocolate. “I was feeling sick but drinking this basically cured my illness. It’s amazing, though it tastes more like creamy milk rather than hot chocolate,” said one Gamut staffer. If the standard hot chocolate has grown tired for you, champurrado may be the perfect substitute.
Though the Gamut has declared its personal winner, all of these delicious hot cocoa recipes can sweeten your winter break!
