White Hot Chocolate

Warm up with a cup of creamy White Hot Chocolate made right in your own kitchen! This hot chocolate with white chocolate chips cooks on the stove top in one pot. Don’t forget to serve with some whipped cream and white chocolate curls. 

Be sure and try my Andes Mint Hot Chocolate for a mint + chocolate version of homemade hot chocolate. 

White Hot Chocolate Recipe

Welcome to my December of Christmas Treats here on the blog! I just love all the Christmas goodies and treats during the Holiday season and I have so many delicious things to share with y’all. So get ready for lots of sweet treats for this month. No need for dinner, right?! Just sugar 😉 

Starting things off with this luscious, sweet, and creamy white hot chocolate. All you need is a stove top and one pot to make it plus a few other easy ingredients like whole fat milk, good quality white chocolate chips, vanilla extract, and of course all the toppings!

Learn how to make this white hot cocoa recipe with all my tips for success. I hope you love this one!

Ingredients Needed

• Whole Milk : You want the fat from the whole milk which is what will make this hot chocolate creamy and rich tasting. Do not use anything below whole milk for this recipe. You can use half and half for an extra creamy version of this recipe, if wanted. 
• White Chocolate Chips : It’s so important to use good quality white chocolate chips. They will melt smoother, more creamy, and they have a much better ‘real’ white chocolate flavor to them. I only recommend using the Ghiradelli brand or Guittard brand of white chips. The Nestle brand, store brand, or even Hershey’s brand are all vanilla flavored white chips and not white chocolate. You will get much better flavor when using good quality white chocolate chips. 
• Pure Vanilla Extract : For the best and most authentic vanilla flavor use pure vanilla extract instead of imitation. 
• Salt : This may seem unnecessary in hot cocoa but it adds a lot and helps to balance the rich sweetness from the white chocolate. I recommend using it but you can easily omit the salt entirely if wanted. I prefer using sea salt or kosher salt.
• White Chocolate Bar + Mini Marshmallows + Whipped Cream : These are the toppings and you don’t want to forget them. I use a can of spray whipped cream because it’s super easy and tastes good. Grab a white chocolate bar (from the candy aisle alongside the other fancier chocolate bars) and use a vegetable peeler to ‘peel’ curls of chocolate from the long side of the chocolate bar. Mini marshmallows are always a good idea too. 

How To Make White Hot Chocolate with White Chocolate Chips

Learn how to make homemade white hot chocolate. It’s easier than you think with only 4 simple ingredients + garnishes! 

• Milk : In a medium saucepan, over medium-low heat, add the milk and heat it up until it’s hot. You will know when it has reached this point because the edges will begin to froth (as seen in the picture below) and you might see some steam coming off the milk. 
• White Hot Chocolate : Once the milk is warmed throughly, add the white chocolate chips, vanilla extract, and just a tiny pinch of salt. Stir and let it cook and warm throughout, and make sure the white chocolate chips are melted in smoothly. 
• Serve : Pour into a mug and top each one off with mini marshmallows and white chocolate bar curls OR try topping it off with whipped cream and some white chocolate curls. Or all three!

Hot Chocolate FAQ’s

• Serving Options for White Hot Chocolate

  • Mini Marshmallows : Use the plain marshmallows or try using some of those fancier hot cocoa marshmallow toppers that come in different flavors. 
  • White Chocolate Curls : These are easy to make with a white chocolate bar + a vegetable peeler. Peel along the longest side of the candy bar and let the curls fall on top of the mug of hot cocoa. You could also use a white chocolate peppermint bar (from the Christmas candy aisle) and make curls from that. 
  • Whipped Cream : Make it easy and buy a can of spray whipped cream from the store. You can also make your own of use Cool Whip if wanted. 

• What White Chocolate is Best To Use for Homemade Hot Cocoa?

  • It’s best to use good quality white chocolate chips when making this recipe. I recommend the Guittard brand or Ghiradelli brand. If all you have is a store brand, Nestle brand, etc. then they will work just fine. For the best flavor and ‘real’ white chocolate taste I just suggest using a name brand. 

• Substitution Ideas

  • There are not really any substitutions that I recommend for this recipe. However, if you wanted a really creamy & rich version of white hot cocoa then try using half and half milk. I absolutely do not recommend using anything lower in fat than whole milk. Of course you could if you wanted, and it would work out, but the taste won’t be as rich and the hot chocolate won’t be very thick. 

• How To Store Leftovers

  • If you have any hot chocolate leftovers then store them covered, in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to 3 days. I think this white hot chocolate is best served immediately but leftovers can be warmed up again and served. 

• How To Reheat Leftover Hot Chocolate

  • To reheat leftover hot chocolate you can do this two ways. Pour it back into a saucepan and warm it up, making sure to keep the heat at medium-low, and stir it frequently to avoid scalding or burning of the milk. You can also warm up a mug of white hot chocolate inside the microwave until heated through. 

Recipe Tips

Here are a few of my helpful tips so that you can have success recreating this recipe in your own kitchen ♥

• Good Quality White Chocolate Chips : Because of the few ingredients it’s important use a really good quality white chocolate for the best flavor. I only recommend using Guittard white chocolate chips or Ghiradelli white chocolate chips. The store brands and cheaper brands are vanilla flavored white chips. But again, if you have Nestle white chips or store brand in your pantry then use those. They will work just fine, but for the best flavor I recommend using one of the other brands.
• Use Pure Vanilla Extract : For the best real vanilla flavor only use pure vanilla extract. 
• Full-Fat Dairy : No substitutes for the dairy! You need the higher fat content from the whole milk. Don’t use anything less than whole milk. If wanted, you can use half and half for a really rich & creamy hot cocoa treat. 
• Serve with Toppings : Don’t forget the toppings. They add so much to the final taste of the hot cocoa. I recommend using a store-bought spray can of whipped cream or you can get really fancy and make your own. Mini marshmallows are a great idea. You can also buy some of those fancy marshmallow toppers like the peppermint ones or whatever other flavor you can find. The white chocolate curls are easy to do and they look really pretty too!

More White Chocolate Recipes You’ll Love

• White Chocolate Berries & Cream Pie – An easy pie with a graham cracker crust, a layer of white chocolate, and then a creamy berries & pudding filling. 
• White Chocolate Macadamia Cookie Bars – Buttery, nutty, and just plain delicious. 
• White Chocolate Peppermint Pie – Oreo chocolate crust pairs perfectly with the cool peppermint and sweet white chocolate filling. 
• White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Pudding Cookies – A white chocolate pudding mix is the secret ingredient for these cookies.