Candy Cane Hot Chocolate
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Easy candy cane hot chocolate is creamy, cozy and full of peppermint flavor and made with real chocolate. This homemade hot chocolate is perfect for Christmas and the holidays, try it for your next Christmas movie night!
Table of Contents
Why We Love Candy Cane Hot Chocolate
- Creamy Chocolate Candy Cane Flavor – This hot chocolate recipe makes a super creamy, cozy cup of peppermint hot chocolate. Not only is it warm and gooey, it has a lot of flavor.
- Perfect For The Holidays – Whip up a small batch of hot chocolate for the holidays, or double or triple it for a larger crowd. This peppermint hot chocolate is perfect paired with a holiday movie, Christmas Eve or even New Year’s Eve.
- No Packets Or Special Ingredients Needed – This recipe is full of simple ingredients that you can easily find in the grocery store.
Ingredients For Candy Cane Hot Chocolate
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions below in the recipe card.
- candy canes crushed, or other crushed peppermints like the round starlight peppermints, those are usually found in the candy aisle near gummy worms, butterscotch, and other more classic candy
- whole milk see notes
- heavy cream
- semi-sweet chocolate chips
- cocoa powder unsweetened
- peppermint extract
- Whipped cream, chocolate sauce, marshmallows, extra peppermint candy cane pieces – optional toppings
How To Make Candy Cane Hot Chocolate
- Unwrap the candy canes and place them in a strong zip-top bag. With a rolling pin or a heavy metal canned good gently crush the candy canes until broken into pieces.
- Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add milk, heavy cream, chocolate chips, crushed candy canes, cocoa powder and peppermint extract to the pot. Blend well with a whisk.
I sometimes will add just a small pinch of salt as it brings out the other flavors in the hot chocolate.
- Continue to stir frequently until chocolate and candy is melted and the pot is at a slow simmer; about 10-15 minutes. The chocolate will look darker as you stir. Lower heat to lowest setting and continue to heat for 15 minutes. Do not let the mixture boil, a slow simmer is okay.
- Serve immediately and enjoy! Top with optional whipped cream or marshmallows and extra candy cane pieces sprinkled on top.
Hot Chocolate Topping Variations
- Try spearmint candies – The green spearmint candy canes or candies can also be used in this recipe. Not only is it warm and gooey, it has a velvety peppermint chocolate taste.
- Use festive marshmallows – Peeps brand has all sorts of fun Christmas or holiday marshamallows that can be added on top of the hot chocolate. I’ve also seen peppermint flavored mini marshmallows sometimes during the holiday season that would be fun for a festive hot chocolate.
- Add Sprinkles – A few festive sprinkles for the holiday season are another fun way to decorate this treat!
How Long Will Candy Cane Hot Chocolate Last?
Expect candy cane hot chocolate will last for about 3-4 days if you store it in a covered airtight container in the refrigerator.
More Ideas You’ll Love
Candy Cane Hot Chocolate
Easy homemade candy cane hot chocolate mixes the flavors of hot chocolate with peppermint candy canes for the perfect Christmas and holiday treat!
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup candy canes crushed, or other crushed peppermints
- 2 ½ cups whole milk see notes
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder unsweetened
- 2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- Whipped cream, chocolate sauce, marshmallows, extra peppermint candy cane pieces optional toppings
Instructions
- Unwrap the candy canes and place them in a strong zip-top bag. With a rolling pin or a heavy metal canned good gently crush the candy canes until broken into pieces.
- Place a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add milk, heavy cream, chocolate chips, crushed candy canes, cocoa powder and peppermint extract to the pot. Blend well with a whisk.
- Continue to stir frequently until chocolate and candy is melted and the pot is at a slow simmer; about 10-15 minutes. The chocolate will look darker as you stir. Lower heat to lowest setting and continue to heat for 15 minutes. Do not let the mixture boil, a slow simmer is okay.
- Serve immediately and enjoy! Top with optional whipped cream or marshmallows and extra candy cane pieces sprinkled on top.
Notes
You can use 2% milk or skim milk also but the hot chocolate will be a lot less creamy.
Half and half or heavy whipping cream can also be used in place of the heavy cream.
Alternative milks that are dairy free can be used in place of both the cream and the milk, but the hot chocolate will not be as creamy. I recommend using oat milk or coconut milk for the best results. I have not tried these alternative with this specific recipe.
5 candy canes equals about 1/3 cup of peppermint candy when you crush them. 12 round peppermint candies (also called starlight mints or star bright mints) is also about 1/3 cup of peppermint candy.
This recipe makes four individual eight ounce servings of candy cane hot chocolate.
Nutrition
Calories: 817kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 65g | Saturated Fat: 39g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 123mg | Sodium: 90mg | Potassium: 756mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 1594IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 294mg | Iron: 5mg
Did You Make This?
I would love to see it! Share your thoughts with me in the comments below!
