Salted caramel hot chocolate is a sweet, warm beverage that's perfect for winter weather. Homemade caramel sauce is blended with chocolate chips and milk, then topped with homemade whipped cream.
Hot chocolate is the perfect winter beverage. I like to keep homemade hot chocolate mix on hand for anytime the mood strikes. Slow cooker hot chocolate is great for bigger gatherings like Christmas and New Year's Eve.
If you've got a sweet tooth, you're going to love this recipe for salted caramel hot chocolate. It's made entirely from scratch with simple ingredients you may already have on hand in the pantry!
First, you'll make a homemade caramel sauce on the stove top. Next, you'll add your remaining hot chocolate ingredients and warm them up until ready to serve.
I've also included an easy whipped cream recipe if you're feeling inclined to make your own - it's decadent, rich, and totally worth it! It's a nice topping alternative to the standard marshmallows.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Brown sugar - Needed to make the caramel sauce we're using to sweeten our hot chocolate as well as use as a garnish.
- Salt - Just a hint of salt enhances the flavor of the caramel sauce without making it overwhelmingly salty.
- Butter - Melts with the brown sugar to create a caramel sauce. Salted or unsalted butter works in this recipe.
- Milk - You'll need a splash of milk to make your caramel sauce as well as more milk to create the hot chocolate. I recommend whole milk for best flavor and texture, but any milk can work in this recipe. Keep in mind that lower fat milks like 1% or skim milk will make your hot chocolate thinner.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips - Add rich chocolate flavor to the hot chocolate. I do not recommend using milk chocolate chips because your hot chocolate will turn out very sweet.
- Confectioner's sugar - If you'd like to make the optional whipped cream, you'll need confectioner's sugar, which melts seamlessly into the heavy cream.
- Heavy cream - The base of the homemade whipped cream. Heavy cream is necessary because it contains enough milkfat to be whipped and hold its shape. Lower fat dairy products like half & half or milk will not work to make whipped cream.
Tips and tricks
Making caramel sauce - Making a caramel sauce from scratch is easier than you think. Add your ingredients to a saucepan and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly.
Reserve caramel sauce - Optionally, reserve two tablespoons of the caramel sauce to use as a garnish for your mugs of hot chocolate.
Chocolate chips - I prefer to use semi-sweet chocolate chips for rich chocolate flavor without the extra sweetness. The caramel sauce adds plenty of sweetness to this recipe without added sugar from milk chocolate chips. Don't have chocolate chips on hand? Chopped semi-sweet baking chocolate works great as a substitute (it's what I use in my slow cooker hot chocolate recipe).
Storage
Leftover hot chocolate will keep in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Once you're done serving your hot chocolate, promptly transfer it to a sealed container and transfer to the refrigerator.
Any hot chocolate that has been sitting out in the 'danger zone' (between 41 degrees and 135 degrees Fahrenheit) for 2 hours or more should be discarded.
Frequently asked questions
Marshmallows, chocolate shavings, whipped cream (recipe included below), sprinkles, a small candy cane, caramel drizzle, and sea salt all make great garnishes for your salted caramel hot chocolate.
Yes, use an equal weight (170 grams) of chopped baking chocolate to substitute the chocolate chips in the recipe card.
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📖 Recipe
Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
Hot chocolate
- ½ cup (106 g) brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 ¾ cups (850 g) milk, divided
- 1 cup (170 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Whipped cream (optional)
- ½ cup (113 g) heavy cream, cold
- 1 tablespoon confectioner's sugar
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add brown sugar, butter, salt, and ¼ cup of milk. Stir until ingredients have melted and incorporated. Bring to a simmer and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until caramel has thickened slightly.
- Optionally, reserve 2 tablespoons of caramel sauce to use as a topping.
- Add remaining milk and chocolate chips to the saucepan of caramel. Whisk to incorporate, and continue stirring until chocolate has melted. Tiny bits of chocolate will be visible in your hot chocolate.
- Warm for another 1-2 minutes, or until hot chocolate is heated to your liking. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
Whipped Cream (optional)
- In a bowl, add cold heavy cream and confectioner's sugar. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, whip for about 1-2 minutes, or until stiff peaks form. Add a dollop on top of each mug of hot chocolate just before serving.
- Optionally, top your hot chocolate with chocolate shavings, sea salt, and reserved caramel.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- This recipe will make four large servings (think big coffee mugs), or six smaller servings.
- If omitting whipped cream topping, subtract 114 calories from each serving of hot chocolate.
- Using chocolate chips in hot chocolate will leave beautiful flecks of chocolate throughout your drink. Some will rise to the top as it sits, giving an ombre effect to your drink.
- Chocolate chips can be substituted with chopped semi-sweet baking chocolate.
- Leftover hot chocolate will keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
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