I made an impulse buy the other day… one of those little packets of Mexican hot cocoa mix. I constantly crave hot cocoa this time of year so I thought I’d give this Mexican hot cocoa a shot. I already knew that I liked the combination of chocolate and chiles, so I figured this would be a home run. Unfortunately, it was less than impressive. Much less. As usual, I thought, “I could do this better!” So I made my own Spicy Hot Cocoa. And it’s good. REAL good.
My version, although unbelievably simple, truly WOW-ed me. Seriously. I know you’re supposed to use really high-quality cocoa and high-quality spices for this, but I just used my run of the mill pantry basics and got a really rich cocoa with a nice earthy and spicy kick. I don’t think I can ever go back to plain hot cocoa again.
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Chocolate and Chiles, An Ancient Combo
Adding a little spicy kick to chocolate is nothing new. In fact, it dates back to ancient civilizations of Central America, where chocolate originates. The Mayan and Aztec civilizations drank an unsweetened, bitter chocolate drink that was often flavored with chiles. You can still find recipes for the authentic “xocoatl” drink today.
What Does This Spicy Hot Cocoa Taste Like?
The cinnamon in this cocoa adds a little depth, earthiness, and warmth that regular hot cocoa doesn’t have. Thanks to the molasses in brown sugar, the flavor is a little more rich than cocoa sweetened with white sugar. Then the pinch of cayenne provides just the right amount of burn in the back of my throat to make you giggle with glee. This stuff is awesome.
Just a fair warning – the spices do not totally dissolve in milk because, well, they’re not soluble. So, there will be some sediment on the bottom of your mug. If you’re a French press coffee drinker, this will not bother you.
Make a Big Batch for Gifts
Want to make a bunch of the mix to give as a gift? Here are the quantities to make 2 cups of cocoa mix:
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Use 2 tablespoons of cocoa mix per 8 ounces of hot milk.
I’d also gift wrap some homemade biscotti or snickerdoodles to gift alongside it. :)
This Spicy Hot Cocoa is really good topped with whipped cream as well. Check out my tutorial on how to make homemade whipped cream (it only takes 5 minutes)!
Can I Use Non-Dairy Milk?
Yes, absolutely! I think almond, soy, coconut, or oat milk would all work great in this recipe!
Spicy Hot Cocoa
Servings 1Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder ($0.04)
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon ($0.02)
- 1/16 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.01)
- 8 oz milk (2% fat or higher) ($0.25)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the cocoa powder, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cayenne.
- Heat the milk until hot, but not boiling. (Heat in a small sauce pan over medium-low, whisking often, or microwave for about 1.5 – 2 minutes).
- Once the milk is hot, whisk in the cocoa and spices. Drink. Be happy.
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Nutrition
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If spicy isn’t your thing, check out my classic Homemade Hot Chocolate recipe!
How to Make Spicy Hot Cocoa – Step By Step Photos
This is all that is needed to take cocoa from “yum” to “warm fuzzies all over”: 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and 1/16 tsp cayenne pepper. To measure the cayenne pepper, I just filled my 1/8th tsp measuring spoon half way. If you’re sensitive to spices, try just a pinch of cayenne first… a pinch would probably be like 1/32. Of course, that’s just a guess.
You don’t have to mix the spices and sugar together before adding them to the milk, but I find it a bit easier this way. It will still be a little lumpy because of the moisture in the brown sugar.
Heat 8oz. of milk over medium-low heat, stirring often, until hot. Or, you can just use a microwave (1.5-2 minutes is usually good).
Once hot, whisk the mixed cocoa and spices into the milk.
Whisk until everything is pretty well combined. There will likely be a little sediment on the bottom, but not a huge amount.
Pour the Spicy Hot Cocoa into a mug and enjoy!
This Spicy Hot Cocoa is the ULTIMATE soul warmer.
Would almond milk work if you’re dairy free?
Yes, you can use any dairy or non-dairy milk for this, just keep in mind that some types of milk are more creamy than others and that will affect the creaminess of the hot cocoa. :)
My household fell in love with this in December. My son who is away at college asked for the Spicy Hot Chocolate Mix above cookies for Valentine’s Day. I’ll send both, but I can’t think of a higher praise.
Great recipe. Very tasty. Thank you.
Fantastic.
My new favorite hot cocoa mix!
I MIGHT be guilty of adding more cayenne than called for, but that’s my business.
I also make 10 servings at a time so I can keep it in a pretty jar.
<3
SO GOOD!!! Made a double batch for myself today (I like big mugs, and I cannot lie ;) and it was just perfect for a wintery work at home day. Definitely helped my spirits and made my day.
So delicious 🤤🤤 will be perfect to pack in a thermos for long ski days.
Is the tbsp of brown sugar packed or unpacked?
Packed :)
Thanks
This is so delicious!
This looks like it might be just the Christmas gift I’m looking for! What are your thoughts on how well it might keep and the best way to store it?
I would store it in an air-tight container and as long as no moisture gets in, it should stay good almost indefinitely! All the ingredients are shelf stable on their own, and they should also be once mixed.
“Drink. Be happy.”
Can confirm. I’m happy now.
This is wonderful. I mix with water for health reasons. My blood pressure has dropped 5 puts. Since this replaced my coffee.
I was too lazy to get measuring spoons, so I just estimated, and the result was a bitter, somewhat sweet drink that leaves a burn in the back of your throat. I’ve been looking for a recipe for a while, and this is by far the best!
Hiya! A friend showed me your website a few days ago. I love it. Tonight I made a batch of the mix to keep on hand. Oh my gosh it tastes like mexican hot chocolate. Hubby even tasted it and agreed, just he wants me to use less cayenne next time. Hehehe. Thanks!
I can’t wait to add this mix to a mug of coffee!
YUMMY!! I made this with unsweetened almond milk. It was great. I’m on Weight Watchers and it made this a 2PP treat!
I routinely add cinnamon to my cocoa (and chocolate mug cake, and chocolate pudding and…) Never tried adding a pinch of cayenne though… but sure will now. Thanks!
Oh, this is lovely. Thanks for the recipe! I’ve had aztec cocoa from chocolatiers before and they were overwhelming for me, but this is just perfect.
Excellent! Just made some and probably the only hot cocoa our house will drink!
I made this tonight with Almond milk and it was AMAZING, and really, not significantly harder or more time consuming than using a packet plus it tasted 100% better. I am sold.
I’m going to try taking this one step further and mix in powdered milk. Sounds like it would make a great gift.
I am SOOOOOOO trying this!
I don’t know what I would do without your blog and all these great new recipes to try. I am totally making a cup of this tonight, it sounds amazing! I have been wanting a way to use up some unsweetened cocoa and this will be perfect. THANK YOU!!!!!
My thought is that it would be AWESOME. :D
i’ve been enjoying this so much! was just looking at the quick pudding recipe, and thinking of sort of using the same spice combo…thoughts?!
Absolutely perfect.
I’m going to try this mix! I’ve been making my own hot chocolate and in order to help reduce the piling up of ingredients on the bottom of the cup, I put the dry ingredients in a saucepan, whisk a drop or two of oil into the cocoa mix, and then add my milk. Everything goes in one pan so it isn’t quite as convenient as microwaving, but it helps all the ingredients stay incorporated. And if you look on those little packets, they all have hydrogenated oils in them, so a drop of oil makes sense (totally undetectable in the hot chocolate too!)
I make this all the time. I never feel even slightly tempted by storebought hot chocolate mix anymore! I like to make mine super strong and rich, more of a sipping chocolate than a drinking chocolate. I use about 1/4 cup of cocoa powder to about 3/4 cup of milk. A dash of salt really accentuates the flavours. I always heat the milk *before* adding the cocoa powder, because I find cocoa burns easily. One of those battery-operated milk frothers makes the perfect tool for whisking the cocoa smoothly into the milk. For the silkiest, richest, most indulgent-tasting cup of hot cocoa ever, use coconut milk (the drinking kind, not the cooking kind). It is outrageously delicious.
Definitely going to try this! BTW, the Aztecs introduced cacao to the Europeans and the rest of the Americas (although they drank it in an unsweetened state) so I think your name totally works!
This was so good! I may try upping the cocoa powder by about a teaspoon or so because it wasn’t chocolatey enough for me but I am definitely going to mix up a batch of the mix to have all winter long and to give as holiday gifts for my coworkers and friends!
Super tasty …no weird artificial sugar taste … I used skim milk and whisked it all over low eat on the stovetop :)
Very good! For two servings, I mixed the dry ingredients in a saucepan, added about 2 T hot water, and heated while stirring with a whisk until smooth. Then added the milk and heated. Not as easy as the microwave, but makes a smoother cocoa. I make lots of your recipes and really enjoy your blog! Thanks!
I made this tonight. Hooray for cold weather that lets us drink yummy stuff like this!
-maia
One of my favorite add ins is peanut butter, gives it a lil more yumminess if your a PB & chocolate fan
http://www.howdini.com/howdini-video-6677099.html
Here is the link to the Jacques Torres video. He also mentions using at least a 2% milk too
I remember watching a clip on youtube once for Jacques Torres, known for some pretty amazing hot chocolate, he suggests boiling it, then adding the chocolate and then boiling a second time saying that boiling the milk a second time is the secret to making the milk incredibly thick. It seems to work for me, never had it scorch. just don’t walk away from it tho if you can avoid it :)
OMG, so good! I know what I’ll be giving away for the holidays this year! The only thing I would suggest is just the tiniest dash of salt; it really brings out the cocoa flavor. Thanks for sharing this!
It works with soy milk! :)
homemade cocoa is sooo good. this version sounds fab!
Anonymous – I haven’t tried it with coconut or almond milk, so if you do, let us know how it is!
Can you use coconut milk or almond milk for this?
That sounds AWESOME.
I’m drooling… and walking to the kitchen to make some.
*drooling*
Ooh! This would be the perfect thing to use up my cone of piloncillo!
Agh. My cocoa craving just skyrocketed. I’ve been trying to stir in a dollop of caramel sauce to the Swiss Miss packet-cocoa, but it always leaves me wanting.
THIS though…this I could get used to :D yum.
It’s easy to scortch the milk if it comes to a boil, that’s all :)
Why not boil the milk? When I make hot cocoa, I always bring the milk to a boil, to me it always tastes better than simply heated milk. Is it a matter of personal preferences, or is there something in this combo that makes boiling the milk bad?
Heidi – 8 ounces is approximately 250 mL.
Elizabeth – I suggest 2% because I think you need a little fat in there to help the flavor and body, but technically it would still work with skim :)
Oooh this is delicious. I’m glad you’re posting this in October, because I plan to enjoy it all winter long :)
Would it be a problem if I were to use skim milk? (Since your ingredients specify 2% or more)
How many mL is 8 ounces?
Oh… My… Gosh! that sounds amazing!
I love hot cocoa, this looks absolutely delightful! I must try it =)
xoxo,
Suzie Q
http://www.StyleCueBySuzieQ.com
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LOVEE!!! Can’t wait to try. Your blog is my FAVORITE!
I just made this now. My life has changed. I cannot return to packet cocoa. Thank you :’)
An easy way around the spicy sediment is to place a dried chile into the milk while you’re heating it. Mix everything and let it sit for just a few minutes, then remove the chile. You can also use a piece of Mexican cinnamon the same way.
I make this a lot. Well, too often.
I also did these seasonings in truffles. Mmmmmm.
my roommate made this last night, but totally “on accident” (we just guessed the spices and it’s exactly what you have)! MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE IS SO GOOD. you should try Mexican spiced cupcakes…. you’re welcome.
Kenzie – It makes 2 cups of the *mix*… to which you’ll need to add milk. 2 cups of the mix should make about a gallon of hot cocoa, though :)
Do you mean the large batch makes 2 GALLoNs, not cups? Sounds good, I’m making this tonight!
so yummy!