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.
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.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Nutrition
Video
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.
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 :)