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.
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!