It's National Hot Chocolate Day! Here are Three Recipes to Take Your Hot Cocoa to the Next Level

National hot choccy day is upon us. What a great end to the year as we celebrate on January 31st! Chocolate lovers around the world rejoice.

Our creative thinkers here at Casely aren't just impressive designers. We've used their thinking caps to prepare for one of our favorite days. Check out our three mega chocoholic recipes to kick off your holiday.

1. Mexican Hot Chocolate

Mexican hot cocoa can be richer and more fragrant than classic powdery American versions. That's because of the generous heapings of cinnamon, with a slight spice kick thanks to the chili powder. The result is a dreamy, creamy, frothy texture.

The mixing for this is unique too. You use a traditional wooden whisk called a ‘molinillo,' and the result is a thicker, grainier mouthful of deliciousness.

Our recipe yields four portions and will take 10 minutes to make.

Ingredients

• Baking cocoa (unsweetened)
• Brown sugar
• Cinnamon sticks
• Cloves or nutmeg
• Whole milk
• Cayenne
• Vanilla extract
• Whipped cream

Recipe

1. Grab a small saucepan. Mix ¼ cup baking cocoa and 2 tbsp brown sugar and stir in 1 cup of boiling water. Bring to a boil and then cook for 2 mins on reduced heat. Stir occasionally.
2. Add a whole cinnamon stick and a sprinkle of ground cloves or nutmeg. Stir in 3 cups of whole milk and simmer for another 5 minutes. Don't boil it; you'll burn your spices! Whisk in 1 tsp of vanilla extract and a pinch of cayenne.
3. Finally, enjoy! Serve with plenty of whipped cream. For an extra surge of spice, use cinnamon sticks as your stirrers.

2. Candy Cane Hot Chocolate

Our candy cane recipe is giving us major cute holiday vibes. You've probably got some spare candy canes at home after Christmas; why not put them to better use?

Our recipe yields 6-8 servings of hot chocolate.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp powdered cocoa
• 1 tbsp cornflour or cornstarch
• 3 tbsp icing sugar
• 100g of your chocolate of choice in small chunks or finely grated
• A pinch of salt
• 8 crushed peppermint candy canes

Recipe

1. Place every ingredient into a large mason jar or even a large Tupperware. Shake to combine. It's that easy!
2. Pour ½ a pint of milk into your saucepan to make your hot cocoa. Next, add three large tbsp of your dry mix.
3. Turn on the heat for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally. Your mixture should be steaming hot and slightly thicker.
4. Serve with whipped cream, crushed candy cane, and a sprinkle of your choice.

Decadent Hot Chocolate

This recipe is for those who have a sweeter than a sweet tooth—the creamier and thicker, the better. The heavy whipping cream makes this hot cocoa incredibly silky.

Ingredients

• Heavy whipping cream
• Dark chocolate (chopped)
• Milk
• Sugar
• One cinnamon stick

Recipe

1. Grab a saucepan and mix ⅔ cup of heavy whipping cream, 4 oz of chopped dark chocolate, ½ a cup of milk, 3 tbsp of sugar, and one cinnamon stick.
2. Turn on the heat until the mixture simmers and stir occasionally.
3. Remove your cinnamon stick and pour with plenty of whipped cream.

Serve and Enjoy!

We know you will love our recipes just as much as we have. The best thing about any hot cocoa recipe is how you can personalize it until your heart's content.