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Love Hot Cocoa but looking for something different this holiday season? Give this rich and sweet White Christmas Hot Cocoa with white chocolate and peppermint a try!

I can hardly believe that Christmas is right around the corner! This year the weather has been a crazy mix of warm and sunny along with cold and windy. The one constant has been the lack of precipitation.

Since it’s been downright cold lately I’ve been looking for hot beverages to warm me up. I find that whenever I have a hot beverage I can tolerate the cold much easier.

I have quite the collection of warm winter drinks to choose from. When I want a coffee drink I go for the Gingerbread Latte. If tea is more my speed I stick with a Hot Matcha Latte. On days where I’m not feeling 100% I tend to go for a Pear Lemon Hot Toddy. When nothing but chocolate will do I sip on a Bailey Hot Chocolate.

I love a good mug of hot cocoa and I often make it from scratch and pair it with homemade marshmallows. However, sometimes I want a cup of cocoa without all of the rich, dark chocolate. That’s when I go for a White Chocolate Hot Cocoa.

What is White Chocolate?

White chocolate is a type of confection made from cocoa butter, sugar, and milk solids. Unlike traditional milk chocolate, white chocolate does not contain cocoa solids which give both milk and dark chocolate their characteristic flavor and color. White chocolate also tends to be much sweeter than milk or dark chocolate.

Since it was so close to Christmas I wanted to make a hot chocolate that reminded me of the holidays. I also wanted to top it all off with homemade marshmallows but I didn’t have any made.

When I don’t have homemade marshmallows I like to turn to the whipped cream. If I’m having whipped cream on my hot cocoa I like it to be white hot cocoa. If I have white hot cocoa I like to add peppermint. Does any of this sound like the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie? I sure think it does!

Ingredients:

milk (Whole milk works the best in this hot cocoa but you can use low fat or plant based milk)
cinnamon (This is optional but the spice gives it a warm, holiday feel)
peppermint extract (If you want to make this an adult beverage you can add a shot of Peppermint Schnapps instead!)
White Chocolate (I used white chocolate chips but you can use a white chocolate bar-don’t use candy melts!)
Whipped cream (homemade whipped cream is tasty, especially with a bit of peppermint flavor but whipped cream in a can is great too)
Crushed Peppermint (I used peppermint finishing sugar but crushed candy canes or peppermint candies work well too)

To make the hot cocoa combine the milk, cinnamon, peppermint extract, and white chocolate in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Stir until the white chocolate has melted and the mixture is steaming. Do not let it boil!

Can I make this in the microwave?

You can make it in the microwave. Simply heat the milk and white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Heat on 50% power for 1 minute and stir. Continue heating at 50% power in 30 second intervals, stirring after each heating, until the white chocolate has melted. Add the cinnamon and peppermint extract and stir well.

Divide the mixture into two mugs. Top with whipped cream and crushed peppermint.

I made this delicious White Christmas Hot Cocoa this past weekend and it was delightful. Warm milk mixed with spicy cinnamon, peppermint extract, and white chocolate made for a creamy hot beverage. Then I added whipped cream and crushed peppermints on top! This is the ultimate taste of Christmas in a cup.

Can I make White Christmas Hot Cocoa for a Crowd?

Yes! Put all the ingredients in a slow cooker on low heat for 1 hour, stirring to make sure the white chocolate has melted. Keep on low for several hours and set the whipped cream, Peppermint Schnapps, and crushed peppermint nearby for topping!

If you’ve tried my White Christmas Hot Cocoa or any other recipe on Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you! You can FOLLOW ME on:

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