Nutella Hot Cocoa

Who else is ready to cozy up with a mug of Nutella hot cocoa?

The weather outside is frightful… is not just for a holiday song! If you are in the Chicagoland area, it is about to get very wintery. We are settling in for a snowy, rainy week here in Chicagoland. If you live in other wintery areas, hopefully you have not experienced too much “nasty” winter weather yet? If you have though, or if you are getting ready for it, get your favorite mug and get cozy with this amazing Nutella hot cocoa.

This Nutella hot cocoa is so rich and so creamy, you will never want “regular” hot cocoa ever again. It is also very simple to make and will warm you from the inside out. This is the perfect drink for this time of year no matter where you live.

What you need to make Nutella Hot Cocoa

Nutella- This is pretty obvious, but you cannot make Nutella hot cocoa without Nutella

Milk Chocolate- Now this is an optional ingredient. I have the original recipe that I created for Nutella Hot Cocoa on here from 3 years ago, Wintertime Fun, which I still love, but that one does not have chocolate in it. It is still delicious and cozy, but the added chocolate in this recipe just makes it that much richer.

Milk- You can use any type of milk here that you love. Whether that is dairy or non-dairy milk. Just note that if you use Almond milk, it may slightly alter the flavor, but if you are used to Almond milk, you may love that

Salt- Just a pinch of kosher salt here will really help balance the sweetness and richness of the chocolate and Nutella

Toppings- You can top your Nutella hot cocoa however you’d like. We really love marshmallows in ours, but you can also use whipped cream, chocolate shavings, cocoa powder or even chopped hazelnuts if you loved texture

Recipe Variations

If you really want to make this a little cozier, you can add some liquor to your Nutella hot cocoa and really warm things up

Add liquors- I think that Frangelico would be perfect in the Nutella hot cocoa since it is a hazelnut liquor. This would just enhance the flavor. You can also try Bailey’s, Kahlua or even chocolate liquor

Add some warming spices- I think that warming spices make everything a little cozier. So, here I would add in some cinnamon or nutmeg. Even some cayenne or chili powder would be delicious here

Make it s’mores style- If you make this Nutella hot cocoa and then add in the marshmallows and then either sprinkle with some crushed graham crackers or use those graham cracker sticks to stir and then eat with this yummy drink

Make it Vegan- You can use a dairy-free chocolate-hazelnut spread and a dairy-free milk and you have a Vegan Nutella hot cocoa

Chef Steph’s Tips

The full recipe for the Nutella hot cocoa is below, but here are a few things to keep in mind to make it the simplest and most delicious.

Heat the milk gradually- Heat the milk in a heavy bottomed pot on low to medium-low. Once you see the little bubbles all around the outside, turn off the heat. This will avoid scorching or burning

Add cocoa powder in stead of milk chocolate- If you like your hot cocoa on the less sweet side, use cocoa powder instead of milk chocolate to give that chocolaty flavor without adding in more sweetness

Have fun with it-  This recipe is super simple and super delicious, so feel free to customize it however you would love. Add, change, make it your own… that is the best part of being in the kitchen… get creative!

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Nutella Hot Cocoa

This is the perfect cozy up drink on a cold winter's day. It is simple to make and the whole family will love snuggling up with a cup of this delicious hot cocoa. Especially if the kids are outside playing in the snow. They can come in and warm up with a big cup of this sweet, rich Nutella hot cocoa.

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Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Servings 3

Ingredients

  

• 4 cups plain milk dairy or plant-based
• 1/2 cup Nutella
• 1 Hershey's chocolate bar chopped or 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• optional toppings: marshmallows whipped cream, chocolate shavings

Instructions

 

• Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium or medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a simmer. Do this slowly so that you do not scorch the bottom or boil the milk.
• Add the chopped chocolate or cocoa powder. Stir until everything is combined and smooth.
• Add in the Nutella and salt and whisk until completely combined.
• Serve. Remove from heat. Serve warm in your favorite mug, garnished with any of your favorite toppings,(mine is lots of marshmallows) and ENJOY!

Keyword cozy drink, hot chocolate, hot cocoa, nutella

Equipment Needed for this recipe

Not much is needed here. But I will give you my favorite items that I use for making this Nutella hot cocoa

Saucepans– These are my favorite saucepans, because they are copper inside. This helps maintain an even heat when cooking- saucepans

Whisks- I love to have different sized whisks in the kitchen for different sized jobs. Here are my favorite whisks- silicone whisks

Cutting Boards- A good cutting board is a must in any kitchen. I swear by my Epicurean cutting boards. They are almost damage proof and are dishwasher safe. I like the ones with the grips and the raised edges for grabbing liquids when cutting – cutting boards

I cannot wait to hear what you think of this recipe. So, if you make this or any other recipes, make sure you comment below and tell me what you think!