8 Spiked Hot Chocolate Recipes That Bring the Heat

Cathryn JakicicUpdated: Sep. 06, 2019

This is NOT your kids's cocoa—but adding spirits to your hot chocolate really puts the mmm in marshmallows.

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Honey-Bourbon Hot Chocolate

My husband and I like to enjoy this grown-up version of hot chocolate on a cold winter evening. It's even better made with honey-flavored bourbon if you can find that in your local store. —Andrea Harvath, Duncannon, Pennsylvania

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Need something for the kiddos? Put some glow in your holiday party with more hot cocoa ideas.

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Brown Eyed Baker

Spiked White Hot Chocolate

Brown Eyed Baker sourced the recipe for her hot chocolate from a bartender in Pennsylvania. The drink is a mixture of ground white chocolate, whipped cream vodka, steamed milk, whipped cream and crushed candy canes. Sip while you wrap Christmas presents or watch a Hallmark holiday marathon!

Here are 20+ more ways to use up your candy cane stash.

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Taste of Home

Rich Hot Chocolate

Each winter in early February my friends and I gather for an outdoor show called Mittenfest. We skip the Bloody Marys and fill our thermoses with these hot cocoas instead.

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My Dish is Bomb

Whiskey Hot Chocolate

Katy MacKinnon at My Dish Is Bomb doesn’t fool around with her hot chocolate. (It’s not hot cocoa, but don’t worry, she’ll explain.) She adds some chili powder along with the whiskey for an extra kick! Here are more unexpected ideas for hot cocoa mix-ins.

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Crackling Hot Cocoa

This hot chocolate recipe is more than a warm-you-up—it's rich and thick decadence in a mug. —Cyndi Nistico, Palm Island, Florida

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Debbie Dishes

Spiked Vegan Hot Chocolate

Even when you (or your guests) are vegan, you can still get hot-chocolatey. Bourbon doesn’t come from a cow! Neither do almond milk, maple syrup or vegan dark chocolate. Put them all together in this Debbie Dishes recipe and you’ll be warm and toasty.

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Hazelnut Hot Chocolate

Vanilla beans and a hazelnut liqueur like Frangelico lend a sophisticated flavor to this hot chocolate. With such rich taste, it could be served as a dessert. —Michael Compean, Fountain Hills, Arizona

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Taste of Home

Kahlua Hot Chocolate

When we want a cup of hot chocolate, we prefer homemade over store mixes. A splash of Kahlúa adds a touch of fabulous. —Chung-Ah Rhee, Hollywood, California

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Originally Published: November 29, 2018

Cathryn Jakicic

Cathy Jakicic has written about everything from business and bacteria to beads and baking in her career —but she greatly prefers the last two. She is a baker and a crafter and loves to try new recipes for both.