Homemade Hot Chocolate with Amaretto

Hot chocolate with Amaretto comes together in less than 15-minutes with just five ingredients. Top it off with whipped cream and warm up with this decadent winter cocktail made from scratch.

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I tend to stick with the same holiday cocktails like this cranberry orange mimosa with rosemary year after year but NOT anymore. This year, I decided to branch out a little bit and created a couple of new and very simple spiked beverages to enjoy. First off this homemade hot chocolate with Amaretto.

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What you’ll love about this recipe

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• It’s made from scratch! If you’ve never had homemade hot chocolate you’re in for a treat. Because it’s prepared with actual chocolate rather than cocoa powder, it’s so much richer and tastier than the premixed stuff you can buy at the store.
• It’s simple! I realize that store-bought hot chocolate mixes are not only convenient but affordable but making hot chocolate from scratch is really not difficult at all. I mean, it’s so so easy and it doesn’t take long either – less than 15-minutes. And that includes the time to make homemade whipped cream should you choose to.
• It’s perfect for the winter holidays! If you’re looking for a special cocktail to imbibe this holiday season, this hot chocolate and amaretto should be a strong contender. Served hot, it’s ideal for sipping on casually while enjoying the company of friends and family, by yourself, or cozied up in front of a fire with that special someone.

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Ingredients (+ notes & substitutions)

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• Heavy whipping cream: Using heavy cream rather than just milk thickens the hot chocolate giving it a luxurious texture. I like to use a 50/50 blend of heavy whipping cream and milk but feel free to alter this ratio. Heavy whipping cream does have a lot more calories so to lighten it up a bit you may want to go easy on it. Going with straight milk is certainly an option as well.
• Whole milk
• Chocolate: You have some options when it comes to the chocolate. Semi-sweet, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate are all perfectly acceptable. As far as the form of the chocolate, you may go with chocolate chips or even a chocolate bar. You’ll need about 8 ounces although you could use as much as 12 ounces. The chocolate should be chopped so that it will melt more efficiently. Additionally, I do recommend you choose high-quality chocolate. I opted for the Ghirardelli brand.
• Vanilla extract: Adding a little bit of vanilla extract brings some balance.
• Amaretto: Amaretto is a sweet and slightly bitter Italian liqueur that tastes of almonds. It may be prepared with apricot kernels, peach stones, and/or almonds depending on the brand. The alcohol content of amaretto may be anywhere from 21 to 28%. Personally, I’m a big fan of Disaronno so that is my suggestion as far as brand goes.
• Whipped cream: Topping off this drink with whipped cream is totally optional but if you do, I recommend making homemade whipped cream. It’s so much more delicious and really simple to prepare. All you need is 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream and a teaspoon of vanilla extract as well as a mixing bowl and a hand mixer. Begin by pouring the heavy whipping cream and vanilla extra into your mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer at medium speed to whip the heavy cream for 4-5 minutes until stiff peaks form. Check out this guide if you’re not sure what stiff peaks are.

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How to make homemade Amaretto hot chocolate (+ tips)

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1. Heat the heavy whipping cream and milk in a saucepan over medium-low to medium heat until it just begins to steam. You can speed things along by setting the temperature closer to medium. However, should you do, so be advised to keep a close eye on it as it can easily scorch.

2. Remove from heat and add the chocolate. Whisk constantly until the chocolate is fully melted and incorporated.

3. Whisk in the amaretto and vanilla extract.

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4. Top with whipped cream if desired and serve warm.

Storage

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This cocktail may be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to four days.

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FAQ

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Recommended Products

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More holiday cocktails you may enjoy:

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• Eggnog with Baileys: Eggnog with Baileys Irish Cream is the perfect festive cocktail to enjoy this holiday season. It comes together in less than five minutes with just a handful of ingredients and is oh so comforting.
• Cranberry Orange Mimosa with Rosemary: Sweet and tart, this cranberry orange mimosa made with homemade cranberry rosemary simple syrup is the perfect libation to celebrate the holiday season in fashion.

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Holiday treats to serve with this cocktail:

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• Hot Cocoa Lava Brownies: Warm right up with these decadent hot cocoa lava brownies consisting of chocolate lava sandwiched between two layers of fudgy brownies topped with toasted marshmallows.
• Eggnog White Chocolate Covered Pretzels: Add these eggnog white chocolate-covered pretzels to your holiday treat platter!!! They are simple to prepare with just three ingredients in 30-minutes.
• Orange-Glazed Gingerbread Cookies: No holiday cookie box is complete without these sweet and citrusy orange-glazed gingerbread cookies that are bursting with spice and everything nice.

If you make this homemade hot chocolate with Amaretto I’d love your feedback. Please leave a comment and/or a rating below as I greatly value your opinion. Or snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @taoofspiceblog. Love, light, and happy cooking ya’ll ♥