When I was in college, I used to be able to drink coffee at all hours of the day. 7am, 2pm, 2am…my friends and I pretty much lived at the coffee shop near campus, and the caffeine never fazed me. (And I admit I was a little skeptical of my friends who “swore” coffee would keep them up if they drank it too late in the day!)
But apparently what goes around comes around. A few years ago, literally overnight it seemed like my body decided to make the switch. And I now fall into the Don’t-Let-Any-Caffeine-Near-Me-After-3pm category. (Which even includes decaf, which I swear will keep me up half of the night too!) I know. Call it adulthood, but I’m now “that” person. :)
Regardless, for the past few years, I have now been getting acquainted with the other side of the menu at coffee shops in the afternoons and evenings. And one of my all-time favorite drinks to order in the cooler months is a classic white hot chocolate. It is my total “comfort” drink — warm, smooth, sweet but not too sweet, and chocolate-y but not too chocolate-y. And of course, it is all the better when topped with some fresh whipped cream! Mmmm.
Crazy enough, it wasn’t until recently that I tried to actually make homemade white chocolate. But now that I know how easy it is, I make it all the time. So many recipes call for heavy cream or half and half (which you are welcome to use), but you can literally make it with whatever kind of milk you’d like. Just grab a bar of your favorite white chocolate or some white chocolate chips, a pinch of vanilla extract, and you’re good to go. Simple, cheaper than your coffee shop, and wonderfully delicious. Enjoy!
Homemade White Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 4 cups of milk of your choice (or you can substitute heavy cream or half and half, or do a mixture)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract, store-bought or homemade
- 8 oz. white chocolate, chopped into small pieces (or white chocolate chips)
- whipped cream or marshmallows for topping
Instructions
- Stir together milk, vanilla and chopped white chocolate in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the white hot chocolate comes to a simmer. (Do not let it come to a boil.) Remove from heat and serve immediately, topped with whipped cream or marshmallows if desired.
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!This post contains affiliate links.
Check out these other delicious hot chocolate recipes too!
Homemade (Traditional) Hot Chocolate
I just made this tonight for 1 portion and it is so good!! Even when I only used cheap white chocolate.
We’re glad to hear you enjoyed it, Jill! :)
Yum! I added a few butterscotch and dark chocolate chips. It doesn’t look quite as pretty, but it’s still delicious.
Good call, Kris! We’re glad you enjoyed it! :)
I recommend not putting as much white chocolate in the mixture.. Its very strong. Still delicious though, just a thought :)
If you add a bit of peppermint flavoring it is even better! I added some peppermint baking chips and it is wonderful!!!
Amazing! Being a chocoholic, i must try this!
Okay…I just made this for the first time – just a single-serving portion in a 6 oz. mug. I melted 2T of white chocolate chips in 1% milk, and while the flavor is definitely there I still have the oily film on the surface. I haven’t added the vanilla, but I imagine this is for flavor and not some chemistry thing. Maybe I really need richer milk for the oil to stay dissolved – ?
Tried this for the first time today – absolutely love it! It was so easy to make too!
Does this have. Caffeine in it
No, it does not have caffeine.
I made this tonight. It was a huge hit. Thank you for this post
By the way, I always make it in the crock pot. Thanks for giving me a smaller recipe.