Caramel Hot Cocoa

This Caramel Hot Cocoa was the most popular drink on the menu at my bake shop and I’m finally sharing the recipe! Sweet, a little salty, rich and chocolatey, this single serve hot cocoa will be your new favorite.

If you’re looking for more hot chocolate recipes, be sure to check out some of my other favorites like Healthy Gingerbread Hot Cocoa with Bone Broth, Creamy Dark Hot Chocolate With Homemade Whipped Cream, Hot Chocolate Bombs Without a Mold, and Hot Chocolate Sweet Rolls.

caramel sauce being drizzled onto a caramel hot cocoa on a white marble countertop.

A Quick Look At The Recipe

Recipe Name: Caramel Hot Cocoa
Ready In: 5 minutes
Makes: 1 serving
Main Ingredients: milk, Dutch cocoa, cane sugar, caramel sauce
Flavor Profile: rich chocolate with sweet caramel
Dietary Info: gluten free, eggless, no seed oils
Difficulty: Easy!
Why You’ll Love It: best selling hot chocolate recipe from my bakery

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Rich & Creamy: This Caramel Hot Cocoa is rich and creamy. Rich cocoa combined with buttery, sweet caramel creates the perfect balance in this cozy drink.
Sweet & Salty: The perfect balance of sweet and salty for all my salt loving babes out there (like me!). If you don’t want this salted, and you just want plain Caramel Hot Cocoa, you can just skip the salt.
Perfectly Caramel: I’m using my homemade true caramel sauce recipe in this cocoa. This is made up of only organic cane sugar, butter, and cream, making for the most true caramel flavor that pairs so well with cocoa. If you love caramel, you'll also want to check out Caramel Lollipops, Homemade Chewy Coffee Caramel Candies, and Homemade Chewy Chocolate Caramel Candy.
Flexible: This single serve hot cocoa is super flexible. You can make just one or you can double or triple the recipe to make more. You can also leave the salt off if you want just a plain Caramel Hot Cocoa or add the salt for the famous salted caramel hot chocolate from my bake shop. Try this using Gingerbread Caramel Sauce for a fun holiday twist!

Jump to:

A Quick Look At The Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Tips for the Best Caramel Hot Cocoa
How to Make Caramel Hot Cocoa
Cookie and Cocoa Pairing Ideas
Recipe FAQ’s
More Hot Chocolate Recipes
Caramel Hot Cocoa
The Bake Shop

This salted caramel hot chocolate was the most popular drink at my bake shop and we had an extensive hot chocolate menu, to say the least. The key to this recipe is making my Homemade True Caramel Sauce first. This is where this Caramel Hot Cocoa is going to get all its flavor. So, be sure to make this ahead of time.

This single serve hot cocoa is quick and easy to make once you have the caramel sauce made. And, it makes just one so you can make it anytime you want a cozy drink. Double or triple the recipe if you need more! You can also make this without salt if you prefer too. I love adding my Homemade Organic Whipped Cream on top, just like at the bakery!

Ingredients

Caramel Sauce: Be sure to make my Homemade True Caramel Sauce before beginning this recipe. While you can use a store bought caramel, this is where the real flavor comes from and if you want it to taste just like the bakery, then you need to make your own caramel. Homemade caramel sauce is just so much better than store bought!
Milk: I use organic whole milk, but if you want to use a nondairy milk like coconut milk you can also do that. You could order it with dairy or coconut milk at the bakery, so both are delicious! And, check out Hot Chocolate Versus Hot Chocolate Milk if you are curious about using chocolate milk.
Cocoa: I use organic Dutch cocoa powder, which provides the best rich and chocolatey flavor for hot cocoas!
Whipped Cream: This is optional, but is it really? Hot chocolate is always better with whipped cream and I making your own Homemade Organic Whipped Cream results in the best cocoa. And this is exactly how we made it at my bake shop.

*For a full list of ingredients and measurements, visit the recipe card below.

Tips for the Best Caramel Hot Cocoa

Use whole milk for the best flavor.
If you want to use nondairy milk, use a coconut milk. We tested so many nondairy milks for hot chocolate at my bakery and coconut milk won every time as it's creamy like regular milk and lends a sweet flavor that's so good!
Make the caramels sauce ahead of time, this way you have it ready to go. Homemade caramel lasts for weeks so you can enjoy this Caramel Hot Cocoa all holiday season when you make a batch of caramel.
It helps to use a drink thermometer. This ensures you heat the milk properly and don't burn it. If you don't have one, watch over the milk closely and test with your finger and don't let it boil. If milk boils, it can burn, which will transfer a burnt flavor to the cocoa.

How to Make Caramel Hot Cocoa

hot cocoa being stirred in a small pot on the stovetop.

In a small pot, add the milk, cane sugar, and cocoa powder. Put over medium/high heat. Whisk and heat until the cocoa is combined and it reaches 140°F to 160°F on a drink thermometer, or until it’s hot to your liking.

woman smearing caramel sauce into a glass mug at the kitchen counter.

Add the caramel sauce to the bottom of the mug and I also like to add a bit on the sides.

woman sprinkling sea salt into a mug with caramel sauce at the kitchen counter.

Add a sprinkle of sea salt on top of the caramel (optional).

woman pouring hot cocoa into a glass mug with caramel sauce in side at the kitchen counterl.

Pour the cocoa over the caramel and stir with a spoon.

woman adding whipped cream to caramel hot cocoa in a mug at the kitchen counter.

Add whipped cream (optional).

woman drizzling caramel sauce on top of a caramel hot cocoa with whipped cream at the kitchen counter.

Finish with a drizzle of caramel on top (optional).

Try this Caramel Hot Cocoa with some of my favorite cookies for a perfect winter afternoon treat.

Try Sea Salt Black Cocoa Biscotti, Simple Chocolate Espresso Biscotti, or Kamut Flour Biscotti for dipping!
A favorite among customers at my bakery was Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies with Homemade Caramel. These two items were the top two selling things in the winter!
I love enjoying this with Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies or Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies as these are two of my favorites!

caramel hot cocoa with whipped cream and caramel sauce on a white marble counter.

Recipe FAQ’s

Can I use store bought caramel?

Yes and no, haha. You can but, I highly recommend making my Homemade Caramel Sauce instead because it is just so good! Store bought just does not the same flavor.

What kind of milk can I use for hot cocoa?

While I use organic whole milk, you can also use dairy free milk too. I find coconut milk has the best flavor for hot cocoa as it's creamy and slightly sweet, most similar to cow's milk. You can use oat milk, almond milk, pistachio milk or cashew milk but I find the nut and oat milks can be a bit more watery.

Do I need to add the salt into Caramel Hot Cocoa?

No, if you don’t want it salted but just want a caramel hot cocoa you can just skip the salt step. That makes this super flexible to make it how you prefer your caramel.

More Hot Chocolate Recipes

Chai Tea Hot Chocolate

Boozy Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate

Bone Broth Hot Cocoa

Coconut Hot Chocolate

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