Mimi's Organic Eats » Recipes » Drinks » Caramel Hot Cocoa

Caramel Hot Cocoa

Winter • Drinks • No Seed Oils • Eggless • Gluten Free • High Altitude • Christmas | Published December 24, 2024 by Mimi Council

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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, Dark Hot Chocolate, and Coconut Hot Chocolate.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Tools Neded
Step by Step Instructions
Tips
FAQ’s
Craving More?

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 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 Whipped Cream on top, but this part is also optional.

If you were a customer at my bake shop, then you probably have had this drink more than a few times! This was our most popular drink on our menu, and we had a very extensive cocoa menu. When I sold my bake shop, all the recipes went with it, but the new owners closed recently so I am able to share recipes now. So, what better way to start than with the most popular drink!

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 true caramel sauce recipe in this cocoa. This is made up of only sugar, butter, and cream, making for the most true caramel flavor that pairs so well with cocoa.

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.

Ingredients

Caramel Sauce: Be sure to make my Homemade 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. I’ve made this both ways, and coconut milk is also a delicious way to enjoy this with less dairy for those who need that option or just prefer coconut milk.
Cane Sugar: I use organic cane sugar.
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 Whipped Cream results in the best cocoa. And this is exactly how we made it at my bake shop.

Tools Neded

Scale: I use a digital food scale for ease.
Small Pot: I use a small pot for this single serve hot cocoa, but if you're making more, be sure to increase the pot size.
Whisk: You'll need a whisk to whisk up the cocoa.
Drink Thermometer: I always like to use a drink thermometer when making cocoa. This will ensure that the hot chocolate is hot but not burnt. Milk can burn over 160°F degrees and it will boil right after that. So, if you've boiled your milk, it is mostly likely burnt and will have a burnt flavor. You can make this without the thermometer, just watch it carefully and make sure it's hot to your liking.

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Step by Step Instructions

Step 1

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.

Step 2 

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

Step 3

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

Step 4

Add whipped cream, if desired and add a drizzle of caramel on top.

Tips

Make sure to make the caramel sauce ahead of time.
I use organic whole milk, which is how we made this at my bakery. This will give you the most creamy cocoa.
If you want to use a nondairy milk, I highly recommend using organic coconut milk as it has a high fat content which will make this creamy still.
Whipped cream is optional, but I think Homemade Whipped Cream is a must, especially on this decadent hot cocoa!

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.

Can I use another kind of milk?

Yes, we used to make this with coconut milk all the time at my bake shop and it’s really good and has much less dairy as there’s just the small amount of dairy from the caramel.

Do I need to add the salt?

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.