You’re sitting on your couch, with your blanket on your lap and the fireplace crackling, a nice scented candle lit, you couldn’t be warmer. You think to yourself, could I be more comfortable? How about a nice, warm, silky sweet, hot chocolate? Depending on how much time you have, here are three hot chocolate recipes to bring warmth to your holiday lounging.

2-step recipe:

If you’re in a time crunch but still want a delicious cup of hot chocolate? All you need is milk of your choice and semi- sweet chocolate chips. The amount of chocolate chips just depends on how thick and chocolatey you would like your drink to be; just add as much as your heart content! I like to warm my milk on the stove so it’s at the right temperature to melt my chocolate chips when I add it to the pot, but you can also use the microwave. Just make sure your milk is hot enough, otherwise your chocolate chips won’t melt as much as you want them to. And ta da, your quick cup of hot chocolate is ready to go! But inside, do you feel as if there’s something missing, that extra oomph of flavor?

5 ingredient recipe:
If you have some extra time to spare to make your hot chocolate, why not go try this recipe? All you need are these five ingredients: 2 cups of milk of your choice, 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, ¼ cup of semisweet chocolate, and a dash of vanilla extract. Have your milk, cocoa powder, and sugar be on medium heat and whisk constantly so nothing sticks to the bottom. Make sure your milk is warm, not boiling, and add in your chocolate chips and vanilla extract. Keep on whisking to make sure that all that chocolate has melted into your hot chocolate. Serve and enjoy! 

Deluxe hot chocolate recipe:

Do you want to wow your guests with a jaw-dropping hot chocolate? Or willing to try a new way to make a cup for yourself? Well either way, look no further! This hot chocolate recipe may only have 10 ingredients, but it is sure to razzle your taste buds with its delicious flavor. 

All you need is 2 cups of milk, 1 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon of coffee, ½ tablespoon of condensed milk, ½ tablespoon of cornstarch, ¼ cup of semi sweet or dark chocolate, ½ teaspoon of of cinnamon, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. 

Start by warming up your milk at medium heat on the stove. Once the milk is heated up, take out ¼ cup of milk and mix the cornstarch into that, this will help to make the hot chocolate thicker and make sure we don’t have clumps of cornstarch in our hot chocolate. Add in your sugar, cocoa powder, coffee, and cinnamon and start whisking, keeping that mixture over the heat on medium low. Once everything is homogeneous, add your cornstarch milk mixture back into the mix and whisk constantly, try to look out for any lumps of cornstarch, if any. Now, add your condensed milk, chocolate, vanilla, and salt. You’ll notice the color of the hot chocolate deepen and you’ll notice the slightest pressure when mixing it, that’s how you know it’s getting thicker because of both the cornstarch and the chocolate. Serve immediately and enjoy!

I preferably enjoy all three hot chocolate recipes. The second one is always my go to for my holiday lounging. The third one is good if you want that extra flavor from the added spice. I hope everyone enjoys their winter holidays and hope that you try one of these wonderfully delicious recipes!