Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate

This salted caramel hot chocolate is easy to whip up and has that delicious salty-sweet flavor of dark chocolate, caramel, salt, and frothy milk.

Top it with whipped cream and extra caramel drizzle to make this the ultimate cold-weather treat.

How to Make Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate

Who’s ready for a cup of creamy, caramelly hot chocolate? Here’s how to make it: 

1. Combine
   In a medium saucepan, gently heat up the milk over medium heat. Once the milk is warm, add the chopped chocolate, caramel sauce, and salt. Stir to combine.
2. Simmer
   Once the chocolate has melted, remove the saucepan from heat and serve in mugs.
3. Serve
   Top with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel, if desired.

If you want to take this hot beverage up a notch, try making it with dairy-free Caramel Sauce. No candy thermometer or constant whisking involved, just coconut milk, coconut oil, and maple syrup simmered into a velvety, gold caramel. 

Best Chocolate to Use for Caramel Hot Chocolate

To make this silky-rich hot chocolate, you can use good quality chocolate chunks, pieces, or semi-sweet chocolate chips, if you do not keep dark chocolate on hand. 

You’ll want to make sure it’s baking chocolate, which melts into a smooth and even consistency compared to candy bars. Varieties of chocolate that are quality in taste and easily found at local grocery stores include: 

• Guittard
• Ghirardelli
• Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Can You Use Cocoa Powder?

Swapping the chopped chocolate for cocoa powder wouldn’t be a good idea unless you change the ratio of ingredients and add sugar. If you only have unsweetened cocoa powder on hand, make my Caramel Hot Cocoa instead. 

Yes, this means that hot chocolate and hot cocoa aren’t the same things. While both beverages are entirely delicious, hot chocolate gets its rich flavor from melting chocolate with milk. Hot cocoa uses cocoa powder and sugar, mixed milk, and vanilla extract for a light, sweet beverage.   

How to Serve Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate

Serve this winter treat like you would any hot chocolate or hot cocoa recipe! A few of my favorite hot chocolate toppings are: 

• whipped cream
• marshmallows
• extra Caramel Drizzle
• coarse sea salt
• shaved chocolate
• cinnamon

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