Easy Nutella Hot Chocolate

Name: Easy Nutella Hot Chocolate
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 4 cups milk; 50 g milk chocolate; 100 g dark chocolate; 1/3 cup nutella; whipped cream; chocolate chips

By: Cayla Gallagher

Published: February, 16 2015 Last Updated: August, 21 2023

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I don’t know about you, but I crave hot chocolate every time I watch a Christmas movie like The Princess Switch or Elf during cold snowy weather.

Sure, hot chocolate itself is great, but what if I told you that it could be even better with Nutella? I’ve tried this once for fun and dare I say, I will never go back to a classic hot chocolate. Why go classic when you can go nutty?

This easy Nutella hot chocolate recipe will keep you wanting more, especially on a cold, cozy day. If you’re also a Nutella fan like me, you’re in for a treat!

Recipe Ingredients

Milk – Full-cream milk is best for a creamy hot chocolate, however, you can also use rice milk or coconut milk if you prefer to go dairy-free. But if you’re sensitive to lactose and dairy, you can also achieve the fluffy creamy taste with either soy or oat milk.
Chocolate – Mix some milk and dark chocolate with a 1:5 ratio. To make good hot chocolate, it pays to have high-quality chocolate that has a good cocoa-to-sugar balance. 30 to 40% of cocoa in milk chocolate can achieve that rich and creamy texture without being overly sweet, while a 60 to 70 % cocoa percentage in dark chocolate gives a chocolatey taste without being too bitter.
Nutella – Nutella is a delicious chocolate hazelnut spread that enhances the essence of your hot chocolate. It gives your drink a nuttier palate that complements the chocolate aroma.
Whipped cream – The light and fluffy consistency of cold whipped cream in your piping hot chocolate make up the best combination. It also makes for an appealing presentation!
Chocolate chips – High-quality chips made with real cocoa butter makes for a high-quality chocolate drink. Avoid hydrogenated oils or other substitutes that may ruin the taste.

How to Make Easy Nutella Hot Chocolate

This easy Nutella hot chocolate recipe can be whipped up in under 5 minutes!

Firstly, heat the milk over medium heat in a pot. Then, add the milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and Nutella, and mix until both have fully melted.
Once your ingredients have been mixed well, pour the hot chocolate into your desired mugs, and top with whipped cream and some chocolate chips. Enjoy!

What to Serve with This Hot Chocolate Recipe

This easy Nutella Hot chocolate can be enjoyed by itself, but why limit yourself when you can make your life richer with additional tasty goods?

Besides whipped cream, you can pair this drink with marshmallows or cinnamon sticks, or powder to make it warm and toasty.

Another way to pair your hot chocolate is with some delicious snacks! I like dipping biscotti, a crispy Italian cookie into my hot chocolate and having them together. The taste is divine. Imagine having something warm and crunchy in your mouth!

Any type of cookie can make a great accompaniment to your drink. Anything from chocolate chips to shortbread complements the taste well. You can also have a gingerbread cookie on the side if you don’t want the chocolatey taste to take over your palette too much.

Recipe Tips

There are so many ways to spruce up this easy Nutella hot chocolate drink. One of my favorite ways is to sprinkle some salt into it to enhance the flavor and balance the sweetness of the chocolate. You can also add a few tablespoons of cocoa powder into your mixture for a more chocolatey flavor.

When you’re mixing the ingredients in the pot, make sure to work those arms and mix the Nutella well so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of your pot and get burned.

How to Make Ahead

If you want to make this drink ahead of time, remember to cool it down to room temperature after you’ve finished mixing the ingredients. Then, transfer it to an airtight container or a pitcher and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days!

When you’re ready to serve, just take it out of the fridge and heat it over medium heat until it’s hot and steamy. You can also use a microwave and heat it in 30-second intervals, but don’t forget to stir in between to make sure it’s thoroughly heated and ready for your enjoyment.

However, you may need to add more milk when you reheat your drink because the chocolate may get thicker if it’s been sitting in the fridge for a few days. It is fast and easy to reheat and doesn’t take more than 2 minutes of your time!

Can I Freeze Nutella Hot Chocolate?

I wouldn’t freeze Nutella hot chocolate because it may change the texture and flavor of the drink. After it’s been thawed, the ingredients can separate and become lumpy. The taste may also not be as yummy if you’ve kept it in the freezer after a while.

But don’t worry, just keep it in the fridge and it’ll be good as new. It’s good that this easy Nutella hot chocolate takes under 5 minutes to make, so don’t worry too much about having to freeze it.

The best way to enjoy it is to make it warm and fresh out of the pot in no time at all! It is a HOT chocolate, after all!