Whipped Hot Cocoa

Written by
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Leah Maroney
Published 05/14/20
whipped hot cocoa in two glasses

 The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney
  • Total: 3 mins
  • Prep: 3 mins
  • Cook: 0 mins
  • Yield: 1 drink (1 serving)

Whipped hot cocoa isn’t actually hot, but it is super delicious and rich—a perfect kid-friendly variation of the popular dalgona coffee. Ice cold milk is topped with a freshly whipped chocolate cream and finished with a drizzle of chocolate syrup. Stir it up or eat spoonfuls of the whipped chocolate while you sip the milk.

If you’re not a fan of coffee, but you want to make a beautiful whipped drink, then this is the drink for you. The whipped cocoa can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days, so double up the batch and have any easy, indulgent beverage waiting for you tomorrow, too.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 2 tablespoons sugar (granulated)
  • 1 tablespoon hot water
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • Optional: chocolate syrup, mini chocolate chips

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    whipped hot cocoa
    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  2. Beat together the cocoa powder, sugar, hot water, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla in a small bowl with the beaters of a hand mixer until super fluffy. Do not overbeat or the cream will start to separate. It will take less than a minute to whip together. Taste to check and see if the sugar is still grainy. If it is, beat a little longer.

    whipped cocoa in a bowl with a hand mixer
    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  3. Add the ice and milk to a cold glass.

    ice and milk in cups
    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  4. Top the milk with the whipped chocolate.

    milk and ice topped with whipped cocoa
    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  5. Drizzle with chocolate syrup and top with mini chocolate chips if you wish. Stir and serve immediately.

    whipped hot cocoa in two glasses
    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

Recipe Variations

  • We love adding vanilla into the mixture for extra flavor, but you can leave it out if you don’t have it or don’t like it. 
  • If you don’t have cocoa powder, you can use hot chocolate mix, just reduce the sugar to 1 tablespoon. 
  • If you want to make this a mocha, make the whipped chocolate and serve it over iced coffee with milk.
  • Add little marshmallow bits as toppings if you really want to bring the hot chocolate vibes.
  • If you want a less sweet drink, then cut the sugar in half. You can also melt a quarter cup of chocolate chips, cooled to just warm. Beat them into the cream and sugar for a very similar whipped cocoa. 
  • You can use whatever kind of milk you want as the base. If you are vegan, substitute the heavy cream for aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas) and the regular milk for a dairy-free milk like oat or coconut milk.

Tips

  • If the whipped cocoa is too thick, just add a little more cream or a little more water. 
  • You can beat the cocoa mixture by hand if you want. It takes a little bit longer. If you are making a large batch you can whip it in the bowl of your stand mixer.