Make-at-home Hot Chocolate

Happy New Year! 🎉 2026 has a nice ring to it! To combat the dreary weather outside, cozy up with a big mug, or actually, a big pot(!) of homemade hot chocolate. And share with loved ones!

The steps are easy and customizable to your heart's desire. I started with a big block of Guittard chocolate (which I got at Foothill Produce in Los Altos).

Chop it up into small chunks.

In the meantime, pour a bunch of milk (your best guess on how much you need or want) into a big pot. I used almond milk because some people are a little sensitive to dairy. Steam the milk, so let it get hot until you see little bubbles forming. Keep stirring it the whole time so it doesn't stick.

Add in spices like cinnamon and whatever else you want, maybe nutmeg?

Then for the satisfying part, pour in the chopped chocolate and watch it all turn chocolatey brown.

Keep stirring until all the chocolate is melted and wa la, you have hot chocolate!! It tastes divine. I didn't even add any sugar so it had a sweet but also slightly bittersweet taste. It was perfect. Feel free to customize to add other twists to your hot chocolate.

I want to try making peppermint hot cocoa next!

Then pour yourself a mug and enjoy with some cake too!