While some people love Winter and all the things that come with it (Skiing! Sweaters!), it's also the time of year where the cold makes you want to bundle up, put on a pair of cozy socks, and plop yourself on the couch. Luckily, there's another Winter staple to add to the mix: hot chocolate. Since childhood, the sweet treat is something to enjoy on a cold night or during a snow day. Now that we're all adults here, we can do what we want, and you know what that means? Boozy hot chocolate. Adding vodka, bourbon, or other liqueurs to hot cocoa elevates it to fancy cocktail level without losing its comforting traits.
So whether you're snuggling up solo under your blanket, with your sweet pet, or next to the person who makes your heart skip a beat, here are some spiked hot chocolate recipes that you'll want to make all season long.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Anna Monette Roberts
While the recipe doesn't directly call for booze, one can't not think this birthday cake hot chocolate would be great with a shot of vanilla or whipped vodka. (We may be onto something!)
Take your hot chocolate game to the next level by not only just adding peppermint (because that's already a winning combination) but by putting a shot or two of peppermint Schnapps into this slow-cooker hot chocolate.
Bourbon cream, available in both regular and peppermint, adds a layer of warmth to a cup of hot cocoa that should only be paired with snuggle sessions — with yourself or others!
Two kinds of chocolate combined with butterscotch, booze, and caramel sauce makes this spiked hot chocolate a flavor infusion that one should only drink topped with whipped cream.
A little Southern Comfort brings extra warmth to this glass of hot cocoa. And the best part? You can make it in the slow cooker, so it's ready as soon as dinner is done.
Dark chocolate combined with orange zest is the basis for this whiskey-infused spiked hot chocolate, making it a bit of sugar, spice, and everything nice.
Again, while this recipe doesn't exactly tell you to put booze in, a shot of salted caramel or whipped vodka could really take this salted caramel hot chocolate to the next level.
Yes, you can opt to make hot chocolate with water if you're not big on dairy, but this recipe brings both the creaminess and the booziness one would expect from spiked hot chocolate.
This recipe combines so many good flavors — coconut, hazelnut, and eggnog — that it's a spiked hot chocolate you will want in your cup night after night. Top it with homemade eggnog marshmallows for an extra treat.
Andes mints (Hello, chocolate and mint!) and rumchata combine with half and half in the Crock-Pot for this version of hot 'chata you will want in your drink rotation all Winter long.
As if there weren't already enough uses for the magical hazelnut spread, Nutella now combines with milk, Frangelico, and Kahlúa for an extra indulgent treat. (Hack: Pour the mixture in an almost-empty Nutella jar for some extra flavor — and to make sure you don't leave any behind!)
For the Fall fanatics everywhere who still can't get enough pumpkin spice (raises hand), this pumpkin spice hot chocolate combines brown sugar, pumpkin spice extract, and bourbon. Yum.