8 Spiked Hot Chocolate Recipes That Bring the Heat

This is NOT your kids's cocoa—but adding spirits to your hot chocolate really puts the mmm in marshmallows.

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Honey-Bourbon Hot Chocolate

Total Time 15 min
Servings 4 servings
From the Recipe Creator: My husband and I like to enjoy this grown-up version of hot chocolate on a cold winter evening. It's even better made with honey-flavored bourbon if you can find that in your local store. —Andrea Harvath, Duncannon, Pennsylvania
Nutrition Facts: 1 cup (calculated without toppings): 376 calories, 18g fat (11g saturated fat), 24mg cholesterol, 106mg sodium, 25g carbohydrate (23g sugars, 1g fiber), 10g protein.

Need something for the kiddos? Put some glow in your holiday party with more hot cocoa ideas.

Spiked White Hot Chocolate
Brown Eyed Baker

Spiked White Hot Chocolate

Brown Eyed Baker sourced the recipe for her hot chocolate from a bartender in Pennsylvania. The drink is a mixture of ground white chocolate, whipped cream vodka, steamed milk, whipped cream and crushed candy canes. Sip while you wrap Christmas presents or watch a Hallmark holiday marathon!

Here are 20+ more ways to use up your candy cane stash.

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Hot Chocolate

Total Time 15 min
Servings 2 servings
From the Recipe Creator: Each winter in early February my friends and I gather for an outdoor show called Mittenfest. We skip the Bloody Marys and fill our thermoses with these hot cocoas instead.
Nutrition Facts: 1 cup: 653 calories, 49g fat (32g saturated fat), 107mg cholesterol, 79mg sodium, 60g carbohydrate (56g sugars, 4g fiber), 9g protein.
Whiskey Hot Chocolate
My Dish is Bomb

Whiskey Hot Chocolate

Katy MacKinnon at My Dish Is Bomb doesn’t fool around with her hot chocolate. (It’s not hot cocoa, but don’t worry, she’ll explain.) She adds some chili powder along with the whiskey for an extra kick! Here are more unexpected ideas for hot cocoa mix-ins.

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Crackling Hot Cocoa

Total Time 20 min
Servings 2 servings
From the Recipe Creator: This hot chocolate recipe is more than a warm-you-up—it's rich and thick decadence in a mug. —Cyndi Nistico, Palm Island, Florida
Spiked Vegan Hot Chocolate
Debbie Dishes

Spiked Vegan Hot Chocolate

Even when you (or your guests) are vegan, you can still get hot-chocolatey. Bourbon doesn’t come from a cow! Neither do almond milk, maple syrup or vegan dark chocolate. Put them all together in this Debbie Dishes recipe and you’ll be warm and toasty.

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Hazelnut Hot Chocolate

Total Time 25 min
Servings 22 servings
From the Recipe Creator: Vanilla beans and a hazelnut liqueur like Frangelico lend a sophisticated flavor to this hot chocolate. With such rich taste, it could be served as a dessert. —Michael Compean, Fountain Hills, Arizona
Nutrition Facts: 1/2 cup: 299 calories, 20g fat (10g saturated fat), 29mg cholesterol, 88mg sodium, 26g carbohydrate (22g sugars, 2g fiber), 6g protein.
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Kahlua Hot Chocolate

Total Time 20 min
Servings 2 servings
From the Recipe Creator: When we want a cup of hot chocolate, we prefer homemade over store mixes. A splash of Kahlúa adds a touch of fabulous. —Chung-Ah Rhee, Hollywood, California
Nutrition Facts: 1 cup (calculated without optional toppings): 280 calories, 8g fat (5g saturated fat), 20mg cholesterol, 116mg sodium, 40g carbohydrate (31g sugars, 6g fiber), 11g protein.