15 Grown-Up Spiked Hot Chocolate Recipes for Cold Weather

The perfect drink on a cold winter evening will always be hot chocolate. We can sub in warm spiced wine, but hot chocolate is a staple of the season. We can make it more grown-up with a bit of alcohol. These spiked hot chocolate recipes show us what combinations work best.

Use these spiked hot chocolate recipes to warm up on a chilly evening at home or during your next winter party. There aren’t many ways to make hot chocolate better than it already is.

We top cups of hot chocolate with whipped cream, marshmallows, or both, maybe some sprinkles and seasoning if we’re feeling frisky. Another simple way to make something amazing even better is to add some alcohol!

Spiked hot chocolate recipes are the same hot chocolates you love, but with a kick. The problem isn’t the chocolate or the heat, but the alcohol. We can’t just take whatever alcohol we have in the cabinet and pour it into a cup of hot cocoa.

The drink needs to taste good, and that requires a recipe. These recipes show what alcohol is and how much to add to hot chocolate to make it taste great. After all, the goal should be to enjoy a delicious cup of hot chocolate with an adult kick.

Grown-Up Spiked Hot Chocolate Recipes for Cold Weather

Chilly days usually mean it is either the holiday season or we have finally finished it. Either way, a stiff drink is a good choice for relaxing and warming up.

Another thing that is perfect during both of those times of year is hot chocolate. We can combine the two with ease using a recipe like this white peppermint hot chocolate.

Peppermint makes it perfect for the holiday season, but we don’t have to add peppermint at all. We can make a simple cup of kicking hot chocolate, and it will be perfect.

This seems like the only option, but things can get a bit crazy with hot chocolate and alcohol. A great example is the frozen caramel hot chocolate.

What Kind of Alcohol Goes with Hot Chocolate

Believe it or not, you could make a spiked hot chocolate with almost any type of alcohol. However, there are some alcohol types that do better with chocolate. For example, a spiked caramel hot chocolate goes well with vodka.

One of the more common alcohols in hot chocolate recipes is Amaretto. There is just something about the fruity notes that makes an Amaretto hot chocolate amazing.

There are so many different ways to make spiked hot chocolate recipes, whether you’re making one for yourself or for a crowd. The hardest part might not even be the alcohol but the hot chocolate itself.

After all, we are looking for some chocolatey warmth, after all.

Which Hot Chocolate is Best

There are two types of people in this world: those who care more about the alcohol, and those who care more about the chocolate. The good news is that many of these recipes make the hot chocolate from scratch.

This spiced rum hot chocolate uses a handful of spices, cocoa, and chocolate chips. However, not every recipe is that way. Some recipes use the classic instant hot chocolate packets, like in this rumchata hot chocolate.

Both of these spiked hot chocolate recipes are amazing, and each has its uses. We’d use the instant hot chocolate when we’re in a hurry or just making it for ourselves.

We would use the recipes from scratch, like this alcoholic hot chocolate recipe, when we need to impress.

Spiked Hot Chocolate Flavors

Chocolate is perfect all by itself, but it does pair well with a few different things. We can use those pairings to enhance our hot chocolates at home. This Rudolph hot chocolate uses Fireball to add a kick and a touch of cinnamon.

Yeah, be careful with that one. Another common way to use chocolate, especially during the holidays, is in chocolate turtles! We can get those same flavors with this boozy hazelnut turtle hot chocolate.

We already know these flavors go well together, so we can assume they will go well in liquid form as well. Of course, you will want to follow these recipes as closely as possible.

This is a drink that means each ingredient will shine through. Imagine making butterscotch hot chocolate with a kick and getting something that tastes like a two-year-old made it as a kitchen experiment.

Best Ways to Add Alcohol to Hot Chocolate

Holiday parties, lonely winter nights, whatever the occasion, spiked hot chocolate recipes are perfect. We now have plenty of ways to make spiked hot chocolates.

Some of them are basic but perfect boozy hot chocolates, while others are a little more seasonally themed; maybe they would work better during a party, or perhaps you’re just feeling the holiday spirit with these dirty snowman cocktails.

And maybe there are times when simple chocolate isn’t enough, and we need a bit of extra flavor to really hit the spot, like in these vanilla-cinnamon hot chocolates. No matter what we’re looking for, there is a recipe for that reason.

More Winter Recipes

Winter Margarita Recipe Ideas | What could be better than a glass filled with a margarita that fits perfectly into your winter plans?

Cranberry Margarita Recipe on the Rocks | Pitcher Recipe | Cranberries fit perfectly as well. You can use that fruit to make some holiday margaritas.

Crockpot Gingerbread Latte with Caramel | Or just make a gingerbread latte and spike that as well. 

Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies Recipe | Raspberry thumbprint cookies are like bite-sized ornaments that you can eat, and you will enjoy.

Dairy Free Holiday Cookies {that are Awesome} | Dairy isn’t what makes cookies holiday cookies. That means you can easily make holiday cookies that everyone can enjoy.