Boozy Hot Chocolate AKA Santa's Little Helper
Braving the mall, adding to a small army of side dishes, and pretending to be very impressed by your kid’s construction paper ornament—it must take a whole lot of emotional labor to make it through the holiday season as a parent. And while I can’t truly feel your struggle because my only child has paws and loves eating meat-ish stuff that I’ve flung into a bowl on the ground (his standards are low), I can imagine playing Santa is pretty tiring—but maybe also very rewarding? I don’t know and I don’t hope to know for another few years!
You shouldn’t have to get through all that stuff on your own, so I’ve made your new best friend who’s here to help you get into the holiday spirit and maybe even add a real life twinkle to your eye. Yes, this is basically just spiked hot chocolate. While it would be totally fine to have this without the booze (like…if you hate fun?) I made sure this recipe packed in a ton of flavor so it could stand up to a sizable pour of whiskey without being overpowered. So just think of this as one small holiday treat that’s prioritizing you.
A little bit about the ingredients: you know, Beau and I try to eat relatively healthy and at first, I started out trying to make this hot chocolate vegan and sugar free by using almond milk and stevia extract. And eventually? I gave in. What the hell. It’s the holidays. The bourbon does kind of need something fatty to stand up against (which is why I used whole milk), but if you can’t or don’t do dairy, a barista-grade oat milk that is rich and creamy might work well here.
I have to laugh because trying to make a spiked hot chocolate remotely healthy is so... us. Welp. Anyway, we’re still only using a handful of simple ingredients to make this and it comes together in like the same amount of time it takes to make the microwaveable stuff, it’s just a lot better. Treat yourself!
Boozy Hot Chocolate
Makes enough for 3-4 servings
Ingredients
3 cups whole milk
3 tablespoons dark cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2-2 oz. bourbon per serving
Whipped cream and candy cane for topping (optional)
Method
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine whole milk, cocoa powder, cinnamon, brown sugar, and granulated sugar—whisking constantly as the mixture heats. When mixture is fully combined and begins to steam (just before it gets to a boil) remove from heat and whisk in vanilla extract.
To make each serving, use a heat-ready glass or mug and add 1.5-2 oz Bourbon. Ladle hot cocoa over the booze to top off the mug, then finish with candy cane and whipped cream if using. God bless us, everyone!
Thanks for stopping by the blog! If you make this recipe, tag us on Instagram @probablythis so we see it :)
xoxo Matt