Have you ever had frozen hot chocolate? What? Why on earth would I want my hot chocolate cold? Doesn’t that defeat the purpose? Frozen hot chocolate is a super popular drink served at Serendipity3 in New York City. This is a copycat recipe of that delightful dessert beverage.
Do you eat ice cream when it is cold outside? I sure do! So no need to wait until the weather is warm to break out that blender and make yourself some amazing homemade frozen hot chocolate. It is a bit different than my super chocolatey hot chocolate recipe, but just as incredible.
I know what you are thinking, “Can’t I just use that normal hot chocolate recipe or my own favorite hot chocolate recipe and add ice to it?” Yes, you certainly can if you want. This particular version tastes good hot as well. But you are here for the cold version. Let’s get started!
The Ingredients
In order to make this yummy frozen hot chocolate from scratch you will need just a handful of ingredients:
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – I typically use the Hershey’s brand, but you can use whatever kind that you want or a combination of them.
- Milk powder – I use whole milk powder, but again you can use any variety of milk powder that you want. This helps make it so the drink doesn’t get watered down too much by the ice.
- Salt – Just a bit of salt to help balance out the flavors.
- Vanilla extract – The vanilla adds amazing flavor and enhances the other flavors.
- White granulated sugar – This is the main sweetener. You can use other sweeteners if you desire. However, I don’t think this iced hot chocolate is too sweet.
- Milk – I always use whole milk but feel free to use 2%, 1%, Almond milk, or any other milk.
- Ice – I love using nugget ice from my Gevi countertop nugget ice maker. The ice is perfect for this type of drink. Any ice will work, however, nugget or Sonic ice blends more easily than standard cubed ice.
- Toppings – I like to top it off with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, just like at Serendipity 3.
Equipment and Tools
- Whisk
- Bowl
- Blender
- Glasses
- Microplane zester for the chocolate. I use that tool a lot!
How to make frozen hot chocolate from scratch
Begin by adding the unsweetened cocoa powder, milk powder, salt, and granulated sugar to a medium bowl and whisk until combined.
Or if you prefer you can put all of those ingredients in a sifter and sift them into your bowl.
Add the ice to a blender, then the milk, vanilla extract, and cocoa mixture.
Blend well for 30 seconds or so. It will look like a chocolate smoothy by slightly runnier.
NOTE: I love to use nugget ice or sonic ice because it blends easier but normal ice or crushed ice will work too. I did a review on my nugget ice maker that I own if you want to check it out.
Now just pour it into a few glasses (3 or 4 servings) and add some whipped cream to the top if desired.
I also like to add some chocolate shavings on top of the whipped cream. Just run a piece of a chocolate bar across a zester to give you nice chocolate shavings.
Time to dig in! You can use a spoon or straw if you like. Enjoy!
How long does homemade frozen hot chocolate last?
This yummy drink will last a few hours, then it doesn’t taste as good after that. Keep it cold and it will last longer, but it is definitely meant to be drunk right after making it.
Can I use instant hot chocolate packets for this?
Sure! You can use whatever hot chocolate recipe you want, including the instant hot cocoa packets. I recommend adding 3 to 4 packets with this amount of milk and ice.
Here are other drinks and recipes you may like:
Frozen Hot Chocolate
Equipment
- Whisk
- Bowl
- Glasses
- Microplane zester for the chocolate
Ingredients
- 3 cups of ice I like to use nugget or Sonic ice (708g)
- 1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder 35g
- 1/3 cup of milk powder 40g
- 1/8 th tsp of salt less than 1g
- 1/3 cup of white granulated sugar 67g
- 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract 2ml
Toppings
- 1 cup of milk whole, 2%, skim, almond, etc. (237ml)
- Whipped cream
- Chocolate shavings
Instructions
- Add the cocoa powder, milk powder, salt, and granulated sugar to a bowl and whisk until combined.
- Add the ice to a blender with the milk and vanilla extract.
- Next, add the cocoa powder mixture to the blender. Blend everything for 30 to 40 seconds until well combined. It should look like a chocolate smoothie, only a bit runnier.
- Pour into 3 or 4 glasses (8 to 12-ounce glasses) and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings if desired.
- Serve with a spoon or straw or both. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Thank you so much for this recipe! Being an Arizonan I love looking for ways to keep cool in the summer heat!
You are so very welcome!! I am an Arizonan as well! 🙂
My kids were so excited when I made this as a treat after school one day. We all agreed that it was better than any milkshake! Who needs a trip to New York? 😉
Awesome!! 🙂 🙂
Loved this frozen hot chocolate! Reminded me of my time in NYC! Such great memories!
Thank you! 🙂
This hot chocolate looks so delicious, and the instructions are easy to follow as well.
Thanks! 🙂