A Winter Cocktail Recipe for Hot Chocolate with Amaretto

Tis the season to cuddle in front of a roaring fire. And to pair with those flames, I have a cocktail recipe to help ignite the flames of passion. This winter cocktail recipe combines hot drinking chocolate with the one-of-a-kind flavor of amaretto. I’m calling it the Almond Joy because that’s exactly what it does, bringing a little extra joy to winter.

What makes a great winter cocktail recipe?

The best winter cocktails should be filled with warming ingredients. In this recipe, the warming ingredient is sophisticated and richly flavored drinking chocolate. And, of course, warm winter drinks should be filled with plenty of joy-inspiring hard liquor!

RELATED: Spiked Apple Cider Recipe

This heart-warming cocktail recipe is inspired by a drink offered at the Ritz Carlton Bachelor Gulch, a luxury enclave for wealthy snow bunnies in Colorado. Of course, the recipe doesn’t come with a dashing bartender to mix your cocktail for you but it definitely offers a taste of the good life in your own home.

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How to make great hot chocolate with amaretto

The recipe for the Almond Joy couldn’t be more simple. It just calls for a base of a great cup of drinking chocolate and a splash of Amaretto.  And then it’s topped with whipped cream. (Or top it with an adorable, seasonal marshmallow, the way I like to serve it.)

TRY NEXT: My other favorite hot chocolate cocktail for two, The Snuggler

Ingredients

This spiked hot chocolate recipe calls for just three ingredients:

• Drinking chocolate – See my recommendation of brands below or make your own with finely chopped chocolate and whole milk or your favorite plant-based milk.
• Amaretto liqueur
• Whipped cream – This is technically optional but really, what’s hot chocolate without a dollop of cold whipped cream on top?

What is the best hot chocolate for cocktails?

You can make drinking chocolate from scratch with finely chopped pieces of your favorite dark chocolate, (do not use semisweet chocolate). Just add the chocolate to hot milk or your favorite milk alternative. You can also use a combination of warm milk and hot water. Or you can use a drinking chocolate mix (not cocoa powder). Some good brands include Guittard Grand Cacao, Nomad Chocolate and Franzese Italian Hot Chocolate Mix.

Of course, great drinking chocolate isn’t just about the ingredients, it’s about how it’s made. Hot chocolate can be made in the microwave but to get the best hot chocolate, heat the milk or plant-based alternative in a saucepan over low to medium heat. Be careful not to scald the milk. When the milk comes to a low simmer, turn the heat as low as possible and add in your drinking chocolate, stirring continuously with a whisk until it is fully incorporated. (Whisking will help give the drinking chocolate a lovely, almost frothy texture.) THIS is how you make great hot chocolate!

RELATED: Learn how to make hot chocolate bombs at home with this simple kit

More fun winter cocktail recipes

The Tequila Hot Toddy
Sparkling Christmas Punch
The Perfect Manhattan for the Holidays
The Jamaican Hot Toddy
Hot Coffee with a Kick

Almond Joy Winter Cocktail Recipe

Print Recipe

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This simple and sweet hot chocolate amaretto cocktail takes just two ingredients (three if you add whipped cream) but is guaranteed to create feelings of love!

Course cocktails

Cuisine American

Dish Type Cocktail

Cooking Style Mixology

Seasonal Holiday season, New Year's Eve, Valentine's Day, winter

Ingredient Amaretto, hot chocolate

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Servings 1 cocktail

Calories 223

Author Amy Reiley (inspired by a cocktail from Ritz Carlton Bachelor Gulch)

Ingredients

• 4 oz Drinking chocolate*
• 1 oz Amaretto
• 1 oz Whipped cream optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Top a cup of premium hot cocoa with the Amaretto liqueur.
• Stir.
• Top with whipped cream (optional).

Notes

*See my notes in the introduction for some recommendations of great drinking chocolate brands. To make a cup of drinking chocolate with the best texture, make it on the stovetop, whisking constantly until the chocolate is completely melted. 

Nutrition

Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 87mg | Potassium: 162mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 195IU | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 0.2mg

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Amy Reiley

An award-winning author of five aphrodisiac cookbooks with an MA in Gastronomy, Amy Reiley has spent the past 18 years studying the history and science behind aphrodisiac foods. She speaks on aphrodisiacs globally and has brought her knowledge of aphrodisiac foods to national television shows including The Today Show and CBS Early Show. Amy is also a freelance food, wine and health writer and wine competition judge. Her work has appeared in publications ranging from Variety to The Daily Meal. She is a former wine editor for Gayot.com and wine & spirits editor of Las Vegas magazine. Most importantly, Amy is a mother to 2 human children and 1 standard poodle.

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