Frozen Hot Chocolate: The Milkshake Your Cocoa Packets Have Been Waiting For
Three ingredients, one blender, five minutes: this is the treat you make when you want dessert but don't want to turn on anything.
Dowell Cooks5 min readPrint this post
Milk, cocoa packets, and ice walk into a blender. Five minutes later, you've got dessert.
Hey friends! If you've ever stood in front of the freezer at 8pm wanting a milkshake but only owning cocoa packets, this one's for you. Frozen hot chocolate is exactly what it sounds like: your favorite mug drink, blended cold, turned into something you'd actually order at a counter. It takes five minutes and one appliance, which is basically my whole cooking philosophy in a glass.
Since the drink itself doesn't bring salt or crunch to the table, here's what actually rounds it out.
MilkHot Cocoa Mix
Score 95Shared aroma compounds and complementary structure.
Whipped CreamChocolate
Score 92Shared aroma compounds and complementary structure.
MilkChocolate
Score 82Shared aroma compounds and complementary structure.
What to put next to it
This drink is rich and a little bitter underneath the sweetness, so I like something with actual snap next to it: a crisp waffle cone, a shortbread cookie, or even just a handful of pretzels for the salty contrast, since the drink itself doesn't have much salt or acid to lean on. A few espresso beans on top isn't a bad move either if you want to push the bitter edge instead of soften it.
What to buy
Grab whole milk if you want the richest texture. This isn't the place to reach for skim, since the fat is what makes the blend creamy instead of icy. Any hot cocoa mix packets you already have in the pantry will work, and for the topping, a bar of real chocolate you shave yourself beats the pre-made chocolate shavings bag every time.
Switching it up
Swap in a shot of brewed coffee for some of the milk if you want a mocha version with a sharper bitter edge. Going dairy-light, evaporated milk in place of some of the regular milk pushes it even richer and more milkshake-like. And if you want less sweetness overall, cut back to two cocoa packets instead of three. It's your glass.
Substitutions that still taste like the recipe.
Missing an ingredient or just want to riff? Here's what works in its place.
- cottage cheese
Shares lactone compounds with milk
- buttermilk↑ sour
Shares lactone compounds with milk — more sour
- coffee↑ bitter
Shares maillard compounds with hot cocoa mix — more bitter
- cola
Shares phenolic compounds with hot cocoa mix
- half and half
Shares lactone compounds with whipped cream
- whole milk↓ fatty
Shares lactone compounds with whipped cream — less fatty
- cocoa powder↓ sweet
Shares pyrazine compounds with chocolate — less sweet
- oreo cookies
Shares maillard compounds with chocolate
Common questions
Can I make this without a blender?
Does this work with non-dairy milk?
How long does it keep in the freezer?
Can I make it less sweet?
That's it, that's the whole recipe. Five minutes, one blender, zero excuses. Make it for the family on a hot Tampa afternoon or just for yourself because you felt like it. Browse all recipes for more like this one.
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