Give Your Hot Cocoa An Added Caffeine Boost With This Store-Bought Ingredient

There is nothing tastier than a warming mug of hot cocoa when temperatures start to drop. An extra appealing characteristic of cocoa, too, is that you can make it however you want and incorporate other flavors and ingredients you love. Some of the best ways to upgrade your hot cocoa, for example, include adding Nutella, salted caramel, or baking spices to liqueur, chili peppers, or peppermint. One of our favorites is a caffeinated boost: espresso. This is a great way to combine your coffee and cocoa rituals, make your morning cup of joe a little more decadent, or even get your daily caffeine if you're not normally the biggest coffee fan. The espresso rounds out the hot chocolate with deeper, more dark-chocolate notes and a hint of roast. 

The quickest, easiest, and therefore best way to do this is to add just a touch of instant espresso powder when you're stirring together your other ingredients for hot cocoa. Remember: a little goes a long way with an intense flavor like espresso, which also means you'll want to pick one of the best instant espresso brands, so this caffeinated update enhances the hot chocolate instead of contributing any less-than-desirable flavors. If you're making the best hot chocolate for two, you'll be using about 2 ounces of chopped dark chocolate and 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder. To keep your ratios in check, add about ½ to 1 teaspoon of espresso powder depending on how much espresso intensity you want.

To make your best-ever caffeinated hot chocolate, chop the dark chocolate and add it to a saucepan with the cocoa powder, espresso powder, a pinch of salt, and 4 teaspoons of brown sugar. Pour in 1 and a ½ cups of milk — or your preferred dairy alternative — and then stir continuously for about five minutes over low to medium heat. You'll see everything start to melt together into a rich liquid. If you're in a rush, you can also add a splash of made espresso into your cup of instant hot chocolate.

Best of all, you can top this caffeinated creation however you wish. Learn your favorite way to make whipped cream for a rich, cooling contrast; store-bought whipped cream is just fine, too. Add cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, a sprinkle of ginger or pumpkin pie spice, crushed peppermint candies, chocolate shavings, or orange zest. A drizzle of chocolate syrup or salted caramel over any whipped cream is dreamy — and of course you can go classic with marshmallows. A pinch of spicy chili pepper adds some heat that's kept in check by the chocolate and roasty espresso. You can even incorporate other flavors via an upgraded homemade simple syrup. Think raspberry, mint, orange, cinnamon, or lavender. And if you really do love the flavor of coffee, use a coffee syrup or a splash of cold brew especially when your cocoa is a bit too scorching to drink.