This delicious homemade hot chocolate with orange is a fantastic hot beverage for fall and winter. The luscious hot chocolate has a subtle orange flavor and is best served with whipped cream and marshmallows on top.
Jump to:
This post may contain affiliate links. Read more about it in the privacy policy.
This easy hot chocolate recipe is the perfect sweet treat! It's made in less than 10 minutes, and only requires 5 ingredients - and 2 of them are optional!
Why you'll love it
- Easy, homemade hot chocolate
- Orange hot chocolate is the perfect flavor combination
- Customize the recipe to suit your preferences
- Dairy free and vegan option available
- Gluten free, vegetarian, nut free and soy free hot chocolate recipe
- Perfect as a comforting hot beverage for winter
- Kind and adults will both love it
Ingredients
Chocolate: I use milk chocolate, but you can also use dark chocolate, or a combination of the two if you prefer. Chocolate squares and chocolate chips will both work perfectly fine. You can also use unsweetened cocoa powder or any cacao powder mix that you like.
Milk: Use any milk that you like. Oat milk and whole milk are great options if you like creamy, thick hot chocolate. Skim milk, almond milk, and soy milk will result in a thinner, but still tasty hot chocolate.
Orange: Fresh orange peels add a great flavor to orange hot chocolate. You can use peels from a regular orange, or any similar citrus fruit like a clementine or mandarine.
Salt: Add a tiny pinch of salt to enhance the other flavors in the beverage. Don't worry; the chocolate won't taste salty!
Cinnamon: A pinch of cinnamon adds a lovely flavor to the hot chocolate. This is completely optional and can be omitted if you prefer.
💡 TIP! Instead of using chocolate and orange peel, you can use orange-flavored chocolate. Terry's chocolate orange is really popular in the UK, and can also be found in many other countries.
Instructions
You can find full instructions + ingredient measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this page
One: Add milk, salt, cinnamon, orange peel, and chocolate to a pot. If you're using a chocolate bar, you should break it into squares or chunks before you add it to the pot.
Two: Heat up the pot or saucepan over medium heat, and gently warm it up while continuously stirring. The chocolate will slowly melt and incorporate with the milk. When the chocolate is completely blended, you can remove the pot from the heat, and use a spoon or fork to remove the orange peels. Serve the hot chocolate in cups, optionally topped with marshmallows and whipped cream.
Top tips
- Don't allow the hot chocolate to boil, as this could cause the milk to burn.
- Keep an eye on the hot chocolate as it warm up, and stir it continuously. This will prevent any kitchen accidents, and allows you to remove it from the heat at the right moment.
- Depending on the milk and chocolate that you use, you might want to add an additional sweetener like sugar, honey or maple syrup. You can add these ingredients to taste after the chocolate has melted.
- Use organic or unwaxed oranges if possible. Their peels will taste noticeably sweeter!
Serving suggestions
Hot chocolate with orange is best served as a comforting evening beverage, as a tasty treat, or even as a sweet morning beverage.
I love to serve hot chocolate in fall and winter, on a cold and dark evening, and chocolate orange is a popular flavor combination during this season.
Serve it with sweet toppings such as chocolate shavings, marshmallows, orange zest, whipped cream, or chocolate sauce. You can also place a little cookie, wafer, or even a small piece of chocolate in the whipped cream or make the beverage look extra special.
Pair it with your favorite cookies, cakes like Orange Loaf Cake, or your favorite chocolate recipes for the ultimate comforting treat.
Variations
Dairy-free + vegan: Use dairy-free chocolate. Many types of dark chocolate are naturally free from dairy, and you can find dairy free milk chocolate in many grocery stores or supermarkets. Additionally, you will need to use a dairy free milk alternative, like oat milk or almond milk.
Extra sweet: Make the hot chocolate sweeter by adding sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave syrup, or any other sweetener like stevia.
Different types of chocolate: Try making this with milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, orange chocolate, or any other chocolate that you like. You can also combine different flavors of chocolate.
Equipment
No special equipment is required to make this recipe. All you need is a small pot, and a whisk, a wooden spoon, or a spatula.
It can also be helpful to have a vegetable peeler to peel your orange. If you are using a chocolate bar instead of chocolate chips, you might also need a chopping board and a sharp knife to cut the chocolate into pieces.
Storage
You can store leftover hot chocolate in a refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat it in a microwave or on the stove, and serve it warm.
This recipe is easy to double or triple to suit your preferences. Keep in mind that making a bigger batch will require a larger pot! This allows you to cook several servings, so you can make hot chocolate for the entire family, or refrigerate leftovers to enjoy the next day.
Frequently asked questions
Beverages made with dairy milk can develop a thin layer called milk film or milk skin if the milk is allowed to boil. If this happens, you can use a spoon to remove the film. To prevent this from happening, you should avoid boiling the milk.
Using orange-flavored chocolate is an easy way to make orange-flavored hot chocolate. However, you can also add orange flavor to your cocoa by adding orange juice, orange peels, or orange extract.
Yes! Chocolate and orange is a fantastic flavor combination. The sweet, fresh citrus flavor is the perfect accompaniment to rich chocolate.
You might also like these recipes
- Hot Chocolate with Peppermint
- Sugar Free Hot Chocolate
- Gingerbread Latte
- Vegan Eggnog
- Peppermint Coffee
- Instant Pot Apple Cider
If you make this recipe, make sure to post a photo to Instagram with #hintofhealthy!
Recipe
Hot Chocolate with Orange
Equipment
- Vegetable Peeler
Ingredients
Instructions
- Use a vegetable peeler to carefully peel the orange. Avoid including the white inner part of the peel if possible, as this often has a bitter flavor.
- Cut your chocolate bar into squares or pieces.
- Add milk, salt, cinnamon, orange peel, and chocolate to a pot.
- Place the pot on the stove over medium heat, and gently warm it up while continuously stirring. The chocolate will slowly melt and incorporate with the milk. Make sure that the milk doesn't boil, the beverage should only be warm enough to melt the chocolate.
- When the hot chocolate is completely blended, you can remove the pot from the heat, and use a spoon or fork to remove the orange peels.
- Serve the hot chocolate in cups, optionally topped with marshmallows and whipped cream.
Video
Notes
- Use organic or unwaxed oranges if possible. These taste noticeably sweeter.
- You can use a regular orange, a clementine, or mandarin. Any sweet, orange citrus fruit will work!
- Use milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, Terry's chocolate orange, or a combination of these.
- Keep the hot chocolate from boiling.
- Sweetener: Add some sugar, maple syrup, or honey if you wish to make it sweeter. This could be necessary if you're using dark chocolate, which tends to be bitter.
- Milk: Whole milk and oat milk are best, but soy milk, almond milk, and skim milk can also be used.
Nutrition
Food safety tips
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Leave a comment