Recipe: Red Wine Hot Chocolate
Put down the boozy eggnog and don’t even think about ordering another Pumpkin Spice Latte, because I have the most exciting winter drink for you to try right now. We wrote about red wine hot chocolate a couple months ago, after we saw it popping up on Pinterest, and instantly knew we needed to create a recipe for our readers. Red wine hot chocolate really is as simple and delicious as it sounds; it’s something to enjoy with friends after a wintery meal, or by yourself curled up on the couch on a snowy day.
Grab an inexpensive bottle of red at your local wine store tonight and make your boozy chocolate dreams come to life.
A Rich Dessert Cocktail for Cold Winter Nights
Spike our go-to recipe for hot chocolate with red wine and it suddenly becomes instantly richer and more luxurious. A fruity red wine like a Merlot or Zinfandel works best here, as it plays in harmony with the delicately bitter dark chocolate and caramel notes in brown sugar.
The trick to making this warm drink a real star, though, is giving it an extra kick with cinnamon. Just a touch of the spice boosts the drink’s warming quality, adds intrigue, and rounds everything out.
This is the kind of drink that’s meant for quiet nights at home, but it’s also special enough to serve to your friends at the end of a cozy dinner party; it’ll warm up their bones so they can muster the strength to step back out into the cold.
Red Wine Hot Chocolate
Serves 8
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 5 ounces
dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons
unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons
packed brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
- 1 quart
(4 cups) whole milk
Pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 cups
fruity red wine, such as Merlot, Shiraz, or Zinfandel
Cinnamon sticks and additional cocoa powder, for serving (optional)
Instructions
Whisk the chocolate, cocoa powder, sugar, and cinnamon together in a large saucepan. Add the milk and bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until hot and smooth, about 5 minutes. Stir in the salt.
Remove from the heat and add the wine. Divide among 8 small glasses or mugs, garnish with a cinnamon stick and a dusting of cocoa powder, if desired, and serve.