I Tried 7 Hot Chocolate Mixes and This Is the Only One I’ll Buy Again

I’ve always found hot chocolate to be a little disappointing. Don’t get me wrong, I love chocolate. But while I imagine every warm cup of cocoa tasting like rich, quality chocolate stirred into creamy warm milk, in reality a lot of hot chocolates are super watery, so sweet they give you a stomachache, or just plain not good. Not exactly what I’m craving after a day spent out in the cold.

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Because I’m an optimist, I assumed that the perfect hot chocolate mix did exist. I hit up a few different mainstream grocery stores in Brooklyn and found seven mixes from seven different brands to try. And, unfortunately, most of them let me down. I followed the water or milk ratio on the back of each box, yet many of them tasted more like chocolatey water than hot chocolate. (Yes, even when made with milk!) One mix tasted almost burnt, and another didn’t even really taste like chocolate. Any one of them could warm you up on a cold day, sure, but most just didn’t hit the spot.

However, one hot cocoa stood out. And that one was…

I’d go as far as saying that Land O’ Lakes Chocolate Supreme Hot Cocoa Mix makes the best hot chocolate I’ve ever tasted. It’s for sure the best cup of cocoa that I’ve ever made for myself. The hot chocolate tastes like rich, creamy milk chocolate blended with warm milk, and despite having a lot of sugar (wow, hot chocolate mixes have a lot of sugar), it wasn’t too sweet. The mix completely dissolves, too, and makes for a drink that has a thicker texture than the others did, with a layer of chocolatey foam on top.

Buy: Land O’ Lakes Chocolate Supreme Hot Cocoa Mix, $7.50 for 1.48 ounces at Walmart

Do you have a go-to brand of hot chocolate mix? Tell us about it in the comments below!