Love McDonald’s hot chocolate? In this post we’ll share what you need to know about it + a copycat recipe so you can make it at home!
McDonalds hot chocolate is one of those guilty pleasures. I mean it’s not the best hot chocolate you’ll ever try but it’s good.
Like comfort food good and nostalgic good. It’s a thick, creamy drink that really warms you up on a chilly morning or crisp fall afternoon.
So we decided to search around all McDonald’s menu and restaurant locations in search for all the hot chocolate types you can get.
And we also decided to go to the kitchen and try to recreate the restaurant drink. The end result? A hot chocolate that’s incredibly similar to the one you’ll get from the McCaffe.
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And if you want more copycat McDonald’s recipe make sure to check this one for McDonald’s Pancakes
What hot chocolates you can find at McDonald’s
First things first. if you are visiting a McDonald’s you can find a couple different hot chocolate types. It depends a lo on the time of the year and the restaurant location you are visiting. But after some internet sleuthing we found these:
Traditional hot chocolate
This is the one you can get at pretty much all locations. It’s made with steamed milk and no artificial colors or flavors.
it’s thick, super thick and served with a whipped cream topping that’s totally delicious. It also has some vanilla notes so it’s perfectly balanced.
Peppermint hot chocolate
If you like mint chip ice cream and the mint Girl Scout cookies you’ll love this hot chocolate!
It’s made with steamed milk that’s frothed so it’s foamy and thick. The milk it’s also mixed with peppermint syrup and everything is stirred with hot chocolate. And then it’s served with whipped cream topping and crushed candy canes.
It tastes like a good winter afternoon should taste like.
White chocolate
This one is seasonal and depends a lot on the location you are at. Australia seems to have it in the iced version.
You can also find it at the McCafé but it’s blended with coffee so it’s a white chocolate mocha.
Still it’s amazing you can find some white chocolate drinks at this fast food chain.
Caramel hot chocolate
This one is also location dependent but it’s incredibly good. This hot chocolate is incredibly frothy and airy which I honestly love.
And it tastes like caramel. So if you loca how caramel and chocolate taste together you’ll probably love it.
McDonald’s Hot Chocolate Ingredients
So now that you know all the hot chocolates you can get at McDonalds it’s time to try our hand at making this drink at home.
This is incredibly similar to the drink you can get at their restaurants and drive through so if you live far away from one of their locations and want to ave their hot chocolate this copycat recipe is the best.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: This is what gives the chcolate kick to the recipe. Any cocoa powder you have will work.
- Chocolate syrup: Some people prefer to use sugar and chocolate and melt it together but I prefer to use dark chocolate syrup. You get all the chocolate flavor and the creaminess and sweetness without any extra steps.
- Boiling water: I know, who uses water to make their hot chocolate? Well, McDonald’s so if we want to get the best results then we need to use water just like them.
- Milk: Ideally you want to use steamed milk. If you dob’t have a steamer you can also heat some milk in a small pot and transfer to a french press, you can press it a couple times until frothy. Or you can also use one of those milk frothers.
- Whipped cream: This is optional and it’s to top your hot chocolate just like McDonalds.
McDonald’s Hot Chocolate Recipe
Now that you have all ingredients on hand it’s time to get mixing.
In a small cup add the unsweetened cocoa powder and the chocolate syrup and stir together. You’ll get a thick slurry. This is your hot chocolate baes and it’s where all the magic happens.
Set it aside and steam your milk. You want it to be hot and frothy. The frothy milk is the secret for creamy hot chocolate that’s also light and airy. Set it aside.
Now add a little bit of your boiling water over your hot chocolate slurry and stir well. You’ll have a thick mix. That’s perfect.
Top with your steamed milk and stir together and voila! Perfect hot chocolate is done.
Then you can top it with whipped cream and drizzle with more hot chocolate on top because why not?
McDonald’s Hot Chocolate Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 Cup cocoa powder unsweetened
- 1/3 Cup chocolate syrup
- 1/3 Cup water boiling
- 1 Cup milk steamed or frothed
- 1/4 Cup whipped cream
Instructions
- In a mug stir together the cocoa powder and chocolate syrup.
- Slowly pour the water, mixing vigorously so you don't have any lumps left.
- Pour the steamed milk and stir to combine. Top with whipped cream and drizzle with chocolate syrup.
How to Customize your Hot Chocolate
The great thing about this recipe is that there are a thousand different ways you can customize it!
- Add caramel syrup to make a caramel hot chocolate
- Add some white chocolate chips to the mix
- Stir in some peppermint syrup to create your very own peppermint hot chocolate
- Mix in toffee chips
- Add a cinnamon sprinkle
- Incorporate pumpkin spice mix
- Top with mini marshmallows!
Frequently asked questions about McDonald’s hot chocolate
Yes! McDonald’s has hot chocolate drinks available at most locations and at almost all McCafés. Depending on the time of the year and where you are you can also get different types and styles of hot chocolate drinks.
The secret is a dark chocolate beverage mix and very little hot water. They are mixed together and then textured milk is poured on top.
It’s a good hot chocolate and super affordable too. So it makes it a great option to have on the go.
Yes! Some locations have caramel hot chocolate available. It tastes a lot like caramel so it’s amazing for those that really like the caramel and chocolate flavor combo.
