Good white chocolate (made with cocoa butter, not palm oil) melts into a silky, sweet, vanilla-rich drink. Because there’s no cocoa solids, it’s naturally caffeine-free.
Ingredients
You’ll need: Small saucepan, Whisk
Method
Warm the milk until steaming.
Remove from the heat and add the chopped white chocolate; let sit 1 minute, then whisk until smooth.
Stir in the vanilla and salt.
Pour into a mug and dust with nutmeg.
Tips
Look for “cocoa butter” in the ingredients; white “baking chips” often don’t melt smoothly.
Nutrition per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 10g
- Carbs
- 37g
- Sugar
- 38g
- Fiber
- 0g
- Fat
- 21g
- Caffeine
- 0mg
Estimated from standard USDA values for the ingredients listed; brands vary.
Variations
Lavender: Steep a teaspoon of culinary lavender in the milk, then strain.
Matcha white hot chocolate: Whisk in ½ tsp matcha.
Nutrition at a glance
One serving has about 385 calories, 38 g sugar, 10 g protein and essentially no caffeine. Values are estimates from USDA data for the exact amounts listed; your chocolate brand and milk change them: check your version with our chocolate drink calorie calculator.
Storing and reheating
Leftover hot chocolate keeps in a covered jar in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave, whisking well: the chocolate settles as it cools. A skin on top is normal; whisk it back in.
Choosing your chocolate
For drinks made with cocoa powder, Dutch-process gives a darker, smoother, mellower cup and natural cocoa a brighter, fruitier one. For melted chocolate, use a bar you’d enjoy eating: chips contain stabilizers that resist melting. See our cocoa and hot chocolate mix reviews and cocoa powder guide.
Frequently asked questions
Does white hot chocolate have caffeine?
Essentially none: white chocolate contains cocoa butter but no cocoa solids.
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Gear for this recipe
Velvety and deeply chocolatey without being too sweet: the mix that tastes closest to melted dark chocolate. It’s pricey and often sells out in winter.
- Type
- Hot cocoa mix
- Size
- 14.5 oz tin
- Cost
- about $1.30 per oz
- Make with
- With milk
A top pick in America’s Test Kitchen’s cocoa tasting for complex, layered chocolate flavor. Comes in natural and Dutch-process versions.
- Type
- Cocoa powder
- Size
- 8 oz
- Cost
- about $1 per oz
- Make with
- Make from scratch
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