This Is Our Most Popular Holiday Drink of All Time

The holidays are filled with nostalgia. Whether you're enjoying one of Grandma's recipes, cooking with family, or flipping on a Christmas movie, there are plenty of moments that get us in the holiday spirit and help us feel a little younger. Along with the dishes we eat are the festive drinks that come back around every season. A recipe that stands out among the Allrecipes community is a rich, sweet, and chocolatey sipper that harkens back to our youth. It's our most popular holiday drink of all time—and it's perfect for the holidays.

Our Top Holiday Drink

While eggnog gets a lot of attention during December, we can't forget about an equally comforting classic: creamy homemade hot cocoa. There probably isn’t a more nostalgic beverage to enjoy during the festive season. Plenty of families, including mine, pulled out a store-bought mix of hot cocoa, and it’s the warm drink I always craved most as a child.

Nothing beats a homemade version, though, and this low-lift hot cocoa recipe is exceptional. It is more flavorful than anything from a packet, comes together in just 10 minutes, and makes your kitchen smell heavenly. After one taste, you won’t want to make the store-bought version ever again.

How to Make Our Most Popular Hot Cocoa Recipe

This hot cocoa recipe is our most popular holiday drink because it is simple, sweet, and rich. All you need is five ingredients—sugar, cocoa powder, milk, half-and-half, and vanilla extract—plus water and a pinch of salt.

Combine the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a saucepan, then add boiling water and bring the mixture to a simmer for about two minutes, whisking constantly. Stir in the milk and leave it on the stove until very hot but not boiling. Finally, remove the hot cocoa from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour a small amount of half-and-half into each mug, then distribute the hot cocoa mixture evenly. Garnish with marshmallows, whipped cream, or winter spices.

How to Make Hot Cocoa for Adults

If you prefer something spiked, all hope is not lost. You can easily make boozy hot chocolate by adding a half or full shot of dark or spiced rum, brandy, or whiskey, depending on how strong you want it. Kahlúa and Baileys are popular options, but it’s all a matter of preference.

Allrecipes reviewer Kerlin Levesque substituted a teaspoon of brandy for the vanilla for a subtle but richer taste. Another reviewer says: "This recipe is great as is, however, we replaced the half-and-half with a shot of Baileys. A great treat on a cold evening, watching Christmas movies."

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

This perfect cold-weather drink warms the soul. Here’s what some of our community members had to say about this top-rated recipe, which has more than 1,000 reviews:

• "Best hot chocolate I have made, and I have made several listed on this site," says reviewer READALOUD. "I did reduce the sugar but then turned around and added some Starbuck's mint syrup which is sweet. Heavenly! So rich it tastes like melted candy bars. Very creamy!"

• "Move over Swiss Miss! With each sip, I'm liking this hot cocoa recipe more and more. It is incredibly rich and creamy, and the taste is absolutely out of this world. The recipe is fairly simple," says reviewer Adam M. "Reduce the amount of sugar to 1/2 cup if you are looking for a bolder, more bitter flavor, but adding all 3/4 cup seems to make it just sweet enough. This recipe is absolutely perfect for the cold winter day!"

• "Yummy! I made this while we had friends visiting. It was the perfect beverage to get the cold edge off," says reviewer Innadired. "Very rich, but that's the way I like it! During the holiday season, it's nice with a candy cane."

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