Nutella Hot Chocolate

We’re huge fans of Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread in this house.

You almost wouldn’t know it, looking at this blog. I’m honestly kind of shocked that I only have 2 Nutella recipes posted - Creamy Nutella Liqueur and Banana Nutella Muffins. Hrm. I’ll have to remedy that at some point!

Anyway, I recently went on a huge homemade hot chocolate recipe designing odyssey, and ended up coming up with something that just might be the perfect hot chocolate hack: this creamy Nutella hot chocolate!

This easy recipe is actually even less effort than making regular hot chocolate, as Nutella is almost everything you need for a cup of hot cocoa - basically just add some warm milk and you’re good to go!

It’s a great way to use up a jar of Nutella, and feels a little more refined than just having a go at it with a spoon!

Honestly one of the best hot chocolate recipes I’ve ever designed.

Because I don’t cut it with cocoa powder, the Nutella flavor really shines. That rich hazelnut and chocolate flavor just makes a really good cup of hot chocolate, you know?

Of course, I had to get *next level* with it, and decided that what a mug of Nutella hot chocolate REALLY needed, was a Nutella whipped cream topping.

Entirely optional, it only takes a couple minutes to make.. And really fancies it up.

It’s a great mug of hot chocolate to have on a random, cold winter’s night... and it’s special enough to serve to guests during the holiday season.

Hope you love it as much as we do!

Ingredients

This Nutella Hot Chocolate recipe uses only a few basic ingredients, and you should easily be able to find them all grocery stores.

A few notes for you on the main ingredients:

Nutella

This recipe uses ⅓ cup of Nutella, enough to completely take the place of the unsweetened cocoa powder in my other hot chocolate recipes.

I just didn’t want to dilute the Nutella-specific flavour!

So, I definitely recommend buying a LARGE Nutella jar - much better value, in my experience!

Also, it’s always good to have some extra Nutella on hand, IMHO!

Milk

You can use whatever kind of milk you like in this recipe.

Unsweetened Almond Milk has been my milk of choice for years now, ever since I needed to switch to a non-dairy milk.

As far as other plant based milks, Oat milk, Cashew Milk, Flax Milk, Macadamia Milk and Coconut Milk are all good options, and will taste great in this recipe.

Beyond that, regular milk works, too . You can use whatever you like, but I’d recommend at least 2% fat, for a creamy hot cocoa.

Whole milk works well, but I find 1% / skim milk to be too watery, IMHO.

As a note: for a richer hot chocolate, swap out ½ cup of milk for heavy cream.

Everything Else

Rounding out this recipe, you will need some salt. Not much to say, there - it just brightens up and balances the chocolate / sweetness.

Optional Toppings

Half the fun of making fancy drinks is dressing them up with your favorite toppings.

Some of my favourite options for this Nutella Hot Chocolate recipe:

Whipped Cream
Nutella Whipped Cream (Scroll for the recipe!)
Mini Marshmallows (Or homemade marshmallows!)
Chocolate Shavings
Melted Nutella, as a drizzle
Chopped Hazelnuts

Want to give it a bit more punch? Swap in an ounce or two of your favourite chocolate liqueur for some of the milk!

How to Make Nutella Hot Chocolate

The full recipe is in the printable recipe card at the end of this post, this is a visual walk through:

Measure the Nutella and a small amount of the milk, and the pinch of salt into a small saucepan, whisk until smooth.

Heat over medium low heat - whisking constantly - until the Nutella Hot Chocolate is steaming, but NOT quite boiling.

Remove from heat.

Divide Nutella hot chocolate into 2 mugs, garnish as desired, and serve immediately.

Leftovers can be cooled, stored in an airtight container, and chilled for up to 3 days. Reheat in a microwave-safe mug.

Nutella Whipped Cream

1 tablespoon Nutella
½ cup Heavy Cream

Whisk together the Nutella with a little bit of the heavy whipping cream with a fork.

As it combines, slowly add the rest of the cream, whisking constantly.

Once fully combined, whip with a stick blender - or in a mini food processor - until stiff peaks form.

Spoon Nutella whipped cream into the mugs of Nutella Hot Chocolate, serve immediately.

More Fancy Hot Beverages!

Want that coffee shop experience at home, for a fraction of the cost?

Whether you're looking for sugar free or a sugar bomb, I've got you covered, with all kinds of keto friendly fancy coffee drinks, hot chocolates, and more!

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Gingerbread Latte (High Protein, Low Carb)
Grownup Hot Chocolate
Keto Hot Chocolate
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Mocha Latte (High Protein, Low Carb)
Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate (High Protein, Low Carb)
Sugar Free Peppermint Hot Chocolate
Peppermint Mocha (High Protein, Low Carb)
Sugar Free Peppermint White Hot Chocolate
Pistachio White Hot Chocolate
Sugar Free Pistachio White Hot Chocolate
Protein Hot Chocolate
Pumpkin Chai Latte (High Protein, Low Carb)
Pumpkin Chai Latte (Traditional)
Pumpkin Spice Latte (High Protein, Low Carb)
Pumpkin Spice Latte (Traditional)
Sweet Corn Cappuccino