Cozy up with a glass of this delicious Orange Hot Chocolate. It’s made with simple ingredients in under 5 minutes, and the orange adds even more flavor to this classic recipe.

Hot chocolate is a wintertime essentially around here. I mean, is there anything cozier?

This orange hot chocolate is a fun spin on traditional hot chocolate. Plus, in my opinion, the chocolate-orange combination isn’t utilized enough.

If you’re in need of other wintertime essential beverages, be sure to check out my cinnamon sesame milk, boozy hot chocolate and of course my favorite cinnamon tequila sour.

Recipe features

• A delicious hot chocolate recipe that just so happens to be dairy-free (as long as you use dairy-free chocolate and milk :))
• The orange adds even more flavor to this recipe
• The whole thing comes together in about 5 minutes!

Ingredient notes:

Dark chocolate – I used 70% dark chocolate; feel free to use whatever chocolate you want depending on the kind you like.

Milk – Any kind! I almost always use almond milk or oat milk for all of my recipes, but any milk will do.

Cocoa powder – No substitution; make sure to use unsweetened cocoa powder or cacao powder works too.

Sugar – Optional. I think hot chocolate should be on the sweet side, and the entire recipe only calls for two tablespoons, but you can definitely omit it if you want.

Orange juice – Preferably freshly squeezed; The recipe calls for two tablespoons, but you can adjust it based on your personal preference.

Method

First: Melt the chocolate. Begin by adding the chopped dark chocolate and the milk to a saucepan, whisking frequently over medium heat until the chocolate has melted, being careful that it doesn’t burn.

Second: Make the hot chocolate. Once the chocolate has melted, add the remaining ingredients (cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla, and orange juice), and stir everything together. Heat over low for 3-5 minutes, or until it’s warmed to your liking.

Third: Add toppings. Toppings are a must! I like adding whipped cream and extra chopped chocolate on top, but a little orange zest would be good too.

Tips and tricks

• I know you can buy orange extract, but I haven’t tried it in this recipe. If you’ve used it and love it, feel free to use it in place of the vanilla extract. But, start small — no more than 1/2 tsp — and go from there.

Can I use chocolate chips instead of chopped chocolate?

Yep! Again, I’d opt for dark chocolate or at least semi sweet over milk chocolate.

Can this be prepped in advance?

Yes; however, this is a single-serve hot chocolate recipe. If you want to double, triple or even quadruple the recipe, you can adjust the serving size in the recipe card where it says “serving size”.

To make ahead, prep the exact same way, wait for it to cool a bit then pour it into a sealed container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, pour back into a saucepan and stir until it’s warmed to your liking.

More chocolate recipes

• Chocolate Peppermint Truffles
• Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
• The BEST Paleo Brownies

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!

UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in February 2017. It was updated with new text and photos in December 2020.