Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate

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Rich, creamy Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate made with real melted chocolate, buttery caramel sauce, and a pinch of flaky salt for the perfect sweet-salty finish.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Shreya Walia

Ingredients

1.5 c Soy Vanilla Milk (or your milk of choice!)
125 g Milk Chocolate Bar
2 tbsp Hershey's Cocoa Powder
3 Baking Caramels
Hefty Pinch of Sea Salt
Whipped Cream

Instructions

Heat the milk: Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it’s hot and steaming, but not boiling. Boiling can cause the milk to scorch or the chocolate to separate, so keep it gentle.
Melt the chocolate: Add the chopped chocolate straight into the warm milk and whisk continuously until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
Add cocoa and sugar: Sprinkle in the cocoa powder and sugar, whisking well to dissolve any lumps. This deepens the chocolate flavor and adds structure.
Add caramel and flavorings: Stir in the caramel sauce, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. The caramel should melt seamlessly into the hot chocolate.
Adjust and finish: Taste and adjust — add more caramel for sweetness, more cocoa for richness, or a little more salt to highlight the caramel. Pour into a mug, top with whipped cream, caramel drizzle, and flaky salt.

Notes

Storage: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop and whisk to re-emulsify.

Caramel Options: Use store-bought caramel sauce or homemade — both work well. Adjust sweetness depending on the brand.

Chocolate Notes: Chopped chocolate melts smoother than chips due to stabilizers in chocolate chips.

Variations: Add espresso for a mocha version, cinnamon + cayenne for a Mexican hot chocolate twist, or Baileys/Kahlúa for an adult version.

Nutrition