peanut butter cup hot chocolate
Paying tribute to my sister’s emphatic pronunciation of “PEEEEAnut butter” with our second nutty recipe in a row this week.
Happy Friday, kids! Two days until marathon day, which means two days until I can enjoy a normal, fun diet of the foods I’ve been sharing. Huzzah! Carb loading day one went fine, but days two and three (today and tomorrow) are big boy loads and much less easy to stomach. Literally.
I’m being dramatic. My stomach is fine, my ego is not.
Yesterday morning another mini-front whipped through and, after getting soaked with rain on my run pre-dawn, the temps dropped several degrees and the wind blew in like a bat out of hell. So, hot chocolate.
Currently daydreaming about our Peanut Butter Cup Hot Chocolate. Simple and fun, and those mini peanut butter cups are just so endearing on top of a fluffy cap of whip. Homemade whip, if you’ve the inspiration.
A fire and a mug in my hand sounds delightful right now. Instead I’ve a fake Netflix fireplace on my screen, a bottle of orange juice, and a half-eaten bagel on a plate. Sniff.
Cup of Cheer
This hot cocoa is just another lovely variety of the cocoas I often share. Of course, with one ingredient deviation in the peanut butter.
As with yesterday’s Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes, I recommend using a creamy peanut butter that is not of the stir variety. The texture and melting power of an emulsified peanut butter works much better. I like Jif or Skippy Natural best.
Throw a couple spoonfuls of your choice brand in a sauce pot along with whole milk, heavy cream (for an extra dose of richness), chopped dark chocolate, cocoa powder, and sugar if you need it. I like brown sugar if a bit more sweetness is in order, but use what you prefer.
Whisk until the milk starts to steam, then shut off the burner and continue whisking an extra 5 minutes or so until the chocolate and peanut butter fully dissolve. Then, stir in a splash of vanilla.
Pour into your jolliest mug and top with a mountain of whip and/or marshmallows and some mini peanut butter cups (or big ones, if you want!). I like tacking my cocoa with a spoon to get a little bit of everything into each sip.
As far as the milk, you can use whatever dairy or nondairy milk you wish, and omit the heavy cream if it’s a little too spunky for you. Vegan peanut butter cups and vegan chocolate transform the drink into a lifestyle-friendly cup of comfort, if that suits you as well.
Have a great weekend, pals, and stay cozy!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Coocoo for cocoa:
Espresso Martini Hot Chocolate
Strawberry White Hot Chocolate
peanut butter cup hot chocolate
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup whole milk (or milk of choice)
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (or more milk)
- 2 oz dark chocolate, chopped
- 2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1-2 tbsp brown sugar, or sweetener of choice
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- whipped cream, marshmallows, and mini peanut butter cups, to serve
Instructions
- In a small saucepot, combine the milk, heavy cream, dark chocolate, peanut butter, cocoa powder, and sugar. Whisk until the milk begins to steam, about 5 minutes, then shut off the burner and cover, whisking vigorously with some gusto ever so often, for 5 minutes longer, until the peanut butter and chocolate fully melt. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Pour into your favorite giant mug and top with plenty of whipped cream, marshmallows, and mini peanut butter cups!
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