Raspberry White Hot Chocolate
(Boozy or Non-Alcoholic Recipe)

If you are looking for a new warm beverage to get you through these snowy days, white hot chocolate is a game changer. Like its darker cousin, this drink is sweet, smooth, and creamy. But the subtlety of white chocolate allows other delicate flavors to shine as well. In this white hot chocolate recipe, I’m highlighting raspberry, with both boozy and non-alcoholic options.

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Raspberry and white chocolate isn’t a new combination. The rich sweetness of the creamy, white chocolate base perfectly balances out the tart berry. And in return, the raspberry gives a subtle pinkish color to the cocoa, making it feel a bit more fun than your average mug.

For even more fun, the liquor added to this recipe really does enhance all of the flavors while adding a kick. White chocolate and raspberry liqueurs join with vodka, so your drink is strong, sweet, and smooth. Winter, meet your match.

What You Need to Get Started

You can easily find all of the ingredients for this raspberry white hot chocolate recipe at your grocery store. You can also order online using Amazon Fresh for grocery delivery.

• Fridge: Milk, Heavy cream
• Pantry: Raspberry jam, White chocolate chips
• From the Bar (optional): Vodka (local or more available), White chocolate liqueur, Raspberry liqueur
• Equipment: Saucepan, Measuring cup, Mesh strainer, Silicone spatula, Ladle

Raspberry White Hot Chocolate Recipe

There’s a little bit of extra work involved in making sure this hot chocolate is smooth and creamy. Raspberry jam can be fairly acidic, which is why it’s so tart and delicious. However, that acid doesn’t play nicely with dairy, so it can cause the milk to separate.

But that’s no problem if you have a fine mesh strainer, which will make sure your drink is full of delicious raspberry flavor, without all the solids. As a bonus, it’s also a great way to remove the raspberry seeds from the jam.

To get started, combine milk and raspberry jam in a medium saucepan. Stir constantly, but gently while you begin to heat up this mixture, dissolving all of the jam into the liquid.

If you’d like a more pronounced raspberry flavor in your cocoa, you can add a tablespoon of raspberry syrup (like Torani brand) at this point as well. I don’t think the alcoholic version needs this addition, but you may enjoy a booze-free cocoa with a little extra.

Continue cooking until you start to see small bubbles around the edges of the pan. This indicates that the milk is beginning to simmer. It’s also when you may start to see some separation occur.

Turn off the heat and transfer the mixture to a large heatproof measuring cup or bowl. If you are looking for an even smoother hot chocolate, you can double strain this by pouring through a mesh strainer into the measuring cup, and then again back into the pot.

For a little less work, you can definitely only single strain by pouring the mixture straight into a measuring cup. Then pour it through the strainer just once, back into the pot. Either way, discard the contents of the strainer.

Add in the heavy cream and white chocolate chips. The cream will add back much of the fat that was strained out, adding an extra rich flavor. Cook this while stirring and scraping any chocolate off the bottom of the pot with a silicone spatula, until everything is melted and smooth.

For those of you making this without alcohol, you can simply turn off the heat. If you are using the liquor, stir in the vodka and white chocolate liqueur first. Then slowly add in the raspberry liqueur to taste.

If you want a slightly less alcoholic version, you can cut down or simply omit the vodka completely, since it has nearly no impact on the flavor. Once the liquors are completely mixed in, turn off the heat.

Ladle your hot chocolate into mugs. If you want to see the subtle pink color, use glass mugs, but any will do. Top these with your favorite cocoa embellishments, like whipped cream and mini marshmallows. Highlight the color with a sprinkle of red sparkling sugar.

How to Serve Raspberry White Hot Chocolate

This hot chocolate is best served immediately. I don’t recommend storing it and reheating. But since it’s a small batch, that likely won’t be a problem anyway. Plus, you can make and enjoy this any time of day: breakfast, dessert, random afternoon snack.

If you are enjoying it for breakfast, try it paired with vegan triple chocolate muffins. These are decadent, but also full of yummy veggies like avocado and zucchini. The raspberry would also pair nicely with something peachy, like peach cobbler biscuit sticky buns, for a fully indulgent meal.

When it comes to dessert pairings, the options are truly endless. Chocolate lovers will enjoy rocky road black bean brownies or mini skillet cookies. Or if you’d rather something lighter, try almond and coconut cream puffs.

Use Up Leftover Ingredients

• Use extra white chocolate chips in another hot beverage: chai white hot chocolate.
• Raspberry jam would be a perfect substitute in these thumbprint cookies, or inside of puff pastry.
• Leftover white chocolate liqueur is a great excuse to celebrate with a birthday cake martini.
• Try raspberry liqueur in a raspberry lemon mojito, where it makes a fun float on top.
• For vodka, go with something completely different, like a key lime and thyme sour.

Special Equipment

• Saucepan
• Measuring cup
• Mesh strainer
• Silicone spatula
• Ladle

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• Glass mugs
• Pink striped towel