This easy recipe for red wine hot chocolate is the ultimate in holiday beverage cheer. Two great tastes that taste amazing together!
Why we love this recipe
This rich, creamy, chocolate and cinnamon and red wine-infused cup of heaven is one of my favorite splurge recipes EVER.
It has almost all my favorite things in it (although I suppose I could add a crispy strip of bacon). It’s positively decadent. It’s like a birthday in a mug.
Now, I know some of you may be skeptical, and I understand why…but think of it this way. Have you ever sipped on a nice glass of merlot while nibbling a square of dark chocolate? And/or have you ever tasted one of those red wines infused with chocolate?
This is the same concept, only taken one step further by upping the chocolate ante a whole lot.
Trust me…it’s like no other taste in the world…creamy, dreamy hot chocolate with a hint of cinnamon and the mellow taste of red wine. It’s happiness in your favorite mug.
Ingredients you need to make red wine hot chocolate
- Milk: Whole milk please!
- Chocolate: I like using dark chocolate but milk chocolate works too!
- Confectioner’s Sugar: Otherwise known as powdered sugar.
- Vanilla
- Red Wine: Your favorite kind. I like merlot and pinot noir.
- Cinnamon Sticks (optional)
- Whipped Cream (optional)
Here’s how you make red wine hot chocolate!
STEP 1: Start with your favorite red wine. Mine is Frog’s Leap merlot, and here it is in our forged iron wine stand from Handmade In Vermont. The Southern husband got this wine stand for me eons ago, and it’s one of my favorite gifts of all time.
Anyway, pour yourself half a cup of red wine.
STEP 2: Next, the chocolate. I make my hot chocolate out of a combo of chopped milk chocolate and dark chocolate – no cocoa powder for me – and this is definitely the time to splurge on the good stuff. I love this kind…
…and of course Ghirardelli. I have a particular soft spot for Ghirardelli because it comes from San Franciso, which is where the Southern husband proposed to me. Memories!
You also need whole milk, a little confectioner’s sugar, some vanilla extract, and if you are going to go all in, some cinnamon sticks and a little bit of whipped cream.
STEP 3: Heat some whole milk up to a simmer, and then whisk in a little vanilla, some confectioner’s sugar and the chocolate. You want to chop the chocolate up in teeny pieces for perfect melting.
STEP 4: Once the chocolate is melted, take the hot chocolate off the heat and pour in the red wine, and then pour into mugs or heavy glasses. If you are using cinnamon sticks and/or whipped cream, now is the time to add them to each serving.
Now, as you may have guessed, this stuff is R I C H. So one of the ways I like to serve it up is in little shot glasses. It gives the perfect amount of delectable red wine hot chocolate without going overboard.
However, on your birthday and Christmas you are totally allowed to go overboard. With a swirl of whipped cream on top and a little extra chocolate on the side.
Red Wine Hot Chocolate FAQ
A little bit but not much, since we are not adding it to a very hot liquid and simmering it. So this is a treat for the grown-ups!
Confectioner’s sugar is also known as powdered sugar, and it is sugar that is so finely ground down that it looks and feels like a soft powder. It’s perfect for easily melting into this recipe, and you can find it in the baking aisle of your supermarket.
Nope! If you are more of a regular chocolate chip person, those will work fine! And if you use mini chocolate chips you don’t even need to chop them up – they are small enough to melt easily.
Pop your question in the comments and I will answer pronto!
Other festive beverages we love
So happy merry times to you for everything you will be celebrating over the next days and weeks, and I hope you will drink a toast with some red wine hot chocolate!
Red Wine Hot Chocolate
This easy recipe for red wine hot chocolate is the ultimate in holiday beverage cheer. Two great tastes that taste amazing together!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups
- Category: Cocktails
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- 4 ounces of dark, semi-sweet and/or milk chocolate – your choice!
- 2 teaspoons confectioner’s sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup red wine (I like merlot for this recipe but again, your choice!)
- Cinnamon sticks
- Whipped cream
Instructions
- Chop chocolate into small pieces.
- Heat milk in a small heavy saucepan over medium high heat until it comes to a simmer.
- Whisk in sugar, vanilla and chocolate. Continue whisking until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
- Stir in red wine and divide among two small mugs or 4 to 6 shot glasses.
- Add a cinnamon stick to each serving if you like, and/or a tablespoon or two of whipped cream and enjoy!
Notes
Wine: I love merlot and pinot noir for this recipe, but honestly, your favorite red will work just fine.
Chocolate: Make sure it is chopped into little pieces so that it melts quickly and easily. The food processor is great for this if you are using a chocolate bar – break it up into pieces and give it a whirl.
Lisa says
Sounds wonderful.
And Happy Birthday to you both.
Due to a milk allergy, would almond milk play nice with the other ingredients?
Hi Lisa! I have never tried it with almond milk, but I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work. If you try it, will you come back and leave a comment telling us how it came out? And thank you for the birthday wishes! :)
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
I love having a nibble of chocolate when I’m drinking a glass of red wine, so why not mix the two together? This hot chocolate sounds like a wonderful treat!
patty says
Happy Birthday from the San Francisco area!!!
The land of wonderful wine…
Enjoy the day!
Jane says
I LOVE this idea…except Frogs Leap is such good wine on its own, I might squirrely that away and using a less spectacular wine…..AND YET, on your birthday and then the anniversary of the best present ever….there are no rules! Cheers.
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
Happy birthday, Kate! I hope you (and your daughter too!) had a wonderful birthday. This red wine hot chocolate looks like the BEST way to celebrate! So creative and I have a feeling this would become my new favorite drink. Love it!
Ala says
Now THIS is what I’m talking about! I already have all my ingredients and was planning on making hot chocolate tomorrow evening–buuuut my friend who’s a wine fan will absolutely adore this spiked twist. Talk about serendipitous timing, Kate! <3
Cathy says
Haha! I’m not ashamed of my birthday either – another excuse to party! :)
Happy Birthday Kate!