Frozen Hot Chocolate
Frozen hot chocolate is a quick and easy way to get your hot chocolate fix during the warm summer months! It’s an icy drink made with melted chocolate, hot chocolate mix, a little sugar, milk, and ice. The chocolate taste resembles the flavor you love from traditional hot chocolate, but the consistency is closer to that of a slushy or frappuccino. Five ingredients and 15 minutes are all you need for this wonderfully refreshing homemade drink!
If you’ve never heard of frozen hot chocolate and are wondering what it is, a brief history… It is the signature menu item at Serendipity 3 in New York City; it gained a cult following after a scene from the early 2000’s movie Serendipity showed the main characters at the restaurant sharing a huge goblet of the delicious slushy drink. Copycat recipes sprung up everywhere and while I had never been to the restaurant, being a hot chocolate addict, I made it my business to create a recipe I’d love to drink in the summer when it was just too hot for a traditional hot chocolate!
After trying a handful of replica recipes and making a few tweaks, I settled on this absolutely wonderful summertime version of my favorite winter drink. You can slurp it with a straw or enjoy it with a spoon; it is absolute perfection!
My recipe combines melted chocolate, hot chocolate mix (you can also use something like Ovaltine or Nesquik!), sugar, milk, and ice for a frothy, deliciously rich yet refreshing drink.
For the chocolate, you can use milk chocolate, semisweet chocolate, dark chocolate, or even white – whatever you prefer!
As I mentioned above, your favorite hot chocolate mix would be my primary choice, but other mixes work, too. And you could try different flavors – a salted caramel hot chocolate mix, for example, would be AMAZING!
The beauty of this recipe is its ability to be completely customized based on your preferences.
Frozen hot chocolate vs chocolate milkshake
While the ingredient lists are very similar, frozen hot chocolate and chocolate milkshakes definitely have different tastes and consistencies.
Frozen hot chocolate tastes exactly like… hot chocolate! But with an icy, slushy consistency. The ice thickens the drink and you can make it thinner or thicker by adjusting the amount of ice.
A chocolate milkshake, meanwhile, uses ice cream to thicken it, which makes it a richer and creamier drink.
Let me show you how to make it!
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave until completely smooth.
- Whisk in the sugar and hot chocolate mix.
- Whisk in part of the milk.
- Cool to room temperature.
- Blend the chocolate mixture, the remainder of the milk, and the ice until smooth and frothy.
- Serve and enjoy!
Quick recipe tips
- Blender – I love my Wolf blender and also highly recommend the Breville Fresh and Furious blender.
- Servingware – To mimic the frozen hot chocolate from Serendipity, serve it in a huge goblet. Alternatively, old-fashioned milkshake glasses or pretty drinkware will work!
- Keeping it cold – For the coldest possible drink, refrigerate the chocolate milk mixture after step #1 to get it thoroughly chilled. Give it a good stir or whisk before adding it to the blender so any chocolate that has settled gets re-incorporated.
- Topping Ideas – Homemade whipped cream, mini chocolate chips, shaved chocolate, etc.
More cool drinks you’ll love!
- Simple Lemonade
- Fluffernutter Milkshake
- Bourbon Slush
- Blackberry Gin Fizz Float
- White Russian Winter Milkshake
Watch the Recipe Video Below:
If you make this frozen hot chocolate recipe and love it, I would so appreciate it if you would take a moment to leave a rating below. Thank you so much! ❤️️
Frozen Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 3 ounces (85.05 g) chocolate, milk, semisweet or dark, finely chopped
- 4½ teaspoons (4.5 teaspoons) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons hot chocolate mix
- 1½ cups (366 ml) milk, divided
- 3 cups (42 g) ice
Instructions
- Place the chocolate in a medium bowl set over a saucepan with about 1 inch of barely simmering water (keep the heat on low). Stir the chocolate occasionally, until it is completely melted and smooth. (Alternately, you can microwave the chocolate on 50% power in 30-second intervals until melted.) Add the sugar and hot chocolate mix and whisk to combine completely. Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in ½ cup of the milk until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature.
- In a blender, place the remaining 1 cup of milk, the chocolate mixture and the ice. Blend on high speed until smooth and slushy. Pour into serving glasses and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
Notes
- Chocolate – You can use milk chocolate, semisweet, dark, or white.
- Hot Chocolate Mix – Use your favorite or try different flavors! You can also use a powdered mix like Ovaltine or Nesquik.
- Milk – Whole milk will give you the richest flavor, but any variety (2%, 1% skim) will work, as will soy milk, nut milk, or oat milk.
- Blender – I love my Wolf blender and also highly recommend the Breville Fresh and Furious blender.
- Servingware – To mimic the frozen hot chocolate from Serendipity, serve it in a huge goblet. Alternatively, old-fashioned milkshake glasses or pretty drinkware will work!
- Keeping it cold – For the coldest possible drink, refrigerate the chocolate milk mixture after step #1 to get it thoroughly chilled. Give it a good stir or whisk before adding it to the blender so any chocolate that has settled gets re-incorporated.
- Topping Ideas – Homemade whipped cream, mini chocolate chips, shaved chocolate, etc.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
[Photography by Ari of Well Seasoned]
I cannot wait to try this Sounds delicious
I think this is really a great idea. Kids would love it too. Seriously this recipe is so Sweet! Easy to make! Best…
I went to Serendipity 3 last year while in NYC. I think they must freeze heavy cream into ice cubes and use those when blending because their version is not slushy but is very creamy. I could only have a small taste because I could tell it was 100% dairy!
Sounds like a great treat for the whole family! Thank you for the nice recipe!
So yummy! Easy to make and a great texture. Not as heavy as a milkshake but beautifully thick and satisfying!
Thanks for the super quick and simple recipe. Sometimes these “few quick ingredient” recipes are fun to read and try. A quick fun “break” of sorts. Funny I dont like hot chocolate, but this frozen version looks yummy and refreshing. Bet my nieces would love it with just a little coffee added..like a frozen mocha.😊
You’re welcome, Macy! I agree, some instant coffee or a little bit brewed could make a delicious mocha frappuccino out of this!
What can I add if I don’t have any hot chocolate mix?
You can use something like Nesquik or Ovaltine, or even some cocoa powder (if you do straight cocoa powder I would probably up the sugar just a bit to compensate). Enjoy!
I’ve been getting it at dunkin donuts, so delicious! :) gonna try and make it using this.
Or if you are lazy like I am, you just buy the mix at Williams Sonoma. It’s the Serendipty mix too.
McDonalds has iced hot chocolate-but this sounds sooo much better. I do like malt flavor, too. Thanks for the recipe.
Yes Please!
Will be trying this tonight with the hub and the kids! :)
OMG! I always wondered how to make frozen hot chocolate. It looks incredible and I think there is Redi Whip in my fridge!