This Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate Recipe is creamy, chocolatey and bursting with peanut butter flavor! This easy homemade peanut butter hot cocoa is made with 6 ingredients in 10 minutes and is a delicious warm treat to enjoy after playing in the snow! It's easily made vegan/dairy-free.
What's better than a warm mug full of rich, creamy homemade hot chocolate topped with homemade whipped cream?
Answer: A warm mug full of rich, creamy homemade peanut butter hot chocolate.
Because I mean really, why wouldn't you want to cozy up with a sweet treat that tastes just like a warm, liquid peanut butter cup?! This peanut butter hot chocolate recipe is seriously delicious, and is made with 6 ingredients in less than 10 minutes!
This peanut butter hot chocolate is easy to make vegan, dairy-free and refined-sugar free as well! Also, try this crockpot hot chocolate and homemade hot chocolate!
How to make Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate
This recipe really couldn't get any easier (watch the video)! But I want to give you a few tips and tricks to make sure it turns out perfectly every single time!
Cook over low heat. Cooking this peanut butter hot chocolate recipe in a saucepan over low heat is the best way to ensure that the chocolate melts evenly and the milk doesn't burn!
Do not add all the ingredients at once. Another way to ensure silky smooth peanut butter hot cocoa is to make sure the first five ingredients are fully combined and smooth before adding the last two ingredients. Cocoa powder can be tricky to incorporate into a mixture that isn't smooth.
Whisk a lot! It's important to whisk this peanut butter hot chocolate recipe pretty consistently to avoid lumps, and to prevent the ingredients from sticking to the bottom of the pan!
Serve
Pour into 2-4 mugs (depending on the amount you'd like to enjoy) and serve. I recommend serving this Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate with a dollop of homemade whipped cream and a drizzle of extra peanut butter.
You can also add chocolate shavings, peanut butter cups, etc. The sky's the limit!
Store
If (and that's a big if) you have leftovers after enjoying your fair share of this peanut butter hot chocolate, you can store it in a glass jar with a lid in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Please note: due to the melted chocolate in this recipe, it will very likely become solid in the refrigerator. All you need to do is re-warm it over low heat on the stovetop to return it to a drinkable consistency.
You can also thin it out with a little extra milk if necessary!
Recipe FAQs
Here are some commonly asked questions about this recipe.
Yes, as the milk and peanut butter mixture warms, the peanut butter will melt.
To make this Peanut Butter Hot Cocoa with no refined sugar there are two simple substitutions you need to make:
1. Use unsweetened chocolate in place of the bittersweet or semisweet chocolate.
2. Replace granulated sugar with coconut sugar.
Also, be mindful of the peanut butter you choose! Make sure to choose a variety that does not have any added sugars.
Yes, this recipe is easy to double (or triple) to feed a crowd.
Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate: Ingredients & Substitutions
This recipe is fairly versatile. There are a handful of ingredient substitutions that can be made to comply with your dietary needs without compromising taste or texture.
- Milk. For the creamiest peanut butter hot chocolate, I recommend using full-fat milk like whole milk or even heavy cream. To make this dairy-free I suggest one can of full-fat coconut milk and ¼ cup almond milk to think it out slightly.
- Semi/Bittersweet Chocolate. Use your favorite chocolate in this recipe. I prefer 60% dark chocolate, but there's no restrictions on the type of chocolate you can use, ranging from white to milk to full-on unsweetened chocolate. If you want a refined-sugar free version, then use unsweetened chocolate.
- Peanut Butter. I recommend using your favorite creamy peanut butter.
- Sugar. I like to use organic cane sugar, to make a refined-sugar free version you can use coconut sugar instead.
- Sea Salt. I only recommend adding a touch of sea salt if the peanut butter you use does not contain any salt.
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Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk (whole milk, 2% milk, full-fat coconut milk, almond milk, etc).
- 3 oz bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate (6 TBS)
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- 4 TBS granulated sugar (or coconut sugar)
- 1 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp sea salt optional
Instructions
- Add milk chocolate, peanut butter and sugar to a small saucepan and heat over medium heat.
- Whisk constantly until chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Add, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt (if desired) and whisk until completely combined and warm.
- Cover and remove from heat and let cocoa sit (covered) for 5 minutes before serving if you would like a very thick hot cocoa, or serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Ingredients & Substitutions:
This peanut butter hot chocolate recipe is fairly versatile! There are a handful of ingredient substitutions that can be made to comply with your dietary needs without compromising taste or texture!- Milk. For the creamiest peanut butter hot chocolate, I recommend using full-fat milk like whole milk or even heavy cream. To make this dairy-free I suggest one can of full-fat coconut milk and ¼ cup almond milk to think it out slightly.
- Semi/Bittersweet Chocolate. Use your favorite chocolate in this recipe. I prefer 60% dark chocolate, but there's no restrictions on the type of chocolate you can use, ranging from white to milk to full-on unsweetened chocolate. If you want a refined-sugar free version, then use unsweetened chocolate.
- Peanut Butter. I recommend using your favorite creamy peanut butter.
- Sugar. I like to use organic cane sugar, to make a refined-sugar free version you can use coconut sugar instead.
- Sea Salt. I only recommend adding a touch of sea salt if the peanut butter you use does not contain any salt.
Store
Store leftovers in a glass jar with a lid in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Please note: due to the melted chocolate in this recipe, it will very likely become solid in the refrigerator. All you need to do is re-warm it over low heat on the stovetop to return it to a drinkable consistency. You can also thin it out with a little extra milk if necessary!Nutrition
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Melinda
This is sooooo rich! Delicious. Once I tasted it, I added some more milk to it to help "dilute" it a little because it was just so concentrated. Next time, I'll add another 1/4-1/2 cup of milk from the beginning. Thank you for the recipe 🙂
Isabelle Nerheim
Very good! Smells like a Reese's Cup and tastes really good. Very thick and creamy and tastes delicious.
Roxana
So delicious. Anything chocolate and peanut butter is just so right, just like this recipe 😋🤎
Bryan
Great hot chocolate. Thanks.
Charlie Gronberg
By any chance, can you substitute powdered peanut butter (PB2 or TruNut) to make hot cocoa bombs?