The Ultimate Frozen Hot Chocolate Recipe (VIDEO) - A Spicy Perspective (2024)

FAQs

Was the original hot chocolate spicy? ›

What the Spaniards then called xocōlātl was said to be a drink consisting of a chocolate base flavored with vanilla and other spices that was served cold. The drink tasted spicy and bitter as opposed to sweetened modern hot chocolate.

How can something be hot and frozen at the same time? Well, this drink's name is definitely an oxymoron. However, It makes sense when you break down the contents of the drink. You will blend ice with the hot cocoa mix, and that's where we got the name.

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.

The ancient chocolate drink tasted much different than what most of us know as chocolate today. It was a bitter drink, served hot and frothy made from ground caco (the dried beans of caco pods from the Theobroma caco tree), cinnamon, vanilla, dried roasted chili peppers, and sometimes with honey as a sweetener.

It Started in Mexico

As early as 500 BC, the Mayans were drinking chocolate made from ground-up cocoa seeds mixed with water, cornmeal, and chili peppers (as well as other ingredients)—a much different version from the hot chocolate we know today.

Chocolate can be more than just sweet. Take your chocolate to the next level with our Spicy Chocolate Collection featuring spice from serranos to Carolina reapers. If you can handle the heat, you're in the right place.

Taste the delicious chocolatey flavor of McCafé® Hot Chocolate. McDonald's Hot Chocolate recipe features steamed whole milk with rich hot chocolate syrup and is finished with whipped light cream and chocolate drizzle.

Image of two cups of hot cocoa topped with whipped cream, with a pair of spoons and a ceramic chocolate pot. Hershey's cookbooklet, 1937. In the United States, the terms "hot chocolate" and "hot cocoa" are used pretty interchangeably, but they aren't quite the same thing!

Psychoactive constituents of chocolate that trigger a 'feel-good' reaction for the consumer include tryptophan and phenylethylamine, which may contribute to cravings and addiction-like responses, particularly in people with specific genetic alleles.

While it is completely safe to freeze and thaw chocolates, there are several things you can do to keep them tasting as close to their original flavor as possible.

What is the difference between frozen hot chocolate and a chocolate shake? ›

Frozen hot chocolate is a creamy blended drink that, as its name suggests, tastes like hot chocolate but is ice cold. It's similar to a chocolate milkshake, but given that there's no ice cream, it's not as thick.

The McCafe Hot chocolate wasn't as satisfying as other brands. I found it to taste pretty artificial—something about it reminded me of candy coating. While I appreciated the nice swirl of whipped cream and chocolate sauce, I just didn't find this hot chocolate to be very chocolatey.

Thomas Jefferson once wrote to his pal John Adams and predicted that hot chocolate would surpass coffee and tea to become the favored beverage of Americans.

Marshmallows first came into the picture in 1917, when the company Angelus Marshmallows published a recipe for hot cocoa topped with their product. (In another genius marketing move, the company also hitched its wagon to sweet potatoes with a recipe for the side dish that has since become a Thanksgiving staple.)

Mexican hot chocolate, also known as "chocolate caliente," is a traditional beverage that has been enjoyed in Mexico for centuries. While many may associate hot chocolate with a rich, sweet flavor, Mexican hot chocolate often contains a surprising ingredient - spicy pepper.

Once the Spanish discovered chocolatl, the drink was on a fast track to Swiss Miss. At first, they continued making it cold and bitter—sometimes adding pepper, cinnamon, and even beer or wine. But by the 1600s, sugar replaced chilis, and the beverage was sweetened and heated. Hot chocolate as we know it today was born.

Around 500 BC, the Mayans began cultivating cacao trees and discovered the pleasure of a drink made from its beans. Their version, known as 'xocolātl' (meaning 'bitter water'), was a mixture of ground cacao beans with water, chillies, and herbs, creating a frothy, often cold beverage.

The name of this concoction was a combination of both Mayan and Aztec cultures. "The Mayan word 'Xocol', that means 'hot', and the Aztec word 'atl' means 'water'," Spehr said. "So 'xocolatl', that's where 'chocolate' comes from. Originally, this means 'hot water'."

Mexican hot chocolate includes various spices, including cinnamon, cloves, and ancho chili pepper. These ingredients give it a unique flavor that is sweet and slightly spicy. The chocolate used in Mexican hot chocolate is typically dark chocolate, which has a higher cocoa content than milk chocolate or white chocolate.