Strawberry White Hot Chocolate

Keep warm this winter with a mug of creamy Strawberry White Hot Chocolate! This twist on a classic hot cocoa calls for just four ingredients and gets its sweetness from strawberries and white chocolate chips. Top mugs of foamy strawberry hot chocolate with marshmallows, strawberries and extra white chocolate chips and enjoy. Whether you’re serving Strawberry White Hot Chocolate for Valentine’s Day or a snow day, it’s perfect for young and old!

If you’d have told me I’d battle a nasty ear infection AND strep throat this winter while breastfeeding, I would have laughed in your face.

I’d have also been painfully, shockingly incorrect.

And last week, I fought it out with strep throat.

(So I’m eating all the cozy comfort foods, including Quick and Easy Chicken Noodle Soup, Chicken Pot Pie, Spicy Tomato Soup and more. Because of course I am.)

I don’t know what it is about these sicknesses that I always pin to kids and me getting them. My immune system has never been super awesome, but it’s also never been downright terrible.

But ever since the arrival of Lady A and her going to a Mother’s Day Out program when she was 18 months, I’ve come down with everything imaginable.

The only positive is I haven’t experienced hand, foot and mouth this winter. Because that would be miserable with a newborn.

So as I write this—throat aching, ears pounding—I’d love a giant glass of this strawberry white hot chocolate.

The idea came to me when I was thinking of fun drinks and recipes to make for Valentine’s Day, and I knew that Lady A would love to help me make this.

She did—shocker!—and the resulting white hot chocolate was decadent and sweet (but not too sweet!) And we both loved the pink color, too!

So if you’re looking for a sweet drink to make this Valentine’s Day or for any other wintertime gathering, we highly recommend this white hot cocoa!

Does this white hot chocolate call for cocoa powder?

No! White hot chocolate calls for white chocolate, not Cocoa. The color would be a murky brown IF cocoa were used in this recipe.

How does this hot cocoa get its color?

This is naturally pink hot chocolate, thanks to strawberry purée!

Where can I find the best white chocolate chips to put in my cocoa?

I purchased a high quality brand from Sprouts. You can find this at your local store or a Whole Foods or Central Market-type store. You could also order them from your favorite online retailer.

If you’re skeptical of the chips, I get that! You can also purchase your favorite white chocolate bar and chop it into the amount listed in the recipe, then throw it into the warm milk.

Is this like Starbucks white hot chocolate?

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I can’t attest to the taste of this white hot chocolate versus Starbuck’s, but I can say this: I’ve read the ingredient list of the Starbucks drink, and this one has less ingredients.

The Starbucks treat calls for a white mocha sauce.

That said, depending on the white chocolate chips you use in this recipe, you may or may not end up with the same amount of ingredients. (I love Guittard’s White Chocolate Chips because they call for minimal ingredients and are so, so, so creamy and good!)

Can I make this hot cocoa recipe dairy free?

There are some vegan white chocolates, so yes, a vegan or dairy free white hot chocolate is definitely something that can be made.

Swap the cow’s milk for your favorite non-dairy milk. (I think a coconut milk or a cashew milk would be lovely here, but it’s your call. Unsweetened would be best, too, if at all possible.)

As far as the white hot chocolate, I asked my friend, Melissa, of the dairy free blog, Simply Whisked. She told me that King David White Chocolate Flavored Chips are the way to go.

I’m not feeling the strawberry in this recipe. Could I substitute raspberry? Or could I just leave the fruit out because I think it’s weird?

If you’d like to make this a more traditional white hot chocolate, you can easily leave out the strawberry purée, and this would taste delicious.

If you’d like to use raspberry or another fruit in place of the strawberry, you can certainly do that. Remember that strawberries are naturally pretty sweet, though, and a substitute of a more tart fruit like a raspberry could yield a less sweet hot chocolate.

If you’re OK with that (or are fine adding a little sugar to your cocoa), have at it, and report back. I’d love to know what you think and how it turned out.

What kinds of occasions can I make this hot chocolate for?

The first thing that comes to mind is Valentine’s Day, but you could certainly make this for any given snow day, a mother-daughter (or mother-son or father-daughter, father-son) time spent together over a homemade treat.

This would be lovely at Christmas time, too, or made for a hot cocoa party.

You could even whip up a large batch if you’re having friends over for dinner and want to send them home with something warm and cozy… or a sleepover, too!

The possibilities are endless.

What are some other warm drinks to enjoy during the wintertime?

• Pomegranate White Hot Chocolate
• Hot Spiced Cranberry Orange Cocktail
• Vanilla Hot Chocolate
• Peppermint Schnapps Hot Chocolate
• European Style Hot Chocolate
• Pomegranate Hot Buttered Rum
• Spiked Peppermint Hot Chocolate
• Slow Cooker Hot Cocoa

Now who’s ready for a glass of this goodness?

Scroll on down to learn how simple this Strawberry White Hot Chocolate is to make!