There are few beverages as synonymous with winter and cold weather as hot cocoa, and if you've got any Grinchless bones in your body, you may be looking to grab some hot chocolate mix. With so many brands competing for your attention, who do you reach for? I tasted 15 different hot cocoa mixes — here are my findings, ranked from best to worst.
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$7 from Amazon
What a truly delightful experience this was, from start to finish. It's sold, first and foremost, in a very pleasant glass bottle, offering you a look at exactly what product you're getting. The mix itself is stellar — full-flavor taste without being too rich, and not at all clumpy when you mix it up. These geniuses have the foresight to tell you to use milk only, and don't even give you the option for water. After a dizzying array of mediocre mixes, Sillycow is a real breath of fresh air.
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$2 from Savory Spice
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I did not expect to see a day when I gave a flavored hot cocoa a top spot, but here we are. This is flavored perfectly, delicately, with cinnamon for that classic Mexican hot cocoa experience. The light peppering of cinnamon is balanced and makes for an all-around warming winter treat. This is a killer pick as far as winter beverages go; you need this in your pantry immediately.
$4 from Whole Foods
This is what I'm talking about. Rich, silky, and lush, Whole Foods knows what it's doing. Add a little extra scoop, you won't be mad you did.
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$2 from Savory Spice
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When other hot cocoa mixes feel too light, it almost seems like a mistake. Savory Spice's classic mix is something else entirely. It's gentle and creamy and makes for a hard-to-top hot chocolate. Since I almost exclusively make hot cocoa with milk, I always prefer a darker, richer, experience, so Savory Spice can move no further than number four.
$10 from See's
If there's a person whose hands I trust my cocoa in, it's ole Mrs. See. This mix is smooth and just rich enough to really help pull you into the winter spirit. Throw a few marshmallows in here and curl up by the fire.
$6 from Target
Swiss Miss is the go-to brand for most people, and there's a reason for that. Even after all this time, it doesn't just taste like chocolate syrup; we're talking about a very distinct sweet, malty, and chocolatey taste. Yet, as always, these marshmallows are tragically small.
$2 from Ingles
After a long run of bad experiences with Laura Lynn products, I'm surprised to say that her hot cocoa mix is very strong. No notes, really. My only notes are with the idea of including mini marshmallows in a mix in general: Who needs them? If I want mallows, I'll stick normal mini mallows in there myself. These things are microscopic, what's the point? Sheesh, I gotta cool off.
$6 from Walmart
What is the deal with unicorn stuff? This is basically hot Lucky Charms. And if you don't like the look of rainbow milk in cereal, rainbow milk in your hot beverage isn't gonna do the trick either.
$30 from Amazon
For something called Chocolate Supreme, this isn't very strong. I had to mix a lot more powder into this one than I normally do. Forgettable job, Land-O-Lakes.
$2 from Safeway
This is exactly what you'd expect from a grocery store knockoff. It definitely doesn't taste as good, but for a cheaper price it will do the trick. Truly not bad, though each package is strangely hard to open, and will undoubtedly leave your kitchen counter with a dusting of cocoa mix.
$13 from Amazon
You'd expect a hot cocoa mix from a company like Ghirardelli to display the deepest, boldest, most chocolatey flavors. While the Ghirardelli mix is decently tasty, it's not even close to the richest. I expected more.
$22 from Amazon
If the Ghirardelli mix let you down, look to classic Starbucks flavor. This was easily the richest, most decadent chocolate flavor of any brand that I tried. It tastes like a big cup of melted dark chocolate — we filled our mugs to the brim with milk, and the stuff was still insanely thick. This guy right here is for the true chocolate lover.
$24 from Amazon
I like a peppermint patty as much as the next fella, but this is a little too minty and sweet for me. I'm not sure I really need a flavored hot chocolate, seeing as hot chocolate is basically already a flavored beverage.
$15 from Amazon
This creature of Starbucks' design is intended to be salted caramel-flavored, but it truly doesn't taste any different than the classic option. I made it three different times and tried to pick up those flavors. No dice. Unless you enjoy a $15 box of hot chocolate packets that don't actually taste like salted caramel, look elsewhere.
$2 from Walmart
This was unquestionably the worst hot chocolate I tasted. If you stuck some Nesquik in the microwave and threw some deconstructed bits of Lucky Charms marshmallows on top, you'd have an identical match, flavor-wise. I'm not sure what it is with the Nestlé mix, but it has a weird aftertaste that you just can't shake.
$9 from Amazon
Droste hot cocoa is actually not hot cocoa at all, but rather pure cacao powder that was for some reason placed on the shelf in the hot cocoa section of the Albertson's where I bought it. I'm not a quitter though, so I mixed it with sugar and tried to create a hot cocoa mix out of it. It was still horribly bitter and essentially undrinkable. This one's on me.
