15 Ways To Instantly Upgrade Your Hot Chocolate (PHOTOS)

We all know that hot chocolate is one of the few saving graces of winter. Along with fireplaces, sweaters and long-simmering stews, a piping hot mug of cocoa is one of the things that gets us through the coldest, darkest months of the year. December 12 is National Hot Cocoa Day, and in light of that fact, we want to kick your hot cocoa up a few notches.

We all have a basic hot chocolate recipe that we love. That is a perfect foundation to build upon. What makes good hot chocolate great? Upgrades, dudes. Below, you'll find a few of our favorites.

Homemade Marshmallows

Brown Eyed Baker

Boom. Instant upgrade.

Get the Homemade Peppermint Marshmallows recipe from Brown Eyed Baker

Toasted Marshmallow Cream

How Sweet It Is

Get the Toasted Marshmallow Cream Hot Chocolate recipe from How Sweet It Is

Cinnamon & Cayenne Pepper

A Beautiful Mess

Get the Aztec Hot Chocolate recipe from A Beautiful Mess

Booze

Pass The Sushi

Whiskey, peppermint schnapps, Cointreau -- your imagination is your only limit... as long as you're an adult.

Get the Rich n’ Thick Adult Hot Chocolate recipe from Pass The Sushi

Churros

Annie's Eats

Get the Churros recipe from Annie's Eats

Mini Gingerbread Houses

Megan Reardon

You can go ahead and pretend you've ever seen anything as cute as this, but we're pretty sure you haven't.

Get the Mini Gingerbread Houses recipe from Not Martha

Nutella

Gimme Some Oven

NUTELLA HOT CHOCOLATE, YOU GUYS.

Get the Nutella Hot Chocolate recipe from Gimme Some Oven

Candy Canes

A Beautiful Mess

Get the Peppermint Hot Chocolate recipe from A Beautiful Mess

Coconut

How Sweet It Is

This recipe features both coconut milk in the hot chocolate itself and a toasted coconut rim on the mug. COCONUT MANIA.

Get the Crockpot Coconut Hot Chocolate recipe from How Sweet It Is

Crushed Oreos

The Recipe Critic

Get the Cookies and Cream Hot Chocolate recipe from The Recipe Critic

S'Mores Fixings

Minimalist Baker

Get the S'Mores Hot Chocolate recipe from Minimalist Baker

Mint

Bunny & Dolly

Get the Mint Hot Chocolate recipe from Bunny & Dolly

Salted Caramel

A Beautiful Mess

Salted caramel is already in everything else. Might as well add it to your hot chocolate!

Get the Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate recipe from A Beautiful Mess

Chai

Lauren Witter

Get the Hot Chocolate Chai recipe from Cocorinna

Giving It Away As A Gift

Cook The Story

They say it's better to give than receive, so once you've perfected your hot chocolate recipe, jar it up and send it on its way!

Get the Mexican Hot Chocolate Powder Mix recipe from Cook The Story

If we missed your favorite way to spike, dip, dunk or otherwise adorn your hot chocolate, let us know what it is in the comments!

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