Gingerbread Hot Cocoa
A rich and flavorful homemade hot cocoa spiced with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice – everything you need for a cozy cup of Gingerbread Hot Cocoa!

Gingerbread Hot Cocoa
We’re in the throes of holiday season, and that means consuming all things gingerbread for the next few weeks – and enjoying every spicy, sweet second of it! Ginger snaps and molasses cookies are some of my all time favorite cookies. The melding of rich molasses with the flavorful spices of gingerbread is just too good. For this Gingerbread Hot Cocoa, we’re simply adding gingerbread spices to my best rich hot cocoa recipe. You won’t find any molasses in this recipe as I like to keep things as simple as possible for a quick cup of cocoa – and adding more than one ground spice is as much complication as this recipe needs! I promise you won’t miss the molasses!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s thick, creamy, and heavy on the cocoa
- The gingerbread spices make it extra cozy
- You can add as much or as little spice and sweetener as you’d like
- Any milk will work for this recipe

What You’ll Need
- Plant-based milk (or regular milk) adds a creamy texture to this hot cocoa. You don’t want to skimp by using water – milk really is the best for rich hot cocoa.
- Cocoa powder brings all the chocolate flavor. I like a regular (natural) cocoa powder for this recipe, but you can also use a Dutched cocoa powder for an even richer chocolate flavor.
- Agave syrup is sweeter than cane sugar (and better for you by having a lower GI!) and easy to whisk into the milk and cocoa. If you don’t have agave on hand, feel free to use your favorite liquid sweetener OR regular cane sugar (just be sure the sugar dissolves completely before enjoying your cocoa).
- Ground ginger brings the ginger to gingerbread! You won’t want to leave this out.
- Ground cinnamon also adds to the classic gingerbread flavor.
- Ground nutmeg is one of my favorite spices to bake with. It adds a lovely flavor and goes right along with the other gingerbread spices.
- Ground allspice adds that oomph and extra spiciness. I like to add just a tiny pinch for one cup of cocoa. You can replace the allspice with ground cloves or a little more ground nutmeg, or leave it out altogether for a more subdued flavor.
Gingerbread Hot Cocoa

A rich and flavorful homemade hot chocolate spiced with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice - everything you need for a cozy cup of Gingerbread Hot Cocoa!
Ingredients
- 1 cup plant-based milk (or regular milk)
- 2 Tbsp natural (regular) cocoa powder
- 2 Tbsp agave syrup (or other liquid sweetener to taste)
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch ground nutmeg
- Pinch ground allspice (optional)
Instructions
- Place a small saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Add the milk, cocoa powder, agave, and spices.
- Whisk continually until all ingredients are combined, scraping the cocoa from the sides and bottom of the pan as needed.
- Whisk for a couple of minutes or until hot cocoa reaches the desired temperature.
- Carefully pour into your favorite mug and top with marshmallows, whipped cream, and/or a gingerbread cookie!
Did you make this recipe? I would love to see!
Tag @sugaredandstirred on Instagram and hashtag #sugaredandstirred