It's creamy with a kick of citrus and spice flavor. Make this homemade Cardamom Orange Hot Chocolate recipe this winter.
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This recipe was originally shared December 1 2013. I've updated the images and instructions to include better details to make this delicious every time!
When the weather cools down there is no better drink than Hot Chocolate!
When I get the itch to make some from scratch, I always like to try out something with a little bit of a twist.
This Cardamom Orange Hot Chocolate is rich, creamy and full of unexpected flavor.
And it's part of Sandy Toes and Popsicle's Hot Chocolate Recipe Party blog hop! When you're done with my post, be sure to check out the other tasty recipes from some of my blogger friends.
I've been super into cardamom lately. I love how it's both familiar and hard to pinpoint. It's sweet but with a little bit of a savory note. It even has a floral note. And it's really versatile.
Orange is a classic flavor to pair with chocolate and is perfect for the holiday season.
Together they make a unique combination and a yummy warm cup of hot cocoa.
How to make Orange Cardamom Hot Chocolate
There are tons of ways to make hot chocolate and it is pretty much a personal preference.
When I build a Hot Chocolate Charcuterie Board, we use a mix. But when I want to make some from scratch, this is the homemade recipe we use.
Scroll down to the end of the post for a printable recipe card with full measurements and more detailed instructions.
Ingredients
I used 1% milk because that is what we had in the house. But whole milk would make it super creamy and delicious.
The Pioneer Woman likes a mix of milk and cream. And you could also substitute a non-dairy alternative.
You could also substitute semi-sweet chocolate chips if that's all you had. It shouldn't change the flavor too much.
I've made this recipe with whole cardamom pods, cracked to steep their flavor into the milk, but using powdered cardamom is just easier. And I couldn't find pods this time around.
You also get a little bit more flavor and since I love how cardamom tastes, I don't want it to be too subtle.
These ingredients smell amazing! Making this recipe will make your nose happy.
Directions
Grab an orange and a peeler. Taking care not to get too much of the white pith under the skin, peel of the skin of half an orange.
The orange flavor is so clean and bright and totally reminds me of Christmas thanks to my mom making me candied orange peel every year while growing up.
To a saucepan, add the milk, orange peel and ground cardamom.
When heating milk, make sure that you stir often over a medium to low flame so you don't scald it. It doesn't smell good when it burns.
Not that I've done that...
Chop up the baking chocolate. I didn't have quite enough for the recipe so I used some semi-sweet chocolate chips to make sure it was chocolate-y enough.
Baking chocolate usually has less added sugar and has a rich flavor. I love dark chocolate so if this is too bitter for you, feel free to sweeten it up with a little sugar.
Once the milk has come to a boil, I skimmed out the orange peel and threw them away.
Then I added the roughly chopped chocolate to the pan. It will take about 20 minutes to get it nice and melted. You may still see a few chocolate speckles.
You might not ever make plain old hot chocolate again.
I ladled the hot chocolate in the mug. You could top it with whipped cream but I'm not a fan so I didn't.
Even though cardamom is a unique flavor the kids still like it because it's a bit similar to cinnamon.
I added a little bit of fresh orange peel to the top of my mug. I love garnishing drinks like that because you get a nice strong scent as you bring the cup to your mouth.
So make yourself a batch of this yummy, comforting Cardamom Orange Hot Chocolate and don't forget to check out the other amazing hot chocolate recipes from Jill's blog hop (listed below!).
More hot chocolate recipes to browse
- This creamy and rich White Hot Chocolate recipe is a great alternative to the standard cocoa.
- Mexican Hot Chocolate by Pattie of Living Mi Vida Loca. I love cinnamon in my hot cocoa and I make a version of this every year.
- Check out Linsey's Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate. YUM!
- The kids will love Caryn's Peppermint Hot Chocolate Floats!
- No hot chocolate is complete without the perfect topping! Jill shows you how to make a yummy Hot Chocolate with Marshmallow Cream Topping.
Cardamom Orange Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate
- Pieces of orange rind from half an orange plus extra for garnishing
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
Instructions
- Using a vegetable peeler, peel pieces of rind from the orange (taking care to not get too much of the white under the peel). Set aside some peels to garnish.
- Add milk, cardamom and orange peel to a saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, stirring often. Boil for 5-7 minutes for orange flavor to infuse in the milk.
- Strain out orange peels.
- Chop baking chocolate and add to the saucepan.
- Stir often until chocolate is melted through.
- Ladle into mugs and garnish with an orange peel.
Notes
Nutrition
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Tee says
Wow! this sounds delicious!
Kristin says
yuuuuuuum!!!!!
Jill says
YUM!!!!!! I have actually never cooked with cardamom before. I am really interested. Thanks for the amazing recipe….I am excited to try it out.
Jamie says
You know, I don't think I've ever had Cardamom, but I love the taste of orange and chocolate together =) Bet it tastes heavily.