We recently bought a Keurig Machine. We love how easy it is to create hot beverages in no time and little mess. But we were pretty disappointed with the hot cocoa results! If you are feeling the same, let me share How To Make Keurig Hot Cocoa Taste Better. It seemed so easy with those little hot chocolate pods, but it turns out there is more you can do to create a better drink.
Do you need some cookies to go with that hot cocoa? Let me suggest a few of my favorites. Salted Rye Chocolate Chip cookies are the perfect sweet treat at any time. Spritz cookies are another great cookie that isn't overly sweet and so pretty!
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Why make hot cocoa in a Keurig brewer?
The first and most obvious reason is it is so easy! Pop in the pod, add in the water, and done! It really could not be any easier. You can be enjoying your hot chocolate drink in very little time and with no mess!
With the rise in its popularity, there is actually a wide variety of tasty hot chocolate pods to try. I will suggest a few we like below.
There are also some really simple ways to customize your drink, which I will be sharing with you.
How does the Keurig work?
Add your pod to the machine. If you have not read the instructions to see how your machine works, do that now. We have the mini Keurig, so there is only one setting.
Next, fill your favorite mug with water, and add this to the water reservoir, making sure not to overfill.
Place the mug below on the stand and press the "start" or "brew" button depending on which machine you have. If you have a larger, nicer machine, you will even have a hot chocolate setting.
Give it about a minute and you will have your hot cocoa ready to go. It is such an easy way to enjoy a quick cup of hot cocoa.
Remember, depending on which Keurig coffee maker you have, this might look just a little different.
How to make the Keurig hot cocoa taste better
If you are used to making a rich hot chocolate with milk or heavy cream, you might be disappointed like I was with this watery drink. Let me give you some quick tips to help.
While you cannot add milk to the Keurig machine, water only, you can add to your mug.
How about grating chocolate into the mug and stirring it in?
Have you considered adding extracts? There are so many great ones out there!
Let me break each of these ideas down for you to give you some tasty options!
My favorite method
I will get into all the different methods for creating that perfect mug of hot chocolate, but let me first share my favorite method.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of chocolate chips or chunks to the bottom of your mug. I like to use dark chocolate, but use any you prefer. Set the mug under your Keurig.
- Add 1 cup of water to the reserve.
- Place your hot cocoa pod into the machine and press start.
- Once the hot chocolate is brewed, remove the mug from the machine.
- Pour in 2 tablespoons of heavy cream.
- Froth immediately for about 20 seconds with your milk frother.
- Top with whipped cream and other toppings of choice. I like these dark chocolate sprinkles or chocolate shavings, but you can also give a light dusting of cocoa powder or cinnamon.
- That is it! Done. I promise you are going to love this method.
Milk or cream in the Keurig
You CAN NOT add milk or cream to your Keurig directly, but you can add it to your mug before you start. Remember to use less water, as your mug will be partially filled with milk or cream.
It is best to heat the milk or cream before adding it to your mug, this way all the liquid is hot. I like to use about 2-3 tablespoons of warm milk or warm cream to the bottom of the cup before brewing.
Remember to only use a small amount of milk, or you will water down your hot cocoa too much. As noted above, 2-3 tablespoons are enough.
Another trick I like to do is to use my milk frother to whip up the hot chocolate, this will give it a creamy texture that I just love! Top it with a little more whipped cream and sprinkle of cocoa powder or chocolate shavings and it is ready to go. This creamier taste is my family's preferred method, as the perfect cup of hot chocolate.
If you are topping the hot cocoa with whipped cream, you can still add the milk or cream to the mix. Top it with more shaved chocolate or a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Extra added chocolate
Let me just begin by saying I am addicted to chocolate. I can own this. So, adding in extra chocolate is natural for me. If you want an extra chocolate kick, let me help you out.
One thing to note is you want the chocolate to melt easily, so grating or shaving the chocolate is the best way to add it. It will melt very quickly this way.
I personally like dark chocolate. I think it gives the best chocolate flavor and is my favorite.
If you are more of a milk chocolate person or even semi-sweet if you prefer.
These can be added in as chocolate chips or chocolate chunks, but they do not melt as well as shaved or grated chocolate.
You can also add in real cocoa powder, but I think this is a little too bitter.
Adding extracts to hot cocoa
Another option to change up the taste of your boring hot cocoa is by adding extracts. There are so many amazing extracts out there, so you have plenty to choose from.
Mint extracts are a popular addition to hot cocoa. You can get either peppermint or spearmint. My oldest loves the chocolate mint combo, so this is his favorite.
You can add a few drops into the mug before brewing or after the cocoa is already in. Either will work and I have not noticed a difference one way or the other.
Extracts will add a different flavor most people will love.
While this tip doesn't fall under extracts, I will add it here. If you add a tiny pinch of salt to the hot cocoa it will actually enhance the chocolate flavor. Now, I am talking just a tiny pinch, especially for an 8-10-ounce cup. If it is too much, it will taste like salted chocolate.
Creating your own cups
The cool (and budget-friendly) thing about Keurig is they now have a refillable k-cup pod. With this, you can now make your own hot cocoa and fill the cups when you need them. This is my favorite hot cocoa recipe and one that is really popular on the blog.
If you have another recipe, add this to your pods and you are on your way. Just remember, DO NOT ADD THE HOT COCOA MIX DIRECTLY to your Keurig. This will ruin it!!
Another note is to be sure you are using a cleaned reusable filter pod, otherwise, you will get a taste of coffee in your hot cocoa.
Hot cocoa pod recommendations
The first hot cocoa we tried was Swiss Miss. This is common hot cocoa that is cheap and easy to find. They have milk chocolate, reduced calorie, peppermint, and salted caramel kind. With my recommendations above, this hot cocoa will work really well.
Starbucks hot cocoa is one that many people love. I think they are overpriced and not necessarily worth it.
Cafe escapes is a good one, especially for me. I love dark chocolate, if I had to choose this might be my favorite hot chocolate brand for my Keurig.
Maud's is similar to Cafe escapes dark, so of course, I personally prefer this. It is also gluten-free and dairy-free. They have a ton of different flavors in most of the packs.
There are also some fun pods like Tootsie Roll, Sugar Babies, and Junior mints. Those have some great flavors many people like.
Soho hot cocoa has a wide variety of hot chocolate mixes if you want to try a variety pack. They are also a very fair price for Keurig cups.
Dunkin' Donuts milk chocolate is very similar to the Swiss Miss and a great value, especially if Dunkin Donuts is your thing!
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