Toss Cooled Hot Chocolate Into A Blender For A Delicious Milkshake

Mixing up a mug of hot chocolate can be a great way to warm up after a day spent out in the cool winter weather. But if you love the flavor of hot chocolate and you're not so much a fan of warm beverages, turning it into a milkshake may be a great way to preserve that sweet taste while still savoring the richness of the drink.

Once you've made your perfect hot chocolate, grab an empty ice cube tray and pour the liquid in. Then, pop it all in the freezer to cool off for a while. Once the hot chocolate ice cubes have been frozen, you can add them to the blender to mix up your milkshake.

To blend up the shake, simply add the chocolate cubes into your blender. Then, add in a little bit of milk or ice cream. Start the blender and let it run until those frozen cubes have been thoroughly broken down into a drinkable consistency.

If you want to add in a little bit of extra chocolate flavor to your hot chocolate-flavored milkshake, scoop in some extra cocoa powder or add in some extra chocolate syrup. Or, if you opt for ice cream, choose a scoop of chocolate. Once your drink is completely blended, you'll be left with a milkshake that mimics the deliciousness of a hot chocolate, sans the heat factor. Top it off with some whipped cream and enjoy.

There are a few different ways to upgrade the flavor of your hot chocolate that can be applied to the milkshake-making process, too. Adding a little bit of peppermint is a pretty common flavor adjustment, as is a small sprinkling of cinnamon.

Frozen hot chocolate is another variation of this drink, though it differs just a little. Instead of freezing cubes of the hot chocolate itself, the liquid beverage is poured directly into the blender alongside some ice cubes. After it's blended, it will take on a consistency and flavor similar to that of the hot chocolate milkshake, but the ice will make the frozen hot chocolate a little less creamy.

But how does the flavor of a hot chocolate milkshake differ from one simply made with chocolate milk? On the surface, chocolate milk and hot chocolate may seem like the same drink, just at differing temperatures. And although the two beverages could be made using the same ingredients, they often turn out better if they're prepared a little differently.

Chocolate milk is most simply made by mixing together a cold glass of milk with some sweet chocolate syrup. But hot chocolate allows you to melt down some actual chocolate or mix in some cocoa powder to blend into the warm milk for a richer flavor.

Because hot chocolate is made differently than a quick glass of chocolate milk, a milkshake made with those differing ingredients could change the flavor of the drink, if just slightly. Using melted chocolate or cocoa powder when prepping your hot chocolate could thicken the beverage up a little, making the resulting milkshake a little richer than it would be when made with syrup.

The next time you find yourself craving some hot chocolate on a warm day, or you're just craving a cool drink to match the weather outside, try blending up the beverage to create a sweet and creamy milkshake.