All You Need Is Hot Chocolate Mix For A Game-Changing Cheesecake

A dessert doesn't necessarily have to feature complex flavors in order to be delicious, and cheesecake is the perfect example of this. It relies primarily on cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla for its tangy, sweet flavor and its custardy texture. But while you can't go wrong with this classic combination, let's be honest — sometimes your tastebuds crave something more. Luckily you only need one ingredient to take your cheesecake to the next level: hot chocolate mix.

Although the powdered drink mix is designed to be dissolved in hot water or milk, then turned into a creamy beverage, hot chocolate mix works just as well in cheesecake batter. It effectively introduces a layer of chocolatey flavor to the dessert, but one that isn't quite as overwhelming compared to cocoa powder. As a result, that traditional cheesecake taste will still shine through, but will have an enhanced flavor thanks to the addition of hot cocoa mix.

At first glance, hot chocolate mix and cocoa powder look pretty similar in color and texture. However, they'll produce different results when added to cheesecake batter. While both contain cocoa beans that have been dried, roasted, and pulverized into powder, hot chocolate mix may also include sugar and dehydrated milk, also known as milk powder. Since cocoa powder doesn't contain these additives, it'll lead to a more chocolate-forward cheesecake.

With a lower concentration of cocoa powder, hot chocolate mix will produce a less chocolatey cheesecake, however it'll also contribute a distinct brown-butter-like flavor that you can't get from cocoa powder alone. This is due to the milk solids that make up the milk powder in the hot chocolate mix. Milk solids are normally added to baked goods in the form of brown butter, but the milk solids in milk powder produce the same warm, roasted flavors.

The more hot chocolate mix you add to your cheesecake recipe, the more of its flavors you'll be able to taste. However, keep in mind that hot chocolate mix may also affect the texture of your cheesecake because it's a dry ingredient. Much like flour or powdered sugar, adding hot chocolate mix to a cheesecake batter will give it more structure. You do want your cheesecake to hold its shape, but you don't want to add so much hot chocolate mix that it turns out dry.

For a standard cheesecake that calls for three to four blocks of cream cheese, stick to ⅔ of a cup or roughly two packets of hot chocolate mix. If you choose to add more, just make sure the batter retains a creamy, pourable consistency and doesn't thicken too much. This will ensure that the texture is on par with the improved taste.