Why This Recipe is Special to Me

While many kids, myself included, went to the kitschy eclectic restaurant, growing up I always went after my doctors’ appointments in New York City. I had melanoma (a form of skin cancer) when I was 11 years old and was treated at Sloane Kettering Memorial Hospital in New York City. Once I was cancer-free I would still have to return for checkup in the 10 years following.

My mom devised a brilliant plan for these visits. She would invite my two closest friends to go with me into the city for a day-long adventure. They were thrilled, both because wanted to be supportive, and because they could get a day off from school. They would stay in the waiting room during my appointment, would congratulate me on my good news, and then we would go shopping at Bloomingdales, and make a stop at Dylan’s candy bar. We would top off our day with a visit to Serendipity for lunch. And with our lunch, we would have Serendipity’s signature frozen hot chocolate drinks.

To this very day, I associate Serendipity frozen hot chocolate with the strength (and initiative) of my mom, the presence of my friends and the good news of continually being deemed “cancer-free”. The same friends who were there for then are the same friends who are there for me now and I am so grateful for that.

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

Cocoa powder – The cocoa powder is added to amp up the concentrated chocolate flavor in the base of the frozen hot chocolate. Look for high quality cocoa powder. It’s made from the dried and ground cocoa solids. A little goes a long way when using this concentrated powder!
Semi-sweet chocolate – Semi-sweet chocolate is a dark chocolate made up of a at least 35% cacao. Semi-sweet chocolate can be used interchangeably with bitter-sweet chocolate. Because of its strong chocolate flavor this is great for this blended recipe. Use either high-quality chocolate chips or chop up chocolate bars.
Milk – I use whole milk for a creamy consistency though you can also swap your favorite non-dairy milk alternative for this recipe.
Whipped cream – While store bought whipped cream can be substituted for homemade whipped cream, the less sugary and richer homemade version better compliments the dessert. Simply add heavy whipping cream to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until the cream forms stiff peaks.

How to Make Frozen Hot Chocolate

Make the hot chocolate base. In a medium saucepan over medium heat bring the milk to a simmer. Add the semi-sweet chocolate, hot chocolate mix, granulated sugar, and table salt, whisking, until the chocolate has completely melted.
Cool in an ice bath. Remove the pot from heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature. To quickly cool the mixture create an ice bath by adding the hot chocolate to a small mixing bowl. Fill a larger mixing bowl part-way with ice water and set the smaller bowl inside the ice water until cooled to room temperature.
Blend. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and 3 cups of ice to a blender and blend until completely combined, adding a bit more milk if the mixture is too thick.
Serve. Pour the mixture into a large glass or mug and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. Serve with straws and spoons.

Tips and Tricks for This Recipe

Swaps and substitutions

Try swapping the whole milk for your favorite non-dairy alternative.
I garnish the frozen hot chocolate with a bit of chocolate shavings but you can also serve it with a drizzle of chocolate syrup.

How to Make Homemade Whipped Cream

Add 1 cup of heavy cream to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high, beating until the cream forms stiff peaks, about 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate the whipped cream until ready to use.

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this Frozen hot chocolate recipe, I recommend checking out some of these: