Hot Chocolate Floats upgrade regular hot chocolate by adding ice cream, hot fudge sauce, and other gourmet toppings. Hot chocolate has never tasted so good!
Three words: Hot. Chocolate. Floats. Did I just blow your mind, or what?
Maybe the rest of the world has been enjoying hot chocolate floats for years, but for some reason this concept had literally never occurred to me before. I don’t know why not—I like ice cream, I love hot chocolate, and I adore anything that I can put in a cute mug and douse in fudge sauce. This is obviously my culinary soul mate.
But I had never heard of hot chocolate floats until my friend Jane threw a party last week. I arrived, she handed me a mug filled with peppermint ice cream and rich, steaming hot chocolate, and then the heavens opened and a choir of angels sang. That Jane, she knows what’s up.
You know how, when you add marshmallows or whipped cream to hot chocolate, they melt and create a sweet, rich foam on top of the chocolate that you can scoop up and slurp with a spoon? And if you’re really lucky, the marshmallows or cream will keep producing that foam and you can get a good half-mug’s worth before it’s gone and you’re left to drink the chocolate? Well, hot chocolate floats are like that, but are so much better because the frothy foamy goodness is actually melted ice cream, which is 65% more delicious than anything else.
Obviously, the idea behind hot chocolate floats is so simple that you don’t really need a recipe. Ice cream + hot chocolate = done. A reasonably competent monkey could make them, provided they had the ingredients and the wherewithal to work an ice cream scoop. I’m sure you can figure out the logistics yourselves.
But I am sharing a recipe for a good, thick cup of hot chocolate, because I do think that they’re much improved by using a homemade version. You’re turning these into a dessert extravaganza, for crying out loud, now is not the time to use that sorry powdered stuff! If you have a favorite hot chocolate of your own, feel free to substitute it, or make it with the powdered stuff and thumb your nose in my direction. It’s cool. As long as I can enjoy another hot chocolate float of my own, all’s right in the world.
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Frozen Hot Chocolate
Hot Chocolate Floats
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 cups milk, I used whole milk
- 2-3 tbsp brown sugar, to taste
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 6 oz bittersweet chocolate, good quality, finely chopped
- 4 oz milk chocolate, good quality, finely chopped
- 1 quart ice cream, vanilla, peppermint, and coffee all work well!
- Fudge sauce, see Note below
- Chocolate shavings, or other decorations, optional
Instructions
- Whisk together the cream, milk, 2 tbsp brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a medium saucepan. Place the pan over medium heat and cook it, whisking occasionally, until it starts to simmer. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the chopped chocolates, stirring until they’re melted. Carefully taste the mixture and add more sugar, if desired.
- Place 2-3 scoops of ice cream into mugs. Pour hot chocolate on top of the ice cream, and garnish with whipped cream, fudge sauce, chocolate shavings, or other toppings. Serve with spoons for maximum slurping.
Recipe Notes
Measuring Tips
Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.
Want to learn more about baking measurements and conversion?
Nutrition
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Oh my goodness. Too good! The combinations going through my head are too much to keep up with. World of possibilities = opened. And because I’m me, you know I would add either espresso or booze… Or both… Ermahgerd.
My prediction? You add espresso, booze, fresh herbs, and turn it into a whole different ice cream flava! Can’t wait to see what you come up with. 🙂
This is so great!!! Ice cream added to hot chocolate??!!!
Thanks Ashley! It makes me wonder why people aren’t doing this all the time, right?!
So… I am generally not an ice cream gal. BUT I have a special weakness for peppermint ice cream. I also happen to be as smart as a reasonably competent monkey. Therefore: I will try. 😉
Ha! Would that we all could say that we are as smart as a reasonably competent monkey. 🙂 And I’m with you, peppermint ice cream is the best! Let me know what you think if you give it a try!
Hey! This looks delicious.. what a good idea!! I too like hot choc & floats so this seems perfectly normal to me & I can imagine it tasting really good 🙂 Love the special effects of photo nr 2!! Xx
Thanks Johlene! It does seem like a natural idea, right? And so easy! And I have a weakness for animated gifs–glad you enjoyed it!
This looks incredible. Boozing it up and making it sometime soon!
Awesome idea, Ashley! I think this would be a fab NYE dessert!
I love your hot chocolate with cream, it looks great! Where i live (Italy) i never found an hot chocolate like your recipe when i go out in a pub and i ask for hot chocolate! i’ll try your recipe..it’s a nice idea! (i’m sorry for my english, but i don’t speak it very good..:(
Thanks so much–and your English is fantastic! Thanks for visiting my blog, and enjoy the hot chocolate!
AWESOME MIND=BLOWN! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Haha, thanks Isaac!
Oh my goodness! I just found your site and I think you are my new best friend! I seriously am about to go make the Hot Chocolate Ice Cream Float!
We serve these in our ice cream store Hershey’s Shake Shop in Leesburg VA they are amazing.
Uh, the Hershey’s Shake Shop sounds amazing! Obviously I need a trip to Virginia. 🙂
Just made this with Haagan Daaz Sea Salt Caramel Gelato – it’s amazing!!!!