A few marshmallows, a curl of chocolate and a ribbon of cream can give your usual cocoa a new look. These hot chocolate topping ideas give you seven combinations to try, from toasted s'mores to raspberry white chocolate. The fun part is choosing what ends up in your mug.
You can start with a cocoa mix you like or make a cup from scratch. Then add a cream swirl and the toppings that sound good to you. A packet of cocoa can have a peppermint moment, too.
The photos below focus on the swirls and toppings, so you can see how the pieces work together. Try one for an evening at home, make different cups with a roommate, or choose a favorite for your next movie. You'll find ideas for the drink, the topping and where to put that little pile of chocolate curls.
Start With a Cocoa Base You Like
Make your cocoa first, taste it, then choose the toppings. A milk chocolate base gives you a familiar starting point for marshmallows, cinnamon or caramel. A darker cocoa makes a useful match for peppermint and orange. White hot chocolate gives raspberry sauce a pale background for its red swirl.
Follow the directions for your chosen mix or recipe before adding extras. For a from-scratch option, Hershey's Hot Cocoa for One uses cocoa powder, sugar, milk and vanilla in a single serving. You can use that recipe as the base, then choose a topping combination from this post.
Leave space at the top of the mug for cream and toppings. If you want a large whipped cream topping, use a mug with room for it. The photos are close-up views of the surface, but your drink still needs space for a spoon and a careful first sip.
For a drink you make after class or work, choosing from what's in your cupboard keeps the grocery list short. A few pieces of chocolate or the last graham cracker in the packet can give you a place to start.
Make a Cream Swirl Before Adding Toppings
For a visible swirl, add a small ribbon of pouring cream to the surface of your finished cocoa, then gently draw a teaspoon through it. Try one loose curve and look at the pattern before stirring again. More stirring blends the colors together.
A circle gives you a different shape from a slow S. You can also pull the spoon from one side toward the middle to draw the cream into thin lines. The result will vary with your cocoa, the cream and how you stir. The photos give you pattern ideas rather than a shape you have to match.
Once you like the swirl, place the toppings toward one side. That leaves some of the pattern visible and gives the cream, marshmallows or chocolate a clear place in the mug. You can add more when you're ready to drink it.
If you're making a cup with a friend, try a different spoon motion in each mug. One person might get a wide wave while the other gets several little curls. You can compare them before the first sip.
Seven Hot Chocolate Topping Ideas to Try
Choose one combination for your next mug, using the photo as a guide to the topping and its placement. Each idea has a different mix of cream, chocolate, fruit or candy. You can use the amount that suits your cup and your taste.
1. Marshmallows and Chocolate Curls
Add mini marshmallows and thin chocolate curls to a milk chocolate cocoa with a cream swirl. Place the marshmallows in a small group along one side, then scatter a few curls over them. The open part of the cocoa gives the swirl room to show.
You can use shavings from a chocolate bar if you don't have curls. Small pieces work here, so you don't need a whole new bar for the topping. Let some fall onto the marshmallows and some onto the cocoa around them.
This is a familiar combination to start with if you want to try the swirl before changing the flavor of your drink. A few marshmallows can soften into the surface while the cream makes its own pattern around them. Keep a spoon nearby if the marshmallows are your favorite part.
2. Toasted S'mores Cocoa
Top your cocoa with toasted marshmallows, a broken graham cracker and chocolate shavings for a s'mores-inspired cup. Add the toppings after making broad cream curves, so you can still see the cocoa between them.
If you already have toasted marshmallows from another dessert, add them to your mug. Plain marshmallows also work with the graham cracker and chocolate when you're making a cup with less prep. There's no need to toast anything over the drink.
Break the cracker into a small piece for the top and keep the rest beside your mug for dipping. Add that piece close to the marshmallows rather than covering the whole surface in crumbs. You'll get the s'mores idea in one part of the cup, with the chocolate-and-cream pattern beside it.
3. Peppermint Cream Cocoa
Add a small spoonful of whipped cream, crushed peppermint and a broken candy cane piece to dark cocoa. Set the cream to one side, then place the candy on it. A few crumbs on the cocoa can connect the topping to the swirl.
Crush a small amount of peppermint first. You can taste the drink and add more if you want a stronger mint flavor. The curved candy piece is optional; crushed peppermint gives you the same red-and-white detail in a smaller topping.
Try drawing the pouring cream into fine lines before adding the whipped cream. Those feather-like shapes leave plenty of chocolate showing between them. If you're pairing your cup with a quiet evening, our bring-your-own-book night ideas give you a plan for reading together while everyone keeps their own book.
4. Salted Caramel Cocoa
Pair milk chocolate cocoa with a caramel ribbon, whipped cream and a little flaky salt. Draw a small amount of caramel sauce across the cream swirl, then place the whipped cream toward one edge. You can add a small soft caramel piece on top if you like.
If the sauce already tastes salty, try the drink before adding salt. Caramel sauce and caramel candy can vary, so the topping can follow what you have. Start with a light drizzle and keep the bottle nearby if you want more.
For the pattern in the photo, think of the caramel as a loose S running through the cocoa. It can cross a pale cream ribbon in one place and spread into the chocolate in another. The whipped cream gives any caramel pieces somewhere to rest while leaving most of that shape visible.
5. Orange and Dark Chocolate Cocoa
Top darker cocoa with whipped cream, chocolate curls and a thin curl of washed orange peel. Keep the orange curl small and place it with the chocolate on the cream. It adds a bright detail beside the brown and ivory swirl.
You can use a little finely grated orange zest instead of a peel curl. Add a small amount, then taste before adding more. A large piece of peel can be awkward to sip around, so keep the topping suited to the mug you're using.
This is a way to use a few pieces from a dark chocolate bar with an orange you already have. Save the fruit for a snack and use only the small amount of peel you want for the drink. Broad chocolate shavings give the topping shape even when your cream swirl turns out small.
6. Cinnamon Marshmallow Cocoa
Add mini marshmallows, a light dusting of cinnamon and a few chocolate shavings to milk chocolate cocoa. Group the marshmallows near one edge so the cream waves stay visible across the rest of the surface.
Sprinkle a little cinnamon over the marshmallows first. That gives the powder a clear place to land and lets you see how much you're adding. You can stir some into the drink after you've tried the first sip. Hershey's single-serving cocoa recipe also suggests cinnamon as an optional variation.
A wide spoon curve suits this version. It makes a pale band that can pass beside the marshmallows, with little cocoa lines folding into it. This is a useful choice when you want to change your usual marshmallow cup with something already in the spice cupboard.
7. Raspberry White Chocolate Cocoa
Use white hot chocolate as the base, then add raspberry sauce, whipped cream, white chocolate curls and a couple of raspberries. Choose a prepared white hot chocolate mix or a recipe you already like, and follow its directions before adding the sauce.
Draw a small amount of raspberry sauce through the pale surface with your spoon. One loose loop can leave a red ribbon with pink edges as the sauce starts to blend. Add the cream and fruit to one side while the pattern is still visible.
Thin shavings work in place of white chocolate curls. Keep them with the raspberries on the cream, rather than spreading them across the whole mug. You can taste the drink before adding more sauce, since your base and the sauce may both be sweet. This version gives you a different color and flavor to try after the chocolate-based cups.
Choose a Combination for Your Evening
Pick the topping you most want to eat, then build your cup around it. Marshmallows and chocolate can share a milk cocoa base; peppermint or orange can go with a darker one. You can make one cup at a time and keep the rest of the ingredients for another evening.
If you're sharing food, keep the packages available so everyone can check the ingredients they need to avoid. The FDA explains where major allergens appear on food labels. Check the cocoa and toppings as well as the milk you're using.
For a night with a roommate or a few friends, each person can choose a different topping. Our things to do with friends at home has ideas to pair with your mugs. A game already on the shelf or a film you've been meaning to watch can give the drinks somewhere to go.
Choose your cocoa, set out your topping and stir the cream before you add it. Then take your mug to the spot where you want to spend the evening.
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