Hot chocolate is one of the most popular winter treats that can be enjoyed in many flavors. It can be a gift for your Valentine, a sign of appreciation for your loved ones, or a delicious treat for yourself. Here are the top five hot chocolate brands ranked by students:
- Swiss Miss
If you are looking for the classic, rich, creamy hot chocolate flavor, you should definitely buy Swiss Miss. It comes in a variety of flavors such as Plain Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate with Marshmallows, Peppermint, and Pumpkin Spice. Sophomore Cherry Leung said, “I like Swiss Miss the best, especially the marshmallow one. It is especially sweet on colder days and it is fun watching the marshmallows melt.”
- Starbucks
At your local Starbucks, you can order a hot or a “frozen” hot chocolate or purchase the packet mixes. The flavors include Classic, Salted Caramel, Peppermint (vegan), White Chocolate, Cinnamon Dolce, Double Chocolate (vegan), and Marshmallow. Senior Priyota Saha enjoys this brand of hot chocolate because it “is creamy, sweet, and mixes well with both milk and water.” Although Starbucks drinks tend to be pricey, hot chocolate is often one of their cheaper options.
- Ghirardelli
This hot chocolate brand seems fancy, but it’s around the same price as other hot chocolate mixes. There are several flavors like Double Hot Chocolate, Hot Cocoa with Chocolate Chips, Chocolate Mocha, and Frappe Frozen Hot Chocolate. Freshman Prisha Rao recommends Ghirardelli’s Double Chocolate hot cocoa. “Not only is this brand dairy free,” she commented, “but the taste is very rich and not too sweet. The texture is the best part of the drink because it is not chalky at all.” Everyone can feel fancy drinking Ghirardelli!
- Hershey’s
Hershey’s official hot chocolate powder mix comes in milk chocolate, but you can make your own by purchasing their dairy-free 100% Cacao or Special Dark Cocoa powders. Senior Ruth Rajcoomar said, “I like the Hershey’s hot chocolate because the taste of milk doesn’t overpower the cocoa… It makes me feel warm and cozy.”
- Nestle
Senior Ellen Chan finds that Nestle’s hot chocolate has “the perfect balance of sweet and creamy.” You can choose from their Dark Chocolate, Rich Milk Chocolate, and Rich Milk Chocolate with Marshmallows flavors. Nestle’s Nesquik Chocolate Powder is another option to create the perfect winter drink.
Are you craving hot chocolate now? Go grab one of these mixes and make yourself a delectable treat!
