Bon Appétit taste-tested 15 hot chocolate mixes — 3 actually won
Bon Appétit's Test Kitchen blind-tasted 15 hot chocolate mixes — from Swiss Miss to Valrhona — and only three earned a spot in their cart. The winners cover three distinct cravings: a nostalgic classic, a richer upgrade, and a splurge that tastes like a melted chocolate bar.
The best classic hot chocolate is Starbucks Classic Hot Cocoa. Senior cooking editor Kelsey Jane Youngman called it "classic cocoa" instantly — the kind of cup you remember drinking at an ice rink or after a snow day. It delivered satisfying milk-chocolate flavor and a silky texture even when made with just water, though the team recommends milk for an even creamier pour.
The upgrade and the splurge
For something a little more indulgent, the team picked Guittard Grand Cacao Drinking Chocolate. It's richer and more chocolate-forward than the Starbucks canister, with a "just enough sweetness to get away with it" bittersweet balance, as food director Chris Morocco put it. Several premium contenders skewed too bitter; Guittard landed the sweet spot.
The splurge is Dandelion Chocolate House Hot Chocolate Mix, made with single-origin chocolate. It's closer to drinking chocolate than the packets most people grew up with — fruity, intensely chocolaty, and slightly bitter, with notes of red berries buried in the deep flavor. "A melted bar of dark chocolate," Youngman said.
At more than $2 an ounce, Dandelion isn't for the dozen-kids-coming-in-from-sledding crowd. It's the cup to savor on a cold evening, when you want dessert rather than an everyday cocoa. The mix comes in a 5.6-ounce reusable glass bottle for $20, or a 17.6-ounce bag for $35.
The test wasn't just about flavor. Texture mattered too — the top picks were creamy and silky, while some losers were chalky, gritty, or powdery. A few familiar names fell short: Cadbury was too sweet, Ghirardelli's classic mix was praised for its creaminess but still read too sweet, and Abuelita's cinnamon flavor drifted too far from the unspiced profile tasters wanted.