Mounds Hot Chocolate
What I Love About My Mounds Hot Chocolate
My favorite candy bars have always been the coconut ones, like Almond Joy, Mounds, and Bounty. This hot chocolate is my way of turning that into a drink.
- You get real dark chocolate and coconut in every sip.
- I toast the coconut flakes first for a deeper, nuttier flavor.
- The whole pot comes together in about fifteen minutes on the stovetop.
- Straining out the coconut keeps the drink smooth and sippable.
- Scaling this up for a crowd just means doubling the milk and chocolate.
Key Ingredient Notes
- Milk: Whole milk makes the richest, creamiest cup, but the original recipe here uses low-fat milk for something a little lighter. Either works, since the fat mostly affects richness, not whether the chocolate melts in smoothly.
- Sweetened coconut flakes: These steep in the hot milk to infuse coconut flavor. They get strained out before serving so the drink stays smooth. Toasting them first in a dry pan deepens the flavor even more. It’s the same trick I use for my coconut syrup.
- Dark baking chocolate bar: A chopped bar melts more smoothly into hot milk than chips do. Chips are formulated to hold their shape rather than melt fully. Dark or bittersweet chocolate keeps this drink from turning cloying once the toppings go on.
- Chocolate syrup (for topping): Dark chocolate syrup gives the whipped cream topping a deeper color and flavor than regular syrup. Regular chocolate syrup still tastes great here if that’s what’s in the fridge.
How to Make Mounds Hot Chocolate
- Warm the milk and coconut. Pour the milk into a saucepan with the coconut flakes and set the heat to medium. Heat until steaming and small bubbles form at the edges, but don’t let it boil.
- Melt in the chocolate. Break the chocolate bar into small pieces and whisk it into the hot milk. Keep whisking slowly until the chocolate melts and the mixture looks smooth.
- Cook it through. Lower the heat to medium-low and let the mixture cook for another couple of minutes. Stir occasionally so nothing scorches on the bottom.
- Strain it. Pour the hot chocolate through a fine mesh strainer into your mugs to catch the coconut flakes. This leaves just the flavor behind.
- Top it off. Finish each mug with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. Add a sprinkle of coconut flakes on top if you want extra crunch.
PRO TIP: Never let the milk come to a full boil. Once it boils, the proteins can break, and the drink turns grainy rather than staying silky smooth.
Mounds Hot Chocolate Recipe FAQs
Yes, you definitely can add a couple of tablespoons of sweetened cream of coconut instead of the flakes. Just note it’s pretty sweet so it will add more sweetness to the drink.
Yes, a full-fat dairy-free milk like oat milk or almond milk. The chocolate itself may not be dairy-free, since some dark chocolate bars contain milk solids. Check the label if that matters to you.
This almost always comes down to heat or moisture. Boiling the milk, or letting the chocolate get too hot, can make the proteins and cocoa solids seize up. The texture turns grainy rather than smooth.
Yes, this recipe doubles or triples easily for a crowd. Just use a bigger pot and give the chocolate a little extra time to melt fully.
Mounds is made with dark chocolate and just coconut, while Almond Joy adds almonds and usually leans toward milk chocolate. If you want an almond version, stir a little almond extract into the milk. Add chopped almonds as a topping too.
More Hot Chocolate Recipes From Me
- Peppermint Hot Chocolate Recipe
- Red Wine Hot Chocolate
- Adult Hot Chocolate
- Slow Cooker Butterscotch Hot Chocolate
- The Best Homemade Hot Chocolate
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Mounds-Style Coconut Hot Cocoa Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups low fat milk
- 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes
- 4 oz baking dark chocolate
Topping:
- 2 tbsp Whipped cream
- 1 tbsp Chocolate syrup dark chocolate if available
- 1 tbsp Coconut flakes optional
Instructions
- Pour milk into a medium sauce pan and set the heat to medium. Stir in coconut flakes.
- Once milk is heated through, break apart dark chocolate bar and add it to the milk. Keep stirring slowly until all chocolate is melted. Cook for another few minutes and take off heat.
- Pour into the cups through a fine strainer.
- Top off with whipped cream and drizzle with chocolate syrup. Sprinkle coconut flakes if you wish.
Nutrition
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All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
Each year we make a few gallons of a similar recipe. It goes so quickly. Love it!
I think, I’m going to have to make a gallon of this this week. We already have a few servings 🙂
Thank you, Amy!
I’m totally ok with your coconut obsession when it results in a fabulous hot chocolate like this! And I’m also real jealous of your weather 🙂 We can trade spots for Christmas. I’m totally down with that!
Thank you, dear!
Don’t be jealous 🙂 it gets old quite fast.