Unicorn Hot Chocolate is a warm and creamy, pink-tinted white chocolate drink topped with a mountain of whipped cream, plenty of rainbow sprinkles, and colorful mini marshmallows. This fun and festive beautiful beverage is so quick and easy to make; one sip from your steaming mug tastes like a magical melted rainbow.
Unicorn Hot Chocolate: A Magical Colorful Cocoa
This Unicorn Hot Chocolate is a quick and easy way to give a boring packet of brown hot chocolate a pretty pink makeover and my favorite way to create a rainbow-colored recipe.
You can make a mug of magic in under 10 minutes, simply by simmering a velvety smooth and creamy white chocolate mixture on the stove (no chopping or melting candy required), giving it a pastel tint, then decking out each drink with a dollop of whipped cream, a slew of sprinkles, and many mini marshmallows that make any party extra colorful and even more mythical.
Have you heard about the original Unicorn Hot Chocolate from LA’s Creme and Sugar cafe, which was first made famous on facebook, and is now easy to replicate at home?
While we can’t all fly to California to taste their colorful cocoa, my recipe is a simple copycat version with the same unforgettable flavor and color combinations–it’s so much fun to warm up with a pink drink, you can’t help but smile with each sweet, sparkly sip.
Snow days and cold weather call for mugs of hot chocolate. For more easy-to-make recipes, try my Crockpot Hot Chocolate, Whipped Hot Chocolate, and Boozy Hot Chocolate.
Why We Love This Unicorn Hot Chocolate Recipe
- Quick and easy to make in under 10 minutes.
- Only uses 4 simple ingredients plus as many topping as you wish to taste.
- “Out of this world” flavor and color combinations.
- Fun for kids to sip a pretty pastel delicious drink.
- Turns a regular hot chocolate into a magical treat.
- Adds a mythical touch to a slumber party or unicorn-themed birthday party.
Ingredients / Shopping List
- 1¾ cup whole milk: Feel free to use your favorite dairy or non-dairy milk.
- ¼ cup heavy cream: Switch this out for half and half or more milk if you prefer.
- 5 tbsp white hot chocolate mix: Powdered vanilla creamer can also be used for this recipe.
- Pink food coloring: A drop or two of red food coloring will also suffice. This is a unicorn hot chocolate so feel free to use any color that you like!
- Whipped Cream: I like using the can so that you can get that beautiful swirl but you can also use a tub of whipped topping.
- Colored mini marshmallows: You can use regular mini marshmallows if you prefer. Or, get really fancy and use Lucky Charm cereal marshmallows. I used these for mine, but you can use regular mini marshmallows if you don’t have access to the dehydrated marshmallows.
- ⅓ cup white candy melts (optional)
- Sprinkles (optional)
Substitutions and Additions
- Change The Color: You can easily change the color of the white hot chocolate itself using a different food coloring. Or have fun with swirls of purples, glimmers of gold, shades of pinks, sunset yellows, and glimmers of green–just like the unicorn’s rainbow.
- Tasty Toppings: Top your hot chocolate with your favorite garnishes, like pink candy melts, whipped topping, additional sprinkles, mini marshmallows, mini sugar pearls, and candy unicorn horns and ears.
- More Milk Options: You can use whichever type of dairy or non-dairy milk you prefer. I used whole milk for this recipe, but you can use 2%, soy, coconut, rice, almond, or lactose-free milk.
Recommended Tools
- Two (10 ounce) coffee mugs
- Small saucepan
- Mixing tools
- Measuring tools
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How to Make Unicorn Hot Chocolate
This rainbow-colored Unicorn Hot Chocolate recipe is a quick and easy way to make a magical, mythical sparkly sweet treat. It’s fun to sip a colorful cocoa topped with whipped cream, marshmallows, sprinkles and candy–a perfect way to warm up any unicorn party.
- Heat the milk and heavy cream in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it starts to bubble around the edges of the pan, stirring occasionally.
Pro Tip: It should take about 3 minutes for the mixture to bubble.
- Whisk in the hot chocolate mix and then stir in a drop or two of pink food coloring.
- Optional step: Create a chocolate sprinkle rim on each cup by melting white candy melts in the microwave, dipping each glass in the chocolate, and then dipping in sprinkles.
Pro Tip: Make sure to stir the candy melts every 30 seconds until melted. - Let the chocolate sprinkle rim set for 1-2 minutes.
- Pour hot chocolate into two serving mugs.
Pro Tip: I recommend using 10 ounce or larger mugs so you have room for toppings. - Top each mug with a mound of whipped cream, mini marshmallows, additional sprinkles, and melted colored candy melts.
- Serve warm or cold. Enjoy!
Tips
- I like to choose sprinkles, candy, and marshmallows that are on the same color scheme for the most visually beautiful mug of hot chocolate.
- A clear mug will showcases the beautiful colors in your Unicorn Hot Chocolate.
- Unicorn Hot Chocolate can be served warm or cold.
Storage Tips
- To Store: Store any leftover hot chocolate in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will be good for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
- To Reheat: Make sure to mix any leftover hot chocolate well and reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
Since white chocolate contains only cocoa butter and no cocoa solids, it has zero caffeine.
You can absolutely make your own whipped cream from scratch. To make homemade whipped cream, beat cold heavy cream with powdered sugar on high speed until you have stiff peaks or follow our homemade whipped cream recipe here.
You can make this recipe a little simpler by making it in the microwave. However, you will need to make it using two different mugs or in a large, microwave-safe bowl.
If making in mugs, place half of the milk and heavy cream in one mug, and the other half in the other mug. Heat each serving up for 1 ½ to 2 minutes each, or until the milk starts to simmer.
Then add 2 ½ Tablespoons of the hot chocolate mix to each mug, and the desired amount of food coloring. If using a large, microwave-safe bowl, you can heat the milk and heavy cream together for 3-4 minutes or until it starts to simmer.
Then add all the hot chocolate mix and food coloring and whisk together. Pour into your serving mugs. For both methods, add the whipped cream, marshmallows, and rainbow sprinkles as normal.
Other Easy Fun Drink Recipes
Unicorn Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 1¾ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 5 tbsp white hot chocolate mix
- Pink food coloring
- ⅓ cup white candy melts optional
- Sprinkles, optional
- optional garnishes: melted pink candy melts, whipped topping, additional sprinkles, mini marshmallows
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, heat up the milk and heavy cream together until it starts to bubble around the edges of the pan, stirring occasionally. This should take about 3 minutes.
- Whisk in the hot chocolate mix and then stir in your desired amount of pink food coloring.
- Optional step: Create a chocolate sprinkle rim on each cup. Begin by melting white candy melts in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds.
- Dip each glass into the chocolate.
- Immediately dip glass into sprinkles. Allow to set for 1-2 minutes before pouring in hot chocolate.
- Remove hot chocolate from heat and pour into two serving mugs. I recommend using 10 ounce or larger mugs so you have room for toppings.
- Top with lots of whipped cream followed by mini marshmallows, additional sprinkles, and melted colored candy melts for each mug.
- Can be served warm or cold.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: Store any leftover hot chocolate in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will be good for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
- To Reheat: Make sure to mix any leftover hot chocolate well and reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- I like to choose sprinkles, candy, and marshmallows that are on the same color scheme for the most visually beautiful mug of hot chocolate.
- A clear mug will showcases the beautiful colors in your Unicorn Hot Chocolate.
- Unicorn Hot Chocolate can be served warm or cold.
Is the white chocolate mix just 5 tablespoons of vanilla creamer added to the milk mixture? Iโm a little confused. Would like to make this for my granddaughters tomorrow.
I used a store bought white hot chocolate.
Iam making it for me and my husband tomar
10
I’m going to make this.
Planning to make with my daughters who are 2&4 once they get home from their dads! So excited and canโt wait!