It's chilly this week in North Texas — the perfect excuse to bundle up with a steaming cup of hot chocolate and people-watch from a cozy seat at your favorite coffee shop. Lucky for us, Collin County has a wide variety of places to stop for a warm drink, from specialty sips to classic cocoa.
Peppermint Hot Chocolate
Astoria | 15701 Quorum Dr, Addison, TX 75001
Astoria Cafe is home to some seriously delicious holiday drinks, including peppermint hot chocolate and the mouthwatering cocoa bomb, made of Belgian milk chocolate and filled with marshmallows. If you’re feeling extra naughty this year be sure to add Don Q gold rum.
Azteca
Frogg Coffee Bar & Crêperie | 832 Watters Creek Blvd, Allen, TX 75013
If you want to change up your normal hot chocolate order, Mexican hot chocolate has the perfect amount of spice (cinnamon, chili and chopped bittersweet chocolate) to really warm you up on a cold day.
Dark Chocolate Hot Cocoa
Mudleaf | 100 Independence Pkwy #300, Plano, TX 75075
Dark chocolate isn’t for everyone, but this dark chocolate hot cocoa definitely is. The drink also contains vanilla and steamed milk for an extra level of creaminess. The shop also offers a variety of add-in flavors so you can make your perfect cup.
Classic Hot Chocolate
The Book Shoppe | 5330 Parkwood Blvd, Suite 100, Frisco, TX 75034
Sometimes there is nothing better than a classic hot chocolate. And what better to pair with than bookshelves filled to the brim with an array of titles? The Booke Shoppe also has a variety of flavor add-ins such as salted caramel and gingerbread to help get you in the holiday spirit.
S’mores Hot Chocolate
Mallow Box | 7800 Windrose Ave., Plano, TX 75024
Classic Hershey's chocolate is great and all, but graham crackers and toasted marshmallow fluff truly elevate the chocolaty experience. Plus a few specialty marshmallows on the side will fix any sweet tooth craving perfectly.
Chocolate Affogato
Botolino | 5959 Royal Ln Suite 622, Dallas
Okay, this is not exactly hot chocolate, but hear us out — homemade Valhorna chocolate sauce, topped with crunchy white chocolate pearls and a scoop of your choice of artisanal gelato on top. If it's not chocolate-y enough for you, Botolino offers a similar option called hot fudge made with Valrhona dark chocolate fudge served with a scoop of gelato and topped with chocolate chips and homemade strawberry pate de fruit.
DIY Kits
If you rather stay inside and cozy up on your own couch with a movie and a snack, we have just the thing for you. Take a look at the best chocolatiers in North Texas to pick up your hot chocolate kit and enjoy it from home.
Kate Weiser's Carl the Snowman
Kate Weiser | 8687 North Central Expressway, Ste 400B, Dallas
In addition to being delicious, Carl the Snowman is also fun for kids. The hot chocolate bomb is made of a hollow chocolate figure filled with hot cocoa mix and mini marshmallows.
The Mocha Maker
Dude, Sweet Chocolate! | 408 W Eighth St #102, Dallas
Perfect for preparing with milk or coffee, hot or cold, Dude, Sweet Chocolate!'s gluten and soy-free mix allows you make your cup as thick and creamy or as light as you prefer. And if you are already there, why not make the kit complete and take home their C3PO marshmallows made with cashew, toasted unsweetened coconut and cocoa nibs mixed in a super fluffy marshmallow base.
Cake & Cookie Hot Cocoa Bombs
Lolli & Pops | 2601 Preston Road, Stonebriar Centre Mall, Frisco
One of Local Profile's favorite Collin County chocolate stores is offering an array of options to enjoy hot cocoa at home. From the cake & cookie hot cocoa bombs, to a mint chocolate hot cocoa concoction to marshmallow swirl cocoa individual packets, you won't run out of options.
