Combine fruity red wine and dark chocolate to make the best red wine hot chocolate with just five ingredients in about 10 minutes! This rich and decadent treat is the perfect adult beverage for cold weather sipping.
And if you enjoy this recipe, you'll love my gingerbread hot chocolate with bourbon!
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❤️ Why You'll Love this Recipe
Easy to Make - No fancy tools or techniques. Just common kitchen equipment and a handful of everyday ingredients for easy red wine hot chocolate at home.
Balanced and Sophisticated - Homemade red wine hot chocolate deserves all the hype! Use my recipe for a velvety smooth sip that's rich and creamy and just at complex as a good glass of wine.
This drink is kind of like a dessert or drinking chocolate. Try my bread pudding with chocolate red wine sauce for similarly flavored treat or dark chocolate martini for a cold cocktail!
What You'll Need for this Recipe
Chocolate Bars and Cocoa Powder - Using cocoa powder provides more intense chocolate flavor and dark chocolate bars add creaminess. I use at least 60% cacao chocolate bars and you can make this red wine hot chocolate recipe using chocolate chips, too.
Red Wine - Grab a sweeter, fruit-forward bottle of wine like a Shiraz or Zinfandel or a blend. Dry red wine can work here but you'll likely want to add more sweetener. For me, the best red wine for hot chocolate is Messina Hof's Beau.
Heavy Cream - For rich luscious texture. Don't worry, it won't get too thick because the red wine helps thin it out.
Check out the recipe card below for full ingredients list, measurements, nutrition facts, and step-by-step instructions!
Substitutions & Variations
Sweetener - I use granulated sugar in this recipe but you can use the sweetener of your choice, including honey or maple syrup.
Slow Cooker - This recipe makes red wine hot chocolate on the stove but you can also make this a crock pot drink for slower, hands-off cooking and is great for a crowd.
Can I make it vegan? Yes. Use plant-based chocolate and cream and make sure to grab a vegan red wine make your red wine hot chocolate vegan.
How to Make Red Wine Hot Chocolate
Step One: Cut or break the chocolate into smaller pieces for easier melting.
Step Two: Melt the chocolate in a small saucepan.
Step Three: Stir in remaining ingredients except wine until uniform and heat.
Step Four: Pour in wine and give it another good stir.
Pro Tip: You want the hot cocoa mixture to steam and bubble but not boil. Boiling can burn the chocolate, which doesn't taste great.
Step Five: Pour the wine hot chocolate into two mugs and enjoy responsibly!
I love cooking and baking with red wine because it just adds something extra to everyday dishes. So I highly recommend my decadent deep dish lasagna with red wine sauce! You'll also like my strawberry red wine sorbet. It's a no cook and no churn recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Technically both. We use the terms interchangeably but hot cocoa uses cocoa powder while hot chocolate using creamy chocolate that you'd get from melting chocolate chips or chocolate bars.
I don't recommend water in this recipe because of the addition of red wine. The hot chocolate will be too thin.
Allow the hot cocoa to cool to room temperature and transfer to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to five days.
More Favorite Warm Cocktail Recipes
I hope you'll enjoy a steaming mug of red wine hot chocolate soon and very soon. And sharing is caring so pin this chocolate red wine drink recipe for later and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
📖 Recipe
The Best Red Wine Hot Chocolate
Equipment
- 1 saucepan
- 1 mixing spoon or whisk
Ingredients
- 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate broken into pieces
- 2 cups sweet red wine
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons sugar or to taste
Instructions
- Melt chocolate in a saucepan over low heat (about three minutes). Keep an eye on the chocolate to prevent burning.
- Once most of the chocolate is melted, add in heavy cream and stir until incorporated.
- Add cocoa powder and sugar and stir vigorously to get rid of any lumps. Cook mixture for two minutes or so, allowing it to thicken. Mixture should be steaming and perhaps bubbling but not boiling.
- Add red wine to saucepan and continue cooking for no more than another minute, stirring continuously. Do not bring to a boil. Remove from heat and serve warm.
Katrina Adams says
I have been wanting to try this recipe and you inspired me to do it this holiday season!!! 🎄🍷🎄
Desiree says
This sounds amazing! I love that it can be made so quickly!
lovelyluckylife says
i REALLY want to try this but I'm pregnant - maybe next year!
Jazz says
Oh, yes please wait til next year lol! Congratulations on your upcoming addition and thank you for reading.
Amanda | My Gluten-Free Miami says
I fell in love with chocolate wine years ago. It never occurred to me to make it...especially not a hot wine. It has me thinking now. I wonder how it would do with a tropical fruit wine. We have a local winery near us (Schnebly Winery in Homestead, FL) and one in St. Augustine (San Sebastian Winery.) Anyway, thanks for coming up with this recipe!
Jazz says
You're very welcome! It was fun to make and drink lol. I'll have to look into the chocolate wine.
Taylor says
Oh my goodness, how delicious! I wonder if I could get into this because while I love hot coco, and I love my wine I'm not huge into sweet wine. What do you think??
Jazz says
Yes, you definitely could! I recommend using a dry wine with a less bitter chocolate in that case. Thanks for reading!
Sara Giboney @ Sweet Success says
Whaaat?!?! Chocolate and wine do go together. Is this crazy sweet?
Jazz says
No, it isn't! The flavors play so well together so you get the fruitiness of the wine, and richness as well as a bit of bitterness from the dark chocolate. You should def try it!
sahmwhoblogs says
I never heard of the red wine hot chocolate craze, but you talked me into it! It looks like a very delectable drink to enjoy this season!
twoboysonepup says
Oh man. I've never heard of this! Thank you for posting...it looks easy enough too!
Jazz says
No problem! It's not hard at all. Thanks for reading!
Clarissa says
Just pinned this! I can't wait to make it this weekend and watch Christmas movies --- this sounds so good!
-Clarissa @ The View From Here
Jazz says
Perfect. Thanks for reading, Clarissa!
Belle says
Oh my! Red wine + hot chocolate = perfect combo!
Belle | One Awesome Momma
Jasmine S. says
Ohhhh man. I wish I would have seen this before our brunch this past weekend!! I must be living under a rock - this is the first I'm hearing about it and it sounds amaaaazing!
Jazz says
Aww, sorry I didn't post it in time. It would have been perfect from what I read about the brunch. Just find an excuse to make it for you two!
Kristie says
Oh my goodness, yum! I bet this is absolutely amazing. Happy holidays xoxo
Kristie
http://www.kristiesreverie.com
Brittany Comeaux says
I seriously have never heard of this!! I must try it! Pinned it for later!
Robin says
You have somehow managed to combine two of my favorites and create something better than I ever imagined! We will be drinking this throughout the holidays and beyond.
carissagarabedian says
Just last night a friend said, "lets meet for a coffee, hot chocolate or wine" -now, it can be both ! I actually thought to myself, is there a combo option. I would be very curious to try this and plan on giving it a shot this weekend.Thanks for the recipe!
Momma To Go says
That looks beyond amazing!