Best Hot Chocolate for Kids

My son rarely gets carried away with compliments for food or beverages (unless you count Junior Mints or really good chocolate like Moonstruck Chocolate as food). For the last several years, however, he can't stop complimenting a certain hot beverage we've discovered.

Let me back up...I should start by explaining that we love hot chocolate and, while I admit to having enjoyed Swiss Miss (powder mixed with hot water) as a kid, we now tend to only have hot chocolate made with milk. It's not because we're snobs or have anything against Swiss Miss, it's actually due to our kids' deficiencies of calcium and our doctor's urging us to find a way to get more milk in their diets. Our first few attempts were pretty much failures, because we just tried to use milk instead of water with our standard powdered brand cocoa mix. So I decided to turn it into a game...a challenge...a quest to find the best hot chocolate (made with milk).



By best I don't mean most exquisite a la Marie Belle or Moonstruck Organic Double Dark, or Senor Fred, I mean good enough for daily consumption (and to have my kids asking for it day after day) but not unreasonably expensive.

We went through Godiva (odd flavor), Trader Joe's brand cocoa (okay), Whole Foods brand cocoa (good but not fabulous), Ghirardelli cocoa (too chalky), the Williams-Sonoma brand with shredded chocolate pieces that you melt on the stove (we really liked this one but I found it too time consuming and labor intensive for everyday use) and many more. Then, last winter, we received a catalog with a picture of a jar (the only brand that used a jar, not a tin or packet) of hot chocolate mix.


A friend of mine (who is a very good cook) recommended a company called Penzeys (based in Brookfield, Wisconsin) for its amazing spices. She insisted that the spices were so much more flavorful and pungent than any you could buy in a market and that I had to try them. So I did and she was absolutely right (especially about their many types of cinnamon). She didn't mention anything about their hot chocolate mix, but a short time later I received the Penzeys catalog with a photo of their mix on the cover.

(Note: this is just a sample of a Penzeys catalog, not the actual copy of the one with the hot chocolate on its cover)

As I looked at that jar on the cover, I had a feeling that this one might be different. It said, Penzeys Hot Chocolate Mix with a Hint of Mint. "Hmmm," I thought. "It's true that we love chocolate covered mints, but what's important for good hot chocolate is the chocolate flavor; it can't have too much mint. Well, a hint of mint sounds intriguing. I've got to try this." I ordered one jar, as well as a jar of Penzeys plain hot chocolate mix.



To give you a sense of how this company operates, let me tell you what happened with that order. Shortly after placing the order, the two jars arrived with one lid broken and the hint of mint mix all over the box. When I called and explained the situation, I didn't know how they'd respond, but was surprised by what I heard. The woman on the phone (with a lovely midwestern accent) was understanding and gracious and said they would send out another jar right away. I appreciated her kindness and proceeded to make a few cups of hot chocolate from the other jar. It was really good. The powder dissolved more fully than other brands with powder and it took much less time than the shaved chocolate that you melt on the stove. We just heated the milk in the microwave then added a generous tablespoon of the Penzeys powder and stirred. Simple, fast and delicious. The kids gave it a definite thumbs up.

Less than a week later, the Hint of Mint replacement jar arrived. As soon as I made the kids their cups of that hot chocolate, the rave reviews started rushing in. I kept ordering more throughout the cold winter months and we stayed with Penzeys for the rest of the season.

Fast forward to this year. We're back on our hot chocolate kick and went right to the Penzeys. This year, my son is so enthusiastic about this hot chocolate, he'll stop in the middle of his lengthy, passionate description (complete with play-by-play) of last night's football game, look at me and say, "Mom! This hot chocolate is the absolute best ever. There is no hot chocolate better than Penzey's Hint of Mint."

Well, there you have it. Based on our arguably unscientific testing methods...without a doubt, the best hot chocolate for kids: Penzeys Hot Chocolate Mix with a Hint of Mint!



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Penzeys stores are located throughout the country or you can order from the catalog or online. ($6.49 for a 13.4 oz jar or $6.70 for 1 lb. replacement bag)