Homemade Starbucks Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate
Save RecipeHi Bold Bakers!
Starbucks have nailed it with their Holiday-inspired drinks including crazy combinations that scream the holidays. They are all comfort in a 12oz cup. Whether you partake or not, few can resist these delicious drinks. However, now you can make your own Homemade Starbucks Drinks rather than making a trip to your local store. Let’s not forget the added bonus of knowing what goes into them, and it isn’t squirts of “caramel syrup.”
Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate is my go-to Starbucks drink. My waistline probably wishes it wasn’t but my eyes and stomach are all about it. With even more Salted Caramel on top, it just pushes this drink over the edge to heaven! Find the recipe here.
I always have a jar of Salted Caramel Sauce in the back of my fridge. Why? Because it transforms plain ice cream into an ice cream sundae, or regular Hot Chocolate into a decadent Hot Chocolate. I urge you to make some of my Salted Caramel Sauce so when friends drop by and you think you don’t have anything for dessert you can whip out your “secret weapon.”
No matter what your favorite Starbucks drink, be it Peppermint Mocha, Pumpkin Spice Latte or this Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate now you know how to make it at home, saving time, money and no doubt calories too. Your wallets will thank me come January, trust me.
Want even MORE Starbucks drinks? Check out my recipe for Peppermint Mocha and Pumpkin Spice Latte.
- 1 Cup (8oz/225g) milk
- 4 oz Bittersweet chocolate , chopped
- 2 tablespoons salted caramel sauce
- whipped cream
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In a saucepan add in all of your ingredients.
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Stir and bring the ingredients to a simmer.
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Take the saucepan off the heat and pour into your mug. .
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Decorate with freshly whipped cream and caramel on top. Enjoy!
Multiply the recipe to make more then 1 mug.
You can replace the milk with a dairy free milk.
Meet Gemma
Hi Bold Bakers! I’m Gemma Stafford, a professional chef originally from Ireland, and I’m passionate about sharing my years of experience to show you how to make game-changing baking recipes with over-the-top results! Join more than 1 Million other Bold Bakers in the community for new video recipes every week!
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what temperature is it to make the drink on stove
Hi Tia,
That is a choice, generally you make these so that they are not over heated, in other words do not boil ingredients other than water. When milk is just coming to a simmer the surface slightly shimmers and a little steam rises. I hope this helps,
Gemma 🙂
Can I use dark chocolate for bittersweet chocolate?
Hi Priya,
Yes! This is really perfect for this recipe,
Gemma 🙂
Hello,
stumbled onto your web page. If I didn’t want the salted Carmel sauce and just regular hot chocolate; with I up my chocolate sauce? If so, how much?
Thank you.
Haha! Charlotte, when you stumbled I hoe you fell for us too! Good to have you here with us.
You are trying to up the chocolate flavor? If so the important thing is that the caramel sauce adds sweetness too. So, add a little extra chocolate, add your own chocolate sauce, or a little powdered sugar and all will be well. A couple of tablespoons of sauce would be lively in this!
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma,
Can I mix salted caramel filled chocolate with milk for this recipe? Please reply. Thanks.
Hi Trixie,
I think you could, but you will get the best flavor from a bitter sweet chocolate, about 70% cocoa solids. I also have a simple salted caramel sauce recipe here for you (https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/microwave-salted-caramel-sauce/). try it, it cannot be a fail,
Gemma 🙂
Just amazing and delicious! I made the Biscuits spread cheesecake and the salted caramel sauce to go with, and with the leftover sauce the hot chocolate. Had all 3 this afternoon and they all go so well together! Very yummy, thanks Gemma
Can I use salt and caramel sauce separately in place of salted caramel sauce.
What would be the measurements then?
Well, I am not sure what the difference would be really!
A pinch of salt is sufficient, but to your taste is best,
Gemma 🙂
I usually love Gemma’a recipe, but I found this one to be incredibly bitter and I didn’t even use 72%, only 62%.
Ah! Thuy, I am sorry to hear that. you may like to add a sweetener to this, just a little, Stevia, a touch, will do this for you,
Gemma 🙂
Can I use dulce de leche ?
you sure can. That will work well too 🙂
Hi Hania,
There is a microwave version of this here on the website, check it out,
Gemma 🙂
thanks..
Hi gemma
Can you tell me 4oz chocolate is how many cup or tablespoon or even in gram
Hi there,
4oz chocolate is 3/4 cup depending on how it is formed, choc chips for instance.
A bar of chocolate usually has the weight on it, this allows you to break it down in weight easily.
4oz in grams is 113g.
Chocolate is best weighed, as it really is dependent on how it is presented, big chunks of chocolate will not be easy to measure in a cup!
Gemma 🙂
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 Thank you:)
Can I use hot chocolate mix in place of chocolate? If so, how would it work? Because it’s powder. What if I just made hot chocolate and put caramel sauce in it?
Thanks so much, I love your recipes,
Lani
Hi Lani, when you change an ingredient you change the result. You need to remember that chocolate powder is formulated with minimal chocolate, sugars, milk powders and perhaps stabilizers. It is not real chocolate, and will not be the same. You can experiment a little, cocoa may be a better alternative in this drink, as it is generally unsweetened 🙂
Hey, Gemma! I can’t wait tp make this! I made the salted caramel today. BTW, I just wanted to ask, how many cups is 4oz chocolate? And then, is whipped cream just for garnishing? Thank you
Ps: sorry if there’s some wrong grammar there.
Hi Seline, you should be able to gauge what is 4oz of chocolate, as it is usually printed on the pack! It is a difficult one to give in cup measurements as it depends on what you are using, chips, chopped, melted etc. So check your pack! it is a good idea to learn to break down measurements as written on packs, very soon you will know by looking! 🙂
Hi!
How much hot chocolate do you have at the end? I want to make this to put in a thermos and would like to know te exact amount.
Thanks! You’re great!
Tatiana
1 Cup (8oz/225g) milk
4 oz Bittersweet chocolate, chopped.
If you add the ingredients together you will find the end measurement.
This yields about 6oz (1 1/2 cups) in liquid measurement 🙂
Gemma 🙂
Hi, would semi-sweet chocolate chips work the same as the bittersweet?
Hi Kayleen, yes, it will be good. I tend to use 70% (ish) cocoa content chocolate, this is what is important really. 🙂
Hey Gemma! 🙂 I love you added recopies for Starbucks flavors! Since in my City is no Starbucks at all, your recipe is saving my Winter 😀
However I have one question to this one.
Can I salt Dulce de Leche and use it in exchange for the caramel sauce?
Thanks for an answer !
Keria
Hi Keira, yes, this should work for you, it may take a little more effort to dissolve it, a tiny pinch of salt will do it, Gemma 🙂
Can I skip salted caramel sauce for a regular hot chocolate? If I want a salted caramel flavour can I just melt soft caramels then add salt?
You can of course experiment with this, i did not try this, dissolving the caramel may be the issue!
Gemma 🙂
you can make salted caramel sauce from caramels.
This is true too! There is also a recipe here on my website which is well worth the trouble,
Gemma 🙂