Orange and chocolate is a magical combination. They work so well together because the chocolate is intense and rich, while the orange is fresh, fruity and zesty. This orange hot chocolate is simple, it's zesty and it's rich in chocolate flavor with a hint of warming cinnamon. A true comforting cup of deliciousness that is perfect with a donut or a cookie for dipping!
This hot chocolate with orange and cinnamon is the perfect Easter drink. I don't know about you, but during Easter, Norwegians go up to their cabins, go skiing and drink hot chocolates and eat oranges for lunch out in the mountains. Or snuggled up by the fireplace when you get back to the cabin, along with a Swedish cardamom bun. Either way, a forever winning combination!
How to make this simple and zesty orange hot chocolate
Add a cup of milk to a saucepan, over medium heat. Add in unsweetened cocoa powder, sugar, zest of one orange, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Give it a stir, and once it starts to simmer and rise, add in the rest of the milk. Serve warm.
Taste, do you find it too bitter? Add in a little more sugar. Too sweet? - more unsweetened cocoa powder. If you find it too flavorful and rich - more milk. It's impossible to ruin this delicious cup of orange hot chocolate! Strain it into four (or two large!) cups to avoid drinking the zest.
I like to serve it a little more bitter, because I love to top my hot chocolate with either sweet marshmallows or sweet whipped cream to balance it out. If so, I use 7 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder.
Best enjoyed with some fresh donuts, cookies, homemade sweet buns or cinnamon rolls!
Winning Combinations of Flavors
It's hard to explain, but some combinations of flavors just work better than others. Orange and chocolate are definitely one of those, hence why I adore this dark chocolate orange cake and coconut cupcakes with the same frosting too. Other winning combinations are
- ginger + lemon: Ginger Lemon Iced Tea, The Penicillin Cocktail
- caramel + salt: Salted Caramel Sauce, Salted Caramel Macarons
- banana + peanut butter: Banana Peanut Butter Chia Pudding
- peppermint + chocolate: Peppermint Cream Cheese Truffles, Peppermint Filled Dark Chocolates
- cranberry + orange: Orange Cranberry Sauce, Orange Cranberry Sangria
- cherry + chocolate: Black Forest Cake
- bacon + cheese: Bacon and Cheese Dinner Rolls
- honey + mustard: Panko Chicken Burger or Lemon Chicken Winter Salad both with honey mustard dressing
- coffee + chocolate: Dreamy Creamy Chocolate Truffles, Guinness Coffee Caramel Brownies
- blackberries + lemon: Blackberry Lemon Crepes, Blackberry Lemon Curd Pavlova Nests
- honey + ginger: Sore Throat Tea, and the Penicillin above.
- pumpkin + white chocolate: Pumpkin White Chocolate Muffins
- apple + cinnamon: Apple Cinnamon Cake, Mulled Apple Cider
- peppermint + coffee: Peppermint Mocha, Peppermint Mocha Macarons
- pumpkin + warming spices: Pumpkin Spice Latte, Moroccan Butternut Soup
Are there any other classic and fab combinations I'm missing out? Let me know in the comments. Sometimes great combinations can be surprising too, like strawberry + basil and pomegranate + any meat (try it in this recipe!). I'm sure you'll find your next favorite combination in this list. Enjoy!
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This recipe was originally published on Dec 19th 2017, but updated on Feb 18th 2020 for better photos and content.

Simple and Zesty Orange Hot Chocolate with Cinnamon
Hot chocolate infused with delicious Wintery of orange and cinnamon. Perfect to snuggle next to the fireplace in the cold Winter.
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole milk, 1 liter
- 5 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
- 6-7 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, or to taste
- zest of one orange
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Add a cup of milk to a saucepan, over medium heat. Add in unsweetened cocoa powder, sugar, zest of one orange, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Give it a stir, and once it starts to simmer and rise, add in the rest of the milk. Serve warm.
- Taste, do you find it too bitter? Add in a little more sugar. Too sweet? - more unsweetened cocoa powder. If you find it too flavorful and rich - more milk. I have it more bitter (about 7 tbsp) when I add sweet toppings like marshmallows.
- Strain it through a sieve before you pour it into cups to avoid drinking the zest!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 223Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5.2gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 138mgCarbohydrates: 31gFiber: 3gProtein: 9.5g
Just for funs; here's one of the old pics!
Sakshi
Sunday 24th of May 2020
Hey, i wana try this, but orange isn't available as of now so can I use lemon zest or any alternative???
Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice
Tuesday 26th of May 2020
You will not get the same flavor with lemon zest (but it can still be delicious!). I would definitely give lemon zest a try. But this hot chocolate would still be delicious without the citrus too. Maybe add a little chili and it would become a Mexican hot chocolate! Let me know how it goes.
Ramona
Wednesday 26th of February 2020
Oh my! The combo its definitely a winner. I never thought of mixing cinnamon with orange but I have to say I will be making this a regular now. Thanks for sharing this recipe ;-)
Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice
Wednesday 26th of February 2020
Thank you, Ramona. I'm glad you liked it!
Jacque Hastert
Tuesday 25th of February 2020
This sounds perfect on a cold day like today. I am going to have to run and grab some missing ingredients. So I can be sipping on this evening with my daughters.
Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice
Wednesday 26th of February 2020
That sounds like such a cozy evening. Enjoy!
Amy Liu Dong
Sunday 23rd of February 2020
Such a nice idea to add cinnamon in our favorite hot chocolate drink. It looks so delicious and absolutely healthy. This will definitely a great hit among our kids.
Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice
Monday 24th of February 2020
I love the cinnamon in this hot chocolate. Thank you so much, enjoy!
Emily
Sunday 23rd of February 2020
What delicious hot chocolate! The orange flavor is such a nice touch and perfect during citrus season!
Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice
Monday 24th of February 2020
Thank you so much, Emily! Great oranges = great hot chocolate!