What’s the Best Hot Chocolate Mix? I Tested 15+ Types, & These Are the Top 9

I averaged the scores of two taste-testers, offering half portions of each flavor (all prepared with milk, according to package instructions), with coffee and water on hand as palate cleansers. The brands were chosen based on reviews and availability (both in stores and online) with our scores targeting five areas: value, quality of ingredients, texture, aroma and flavor.

Given this is my third year of testing hot chocolate mixes (what can I say? I'm committed to the craft...of ingesting sugar), the latest update omits the bottom picks, as well as any no longer sold in stores. What remains is the top nine, so you don't waste your time with the "meh" stuff—or go on an endless hunt. (That said, if you ever see Godiva Dark Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix restocked, grab a cart full!)

Godiva’s Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa is fine and all—until you try the Dark Chocolate version. It’s so rich, velvety and decadent that you’d swear you’re sipping a bougie, $6 hot cocoa from a boutique café. Only each serving will set you back less than $2 when you buy it by the canister—that's provided you can find it. Godiva's hot chocolate is so popular it's often sold out, so if you see it at your local Godiva store—or online—stock up.

PureWow100 Score

• Value: 18/20
• Quality: 19/20
• Texture: 20/20
• Aroma: 19/20
• Flavor: 20/20

Total: 96/100

It’s no wonder the back of each packet includes a recipe for an easy Caffé Mocha—the mocha flavor in this drink is undeniable. Rather than being extra sweet, Starbucks’s take on Double Chocolate is sophisticated, with a richer, more semisweet taste overall. (The silky-smooth texture is what really sold us though.)

PureWow100 Score

• Value: 19/20
• Quality: 19/20
• Texture: 20/20
• Aroma: 17/20
• Flavor: 19/20

Total: 94/100

If the thrill of hot chocolate is skimming marshmallows off the top—the dehydrated mini ones, to be exact—skip the classic marshmallow packs and head straight to Swiss Miss Marshmallow Lovers. Other brands featured a coy sprinkling of marshmallows that’d melt away two sips in. Marshmallow Lovers covers your mug in a layer of mini mallows. The underlying cocoa is more sugary than rich, making it a guaranteed hit among the elementary school set (or anyone craving a dose of nostalgia).

PureWow100 Score

• Value: 20/20
• Quality: 18/20
• Texture: 18/20
• Aroma: 18/20
• Flavor: 18/20

Total: 92/100

Serendipity3 has been a New York City staple for decades, but these days, you don’t have to travel to Manhattan to enjoy its Frrrozen Hot Chocolate—even its mocha and white chocolate varieties. I'm partial to the mocha flavor, in fact, as it tastes like a creamier, elevated take on a Frappuccino. The flavor is richer and more intense, with strong dark chocolate notes on the front end and a light, espresso-like finish. Even without whipped cream, it’s pretty splendid.

PureWow100 Score

• Value: 16/20
• Quality: 20/20
• Texture: 20/20
• Aroma: 16/20
• Flavor: 19/20

Total: 91/100

While some cocoa mixes include corn syrup, hydrogenated oil and ingredients whose names harken back to your chem lab days (like dipotassium phosphate, an emulsifier that helps preserve food), Swiss Miss Simply Cocoa is easy to follow. There are five ingredients total—sugar, cocoa, nonfat milk, salt and “natural flavor”—that when combined with warm milk, result in a silky, rich drink that doesn’t feel like an instant trip to the dentist’s office.

PureWow100 Score

• Value: 19/20
• Quality: 18/20
• Texture: 18/20
• Aroma: 18/20
• Flavor: 18/20

Total: 91/100

I’ll be honest: I didn’t see this one coming. The homespun mason jar packaging is sweet, but I feared this Long Island-made mix would taste like cocoa powder with a hint of sugar sprinkled in. I’ll never judge a cocoa by its container again. Kerber's ultra-thick (yet ultra-smooth) drink had a luscious dark chocolate flavor with the faintest hint of smokiness to it. It immediately made me dream of cozying up by the fire—and enjoying a second cup ASAP, along with a few Christmas snacks.

PureWow100 Score

• Value: 17/20
• Quality: 18/20
• Texture: 18/20
• Aroma: 17/20
• Flavor: 20/20

Total: 90/100

Torres’s chocolates are divine, and so is the flavor here—the kind of rich, dark chocolate you’d expect from the Nailed It judge—but the texture can be a dealbreaker for some. With piping hot milk and a lot of stirring, you can break down the chocolate to a smooth consistency, but it quickly turned gloppy. If you're searching for a thick, almost ganache-like drinking chocolate, this is it. If something that decadent gives you a stomachache, keep scrolling.

PureWow100 Score

• Value: 14/20
• Quality: 18/20
• Texture: 14/20
• Aroma: 18/20
• Flavor: 18/20

Total: 86/100

This one is for the milk chocolate lovers out there. Ghirardelli’s Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa tastes like a molten candy bar. It’s milkier and sweeter than the rest, but not cloyingly so. There’s a light hint of vanilla that balances out the richness of that double dose of chocolate.

PureWow100 Score

• Value: 17/20
• Quality: 18/20
• Texture: 17/20
• Aroma: 15/20
• Flavor: 17/20

Total: 83/100

At $1 a box, Nestlé’s Rich Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix is one of the cheapest ways to satisfy a sugar craving. If you prefer your chocolate on the milkier end of the spectrum, this is the box for you. It’s a thinner, lighter drink than some others on this list, and at 99.9 percent caffeine-free, it’s a late night treat that won’t keep you up until 3 a.m. (On the flip side, though, testers complained it had a bit of a saccharine aftertaste.)

PureWow100 Score

• Value: 20/20
• Quality: 14/20
• Texture: 14/20
• Aroma: 17/20
• Flavor: 15/20

Total: 80/100