These 16 Hot Drinks Are Your Cold-Weather Saviors
Hot Chocolate Seven Ways
When the next Polar Vortex blows into town, pick one version of this hot drink recipe to warm your bones each day of the week. Start with a rich base of half-and-half, cream, vanilla, and chopped bittersweet chocolate. Then work your way through the flavor options, including peanut butter, espresso, almond, and raspberry.
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Cider Mulled Wine
At long last, white is now totally appropriate between Labor Day and Memorial Day—when it's wine. For this hot wine drink, we crank up the temperature on summer sangria in a slow cooker and stir in baking spices for even more warmth. Try any dry white wine variety. (We like Sauvignon Blanc, Albarino, and Chenin Blanc.)
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Cinnamon Coffee
Upgrade your morning coffee with this cinnamon-spiced hot coffee drink. Each sip offers the same coziness level as your favorite pair of fleece-lined slippers. Add a dollop of whipped cream to make the sipper as pretty as the fresh coat of snow outside.
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Slow Cooker Pumpkin Spice Latte
No need to wait until Starbucks adds it back to their coffee shop menu. This hot coffee drink is always available in your kitchen once you have this luscious latte recipe. Canned pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and maple syrup give it undeniable winter appeal. Set your slow cooker to “keep warm” and sip all afternoon long.
Buy It: Crock-Pot 4-Quart Slow Cooker, $34.99, Bed Bath & Beyond
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Golden Wassail
The tradition of serving wassail in winter dates back to medieval days. (The name comes from the Anglo-Saxon phrase “waes hael” or “good health.”) So raise a glass to wellness with this alcohol-free hot drink recipe that’s showy enough for parties yet nutritious enough for sick days. Pineapple, apple, and orange juice meet apricot nectar and spices for a family-friendly punch.
Buy It: Dailyware 10-Piece Punch Bowl Set, $39.99, Bed Bath & Beyond
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Cinnamon-Pumpkin Toddy
The combo of rye whiskey and apple-cinnamon schnapps is sure to shake off your winter chill. Featuring real canned pumpkin (no uncommon extracts or hard-to-pronounce additives here), this hot toddy drink will be your new go-to. Especially when you garnish each glass with a generous dollop of cinnamon whipped cream.
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Bourbon-Citrus Sipper
Use your slow cooker to brew this apple-and-citrus beverage while you conquer your to-do list. Bonus: Your house will smell amazing as the pie-spiced hot bourbon drink simmers. Try it with cider or juice, and splash in the booze right before serving.
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Peppermint Hot Chocolate
Classic cocoa is good, but we’re all about the fresh addition of peppermint schnapps in this variation. Made with whole milk and high-quality chocolate, this hot drink recipe is perfect as an after-dinner cocktail or dessert. Whipped cream optional, but definitely recommended!
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Make-it-Mine Mulled Wine
Found: The ultimate fix for that so-so bottle of wine you received as a Secret Santa gift. Any variety—white, red, or rosé wine—works great in this hot wine drink recipe. Jazz up the grown-up grape juice with your pick of warm spices, seasonal fruits, liquor, and fruit juice.
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Aztec Hot Chocolate
Cook up this chipotle-infused hot chocolate recipe in your slow cooker while you tackle shoveling the snow. A cozy batch of these hot winter drinks will be ready and waiting for you to enjoy when you are done.
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Spiced Pomegranate Apple Cider
Warm your cider with surprising ingredients, such as tart pomegranate, warm cloves, and peppery cardamom, in this big-batch hot drink recipe. Optional fresh kumquats add a surprising hint of bright citrus flavor.
Test Kitchen Tip: Can’t find or don’t like kumquats? Substitute strips of orange peel.
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Steaming Pomegranate-Ginger Tea
When you can’t decide between a big mug of tea and an elegant glass of red wine, combine ‘em in one warm winter drink recipe. Slightly sweet, a little bit tart, and with a hint of spice, a cup of this wine-spiked tea is an ideal way to end a long, chilly day. Offer guests a choice of the vibrant red pomegranate tea or spirit-free apple cider at your next cold-weather gathering.
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Spiced Black Tea
Spice up your cookie-exchange party, holiday potluck, or January brunch with bubbling cups of no-spirits-required spiced tea. It’s like a grown-up version of your kid’s favorite fruit punch. Pomegranate juice adds healthy antioxidants to this cinnamon-scented hot drink recipe.
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Mulled Cranberry Punch
Cranberries are for much more than sauces. Put your slow cooker to work simmering this warm winter drink recipe to punch perfection. The ruby-red hot drink, featuring cranberry juice and white grape juice, is the perfect mocktail option for an open house or an all-day family feast.
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Mango-Pineapple Toddy
Stir together the ingredients for this slow cooker hot toddy drink and pretend like you’re on a tropical island—even if it’s icy outside your front door. Pineapple and lime juice team up with mango nectar, ginger, and cinnamon to amp up the Caribbean flair in these rum cocktails.
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Hot Buttered Cider
A spoonful of sugar? Nah, a spoonful of butter separates this rich cider from other ciders. If you’re in the mood for a hot alcoholic drink, simply add ½ cup rum for a hot buttered rum twist.
Related: Warm and Cozy Apple Cider Recipes