This Grinch hot chocolate is such a fun and festive holiday drink. White chocolate, warm milk, and peppermint extract come together to create a creamy hot chocolate with a minty kick that’s perfect for serving up at any Christmas party, Grinchmas, or to finish off a Grinch Day.

Green food coloring gives this hot chocolate that classic Grinch green color and a little whipped cream and some heart sprinkles make this the perfect cozy drink to enjoy while you watch your favorite Christmas movie or after you play some of these Grinch games!

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White Chocolate Grinch Drink

The holiday season wouldn’t be complete without a traditional nod to the miserable but loveable Grinch.

Grinch punch, Grinch cupcakes, and Grinch brownies are already on my must-make list this season, but this Grinch hot chocolate recipe ranks as a new family favorite and I can’t wait to make another batch!

It’s made with warm creamy peppermint, white chocolate, and green food coloring for the Grinchy effect. Topped with whipped cream and red heart sprinkles, this adorably festive drink recipe is one that kids and adults both enjoy!

Whether you’re hobnobbing in Whoville, reading How the Grinch Stole Christmas for this Grinch gift exchange, or sipping on this sweet treat during your holiday party, this Grinch hot chocolate is such a fun way to keep you and your loved ones warm and cozy this holiday season! Even better if you serve it up in one of these cute Grinch mugs!

Why You’ll Love This

Fun and festive – whether you celebrate Grinchmas or just regular Christmas, this green Grinch drink will be a fun addition!
Quick and easy – With just a handful of ingredients and a total of 10 minutes, this Grinch hot cocoa is one of the easiest holiday drinks to whip up.
Can double or triple the recipe – Need more than 4 servings? Double or triple the recipe to serve a larger crowd.

Ingredients

Ingredient notes

White chocolate chips – You can also use white candy melts instead, but I really like the flavor of the white chocolate chips.
Whole milk – I use whole milk because I like the richer consistency. I find using anything lighter makes a thinner hot cocoa and no one really wants that.
Peppermint extract – A refreshing candy cane-like flavor that is a great combination with chocolate of any kind. It’s the same one I use in my peppermint hot chocolate and peppermint cookies.
Green food coloring – Because the Grinch of course! I recommend using gel food coloring because it tends to mix better with the chocolate.
Heart Sprinkles – I like to top this with whipped cream and heart sprinkles like these for the full Grinch effect. If you can find them, you could also use heart marshmallows instead!

How to make Grinch Hot Chocolate

This Grinch hot chocolate is super easy to make. It’s as simple as melting the chocolate and milk together then flavoring it to make it creamy and delicious! Just make sure you don’t burn it or even the Whos down in Whoville might pass!

1 – Combine the Milk and Chocolate

Begin by melting the white chocolate chips and milk together in a medium saucepan. Keep the heat on low so the milk doesn’t burn.

Continually stir the mixture while you’re waiting for it to melt so it doesn’t clump and stick to the bottom and you guessed it, burn.

Let the milk and melted chocolate chips come to a light simmer. Do not let it boil! As soon as the hot chocolate simmers, immediately remove it from the heat.

2 – Flavor the Hot Chocolate

Once the pan is off the heat, stir in the vanilla and peppermint extract to give it that warm and cozy taste. Continue to stir until they are fully combined.

3 – Color the Grinch Drink

To give the hot chocolate a Grinch look, add a few drops of green food coloring. Start with a few drops of food coloring and add a little at a time until it’s at a color you like! Mix it in fully before you add in more drops .

You can also mix a little bit of bright green food coloring (the color I use in my Grinch fudge) and dark green food coloring if you’re feeling really bold!

4 – Garnish and Serve

Once the hot chocolate is at a color you like, pour into individual glasses and top each drink with whipped cream and some heart sprinkles right before you’re ready to serve it!

If you’re not going to serve it right away, just leave it on the stove as it’ll retain heat better in the warm pot than in cool glasses.

glass of hot chocolate with whipped cream and sprinkles

Or you could just add to this to a hot chocolate bar and let people choose between this Grinch hot chocolate, this frozen hot chocolate, or this classic hot chocolate. I’m guessing they’ll go for the Grinch!

Tips & Tricks

Start with just a few drops of green food coloring and add more as needed until you get the perfect Grinch color.

Both gel food coloring and liquid food coloring can be used. Gel is a bit more concentrated therefore needing fewer drops to get it nice and vibrant. Liquid food coloring is more cost-effective, so whatever you’ve got, use it.

Serve this immediately while warm. If your group is not quite ready, keep it warm in a slow cooker using the warm setting. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.

You could also top it with mini marshmallows and then the sprinkles. White chocolate shavings, assorted Christmas sprinkles, and crushed candy cane could also be cute.

Serve it in a clear mug so everyone can see the vibrant green.

Fun Hot Grinch Recipes

If you like the Grinch, make sure to check out these other fun Grinch recipes! These would go great with this Grinch drink! They’d also make fun things to put inside this Christmas punch game that looks just like the Grinch!

Grinch snacks – these sweet and salty Grinch snacks are one of my personal favorites!
Grinch sugar cookies – delicious sugar cookies made to look just like the Grinch’s own Christmas tree!
Grinch Oreo balls – make these on their own or make them to add to something like this Grinch charcuterie board!
Who pudding – while it’s not green, it’s super festive and inspired by the famous Whoville dessert!