Looking for a sweet pick-me-up after a day of skiing or shopping around Denver? Check out our favorite hot chocolates in the Mile High City that your whole family can enjoy during the holiday season and all winter long:
A place where lovers of fine wine, craft beer, artisanal coffee, local art, and chocolate can meet, The Molecule Effect offers something for everyone who enjoys a large dollop of culture with their hot cocoa. When it comes to their menu offerings, there are not just one, but two amazingly chocolatey options to choose from: the Great Decker Divide swirls white and dark hot chocolate together in the spot’s signature beaker, while the White Hot Peppermint Paige combines white hot chocolate with dashes of peppermint and vanilla.
Former Food Network celebrity chef Keegan Gerhard and pastry chef Kisa Bailey have served elevated comfort food and award-winning desserts at D Bar Denver since 2008. Whether you stop in for lunch, brunch, or dinner, don’t skip their gourmet hot chocolate that comes with sides of cocoa nibs and whipped cream, as well as a swirled toasted marshmallow on a stick.
Self-proclaimed as “Denver’s only chocolate-centric restaurant, craft cocktail bar, and chocolate shop,” nearly everything on Chocolate Lab’s extensive menu contains some form of the namesake ingredient. Their decadent Chocolate Elixir is very customizable; choose from a dark, milk, or white chocolate base mixed with your choice of cow’s milk, coconut cream, or almond milk. Then take advantage of their extensive add-on and flavoring options, including (but not limited to) marshmallow, rose, pistachio, and even beet.
The first Snooze opened in Downtown Denver in 2006; now with more than 30 locations nationwide, they’re a local success story that has managed to stay true to their vision. Excellent breakfast and brunch options are served without pretension, each assessed for its impact on animals, people, and the planet. The standard hot chocolate reflects this philosophy by using milk from a local dairy and homemade whipped cream topped with cinnamon, delivering simplicity and sweetness you can feel good about.
Stop into one of Lucile’s two local locations for an order of beignets and their signature hot chocolate, made with Belgian chocolate, cinnamon, and a spice blend they’ve managed to keep secret for more than 40 years. There’s a smaller, slightly less hot version for kids, plus an option specifically for adults that blends in raspberries and Bailey’s Irish Cream to keep you extra warm.
