Hot chocolate is a winter favorite for everyone and is enjoyed almost every way imaginable, but what are the most popular hot chocolate recipes? Is it preferred to be store bought? What toppings go best? A google form was sent out to several teachers and students answering this delicious question.

Hot chocolate is generally made with water or milk and some kind of cocoa powder. Generally, milk is preferred to make hot chocolate by a whopping 75%. Many people enjoy putting extra chocolate into their hot chocolate, with things like dark chocolate, or chocolate sauce. Some people don’t quite care how it’s made though, most students just prefer a store bought hot chocolate. It was about 50/50, but people still like store bought better.  Out of all the brands, Swiss Miss is favored. This is probably because it is the best  of hot chocolate brands, and it’s amazing flavors help too.

When someone thinks of hot chocolate, they almost always think of marshmallows, and apparently, that’s what a lot of people at Rio think. Around 18% of people enjoy marshmallows as their favorite topping, but the majority of people (around 33%) believe whip cream is the best. According to Smera Arun, “Whip cream is good because when you mix it in with the hot chocolate, it cools it down and makes it creamy.” Other popular additions were candy cane stirrers, extra chocolate, cookies and more. On top of that, hot chocolate is often known to be paired with many sweet treats. Chocolate chip cookies are the favorite pairing, winning over around 41% of students with their semi-sweet taste. Oreos came in second, winning around 20% of people. Only around 13% of people think it’s perfect on its own , which definitely isn’t wrong. 

In conclusion, hot chocolate is a wonderful beverage that, according to an anonymous Rio Norte student, they said, “Hot chocolate is definitely the best drink for the winter season!” Even though everyone has their own taste, the perfect hot chocolate according to the students at Rio Norte is a store bought, Swiss Miss brand hot chocolate made with milk and paired with whipped cream and a chocolate chip cookie. According to 7th grader Natalie Carey, “That sounds absolutely amazing.”