This frozen white hot chocolate is a creamy, dreamy blended drink made with white chocolate chips, vanilla ice cream, milk, and a splash of vanilla. It’s ready in 5 minutes with no stove, no microwave, and no melting, and it’s the perfect festive treat for Christmas parties, holiday movie nights, and cookie swaps. Top it with whipped cream and sprinkles and it looks like it came straight from a fancy dessert shop!
If you love this recipe, you have to try my frozen peanut butter hot chocolate Nutella frozen hot chocolate too!
Calling all white chocolate fans! My husband is obsessed with white chocolate, and as a die hard chocoholic, I’ve never understood it. Give me all the dark chocolate all the time! Then I made this frozen white hot chocolate and I might have changed my tune. Just don’t tell my husband!
I tested this recipe a bunch of times before I landed on the version I’m sharing today. My first few tries left little chunks of white chocolate chips at the bottom of the glass, which my kids honestly didn’t mind, but I wanted it silky smooth. The trick I figured out is blending the chips with the milk first before adding the ice cream. Now it comes out perfectly creamy every single time.
This has become our go-to holiday treat. We make a big batch while we decorate the tree, and I set out sprinkles, crushed candy canes, and whipped cream so everyone can top their own. It’s just as good in the summer, but there’s something about sipping a frozen hot chocolate next to the Christmas lights that just feels magical.
Jump to:
- What is a Frozen White Hot Chocolate
- Why You’ll Love This Frozen White Hot Chocolate
- Ingredients in Frozen White Hot Chocolate
- Substitutions and Variations
- How To Make a Frozen White Hot Chocolate
- Tips for the Best Frozen White Hot Chocolate
- How to Make It With Ice Instead of Ice Cream
- Holiday Variations
- Make a Frozen Hot Chocolate Bar for Your Holiday Party
- Make Ahead Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Milkshake Recipes
- Frozen White Hot Chocolate
What is a Frozen White Hot Chocolate
Frozen white hot chocolate is a blended, icy version of white hot chocolate. Think of it as a cross between a white chocolate milkshake and a frozen hot chocolate. Instead of using a white hot chocolate packet, which can be hard to find outside of the holidays, I use white chocolate chips so you can make it any time of year. You can find them in the baking aisle right next to the semi-sweet chocolate chips. (My kids eat them by the handfuls!)
Why You’ll Love This Frozen White Hot Chocolate
- Only 4 simple ingredients you can grab at any grocery store.
- Ready in 5 minutes with no heat needed at all.
- Rich and creamy with real white chocolate flavor that’s so much better than a plain vanilla shake.
- Perfect for the holidays and easy to dress up with festive toppings.
- Kid friendly and so fun to make together.
- Easy to customize with peppermint, gingerbread, pumpkin spice, and more.
Ingredients in Frozen White Hot Chocolate
- White chocolate chips. Your favorite brand. A white chocolate bar cut into pieces would work too.
- Vanilla ice cream. The vanilla ice cream that your family enjoys.
- Vanilla extract. For a little extra flavor.
- Milk. To help make the milkshake more liquid and easier to drink.
Be sure to check out the printable recipe card for full recipe information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Make it vegan! This is a really great recipe to make vegan. You can find a nondairy ice cream, nondairy milk, and also a nondairy white chocolate chips.
- Make it boozy! Add your favorite liquor to this recipe, just make sure to keep it away from the kids! You can use a white chocolate liquor, vodka, or a whipped cream vodka.
- Add flavorings! Add some peppermint for a minty flair, pumpkin spice for an Autumn twist, or toasted coconut for a tropical twist.
- Garnish this frozen white hot chocolate with homemade whipped cream, sprinkles, some more white chocolate chips, or a white chocolate syrup.
How To Make a Frozen White Hot Chocolate
Blend the milk and white chocolate chips. Add the milk and white chocolate chips to your blender and blend for about 30 seconds until the chips are broken down into tiny pieces. This is my secret to a smooth, chunk free drink!
Add the ice cream and vanilla. Scoop in the vanilla ice cream and add the vanilla extract.
Blend until creamy. Blend for 30 to 60 seconds, just until smooth. Don’t over blend or it will get too thin.
Top and serve. Pour into glasses and top with homemade whipped cream, white chocolate chips, and sprinkles. Serve right away!
Lynn's Tip!
For a thinner frozen hot chocolate, add a splash more milk. For a thicker one, add an extra scoop of ice cream. You can easily make it just the way your family likes it!
Tips for the Best Frozen White Hot Chocolate
- Blend the chips first. Blending the white chocolate chips with the milk before adding the ice cream is the key to a silky smooth drink.
- Use a high speed blender if you have one. It breaks down the chips much better than a regular blender.
- Chill your glasses. Pop your glasses in the freezer for 10 minutes before serving. It keeps your drink frosty longer and looks so pretty.
- Don’t over blend. The blender warms up the ice cream as it runs, so blend just until smooth.
- No blender? A food processor works, or you can use an immersion blender in a tall plastic cup.
How to Make It With Ice Instead of Ice Cream
If you’d rather make a classic icy frozen hot chocolate without ice cream, you can! Blend 1 cup of milk with ¼ cup white chocolate chips until the chips are finely chopped. Add 2 tablespoons of white chocolate syrup and 2 cups of ice, then blend until thick and slushy. It’s lighter and more refreshing than the ice cream version, and it’s a great option if you don’t have ice cream in the freezer. Just like my oreo milkshake without ice cream, you can easily make this with just ice!
Holiday Variations
- Peppermint Frozen White Hot Chocolate. Add ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract and top with crushed candy canes. This is my husband’s favorite!
- Gingerbread Frozen White Hot Chocolate. Add ¼ teaspoon each of cinnamon and ginger and a pinch of nutmeg, then top with a crumbled gingersnap.
- Christmas Cookie Frozen White Hot Chocolate. Blend in a couple of sugar cookies and top with red and green sprinkles.
- Pumpkin Spice Frozen White Hot Chocolate. Add ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice for a cozy fall twist.
- Toasted Coconut Frozen White Hot Chocolate. Use coconut milk and top with toasted coconut flakes.
- Grown Up Version. Add a splash of white chocolate liqueur, vanilla vodka, or whipped cream vodka. Just keep it away from the kids!
Make a Frozen Hot Chocolate Bar for Your Holiday Party
This is one of my favorite ways to serve it when we have friends and family over! Blend up a big batch, pour it into a pitcher, and set out a toppings bar with whipped cream, crushed candy canes, sprinkles, mini marshmallows, white chocolate chips, and festive straws. The kids go wild for it, and honestly the grown ups do too.
Make Ahead Tips
Like all blended drinks, frozen white hot chocolate is best served right away because it will separate if you keep it in the fridge. To get ahead for a party, blend the drink and pour it into ice cube trays, then freeze. When you’re ready to serve, add the frozen cubes to the blender with a splash of milk and blend until smooth.
You can also pour it into popsicle molds and freeze for at least 4 hours for frozen white hot chocolate pops!
Frequently Asked Questions
You could use a bar of white chocolate chopped into pieces, or you can use a packet of white hot chocolate if you can find it.
Yes! This recipe makes one large milkshake or two smaller milkshakes. You can easily double or triple this recipe to feed a crowd.
Yes! You can use frozen yogurt and skim milk to make this milkshake fewer calories.
They’re very similar! Both are made with white chocolate and blended until creamy. I call it a frozen white hot chocolate because it has that rich, cozy white hot chocolate flavor, and it’s especially fun to serve during the holidays.
Frozen White Hot Chocolate
Equipment
- High Speed Blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup Vanilla Ice Cream
- ½ cup White Chocolate Chips
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ½ cup Milk
Instructions
- Add the milk and white chocolate chips to a blender. Blend for about 30 seconds, until the chips are broken down into tiny pieces.
- Add the vanilla ice cream and vanilla extract.
- Blend for 30 to 60 seconds, just until smooth and creamy. Add a splash more milk for a thinner drink or more ice cream for a thicker one.
- Pour into chilled glasses and top with whipped cream, white chocolate chips, and sprinkles. Serve immediately.
Notes
- This recipe makes one large milkshake or two smaller milkshakes. You can easily double or triple this recipe for a crowd.
- Whole milk will give you the creamiest frozen white hot chocolate, but you can use 2%, skim milk, or your favorite nondairy milk.
- White chocolate chips will easily blend into the milkshake, but you could use a bar or white chocolate or a packet of white hot chocolate if you can find it.
Linda
very creamy