What better way to stay warm during the winter than with a rich, creamy cup of hot cocoa? While a packet of instant hot chocolate mix will always hold a special place in our hearts, chocolatiers are stepping up their game and putting their own fancy spin on hot cocoa. Have you tried salted caramel, cinnamon, or even chili powder in your mix? Book a stay at a cozy vacation rental, and try an unforgettable cup of hot cocoa. Here are the best cups of hot chocolate in every state.
Northeast
Connecticut: Cocoa Michelle in Westport picks designer and artisan chocolates and coffees from around the region and will add hot chocolate to their espresso, latte, cappuccino or regular coffee.
Maine: The Gelato Fiasco in Portland makes their hot chocolate with chocolate gelato before it’s frozen.
Massachusetts: Caffe Vittoria in Boston is famous for its “Cioccolatto Caldo,” a thick, creamy hot chocolate with a mound of whipped cream on top.
New Hampshire: L.A. Burdick Chocolate Shop & Cafe in Walpole gets their single-origin chocolate shavings from Grenada, the Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Madagascar or Ecuador.
Rhode Island: The Shop in Providence experiments with different flavors like peanut butter, raspberry, peppermint, and banana.
Vermont: Lake Champlain Chocolatier and Cafe in Burlington is a small-batch chocolate company that whips up bold flavors like Old World, made with 54 percent dark chocolate and finished with a dollop of house-made marshmallows and whipped cream.
New Jersey: Zafra in Hoboken makes their hot chocolate with machica, a sweetened, spiced grain blend that Ecuadorans use to enrich the texture and flavor of drinks.
New York: The City Bakery in New York City serves sweet, thick drinking chocolate and hosts an annual Hot Chocolate Festival in February.
Pennsylvania: Rim Cafe in Philadelphia is a Philly institution with the best hot chocolate drink in the city.
Midwest
Illinois: Katherine Anne Confections in Chicago features eight different varieties of hot chocolate and fluffy house-made marshmallows.
Indiana: South Bend Chocolate Company in Indianapolis serves up the classic stuff, but why not step out of your comfort zone and try the cayenne-spiked Mexican twist.
Michigan: Zingerman’s Next Door in Ann Arbor features an exceptionally intense hot chocolate special made from small-batch chocolate made by Mindo in nearby Dexter, Michigan.
Ohio: Blackbird Baking Company in Lakewood surprises you with dark chocolate in the bottom of the cup. Their chocolate chip cookies also the “American Best” winner.
Wisconsin: Barriques in Madison uses genuine Omanhene cocoa, which is imported from Ghana.
Iowa: Cafe Diem in Des Moines lets you personalize your cup of hot chocolate by adding flavors such as vanilla, pumpkin, caramel, peppermint and more.
Kansas: Churn & Burn in Wichita has hot cocoa so rich that it tastes like a scoop of chocolate ice cream heated into a drink.
Minnesota: Kopplin’s in St. Paul specializes in espresso drinks but also serves a superb hot chocolate that combines steamed organic milk, cocoa powder and 70-percent-cacao bars handmade by Rogue Chocolatier’s owner Colin Gasko.
Missouri: Christopher Elbow Artisanal Chocolates in Kansas City serves their signature Venezuelan Spiced hot chocolate with steamed milk, dark chocolate, nine spices (including cinnamon and cayenne), two kinds of chiles, homemade whipped cream and marshmallows.
Nebraska: Coneflower Creamery in Omaha is famous for their ice cream, and they’ll let you add a scoop of the frozen stuff to a cup of homemade hot chocolate for a wintery twist on a classic float.
North Dakota: Nichole’s Fine Pastry in Fargo has the best hot chocolate in town along with their impressive variety of desserts and other hot beverages.
South Dakota: Bully Blends in Rapid City serves European-style hot chocolate that tastes as rich as drinking a bar of chocolate.
Find the perfect vacation home on Tripping.com. Tripping.com is the world's #1 vacation rental search engine with over 10 million properties!
South
Delaware: Whereabouts Cafe in Newark has spicy Mexican hot chocolate, but if that’s too hot for you, you can cool down with their frosty frozen hot chocolate.
Florida: Solo in the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach has unique, house-blended varieties such as macadamia nut, caramel, and toasted marshmallow.
Georgia: Cacao in Atlanta infuses their Aztec Aphrodisiac sipping chocolate with six different chilies and spices.
Maryland: The Charmery in Baltimore is known for hand-crafted super-premium ice cream and rich hot chocolate made using Trickling Springs milk and dark chocolate topped with whipped cream and a house-made marshmallow.
North Carolina: French Broad Chocolates in Asheville serves up hot cocoa made with local, organic ingredients, and includes unique flavors like Indian Kulfi with rose, pistachio, and cardamom, and Cayenne & Cinnamon with extra bittersweet chocolate ganache.
South Carolina: Drip in Columbia has some life-changing hot chocolate made with two different types of chocolate pasteurized with heavy cream and milk.
Virginia: Artfully Chocolate in Alexandria puts a spin on traditional hot chocolate with their blends named after famous divas like “Judy Garland” and “Liz Taylor.”
District of Columbia: 701 Restaurant makes an adult-only version by adding bourbon and cayenne to their hot chocolate, then topping it with whipped cream and a drizzle of syrup reduced from a house-made version of Barenjager made with oak-aged white corn whiskey and raw honey.
West Virginia: Kaminsky’s in Charleston steams their milk which is the secret to their delicious hot chocolate.
Alabama: Coffee Time in Birmingham makes an incredibly indulgent Nutella hot chocolate. Get a crepe to go with it if you’re feeling extra indulgent.
Kentucky: Proof on Main in 21c Museum Hotel in Louisville mixes melted dark and milk chocolate with heavy cream, star anise, cayenne, and cinnamon in its dynamic signature blend.
Mississippi: Cups, An Espresso Cafe in Jackson gives you a choice between dark or white Ghirardelli chocolate, combines it with steamed milk and tops it all off with whipped cream.
Tennessee: The Cocoa Tree in Nashville serves 12 playful varieties of hot chocolate, including “confetti,” a white hot chocolate swirled with sprinkles, and s’mores, made with graham crackers and homemade marshmallows.
Arkansas: Onyx Coffee Lab in Fayetteville tastes just like melted chocolate.
Louisiana: Sucre in New Orleans is the go-to for all things French and sweet including its decadent white drinking chocolate infused with Provençal blue lavender.
Oklahoma: Katiebugs in Oklahoma City has so many flavorful hot chocolate combinations that your taste buds will dance with excitement. They get extra points for organic hot chocolate and marshmallows.
Texas: Holy Cacao in Austin created a frozen Mexican hot chocolate made with ancho chile and cinnamon.
West
Arizona: Cowboy Ciao in Scottsdale spikes their Cuppa’ Red Hot Chocolate pot de crème dessert with cinnamon and cayenne pepper, crowning it with frothy chipotle cream and serving it alongside their chocolate-bacon caramel corn.
Colorado: The Little Nell in Aspen will really warm you up after a day on the slopes. You can add a shot of your favorite liqueur to their already delicious cups with 58 percent Trudelia chocolate, extra-strong cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt!
Idaho: Java in Boise has the best Mexican hot chocolate in the entire city in addition to their variety of coffees, teas, and delicious bites.
Montana: La Chatelaine Chocolat Co. in Bozeman serves authentic French hot chocolate in seasonal flavors like Spice White Hot Chocolate.
Nevada: Max Brenner Chocolate by the Bald Man in Las Vegas offers more than 10 varieties of hot chocolate drinks
New Mexico: Kakawa Chocolate House in Santa Fe specializes in Mayan Aztec drinking chocolates with recipes that date back to the pre-Columbian era.
Utah: Les Madeleines in Salt Lake City has hot chocolate so rich that it tastes like drinking a hot chocolate truffle. It’s all homemade and closer to a drinking chocolate than a classic hot cocoa.
Wyoming: Paramount Cafe in Cheyenne has been whipping up the best hot chocolate in town for years, but for a special treat, check out the “super secret menu” on their website which includes drinks like the rahizzy mocha, a blend of raspberry, hazelnut, and Ghirardelli chocolate.
Alaska: Modern Dwellers Chocolate Lounge in Anchorage is a chocolate bar known for their extensive vegan collection including their vegan hot chocolate which uses coconut milk.
California: Compartes Chocolatier in Los Angeles has signature blends with Tahitian vanilla bean and cinnamon infusions.
Hawaii: Blue Hawaii Lifestyle in Honolulu makes their hot chocolate with Waialua Chocolate, grown in the rich soil and ample sunshine of Oahu’s North Shore, plus a little pinch of hot pepper.
Oregon: Stumptown Coffee Roasters in Portland blends Mast Brothers Chocolate from Brooklyn with hot milk and sugar, then tops the hot chocolate with a puff of cocoa powder.
Washington: Chocolopolis in Seattle has signature milk and dark chocolate blends along with single-origin blends and infused creations.
Ready to go? Find the perfect rental on Tripping.com, the world's largest vacation rental search engine.