Put down the hot cocoa mix and warm up with Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate from scratch topped with homemade peanut butter whipped cream and chopped peanut butter cups.

I’m sitting here writing my last recipe for 2015 and looking at my notebook with my 2016 goals. I have accomplished so much this past year on my own.

I rarely toot my own horn, but it’s important we celebrate our own accomplishments even when nobody else notices.

Every penny I earned, every recipe I made, every photo I shot, every dish I washed has been all me.

I’m not in a relationship. There is no second income. There is no assistant helping me.

Those days where I don’t feel well and need to lay down? I still have to make dinner or I don’t eat.

Those days I want to play hooky? I push through and work because my money goes towards rent and bills, not a side vacation fund (yes I do go on trips but that’s after months of saving).

I make business decisions on a daily basis, remind myself to stay confident when negotiating, and have to pretend I know the ins and outs of taxes (luckily I hired an accountant for that last one).

I stand on my own two feet and want to take a minute to pat myself on the back because I’ve had a few naysayers who assumed I was living with my parents when I moved back to Pittsburgh or didn’t think it was possible to be single and freelance.

And even though I worked much harder than I have ever worked before at any job, I’ve never been happier either.

Now I know why people say “choose a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life”.

Let’s hope I can repeat this performance for next year.

Now that I tooted my horn, tell me about your accomplishments for 2015. What have you done that is worth celebrating?

Whatever it is, let’s celebrate together with Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate made from scratch (that means no premade cocoa mix!) then topped with homemade peanut butter whipped cream and chopped peanut butter cups.

If that’s not a hot chocolate worthy of celebrating, then I don’t know what is.

Do you prefer your hot chocolate with whipped cream or with marshmallows on top?

Normally I go for marshmallows first, but I couldn’t resist homemade peanut butter whipped cream for this.

I first premiered my peanut butter whipped cream with my peanut butter frozen hot chocolate over the summer.

It went over so well, I brought it back for my peanut butter hot chocolate.

After all, you can never have too much peanut butter in one drink, am I right?

Funny story – this is the third time I’ve shot this peanut butter hot chocolate.

I first made this back in March 2014 when my photography skills were subpar but never published it.

I shot it again January 2015 but after taking a photography workshop in March 2015, I decided I could do even better.

It wasn’t until now that I finally got a chance to reshoot and post it.

Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate

Yield: 2 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Put down the boring instant hot cocoa mix and warm up with Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate from scratch topped with homemade peanut butter whipped cream and chopped peanut butter cups.

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Ingredients

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon chopped peanut butter cups
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
• Homemade Peanut Butter Whipped Cream (get recipe here)

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, heat the milk until hot but not boiling.
2. Whisk in the cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and salt until smooth then whisk in the peanut butter and 1/2 cup peanut butter cups until melted and smooth.
3. Bring to a boil. Boil, stirring often, for 1 minute or until it starts to thicken. Remove from the heat and cool while you make the whipped cream (get directions here).
4. Divide hot chocolate between two mugs and top with whipped cream and remaining 1 tablespoon peanut butter cups.

More Hot Chocolate Recipes

Peanut Butter Frozen Hot Chocolate
Caramel Hot Chocolate

Cheesecake Hot Chocolate

Raspberry Hot Chocolate

Toasted Coconut Hot Chocolate

S’mores Hot Cocoa