We’ve been getting a ton of snow lately- something my kids are excited for; my husband, not so much. But one thing EVERYONE gets excited for is steaming hot cups of cocoa to warm up!

I’m kind of picky when it comes to hot cocoa. Homemade is usually the best way to go, but I don’t always have the time to make it (not to mention the many calories usually involved!) My go-to is Stephen’s Hot Cocoa- I love the variety of flavors, and it’s the only brand I feel I can drink without feeling like I’m drinking hot, tasteless water.

However, even with the good stuff, sometimes it’s fun to spice things up (sometimes literally!) to make the hot cocoa experience more fun! Here are some fun ways to take your hot cocoa up a notch.

*Add spices! Even if you’re not doing homemade, don’t let that stop you from getting creative! Sprinkle in a little cinnamon or nutmeg, or even a dash of vanilla or almond extract!

*Fruit. Blended bananas will make your cocoa thicker, and add a delicious flavor! Or how about topping it with your favorite raspberry sauce? Chocolate and raspberry are perfect for each other ;) .

*Substitute the spoons for candy canes. Bob’s Candy Canes are hands-down my favorite, and you can buy adorable little stirring sticks that are perfect for hot cocoa! They add a delicious minty flavor, and you get a little extra treat as well!

*Instead of completely replacing the spoons, just dip them in melted chocolate, sprinkle them with crushed candy canes, sprinkles or a white chocolate drizzle and let them harden. Next time you have hot cocoa, use those instead of regular spoons to take your hot cocoa to the next level!

*Add marshmallows. Duh, right? Well how about getting creative with those marshmallows? Using pretzel sticks, layer 3 large marshmallows together to form a snowman, and add more pretzels for arms and legs, as well as some mini chocolate chips, melted chocolate or food dye for a cute little smiley face and buttons. Complete the look with a candy corn nose! What kid wouldn’t go crazy over a snowman taking a bath in his hot cocoa? Adorable, and fun!

*If you want something a little more mature for your marshmallows, take several large marshmallows and roll them out with a rolling pin until they are disc shaped. Spread melted chocolate across the tops, and sprinkle them with any assortment of goodies! Some ideas could be a white chocolate drizzle, crushed candy canes, mini M&M’s, crushed Reese’s, mini marshmallows and graham crackers, sugar crystals, sea salt and a caramel drizzle, etc. Homemade marshmallow hot chocolate toppers!

*And if you’re not a fan of marshmallows, but want that delicious flavor, how about topping your hot cocoa with marshmallow cream?! SO tasty.

Really, you can put any of your favorite things in hot cocoa- caramel sauce, peanut butter, crushed Oreos, crushed animal cookies, cookie butter, mint chocolate chips- the sky’s the limit!

What’s your favorite way to enjoy hot cocoa?