The Hot Chocolate Gift Sets You Need For Extra Holiday Magic According To Reviews
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We're just as obsessed with hot chocolate as you are. And this time of year, we're all about crisp air, crunchy leaves, and chunky sweater weather — complete with a mug of our favorite cocoa bean brew. Of course, it's even more festive and fun when you share the hot chocolate joy with the people you love most. Marshmallows highly recommended!
While a great stocking-stuffer hot cocoa treat can't be beat, we wanted to take it to the next level for every taste and every budget. Not to toot our own horn, but we sourced gift sets that are guaranteed to crush that white elephant gift exchange, dominate every Secret Santa, spice up Eight days of Hanukkah, and shine like a diamond under the tree. Prepare to be invited to every holiday party ever, from this point on. Apologies in advance.
Grab your favorite oversized mug and slip on your snuggliest sweats! These hot chocolate gift sets are gonna knock your Uggs off. Sip ... Ahh! That's some mighty fine chocolate!
How we selected the most magical hot chocolate gifts
To assemble the most chocolatey list of the year, we tapped into our extensive knowledge as semi-professional lifetime hot chocolate drinkers and stone cold chocolate connoisseurs. We then set out to source the coolest, trendiest, most "Joy to the World" hot chocolate gift sets this holiday season has to offer. And yeah, we may have scrounged up a Yelp review or two.
We've got hot chocolate that comes with socks, candles, mugs, and marshmallows — from France, Belgium, Oaxaca, and New York City. We did recon on our favorite chocolatiers and confectionaries to showcase the best showstopper ready-made gifts for our favorite people — or just for us! These aren't your played out, run-of-the-mill boxed sets. Each one has been hand-picked to delight the senses and celebrate the best freakin' time of the year.
Gifting on a budget? Wanna go all out? Can't figure out what to get for your plant-based, sustainably-minded, environmental justice warrior niece? We've got just the thing!
Best overall: Moonstruck Chocolate — Hot Chocolate Lovers deluxe set
Since we came here for the hot chocolate, we're going gangbusters on the variety pack. And we can't help but name our cocoa crème de la crème as Oregon original Moonstruck Chocolate's Hot Chocolate Lovers deluxe set. With a series of six tins featuring everything from milk chocolate to horchata, you can sip a different flavor (almost) every day of the week.
Appealing to a broad range of cocoa lovers' tastes, the set features a traditional milk chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate golden milk with ginger and turmeric, cinnamon-flavored horchata, milk chocolate cinnamon, and milk chocolate mint for the peppermint crowd. Some dark chocolate purists might consider the dark flavor too light, but fans of rich, dreamy, milk chocolate say that sticking with the suggested portion equals a killer cup. One customer called it, "Luscious and decadent." We couldn't agree more.
Moonstruck retail shops closed in 2022, but you can still snag the Hot Chocolate Lovers deluxe set at Moonstruck.com for $80.
Best minimalist: Fountain Gifts — Cozy Season deluxe gift box
Not everybody decorates their yard with dancing Santas. And Fountain Gifts curates its Cozy Season deluxe gift box for those of us who prefer the Hygge vibe. (We like to think of it as feeling comfortable and content. And Rudolph-optional.)
This is pure Scandinavian serenity. Peep that 5-star Amazon-reviewed drinking chocolate by Ritual, featuring warm mulling spices and a hint of orange. Pour it into your Warm + Cozy stoneware mug, and add a marshmallow from the s'mores kit by Ticket Chocolate. Cocoon yourself in the Turkish cotton throw, and breathe in the aromas of white cypress and Juniper berry with the Voluspa candle that one user called her "all time go to."
Don't want to spend all season shopping? This Cozy Season deluxe gift box is wrapped up and ready to go at Fountain Gifts for $149.95.
Best millennial: Fine & Raw — Hot cocoa mix trio
Brooklyn, New York-based Fine & Raw chocolate company ditches the bells and whistles to serve up their customer-approved hot chocolate mixes as a seasonal trio. Using cacao sourced from Belize and Ecuador, this operation is all about going clean, organic, sustainable, and eventually solar. Just like your favorite millennial. (Treat yo'self!)
A five-star review from a Fine & Raw fan is as Net Gen as it gets: "I am not 'rich' but I save money to purchase here and am always happy when the box arrives." This decadent hot chocolate ménage à trois features the classic Fine & Raw O.G. hot cocoa mix, the spicy mix which adds in their kicky habanero salt powder, and the ceremonial hot cocoa mix with cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. They're so good, you'll be singing Christmas carols in the middle of July.
Fill up your World's Best Me mug with the hot cocoa mix trio from Fine & Raw for $49.50. And of course, it's best enjoyed with a warm mug of plant-based milk.
Best nostalgia: Williams Sonoma — The Grinch hot chocolate bomb
Down with Christmas! As part of The Grinch collection, Williams Sonoma celebrates the crankiest ol' grump of the season with a hot chocolate bomb straight outta Whoville. Could there be a more perfect way to grow your own heart three sizes bigger (and, luckily, not literally)?
The hot chocolate bomb trend hit TikTok in 2020, and hasn't lost its luster. Just like the book, The Grinch white chocolate cocoa bomb packs a host of "tringlers" and "fuzzles" ... "dafflers" and "wuzzles." Except we know them better as mini marshmallows, cocoa powder, and tiny red heart candies. For maximum gifting, we might tap into the rest of The Grinch line and snag The Grinch gift crate featuring mugs, pancake mix and molds, a spatula, and tea towels, all tucked in a keepsake wooden crate.
Get your Grinch fix at Williams Sonoma where you'll find a pair of The Grinch hot chocolate bombs for $17.90, and The Grinch gift crate for $99.95.
Best experience: Verve Culture — Mexican hot chocolate gift set
Going a little more auténtico, we love the Mexican hot chocolate gift set from Verve Culture. It looks like it was crafted in a remote adobe hut, and tastes like it rained down upon us from the Zapotec gods. Care for a hot cocoa experience en fuego? This one's for you.
Mexican hot chocolate packs a spicier profile, typically featuring cinnamon and chili-driven heat. Verve Culture picks up the ball and runs with it, including five of the iconic cocoa tablets in every box. They've also served up two generous clay mugs made in the Aztec tradition, with one 5-star review noting, "Long after the hot chocolate is gone you can find me sitting there, snuggling up with my cup that stays warm for a long, long time." An alder wood Molinillo whisk is used to mix the chocolate, just by spinning it back and forth between your palms — like you used to do with Play-doh worms way back when.
Verve Culture offers their Mexican hot chocolate small set with mugs for $50, as well as a large set with a hot chocolate jug (no mugs), for $100. Villa Real cocoa tablet refills can be found on their site as well.
Best kosher: MarieBelle — Classic lunch box
From Soho, New York City, to Japan, Dubai and beyond, MarieBelle has been crafting exquisite chocolates for more than two decades. And with a kosher certificate from Rabbi Aaron D. Mehlman, we can rest assured these treats are all dressed up for the Festival of Lights.
The perfectly appointed blue and gold MarieBelle classic lunch box (complete with gold handle and buckle) opens up to reveal two chocolate bars (in milk and dark chocolate) and two packets of the brand's silky, rich, and indulgent hot chocolate mix. Flavors feature their Aztec dark chocolate, as well as milk chocolate hazelnut varieties. Indeed, it is irresistible. As one satisfied customer noted, "Purchased 2 to give as thank you gifts and cannot bear to part with 1 for myself. So lovely and [the] contents are delicious!"
Want one to gift and one to share? Hit up MarieBelle.com to get the classic lunch box for just $35 each. It's also available in a New York City-styled version at the same price.
Best all-chocolate-everything: Dandelion Chocolate — The chocolatier's set
Small batch confectioner Dandelion Chocolate crafts a collection for the discerning chocolate lover — and also super fans on Yelp. This 5-star review declared, "Divine hot chocolate! If you are [a] hot chocolate/cocoa fan ... Dandelion has rich, velvety and delicious hot chocolate."
A stunning gift box reveals their decadent 70 percent single-origin hot chocolate trio, each packaged in its own artisanal glass vial. Featuring a creamy House hot chocolate mix, the Mission blend with Madagascar chocolate, and the smoky Hojicha mix with roasted Japanese green tea, Dandelion doesn't stop there. You'll also discover five single-origin chocolate bars, chocolate-covered caramelized almonds and hazelnuts, raspberry caramels, truffles, bonbons, and chocolate-covered blood-orange pâtes de fruit. If we succumb to the chocolate, someone make sure our gravestone says we died doing what we loved.
Secure your own Dandelion Chocolate chocolatier's gift set through their online shop for $215.
Best camp cocoa: City Bonfires — Deluxe hot chocolate kit
Baltimore, Maryland-born City Bonfires first hit our radar in 2020, when two dads who lost their jobs to the pandemic invented a way for anyone to share a campfire-in-a-can. Once they added hot chocolate and marshmallows to the box, we couldn't resist.
"I absolutely love this, it's like a miniature fire pit, perfect for an apartment balcony," wrote one of many 5-star fans. The City Bonfires deluxe hot chocolate kit features your own tabletop bonfire made of food safe soy wax, two generous ceramic mugs, hot chocolate mix, skewers, and marshmallows. The tiny fire gives off a lot of heat without leaving embers, emitting soot, or requiring any firewood. With three to five hours of burn time, it's a perfect cozy night under the stars.
Jump in on the fun, and get your own deluxe hot chocolate kit from City Bonfires for $39.95 (regularly $49.95) for a limited time.
Best breakfast in bed: Wafels & Dinges — Hot cocoa kit royale
Hot cocoa but make it fashion. Wafels & Dinges (Flemish for waffles and stuff) made their mark with sweet Belgian liège waffles, and some seriously decadent hot chocolate. We're here for the chocolate part. And as one happy customer proclaimed, "Best hot chocolate mix ever!!!" Five stars, covered in gooey marshmallows and chocolate sprinkles.
The Wafels & Dinges hot cocoa kit royale comes in a marigold-colored box reminiscent of a certain Veuve Clicquot champagne, featuring rich Belgian hot cocoa powder, mini marshmallows, and Belgian chocolate blossoms, each in their own tin. Hot chocolate comes to life with warm milk, marshmallows, optional whipped cream, and a decorative sprinkling of those chocolate blossoms which then slowly melt into your mug. Easiest cup of luxury cocoa ever. Even better if someone makes it for you and brings it to you in bed so you don't have to lift a toe.
Get the hot cocoa kit royale from Wafels & Dinges for $39.95.
Best sharing: King Arthur Baking Company — Make your own hot cocoa kit
With a history that goes all the way back to 1790, the well-respected King Arthur Baking company flips the script on hot chocolate gifts, serving up a set that's designed to pay it forward. The brand's make your own hot cocoa kit provides all the tools and ingredients you need to become a one-person hot chocolate gifting machine.
King Arthur knows what it's doing. One review of their classic milk hot chocolate noted, "This is THE BEST hot chocolate mix I've found." And with a box that features instructions on how to combine their sweet ground chocolate cocoa blend and vanilla powder into six vintage preserve jars with their own little labels, they're letting you take all the credit.
The make your own hot cocoa kit is available for a limited time at KingArthurBaking.com for $99.95.
Best budget: Dallman Confections — Bombalicious hot chocolate bombs
With the Bombalicious hot chocolate bombs from Dallman Confections, you'll be the bomb at every white elephant gift exchange this season. In the mood for hot cocoa? Bomb it, melt it, done.
Made with Belgian and French couverture (extra cocoa-buttery) chocolate, each cocoa sphere hides mini marshmallows inside, for added creaminess. All you have to do is drop the bomb in a mug, add warm milk, and stir for a rich cup of silky hot chocolate. "I always try to send a unique or different gift to my chocoholic friend, and these were perfect," wrote one reviewer, adding five stars. We fully support this so-called chocoholism in its easily drinkable form.
Find Bombalicious hot chocolate bombs at DallmanConfections.com as a set of four (in dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or half and half), priced at a budget-friendly $27.
Best mixology: Bittercube — Bittered hot chocolate kit
Bittercube puts their own spin on Mexican hot chocolate with the addition of something tart. The bittered hot chocolate kit from the brand vaults you from a regular mug of cocoa, to top shelf chocolate libation. The signature recipe also features boozy and booze-free options, so anyone can enjoy a sip!
Tucked inside the crinkle paper-stuffed kit, you'll find two ceramic hand-crafted mugs (hecho en Mexico), a wire whip whisk, Bittercube chipotle cacao bitters (that taste like coffee, chocolate, oregano, and chili peppers), and finally, dark chocolate sea salt cocoa mix from Indulgence Chocolatiers. And as far as that chocolate is concerned, one fan said of the brand, "My mind is constantly blown away!"
Experience the bittered hot chocolate life for yourself for $48 at Bittercube.com.
Best splurge: Compartés Chocolate — Best of Compartés ultimate gift bundle
Hold on to your pants, this one isn't for the faint of wallet. Bougie-but-worth-it Los Angeles, California original, Compartés Chocolate, redefined the basic truffle and candy bar as edible works of art. And this hot chocolate/chocolate situation is basically the MoMa in a box.
Oprah once called the brand "a hit of instant bliss," and it's made her Favorite Things list more than once. Want a little taste? The Best of Compartés ultimate gift bundle features their luxury hot cocoa collection (in white, dark, and luxury milk chocolate), plus a 40-piece signature box of truffles, 24 fan-favorite chocolate bars, and their Treasures of the Orchard chocolate-covered fruit box. It's a fantastical feast for the eyes and the taste buds.
This splurge-worthy ultimate gift bundle can be found at Compartés.com, for (hold onto your pants — this is like the Victoria's Secret Fantasy bra, but for chocolate people) $439.95. Sweet tooth satisfied.
Best night in: BOXFOX — Après gift set
Taking all the ughhh out of assembling a perfectly cozy hot chocolate gift set, the co-founding trio behind BOXFOX tucked all our favorite things into their Après gift set. (We Googled it ... après is the period of time following an activity. Aprés ski = After skiing, in French. Aprés chocolat = French for when your hot chocolate mug is empty and you have a chocolate mustache. Obviously.) One Redditor shared, "I received a BOXFOX as a gift and the quality is the best I've seen."
Along with Salt + Stone santal hand lotion, a BOXFOX London fog ceramic mug, the Après candle from Fiat Luxe, and BOXFOX fuzzy stone luxe socks, you'll find a box of oat milk hot chocolate flakes from The Chocolate Society. That's all the nostalgic hot cocoa vibes, with none of the dairy or gluten. Winner for coziest cocoa by the fireplace.
Get the BOXFOX Après gift set only at BOXFOX.com for $89.
Best DIY: Serendipity — Frrrozen hot chocolate sampler
We couldn't resist hitting up Serendipity for their quintessential hot chocolate: the Frrrozen one! How popular is this thing? In 2022, the New York City favorite sweet shop served up its 30 millionth Frrrozen hot chocolate. The celebrity hotspot has also earned a whopping 10 Guinness World Records, including one for Most Expensive Dessert for their $25,000 Frrrozen Haute Chocolate (that one was bedazzled with gold and diamonds).
Spoiler alert: The Serendipity 3 Frrrozen hot chocolate sampler doesn't include diamonds or edible gold. But what it does serve up is a New York City icon you can whip up in your own kitchen. With four canisters of cocoa mix in each set — two original, one mocha, and one no-sugar added — all you need is a blender, milk, and ice, and you'll be sipping Frrrozen hot chocolate like a Big Apple local. One former regular shared, "I used to go to Serendipity in NYC for my frozen hot chocolate fix. Now I make it in my own home and it tastes just like it always did at the place in NYC."
While there are a few iterations of the cocoa mix available, we like the one you can find on Goldbelly, where $49.95 gets you the freshest DIY Frrrozen hot chocolate sampler of the season!