Bacon, Bourbon, and Hazelnut Hot Chocolate Recipe

By
J. Kenji López-Alt
Kenji Lopez Alt
J. Kenji López-Alt
Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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Updated March 28, 2025
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J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Forget wussy crumbled bacon on top. For this one, we emulsify bacon fat right into the drink. If you like Nutella and you like bacon, this spiked hot chocolate is the one for you.

Get more ways to spike your hot chocolate here.

Recipe Details

Bacon, Bourbon, and Hazelnut Hot Chocolate Recipe

Prep 5 mins
Cook 10 mins
Active 10 mins
Total 15 mins
Serves 4 servings
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Ingredients

  • 4 thick-cut slices of bacon

  • 1/2 teaspoon corn starch

  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder

  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

  • 1 pinch kosher salt

  • 3 cups whole milk

  • 4 ounces milk chocolate chips

  • 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips

  • 4 ounces Frangelico

  • 4 ounces Bourbon

  • Whipped cream and chopped toasted hazelnuts for garnish

Directions

  1. Cook bacon in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-low heat until crisp and rendered. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Pour fat into a small bowl and stir in corn starch with a fork.

  2. In medium saucepan, stir cocoa with sugar and salt. Stir in reserved bacon fat/corn starch mixture, milk, milk chocolate, and bittersweet chocolate. Heat over medium heat until, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted and mixture is hot. Gently whisk to completely homogenize mixture.

  3. Add Frangelico and bourbon. Pour into individual serving cups. Top with whipped cream, chopped toasted hazelnuts, and a strip of bacon. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
8706 Calories
530g Fat
1,136g Carbs
84g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 8706
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 530g 679%
Saturated Fat 312g 1,561%
Cholesterol 37mg 12%
Sodium 504mg 22%
Total Carbohydrate 1136g 413%
Dietary Fiber 102g 365%
Total Sugars 967g
Protein 84g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 808mg 62%
Iron 56mg 311%
Potassium 6626mg 141%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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