Microwave Your Hot Chocolate With Some Peanut Butter And Thank Us Later
Hot chocolate is an incredibly versatile drink. It tastes great, regardless of whether you're making it from scratch or relying on a handy packet of Swiss Miss powder. On top of that, there are tons of ways to amp up your hot chocolate game. For instance, you can add a candy cane to your mug for a minty holiday twist on the drink. Or, you can simply top it with marshmallows or whipped cream for an equally delicious sip.
Besides some of these more classic hot chocolate recipes you can follow, you can also try adding a scoop of peanut butter to your hot chocolate. Then, pop your hot chocolate in the microwave for a delicious drink that's reminiscent of a melted Reese's peanut butter cup. What could be better? Here's how to make a delicious peanut butter hot chocolate, along with why peanut butter and hot chocolate are such a great combination to begin with.
How to make peanut butter hot chocolate
Making a peanut butter hot chocolate is actually incredibly easy. All you have to do is whip up a batch of your favorite hot chocolate, whether that's using a from-scratch stovetop recipe or just using a quick packet of powder. If you're using a stovetop recipe, once your hot chocolate is just about ready, stir in a spoonful of peanut butter and let it melt into the hot chocolate. With a microwave recipe, you can add the peanut butter to your hot chocolate before putting the mug into the microwave. It's as simple as that!
Either way, the result is a cup of hot cocoa with a deliciously creamy peanut butter twist. You can step up your peanut butter hot chocolate game even more by topping it with whipped cream or marshmallows and a peanut butter sauce drizzle. Just remember that regardless of which recipe you follow, you'll need to use creamy peanut butter instead of chunky. Otherwise, you'll wind up with chunks of peanuts floating in your drink — yuck!
Why peanut butter goes so well with hot chocolate
Although adding peanut butter to your hot chocolate isn't as common as making, say, a spiked hot chocolate, this flavor combination is still a match made in heaven. That's because peanut butter and chocolate pair extremely well together in general, and the same rule applies to hot chocolate.
According to The National Peanut Board, "People love the combination of peanuts and chocolate because of something called dynamic sensory contrast or natural affinities." In a nutshell, what this means is that the salty flavor of peanuts contrasts with the sweetness of chocolate in a way that's pleasing to our tastebuds. In fact, this combination is so tasty that even when you've had enough and you're full, your brain can keep telling you to eat more because it tastes so darn good.
If that's not enough evidence to get out there and make a cup of peanut butter hot chocolate, who knows what is? So, next time you go to whip up a standard batch of hot chocolate, try throwing a bit of peanut butter into the mix. You might be surprised at just how good it turns out!