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Served over ice and spiked with a mix of rums, this spiced rum iced cocoa isn’t your average holiday cocktail!

a spiced rum cocoa cocktail sitting next to a chocolate peppermint macaron

Is there anything more classic at Christmas than a cuppa cocoa?! A piping hot cup of cocoa really can warm the spirit around the chilly winter season. There’s something comforting about cozying up with a chocolaty cocoa on a cool night. Unfortunately, hot cocoa and Florida don’t always mix…so this cocktail features an icy cool twist on the classic.

why this iced rum cocoa recipe works:

🍫 chocolate forward. Using a homemade chocolate syrup means you get deep dark chocolate flavor with no funky artificial after taste!

❄️ frosty & frozen. Serving a classic cocoa cocktail over ice means you can celebrate the holidays even if you’re somewhere warm!

🥳 party perfect. This drink is super easy to scale for a crowd, and you can even serve it scaled down into shot-sized servings!

🛒 ingredients

  • chocolate syrup: homemade chocolate syrup is the base of this cocktail recipe, bringing chocolaty richness in a big way. Yes, you can 100% use store-bought chocolate syrup. But please do consider whipping up a batch of homemade chocolate syrup for your next cooking project!
  • milk: I tested this recipe with regular milk and almond milk and both were great! You can use whatever milk (or milk alternative) you like.
  • spiced rum: Chairman’s Reserve spiced rum is a wonderfully smooth St. Lucian rum. It has notes of cinnamon and nutmeg, with a twist of citrus, and it mixes beautifully with the chocolate in this drink. You can use any spiced rum you like, and I promise I’ll only judge you a little if it’s Captain Morgan.
  • dark rum: a splash of dark rum adds depth of flavor and sweetness. Coruba dark rum is usually my dark rum of choice for its deep, sweet, molasses flavor. But I was gifted a bottle of Soggy Dollar dark rum for my birthday from my father and that’s what I opted to use in this cocktail. Of course, you can’t go wrong with Meyers dark rum, too!
  • overproof rum: a smidge of overproof rum keeps things funky. You can totally leave this out…but it’s the holidays, so why not? Plantation O.F.T.D. overproof rum is a great option for your bar cart– it works so well in a variety of cocktails thanks to it’s complex flavor profile.
  • cinnamon: in stick form, specifically. Yes, it’s a little pricey, but once you’ve tasted freshly grated cinnamon atop your cocktails, you won’t look back! These cinnamon sticks by Diaspora Co. are my favorite, because they are flavorful and they are fair trade!
  • whipped topping: while marshmallows usually steal the hot cocoa show, whipped cream steps in to up the cool and creamy flavor of this iced cocoa version.

See the recipe card for the exact quantities.

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♻️ customize your iced cocoa cocktail

  • frozen & blended– combine all of the ingredients in a blender jar and blitz it for a frozen hot chocolate style drink!
  • heat it up – scale up the recipe, combine all the ingredients (minus the garnishes and ice) in a crockpot, and you’ve got hot spiced rum cocoa for a crowd!

💬 q+a

Can I make this cocktail into a mocktail?

Yes! You’ll want to evoke some of the same spiced flavors of the spiced rum. You can achieve this by grinding up some allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove! Or you can purchase pumpkin pie spice, or apple pie spice, and add it into the cocktail shaker when you’re prepping the cocoa.

Can I used ground cinnamon?

Yes, you can. Just keep in mind that many spices that are commercially available in major grocery chains have been sitting there for months, even years, so the flavor profile won’t be as strong. You may need a bigger pinch to get the same cinnamon punch when garnishing.

Can I skip or swap rum types in this cocktail?

Yes, make it your own! While the mix of rums blends nicely, you can opt for just the spiced rum. Leave out the overproof rum if it sounds a little too strong for your liking, after all it does pack a punch! If you don’t have the specific brand of rums used, simply use what you have! But…I do encourage you to check out the rums mentioned in the post because they really are lovely.

If you make this recipe, please leave a review in the comments and a star rating!
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a festive spiced rum holiday cocktail

Spiced Rum Cocoa

This cocoa isn't hot–it's ICED and spiked with spiced rum, making it the perfect cocktail to cool you off if your holiday season is bringing the heat.
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Course: Cocktail, Drinks
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cocoa, holiday cocktail, rum, spiced rum
Servings: 1 cocktail
Author: Lindsey Neumayer

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 oz chocolate syrup
  • 3 oz milk
  • 1 oz spiced rum
  • ½ oz dark rum
  • ½ oz overproof rum
  • 1 stick cinnamon freshly grated, for garnish
  • whipped topping for garnish

Instructions

  • Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
  • Combine all drink ingredients in the cocktail shaker, except for garnishes.
  • Shake for at least 30 seconds.
  • Pour into the glass of your choice.
  • Garnish with whipped topping and freshly grated cinnamon stick.

Nutrition Information

Servings: 1 cocktail

The information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition facts calculator and actual nutrition facts may vary.

Lindsey Neumayer is a culinary content creator at A Recipe For Fun based in Central Florida. She is a classically trained baking and pastry student from Valencia College who also has over 14 years of experience in the fields of education, training, & development. She uses her expertise in education and the culinary arts to share easy-to-follow recipes that you can recreate with confidence at home!

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