White chocolate and warming chai spices make for the perfect winter sipper in this cozy slow cooker white hot chocolate!
Goodbye regular hot chocolate, hello WHITE hot chocolate! The most glorious winter beverage swap you never knew you needed.
While I love a good cup of hot chocolate as much as the next gal, I gotta say making a white chocolate version entirely in the slow cooker makes a pretty convincing story.
I’m talking rich and creamy texture, buttery white chocolate flavor in every sip, and a lovely background of chai spice flavor that blends just beautifully.
Having a slow cooker on standby with this white chocolate in it is just a good hack for the holiday season. Just do it.
This White Hot Chocolate features…
- A rich and creamy texture
- Fragrant chai spices
- Comes together in moments and cooks up entirely in the slow cooker
Making the White Hot Chocolate
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Cardamom
- Cloves
- Ginger
- Cinnamon
- 2% or skim milk
- Heavy whipping cream
- Brown sugar
- White chocolate
- Vanilla extract
Tips for Perfect White Hot Chocolate
- Use good white chocolate – I recommend using a bar of white chocolate and cutting it up yourself so it melts better.
- Wrap spices in a spice pouch – I use whole spices for this recipe wrapped up in cheesecloth as this will give lots of flavor to the hot chocolate without getting that sludgy texture you’ll find with ground spices.
- Stir hot chocolate occasionally during cooking – this helps incorporate the white chocolate into the milk.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on the drink.
- Skip the spices – you can easily skip the chai spice pouch if you prefer a less spiced flavor.
- Add coffee – add 1-2 oz brewed espresso to the hot chocolate.
- Make it boozy – mix 1-2 oz whiskey, brandy, or dark rum into individual servings.
Stovetop Instructions
You can easily make this white hot chocolate on the stovetop instead! Make the spice pouch per recipe instructions and combine with the milk, heavy cream, and brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Heat milk mixture until steaming then cover and reduce heat to low (do not allow mixture to boil). Allow to steep on low 15 minutes then remove the spice pouch and discard and add the vanilla and white chocolate, whisking well until the white chocolate is melted.
If you’re looking for something a little different to serve this holiday season this white hot chocolate is the only correct answer! It cooks down into lovely creamy texture with buttery white chocolate flavor and spices in every sip.
Don’t forget the obligatory pile of whipped cream on top!
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
More holiday beverages to whip up next!
Slow Cooker White Hot Chocolate
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Ingredients
- 8 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 6 whole cloves
- 3 thin slices peeled ginger
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 cups 2% or skim milk
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 4 oz white chocolate bar, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Whipped cream and ground cinnamon for serving
Instructions
- Place cardamom pods, cloves, ginger, and cinnamon stick in the center of a square of cheesecloth or in a coffee filter. Gather up edges and secure with kitchen twine to form a pouch.
- Whisk milk, heavy cream, and brown sugar together in a slow cooker. Mix in chopped white chocolate and arrange spice pouch in liquid. Cook white hot chocolate on high 1-1/2 to 2 hours or on low 3 to 3-1/2 hours, stirring hot chocolate occasionally to incorporate white chocolate. Do not allow the liquid to boil. Cook until white chocolate is melted and liquid is steaming.
- Once white hot chocolate is completely melted, stir in vanilla extract. Keep white hot chocolate warm in the slow cooker until ready to serve. Remove spice pouch and discard.
- Once ready to serve, ladle white hot chocolate into serving mugs and top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This post was updated with new recipe adjustments and photos on 11/25/25.
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
Hooray for finals being over! I bet that’s a great feeling! And this hot chocolate looks amazing. I love chai lattes, so the combination of chai with white chocolate sounds SO good! Love that this is made in the crock pot, too!
Sarah says
Yes, it’s definitely an awesome feeling! Thanks for the kind words, Gayle! xoxo
Mel @ The Refreshanista says
Oh WOW this looks good! It’s definitely winter up here in Canada and this looks like the perfect drink to cozy up with by the fireplace when I’m done exams (tomorrow!).
Sarah says
Good luck with your exams, Mel!! You’ll do awesome, I know it!
Kelly // The Pretty Bee: Allergy Friendly Eats says
Looks so good, Sarah! I need a warm drink this morning.
Sarah says
Thank you, girly! xoxo 🙂
mira says
So easy to make, festive and delicious! Love the photos, pinned!
Sarah says
Thanks for pinning as always Mira! 🙂
Amanda says
I’ve had white hot chocolate before, but never with chai spices! This sounds so good. And I love that you can make it in a crockpot!
Sarah says
The chai spice is such a fun and different twist! You must try it, Amanda!
Rachel @ Bakerita says
Sarah, congrats on your first semester! I’m sure you killed your finals 🙂 this hot chocolate is EVERYTHING. I absolutely need to make this!!
Sarah says
Aww thank you Rachel! You’re so awesome! 😉 You totally need to try this white hot choc!
Danielle says
Yay for finals! Hope you enjoy your break too, Sarah. After a semester of school it’s always much needed. I’m also thinking this white hot chocolate needs to happen soon! That chai spice mix sounds like such a great addition to it too!
Sarah says
Thank you Danielle! I’m definitely looking forward to some chill time that’s for sure! 😉
marcie says
Congrats on finishing up your first trimester and finals! This white hot chocolate looks so spicy and amazing, and perfect that it’s made in a slow cooker! Note: I have its dark chocolate peppermint cousin posting tomorrow. 🙂
Sarah says
No way, girl! Our recipes are always SO in sync with each other and I kinda love that! LOL. 😉
Sandy says
Thankyou so much for this recipe! I can’t wait to make it! Question – what do you do if there are (gasp) leftovers – can you refrigerate them? I’d hate to waste it but this seems like a make every weekend type of drink that my daughter and I would enjoy!
Sarah says
Hi Sandy! Yes, any leftovers would keep fine in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
Mary Stiefel-Smith says
Delicious! Could not have been easier! Everyone loved it!
Sarah says
So glad to hear that, Mary! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
Matt says
Great choccy recipe!
I’m now gonna try to make it before my GF gets home (I’m in the dog house for forgetting our anniversary!!!) This is her favorite so hopefully it will do the trick.
Keep up the great work!
Kirsten says
This is BEYOND delicious! So easy to put together and then just sit back and wait for the magic! I almost always double the recipe if there are more than 2 of us…and if you have some left, I like to put some in my coffee the next morning instead of my normal creamer…so good!
Sarah says
Love the sound of using this white hot chocolate as coffee creamer! Such a good idea. 🙂