The 5 Best Hot Chocolate K-Cups In 2024 (15+ Tested)

Soon after the introduction of K-cups for coffee, they started appearing for another favorite beverage – hot chocolate, and for basically the same reason. You just can’t beat the convenience and ease with which you can quickly prepare a great-tasting cup of hot chocolate when all you have to do is stick a pod in the container and turn the power on.

Everything these days is geared toward working smarter, not harder, so why should preparing hot chocolate be any different? People today lead lifestyles that are busier than ever, and in many cases, both spouses are working and have full agendas away from home. So, when they do get home, they’re looking for shortcuts and easy ways to prepare dinner and beverages for the family. K-cups are a perfect fit for the modern lifestyle, and that means you can expect hot chocolate K-cups to be around for a long time.

But which ones are the best hot chocolate K-cups on today’s market? Given the fact that demand for K-cup hot chocolate is extremely high, it’s very understandable that so many companies would be vying in the market to get their share of consumer dollars. That adds to the difficulty of trying to identify the best of the best, but our taste experts are up to the task, and have compiled a worthy list below that represents the overall best products, as well as winners in specific categories of excellence.

Continue reading below to learn a little more about the state of the K-cup hot chocolate market today, and to find out our picks for the best products you can buy.

• Best overall – Cafe Escapes
• Best value for money – Grove Square
• Best flavor – Victor Allen’s
• Best for the environment – Martinson’s Single Hot Chocolate
• Best organic – Caza Trails

Can you make hot chocolate with a Keurig coffee machine?

Yes, you can, and in fact, it’s one of the most efficient ways of preparing hot chocolate. In years past, you might have had to heat up milk in a small pan on your stove, then mix in some chocolate powder to create the beverage you love. Making hot chocolate in a Keurig coffee machine is much faster, less messy, and produces a result at least as good as the old-fashioned method. You can still add warm milk into your K-cup brewed hot chocolate to get that same rich taste as the pan-on-the-stove method.

Does Keurig make hot chocolate capsules?

Yes, Keurig does market its own brand of hot chocolate, designed for use with its K-cups. It happens to be one of the very best hot chocolate K-cups available today, although it’s just one of many fine hot chocolate products you can purchase on the market. You can also make hot chocolate using the Keurig Mini-Coffee Maker, since the pods are still completely compatible with the machine.

Are there alternative brands of hot chocolate?

There are so many alternative brands of hot chocolate on the market that we can’t list them all here. However, some of the more popular brands are Brooklyn Beans, Barrie House, Junior Mints, Green Mountain, Swiss Miss, Amazon Brand, Two Rivers, Victor Allen’s, Grove Square, Starbuck’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, Roast Ridge, Maud’s, VitaCup, Nestle’s, Hershey’s, Tim Horton’s, Ghana, Folger’s, and Tootsie Roll.

In order to find out which one might suit your personal taste best, you’ll have to do a little experimenting, and poll your family members about their preferences as well. Some hot chocolate products are a little more intense, some are more flavorful, some are richer, and some use a higher quality of cocoa as their base ingredient. Of course, a great many of these brands will taste very similar as well, so again, it will be necessary to try a few before settling on a favorite for your household.

What Are The Most Popular Hot Chocolate K-cups?

There’s a great deal of variability between hot chocolate K-cup products on the market, but there are four main types you can buy these days – plain pure chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and chocolate mixed with other flavors, like raspberry, strawberry, cherry, etc. For the purposes of our list, we’ll stick to those hot chocolates that are standard fare available in all grocery stores. Specialty products will need to be considered in another list, at another time.

1. Crazy Cups hot chocolate K-cups

As you might expect from the name, this product is a little different than most others. There are 20 different flavors in one package, and that gives you lots of options when you’re looking for something a little different for today’s startup beverage. You’ll definitely find a few that you like, and you may even fall in love with every one of the flavors included in this eclectic mix.

2. Brooklyn Beans Mexican Hot Chocolate

Looking for an entirely different hot beverage to start your day? Open up a box of Brooklyn Beans Mexican Hot Chocolate K-cups, and you’ll have exactly what you’re looking for. These K-cups combine the natural sweetness of premium cocoa with the spiciness of Mexican flavors, to totally perk you up in the morning. You won’t have to worry about any gluten content, since it’s totally free of gluten. However, this hot chocolate is just loaded with taste, so have your taste buds prepared for a wild experience.

3. Martinson singles

There are 24 tablets included in this package, and the tablets are mixed with the K-cup to produce a delicious tasting beverage. It has a calm, velvety flavor that makes you want to sip and relax, and let the day come to you. This is one of the most environmentally friendly products on our list, since the company fully supports economic, social, and environmental sustainability.

4. Caza Trail organic hot chocolate

There is zero fat in each one of these healthy K-cup pods, which means you can drink to your heart’s content. The pods are certified kosher, and the cocoa is 100% organic, so this product makes our sustainable list as well as our high-quality list. Sit back and enjoy the enchanting flavor as it brews, then dive in and enjoy an outstanding taste experience when it’s done.

5. Maud’s dark hot chocolate

For lovers of dark chocolate, this product will certainly satisfy, as it maintains just the right balance between sweetness and bitterness. All high-quality ingredients are used in the making of this non-dairy hot chocolate. Its hallmark is the great taste that it delivers with every cup of delicious chocolate.

6. Cafe Escapes hot chocolate

Completely gluten-free and also free of all trans fats, this is one of the healthiest hot chocolate products on the market, and at 60 calories, you won’t have to hold back on consumption. It’s one of the best combinations of natural and artificial flavors that you’ll find in any product of its kind.

7. Nestle hot chocolate

Nestle is the veteran chocolate company that has produced all kinds of chocolate products in the past, and now they’ve come up with a really great K-cup version of hot chocolate. Their formula includes real organic cocoa beans coupled with a delightful vanilla flavor, so as to produce a creamy, very tasty end result. Nestle’s is also committed to supporting better farming methods, so this is one of the more environmentally friendly products on our list.

8. Starbuck’s classic hot chocolate

Top quality cocoa and a creamy mixture make this one of the best-tasting hot chocolate products on the market. Who says Starbuck’s can only make good coffee? This outstanding hot chocolate uses fat-free milk and premium cocoa to deliver a very satisfying hot beverage, any time you want it.

9. Two Rivers hot chocolate

When you buy a package of Two Rivers hot chocolate, you will have as many as 16 different flavors that the high-quality cocoa has been mixed with. If you can’t find at least a few of these that you like, you’ll just have to go back to plain old hot chocolate. When you’re looking for a way to spice up your morning hot chocolate, this package provides the perfect way to do that. It’s also very affordable, so you can buy a couple of packages to keep the whole family happy.

10. Mountain High hot chocolate

A deeply satisfying and rich flavor characterizes Mountain High hot chocolate, and it only costs you 80 calories against your diet. There are absolutely no artificial ingredients included, so everything you taste is 100% natural. No added sugars or syrups, just great-tasting natural ingredients that add up to a real taste experience.

11. Junior Mints hot chocolate

For anyone who loves the flavors of mint and chocolate combined, this is a product made in Heaven. Both flavors are here in abundance, and a full cup will only be 60 calories against your diet, so you won’t have to sacrifice your hot chocolate in the interests of staying healthy.

12. Swiss Miss hot chocolate

A well-known, reliable brand that sells gluten-free products. Real milk and premium cocoa powder are used in the making of this outstanding product, and you can drink all you want, because each cup is only 70 calories.

13. Victor Allen’s hot chocolate

This product is made using authentic cocoa powder and all natural flavors, so you’ll love the taste. The product is also certified kosher by the Orthodox Union, so if you’re looking for a kosher product, this should be your choice.

14. Grove Square hot chocolate

One of the more affordable hot chocolate products on our list, you can stay stocked up on Grove Square very easily. It includes very creamy milk and very high-quality premium cocoa powder, so the end result can’t fail to satisfy.

The 5 Best Hot Chocolate K-Cups In 2024

Ok, so here’s the deal. We hate those long listicles where products are ranked “First” or “Runner Up” with no real rhyme or reason. When we tried these capsules I loved the ones with big flavors that felt like you are drinking a real coffee, while Claire said her favorite was the ethically sourced beans by Starbucks.

So instead, we’re going to share with you what we think the best hot chocolate k-cups are, based on what you’re looking for in a coffee cup.

Best overall – Cafe Escapes

The reason that Café Escapes Hot Chocolate K-Cups wins our best overall prize is that it has an absolutely irresistible dark chocolate flavor, that is the perfect way to start your busy day off right. It is a blend of artificial and natural flavors that never gets too weak or too strong – it always maintains the perfect balance of flavor, aroma, and aftertaste. It’s available in packages of 24, 96, and 124, so you can stock up for your family, or just buy a smaller package for personal use. It’s also very easy to use, being completely compatible with Keurig machines, and using the same convenient pods.

Best value for money – Grove Square

Grove Square is one of the least expensive hot chocolate products on the market. That’s a little curious, because it’s also one of the best-tasting products you’ll find on grocery shelves. The rich taste of genuine milk chocolate makes this choice one of the most delicious you’ll find anywhere. On top of everything else, it’s one of the healthier hot chocolate products you can buy, since it only contains 60 calories in each serving. Drink up, and don’t worry about any health issues.

Best flavor – Victor Allen’s

Our choice for Best Flavor was one of the toughest categories we had to deal with, because so many of today’s hot chocolate products do have superior taste and can be just heavenly when sipping. Eventually, however, we had to narrow it down to Victor Allen’s Hot Chocolate, because no hot chocolate product has a better pure milk chocolate flavor than this one. It combines some tasty artificial flavors with some pure natural flavors to provide the best mix of great taste, and the smoothest sipping hot chocolate you’ll ever try.

Best for the environment – Martinson’s Single Hot Chocolate

The Rainforest Alliance K-cups that come with Martinson’s Single Hot Chocolate K-Cup products already make it one of the most sustainable and environmentally friendly products on the market. Combine that with the company’s commitment to economic, social, and environmental sustainability, and you have one of the greenest hot chocolate products available today. In addition to its admirable commitment to the environment, Martinson’s also delivers a smooth, creamy beverage every time out.

Best organic – Caza Trails

Every serving of Caza Trails Hot Chocolate has zero fat included, making it our organic prize winner for 2022. The cocoa is totally organic, and the pods are certified to be kosher. Not only is it highly organic, but no amount of flavor has been lost in the making of this natural product. A great combination of natural flavors that have been untainted by artificial additives or sweeteners.