Hi, we’re Made in PGH, and we’re chocoholics. We’ve written about local chocolate a few times (see here and here), but we’ve *gasp* never talked about hot chocolate before. And, let’s be honest, sometimes you just want something warm and decadent to treat yourself to on a cold winter afternoon. AND January 31st is National Hot Chocolate Day, which means we’re basically required to drink one (or more!) to celebrate. So join us on a quest to find the best hot chocolate in Pittsburgh, starting with these spots!
And, yes, we realize a lot of these pics aren’t actually of hot chocolate. Don’t @ us.
Adda Coffeehouse
So we don’t know if it counts as hot chocolate since it’s not hot, but Adda has the most amazing sounding off-menu drink called an adult chocolate milk. It’s basically chocolate milk topped with espresso, and we’re obsessed with the idea and need to try it ASAP.
Allegheny Coffee & Tea Exchange
Yes, Allegheny Coffee has a huge selection of coffee and tea, but did you know they also make hot chocolate? They even have a salted caramel hot chocolate, and we’re here for it!
Arriviste Coffee Bar
Arriviste is making their hot chocolate with Askinosie single-origin cocoa. We don’t totally know what that means, so we should definitely get there to find out. We might even need a second hot chocolate to be sure 😉
Big Dog Coffee Shop
We love Big Dog. It’s comfy and cozy and let’s be honest, we love seeing the pups who come in. Add in a mug of hot chocolate while next to their fireplace, and we’re set! Protip: get a cran-oat bar to dip into whatever drink you’re sipping…you’re welcome.
Bluebird Kitchen
So Bluebird Kitchen is serving up two types of hot chocolate that we can’t get over: the first is a blend by Jacques Torres. (He’s basically a chocolate god who we fell in love with even more after watching Nailed It.) The second is a European style hot drinking chocolate which sounds like a perfect mid-afternoon pick me up to us!
Caffe d’Amore
We love the vibe over at Caffe d’Amore, and we’ll be heading back ASAP to try their hot chocolate while we get some work done. And we might get an affogato while we’re at it, because why not??
Crazy Mocha
You might be scratching your head at Crazy Mocha making the list because we don’t usually include chains…but it’s actually a Pittsburgh chain! Who knew? Their hot chocolate looks pret-ty good, too, and it’s made with Ghirardelli chocolate, so we’re in!
De Fer Coffee and Tea
Do we even need to say anything besides directing you to look at that pic? De Fer’s winter lineup has us drooling: peppermint mocha, ginger turmeric latte, maple cortado, and …spiced hot cocoa. Yum.
Espresso a Mano
We love sitting at Espresso a Mano, sipping on something when it’s warm and the garage door is open, catching up with a friend. But, well, winter, so we’ll just sip on a hot chocolate there instead.
Geppetto Cafe
Um, hi, hello, hot chocolate with Nutella. It looks dreamy, it sounds dreamy, and we want to know who else is coming with us to Geppetto Cafe to get one?
Ka-Fair Cafe
We already told you about how Ka-Fair Cafe is one of our latest coffee obsessions, and we’re going back again (and again) for their hot chocolate. Aaaaand probably their crepe cake, too.
La Prima Espresso
So, we’ve never gotten the hot chocolate at La Prima because hello, espresso drinks. But we hear we need to try it, which means you probably do, too. We’ll report back 😉
The Milkshake Factory
Any time we mention local chocolate, The Milkshake Factory is bound to come up. Well, they’re showing up for National Hot Chocolate Day with a BOGO deal, so who’s going with us??
Millie’s
Millie’s is another surprise stop we need to make on our hunt for the best hot chocolate! If the quality and flavor is anything like their ice cream, well, we’ll probably embarrass ourselves a little with how many we’d like to order.
Nicholas Coffee and Tea
Nicholas Coffee is a hidden gem of a coffee shop in Market Square, and we love all of their drinks – including their hot chocolate. They’ve been open for over 100 years, which is amazing! And we understand why every time we take a sip.
Tazza D’Oro
Hot chocolate at Tazza D’Oro is rich and creamy and we’ll sip on it all day, thankyouverymuch. Anyone want to grab a table with us?
There are obviously a ton of places making hot chocolate that we missed…tell us your favorites in the comments so we can continue the quest to find the best in Pittsburgh!
This content was provided by a local, independent contributor to Made in PGH, a lifestyle blog.
All of these sound great, and it sounds like I need to up my game. From a chain perspective I like Dunkin over Starbucks, Panera Bread, etc. Downside with Dunkin, it’s always piping hot!
Ugh, hate when it’s so hot you have to let it cool down first…or worse, burn your tongue
Crazy mocha hot chocolate is the worst! The lady just dumped hot chocolate powder into the cup and gave it to me. I almost choked cause she didn’t even MIX THE POWDER. It was horrible and I refuse to go back.