Hot Vanilla Drink

5 from 1 vote

Hot Vanilla Drink

This silky and luscious hot vanilla drink is the perfect cozy holiday beverage. Also known as Santa Claus milk, you can whip up a batch of this slumber drink in 10 minutes.

Prep Time5

Cook Time5

Total Time10

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Servings: serving

Calories: 411kcal

Author: Caro Jensen

Ingredients

1 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream optional (use more milk instead)
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp honey
1 tsp vanilla simple syrup or vanilla extract

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a small cup, mix together 2 tbsp of milk and the cornstarch to make a slurry.
1 tsp cornstarch, 1 cup milk
In a small saucepan, whisk together milk, cream, and ground cinnamon until well combined. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring continuously to prevent the milk from burning or boiling over.
1 cup milk, 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 cup heavy cream
Add the slurry while stirring and keep stirring on medium heat until the mixture thickens slightly due to the cornstarch.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in 2 tsp honey and 1 tsp vanilla simple syrup. Adding the vanilla simple syrup last in this recipe helps preserve its delicate and complex flavors, as some aromatic compounds in vanilla are sensitive to heat.
2 tsp honey, 1 tsp vanilla simple syrup
Pour the hot vanilla into a large mug and add a dusting of cinnamon. Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

Avoid lumps: When heating the milk mixture, it's essential to do so gently over medium heat and stir continuously to prevent it from burning.

Warm your mug: Before pouring the hot vanilla into your mug or cup, warm it up first by filling it with hot water and letting it sit for a minute. This helps keep your vanilla drink hot for longer.

Storage: Allow the leftover hot vanilla to cool down to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container. Store the container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. When you're ready to enjoy it again, gently reheat the vanilla drink on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring occasionally to ensure even heating.

Nutrition