Trader Joe’s Hot Chocolate Sticks, reviewed

Hot chocolate is a wonderful way to treat yourself on a cold, wintery day. I’ll make it in the morning, but I tend to opt for coffee earlier in the day and make my hot chocolate a mid-day or evening treat instead. Powdered hot chocolate mix is the most common way to make hot chocolate and you can make it yourself with cocoa powder and sugar or simply buy your favorite brand. Trader Joe’s Hot Chocolate Sticks are another way to make yourself a hot chocolate and I picked up some this holiday season to give them a try.

The Trader Joe’s Hot Chocolate Sticks are individually wrapped sticks of dark chocolate, each of which is about 3 inches long. Eight come in the box and each is almost an ounce. You simply unwrap and stir into a mug of hot coffee or milk, letting the chocolate melt. It’s the same idea as hot chocolate on a stick, but without the stick! The chocolate has a wonderfully fruity dark chocolate flavor and I like it even better with coffee than I do with milk alone. The downside of these sticks is that your fingers might get a bit messy while melting them, but that’s a minor inconvenience – especially if you, like me, would like to stir in some chocolate and simply eat the last bit!

I like that these are easy to share, single serve and individually wrapped. They make a good little stocking stuffer gift, alongside a mug and a spoon, too. And you can always eat them as mini candy bars if you’re in need of a chocolate fix and don’t have a mug of hot coffee or milk handy!