This Raspberry Vanilla Pink Hot Chocolate is a fun way to make an old favorite new again. Made with white chocolate and naturally flavored this beautiful drink will keep you warm on cold days! Save the recipe today!
One of my favorite drinks at Starbucks is a Raspberry Vanilla Latte, which I first discovered at 18. I shouldn’t really take all the credit for this discovery. A friend of mine from high school and I were meeting up for coffee after a semester away at college – because we were clearly very adult 🙂 – and she suggested the ingredient combo. I’ve been drinking this drink during the cold months of the year for a very long time now. Sometimes I need it made with half the syrup so it isn’t two sweet (Two pumps of each. Starbucks generally adds 4 pumps to all your drinks of each flavor), but in January, February and even March it is my go-to order.
So, I thought I would try to make my favorite coffee drink at home and in doing so, stumbled upon making a Raspberry Vanilla Pink Hot Chocolate Recipe for my kids too. It’s become the perfect fun drink for them, especially around Valentine’s Day.
Making it pink
When you order a Vanilla Raspberry Latte at Starbucks, the coffee is actually pink coffee is actually pink. I’m fairly sure there some food coloring that allows it to be that way and I’ve tried to stay away from using that in this recipe for Raspberry Vanilla Pink Hot Chocolate and the coffee recipe, which I’ll also add below. The color in my drink is all natural and from the Raspberry syrup that I made. However, you have some choices when it comes to adding in the raspberry flavor.
- Raspberry extract – The easiest way. However, if you go this route you will have to add food coloring to make the drink pink. And, I’m not sure how much or how little you should use because I always make it may way.
- Store-bought raspberry simple syrup – The second easiest way. This will more than likely already be tinted for you. In fact, I’m pretty sure that Starbucks uses a version of this {HERE}.
- Homemade raspberry simple syrup – This way will take the longest but will be the most homemade, and this is the way I do it. However, if you decide to go this route you will want to make this at least several hours if not a day in advance.
Additional flavors
In addition to the Raspberry flavor, there’s vanilla added to the Raspberry Vanilla Pink Hot Chocolate. I use a natural vanilla extract as I found this is the easiest way to get that flavor into the drink. Also, this is a White Chocolate Pink Hot Chocolate so white chocolate is included in the drink. I use simple white chocolate chips in this similar to how I make my Homemade Hot Chocolate recipe {HERE}, although this one isn’t as thick as that one is.
Lastly, I recommend topping this with your favorite brand of whipped cream! It’s kind of like the cherry on top, or raspberry.
You can add this mix to coffee too!
So I started this post talking about making coffee and then veered wildly off course, right? Well you can make the Raspberry Vanilla Latte with this mix two. Here’s the two ways to make it:
- Make the Raspberry Vanilla White Hot Chocolate and add it straight to your coffee. Try ¾ cup of your favorite black coffee and ¼ cup of the Raspberry White Hot Chocolate. This way ypu can make a drink for your kids and a drink for yourself too. This is how it is shown in the photos of the coffee.
- Make it like Starbucks. Fill up your cup halfway with coffee. Add milk to the other half. Then add 1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla extra. Next add in 1 -2 tablespoons of the homemade raspberry simple syrup or the store bought raspberry simple syrup.
Both of these will taste similar to my favorite Starbucks drink. However, my drink might have more coffee, which is always good if you’re a parent.
Tips for making my Raspberry Vanilla Pink Hot Chocolate recipe
- If you can, make it with the homemade raspberry syrup. You won’t be sorry! Just remember to make it in advance.
- Use the highest quality white chocolate chips you can find. This will help to enhance the flavor and the texture of the drink.
- You can try to keep the Raspberry Vanilla White Hot Chocolate for about 24 hours after making it. I wouldn’t save it longer than that since you have heated the milk. Also, I have not done this. We make it fresh and then use it. But like it said, you can TRY…If you do, let me know how it goes!
Additional fun drink recipes
Looking for more fun drinks or more drinks to help celebrate Valentine’s day? Try these!
- Vanilla Raspberry Champagne Floats {HERE}
- POG Juice (A Disney copycat!) {HERE}
- Spicy Watermelon Margaritas {HERE}
- Watermelon Lemonade {HERE}
Thank you so much for stopping by today, friends! I hope that you love this Raspberry vanilla Pink Hot Chocolate and that you come back again. You can find the full, printable recipe below.

Raspberry Vanilla Pink Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
Raspberry vanilla Pink Hot Chocolate Ingredients
- 5 cups whole milk (Yes, you can substitute.)
- 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
- 2 tsp. natural vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. raspberry simple syrup
- Whipped Cream for topping
Homemade Raspberry Simple Syrup
- 3 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups water
Instructions
Raspberry Vanilla Pink Hot Chocolate Instructions
- Add milk to a sauce pan and bring it to a boil on medium heat.
- Turn the heat down to low and add the white chocolate chips. Stir continuously until the chocolate has melted.
- Add in the vanilla and stir.
- Remove from heat and let cool a little.
- Add the raspberry extract or simple syrup until well combined. Serve with whipped cream.
Instructions for making the Raspberry Simple Syrup
- Add water and sugar to a small saucepan and cook on medium stirring with a silicone whisk until the sugar is dissolved.
- Add the raspberries and stir continuously until the mixture starts to boil then lower the heat.
- Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Remove any foam that forms on the top.
- After that time, remove it from the burner and strain the mixture to remove large chunks of raspberry and seeds.
- Place in a new, small sauce pan and let simmer for another 15 minutes.
- Let cool and then place it in a clear jar and refrigerate. You can keep this for about a week.
Rachel this looks so good! Pinning this and will have to make this weekend! Thank you my friend!
What a delicious-looking drink. I love the pink color.
This looks delicious! We do a unicorn hot chocolate that is similar. Yours is much prettier though!
This looks really good. I would definitely add coffee to the recipe.
These tips are really helpful, I have never tried these things.
Wow! This look so good! My kids are going to love this so much! Thanks for sharing this with us
Yummy! I may need to make this one with the kids…
Really pretty and looks delicious! I love the pink color you have there! This is gonna be insane over valentines!
These drinks look so cute and tasty, I love the color theme here as well!
These are perfect for Valentine’s Day. They look so delicious and so pretty. Thanks for sharing!
I love the look of this pink and deliciously warming drink. I agree, homemade raspberry syrup is the only way to go. Looking forward to making it soon!
This is so pretty and looks totally delicious! I so want to make this for me and my daughter.. she will go wild for the color!
The prettiest hot chocolate ever and it sounds delicious too