Photo: American Heritage Chocolate/Unsplash
The Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival is back for its 13th season with over 140 types of hot chocolate. The festival runs from January 14 to February 14 at 95 different locations across the city.
The Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival is a great time to explore a new neighbourhood and support local businesses. Use their virtual map to find participating vendors across Greater Vancouver from Whistler to White Rock and everywhere in between.
Map via Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival
Many of the chocolate concoctions are photogenic, so you will want to snap a pic of your hot chocolate before you drink. But be sure to tag it with #HCFphotocontest. You could win gift certificates from participating vendors. The grand prize winner gets $500 worth!
The event also supports several charitable partners that focus on providing food to children and families in need. New for 2023, the festival is also distributing vouchers for free hot chocolate at the festival to low-income children through accredited charities as part of the Marshmallow Dreams Project.
This year’s vendors have come up with over innovative 140 hot chocolate flavours that will redefine your understanding of the beverage. Look for unique concoctions incorporating bubble tea, caramel apples, citrus, cookies, chai tea, and lots more.
Here are just a few of the hot chocolates you can sample at this year’s festival.
Kafka’s Coffee
Kafka’s is serving up two distinctive hot chocolate treats for this year’s festival. The Boba Boom Choco-Latta is a mash-up of hot chocolate and boba tea served with a black sesame chocolate truffle. If you’re looking for a maximalist take on the classic, get the Ultimate “Kids” Hot Chocolate, which includes whipped cream, sprinkles, and mini marshmallows. The most adorable part is the accompanying slice of cookie “pizza”, with candy toppings.
Where: 151 West Hastings Street, Vancouver; 860 Richards Street, Vancouver; and 120-577 Great Northern Way, Vancouver
Photo: Kafka’s Coffee/Cody Briggs
Uno Gelato
Head to this playful gelato spot to try two different hot chocolates. The Drink of Kings is a vegan hot chocolate made with oat milk, decadent Callebaut dairy-free chocolate, and Medjool dates. It comes with a delicious vegan and gluten-free vanilla cookie. Or try the boozy Vancouver Sunny Rush, which includes dark chocolate, Jim Bean Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Cointreau, and maple syrup. It comes with a caramel macaron.
Where: 2579 West Broadway, Vancouver and #36 – 1055 Canada Place, Vancouver
https://www.instagram.com/p/CnNCjY1Opf8/
Caffe Artigiano
Try two different types of hot chocolate at this coffee shop. The Passionfruit Hot Chocolate includes passionfruit syrup and is topped with passionfruit cheesecake whipped cream. The Cookies and Creme incorporates dark and white chocolate sauces. Both come with a signature cookie.
Where: Twelve locations across the North Shore, Vancouver, Burnaby, and Whistler.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CnM-7o-SRfu/
Sciue Italian Bakery Cafe + Soirette
For this year’s festival, Sciue collaborated with Soirette to create two Italian-inspired hot chocolates. Don’t miss Get in the Gondola With Casanova, a Panettone hot chocolate topped with a galani cookie riding in a Venice-style gondola. If you love hazelnuts, get the Ticket to Amore, which is Baci-flavoured.
Where: 126 Davie Street, Vancouver and 800 West Pender Street, Vancouver
https://www.instagram.com/p/CnGTyU7L32u/
Honolulu Coffee
You’ll want to sample both of Honolulu Coffee’s offerings at this year’s festival. The Donut is made with dark chocolate, espresso, and a sea salt cheese frosting, in a fun donut shape. The Raincouver comes with its own delicious cotton candy cloud, suspended over a cup of dark hot chocolate with pink Himalayan sea salt.
Where: 888 Nelson Street, Vancouver; 2098 West 41st Avenue, Vancouver; and 97 West 2nd Avenue, Vancouver
https://www.instagram.com/p/CnM0ngEpsR5/
The Pie Hole
This year The Pie Hole has three different hot chocolates on the menu. The Fat Elvis includes chocolate, bananas, and peanut butter and is served with a personal pie. Banish the winter blues with the Drink Your Feelings, made with butter pecan syrup. It comes with their signature Eat Your Feelings pecan, chocolate, and oat bar. Or try the “DDD” Raspberry Cream, a white mascarpone hot chocolate with raspberry compote that is served with a personal raspberry cream pie.
Where: 1864 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver and 7832 6th Street, Burnaby
https://www.instagram.com/p/CnKQbxPpd0H/
