2025 YYC Hot Chocolate Fest: A review
By Freeha Anjum and Leigh Patrick, March 16 2025—
One of the best times of the year has just come to a close. The YYC Hot Chocolate Fest had 146 contestants this year from around Calgary, already beating its record of 125 vendors set in 2024!
The Hot Chocolate Fest is part of a larger fundraising effort to feed Calgarians, with $1-3 from every cup sold being donated to the Calgary Meals on Wheels program. In 2024, the festival saw over 70,000 cups of hot chocolate sold, raising $100,000 in donations. To continue battling food insecurity in Calgary, the event hoped to raise $160,000 this year — equating to 32,000 subsidized meals for Calgarians in need.
On top of the thousands of dollars going to a good cause, the YYC Hot Chocolate Fest pits local cafés, restaurants and chocolatiers against each other every February to win awards for YYC’s Best Hot Chocolate, Best Spirited Hot Chocolate, Most Creative Hot Chocolate and Cup That Runneth Over. Awards are based on ratings submitted by customers throughout the month.
With the influx of midterms, mid-semester projects and block week final assignments shoved into February, a lot of us may not have gotten the chance to try Calgary’s hot chocolate flavours this year. Luckily for you, my siblings and I took some drives across the city to try some interesting flavours and provide you with some reviews so you know which locations might be worth it for next year and also because some of these hot chocolates are still being served. I’ve ranked these below from worst to least according to my personal preferences.
10. Spiced ChocoKarak | PappaRoti Cafe & Bakery
Not serving
Trying this hot chocolate was a pretty awful experience. As advertised, I was hoping this drink would be the perfect mix of hot chocolate and spiced karak tea. Though PappaRoti Cafe & Bakery promised a smooth, sweet and warming drink with a unique spicy twist, there was essentially no spice or chocolate flavour to this drink at all.
The cafe was a nice spot to work, except for the fact that there were no other customers around, which was a little awkward. All in all, I wouldn’t recommend this hot chocolate or spot to any drink enthusiasts.
9. Cocoa d’Amour | Abbey’s Creations
Still serving
I’m not much of a whipped cream fan, but when I dug my spoon (yes, it comes with a spoon) into the perfect mix of cream, chocolate drizzle and crunchy chocolate bits, it felt like what I imagine heaven might be like.
The hot chocolate underneath was a red velvety-colour, and though it claimed to be a dark chocolate drink, the flavour had a strange aftertaste of sweetness that reminded me of a sour raspberry. I kept taking another taste hoping it would be better, but each sip further confirmed my disappointment. I wish I could have gone back in time to when I was just trying out the whipped cream. Unfortunately, I did have to throw this one out halfway through drinking it.
The location on Barlow Trail NE was a super cute spot, perfect for catching up with friends. It felt like sitting in those classic 80’s ice cream shops. So, while I wouldn’t recommend their hot chocolate, it’s worth it to check out the spot and try some ice cream instead!
8. Peanut Butter Jelly Time | Oolong Tea House
Still serving
Are you a fan of peanut butter and chocolate? What about some berry sauce for jelly? If so, this drink is for you! As promised, this hot chocolate was not too sweet but still had lots of peanut and jelly flavour in the topping (even coming with literal crunchy peanuts, which goes amazing with hot chocolate!). In terms of the actual hot chocolate, though, the flavour was more bland — which can be expected when it’s made from rooibos tea and milk. So, while the topping and aesthetic were near-perfect for what this drink offers, that’s where the tastiness stops.
Oolong Tea House in Kensington is a great place to stop by if you need to get some work done or try a new funky tea flavour. With excellent lighting and a small, homey environment, this location does not disappoint!
7. Banana Toffee Hot Chocolate | Pie Junkie
Not serving
Pie Junkie is outcompeting others with its elegant presentation of the Banana Toffee Hot Chocolate.
The first thing you’ll notice when trying out this drink is the toffee rim — already starting this drink off pretty strong. The whipped cream with toffee bits offers a perfect introduction before the silky banana purée, toffee and hot chocolate mix together to deliver the exact taste you would expect. Unlike many other drinks entered in the festival, Pie Junkie stayed true to its promise to provide a banana toffee taste. Not to mention, the chocolate cookie was a delicious addition and a great bite to take between sips.
Unfortunately, I did find this drink becomes too sweet after the halfway mark. I hit my maximum chocolate tolerance for the day pretty fast and wasn’t able to finish it until I’d had a glass of water to wash out the taste.
6. Chapter 2 | Choklat
Still serving
Now, I feel I should start by saying that this hot chocolate has a whopping 38 grams of protein — while still tasting deliciously chocolate-y! Being able to feel less guilty about the sheer amount of sweet beverages I’d been having the last two weeks with this addition to the YYC Chocolate fest automatically moved it up my list.
Not to mention, this drink essentially tasted like a double chocolate brownie. While I’m not the biggest caramel fan, the chocolate mousse topping with caramel flakes was complimentary to the rich drink flavour. In terms of ambiance, the environment was more sterile and industrialized — so perhaps not the most cozy sit-down spot. But if you’re looking for a good protein boost, give this one a try!
And don’t just take my word for it. This location tied for 3rd place for the fest last year for yet another protein drink!
5. Mayan Spicy Coconut Hot Chocolate | Monki Breakfast Club & Bistro
Not serving
Imagine a hot chocolate that tastes just like a liquified s’more — pretty good, right? Monki takes this flavour a step further by adding a Mayan spice kick. I wasn’t a fan of the spice element — it hit your throat as an aftertaste with every 2-3 sips, so I felt constantly surprised with the flavour each time. But out of all the toppings I had, this one was the most addictive. The marshmallows were perfectly toasted and complemented the hot chocolate taste well. This also happened to be the only drink with the classic mini marshmallows involved, so if you’re a sucker for those this is the place to go.
Though this drink would have been much cozier without the spice jump scaring me, sitting in Monki Breakfast Club & Bistro at the Crowfoot location was a wonderful experience. With a beautiful ambience and wonderfully friendly servers, I found this a great spot to sit and get some good work done (namely, working on this review).
4. Chocolat Grand Cru | T2722 Luxury Barista Experience
Still serving
As in the name, this was more than a drink — it was an experience. The T2722 Luxury Barista Experience was still very welcoming despite being high-end. If you’re very particular about your drinks, this is the place to go.
The hot chocolate was served in a French press, and once served, you are shown how to use it to get the correct texture and flavour for your rich, dark, chocolate-y beverage. The Chocolat Grand Cru was served alongside nine meringues, including spicy, orange and mint flavours. For the best experience, customers were instructed to place the meringue of their choice in their mouth and then take a sip of the rich, 80 per cent dark chocolate to have the perfect mix of flavours. This combination made for a deliciously rich hot chocolate, which wasn’t bitter at all despite its high dark content, and you could tell it was made with real chocolate. The servers were also willing to adjust the milk-to-chocolate ratio to be just to your liking!
3. Oreo Dream Supreme | Seasons of Bowness
Not serving
The cabin-like restaurant Seasons of Bowness entered the Oreo Dream Supreme in the YYC Hot Chocolate Fest. In this cozy, atmospheric spot, enjoy your drinks under low lights and jazzy background tunes.
If you’re a lover of chocolate and vanilla, you’ll find this hot chocolate takes the… er, cookie? Velvety, creamy and perfectly sweet, the Oreo Dream Supreme is the ideal treat after a cold day in the park. Served in a perfectly tempered glass mug, it’s a great choice for a solo date or a day out with friends.
For those craving extra warmth, indulge in the spirited version with a shot of vanilla vodka — you’ll be heated from the inside out. Topped with Oreo crumbles over fluffy whipped cream, it’s both a dessert and a drink in one. Paired with the soft hum of nearby conversation, every sip feels like a warm embrace.
Whether you’re looking for comfort or indulgence, the Oreo Dream Supreme hits the spot.
2. Brown Butter Cocoa Bliss | Borough Bar & Grill // Murrieta’s
Still serving without topping
Okay…this marshmallow-toffee sandwich? Delicious and the best way to start the hot chocolate experience. Luckily, the tasty experience didn’t end there. The Borough Bar & Grill’s hot chocolate was inspired by butterbeer from Harry Potter, and it delivered just that. By mixing Tonka bean, 70% dark chocolate, cocoa powder, molasses, brown butter and egg whites, this hot chocolate had a complexity of flavour. It was just sweet enough and rich without being too rich. The toffee taste was also apparent, but it balanced well with the dark chocolate. Overall, this was a very well-balanced, amazing drink experience.
While this establishment was a nice indoor spot with a separate cafe area, it was purely for drinks to-go. So while you may not have a chance to sit down and try this delicious drink, I’d still recommend dropping by for a taste.
1. Nanaimo Bar Hot Chocolate | Higher Ground
Still serving
This was, by a landslide, my favourite YYC Hot Chocolate Fest addition.
The first thing to bless my mouth was the perfect topping: a thick custard whip with crushed pieces of nanaimo bar and some dark chocolate drizzle. I worried that the hot chocolate underneath wouldn’t be able to compete with the topping I had just slurped up, but I was wrong. This hot chocolate tastes exactly like a melted nanaimo bar, and I couldn’t help but chug the whole thing as fast as possible — which was a nice feeling after having some more disappointing drinks. I even got a few surprise chunks of nanaimo at the bottom.
Though I do wish that more effort was put into its presentation, the ratio of topping to hot chocolate was just right, so I can’t complain too much. If you’re a nanaimo bar fan, this is the hot chocolate to try.
Everyone loves hot chocolate, right? So if you’ve got some spare time this spring to try out new locations, I’d recommend the places higher up on this ranking. Remember that some locations are still serving their special beverages while supplies last!
The YYC Hot Chocolate Fest awards will also be announced soon, as well as their final fundraising number for Calgarians fed this year, so stay tuned, and don’t miss out on the funky new flavours in February 2026!