I taste-tested hot chocolates from Aldi, Sainsbury’s, Galaxy, Cadbury and premium brand Knoops to find the best value and taste – here’s which one came out on top
Few things beat a warm, creamy mug of hot chocolate on a chilly day(Image: Millie Bull/REACH PLC)
Every time I visit the supermarket, I’m baffled by the sheer number of hot chocolate options. I usually grab the cheapest own-brand instant hot chocolate, but it always lets me down.
I end up going back to Costa and spending almost £5 on an overly sweet drink topped with whipped cream.
It happens every year, which is why there are half-empty jars of instant hot chocolate gathering dust at the back of my cupboard. This year, I decided to test hot chocolates from my local supermarkets against Knoops’ best-selling hot chocolate flakes.
I’d never tried Knoops before, but friends and colleagues told me it was the best hot chocolate around.
For this test, I avoided most ‘instant’ hot chocolates (usually made with water) and focused on drinking chocolates, which are made with hot milk. The only exceptions were Aldi’s, as there was no other option at my local branch, and Clipper’s Fairtrade Instant Hot Chocolate, which I already had at home.
The drinking chocolates I tried were mostly just cocoa powder and sugar, sometimes with a little flavouring or stabilisers. The instant varieties had far more ingredients, including milk powders and various additives.
To keep things fair, I made every hot chocolate the same way: using a Dualit hot chocolate maker and milk frother, with 225ml of semi-skimmed milk per serving.
The cost per serving does not include the price of milk.
1. Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference was a pleasant surprise. It contains just two ingredients — sugar and 41% cocoa powder — and delivers a genuinely rich cocoa flavour.
It’s sweet without being sickly. The bold dark chocolate taste impressed me, as did how well the powder dissolved in the milk.
The colour was a deep brown with a hint of purple, and the texture was smooth with no graininess.
It costs more than most alternatives, but its simple ingredients and strong chocolate flavour make it stand out.
5/5
2. Knoops 34% and 43% Milk Chocolate Flakes, £13.50 for 250g (£5.40 per 100g)
Knoops was new to me, and both the taste and the texture genuinely impressed me. I tested both the 34% and 43% chocolate flakes.
The 43% milk hot chocolate uses Criollo beans — highly regarded among chocolate lovers — and won a 2021 Great Taste Award. Judges described it as “a sweet, milky but true hot chocolate that would please many chocolate lovers.”
Both options were good: the 34% had creamier, caramel notes, while the 43% had a deeper chocolate flavour with a hint of vanilla. Neither was too sweet, and the flake format meant no grittiness.
Both contain similar ingredients: sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa mass, whole milk powder, emulsifier (soya or sunflower lecithin) and natural vanilla flavouring. Knoops also has a wide range of flavours, from white and oat milk chocolate flakes to dark chocolate varieties (54% to 100%).
For a treat, try their marshmallows or milk chocolate honeycomb.
The flavour wasn’t quite as bold as I’d expected, and the drink wasn’t as thick or rich as I’d hoped, even following the instructions. They’re also expensive, with each tube yielding about eight servings. However, they make a lovely treat or gift for any chocolate lover.
4.5/5
3. Sainsbury’s Drinking Chocolate, £3.50 for 300g (£1.16 per 100g)
Another solid option from Sainsbury’s, this one is cheaper and has slightly less cocoa (25%). Ingredients include sugar, cocoa powder (25%), maltodextrin, salt, and flavourings.
It tasted rich and chocolatey, though a little sweeter than the Taste the Difference version. The chocolate flavour was authentic, with a pleasant hint of saltiness.
The only downside was the texture — it didn’t mix as smoothly and left a slightly grainy feel.
4/5
4. Clipper Fairtrade Instant Hot Chocolate, £5 for 350g (£1.43 per 100g)
One of only two instant hot chocolates I tried. I didn’t expect much, but it held its own well.
It was pleasantly sweet with chocolate and vanilla notes. The ingredients are simple for an instant product: sugar, skimmed milk powder, milk permeate powder, and 15% cocoa powder.
The texture was smooth, and it mixed easily with milk, creating a deep purply-brown colour.
The main downside is the price — it’s expensive for an instant hot chocolate.
3.5/5
5. Cadbury Original Drinking Hot Chocolate, £4.55 for 500g (91p per 100g)
Cadbury’s drinking chocolate surprised me — it really does taste like classic Cadbury chocolate. It’s great value too, with a large 500g tub for £4.55 that should last a while.
It mixed smoothly with the milk, though I found it a little too sweet. Ingredients include sugar, cocoa powder, acidity regulator (potassium carbonates), and flavouring.
It’s a good choice for children or anyone who enjoys a sweeter, Cadbury-style flavour.
3/5
6. Galaxy Drinking Chocolate, £4.50 for 450g (£1 per 100g)
Galaxy’s drinking chocolate is very sweet and tastes just like a Galaxy bar. If you love Galaxy, you’ll enjoy this — but for me, it had too much sugar.
It was pleasant enough, but too sweet to drink regularly.
2/5
7. Aldi Dairyfine Instant Hot Chocolate Drink, £1.69 for 400g (42p per 100g)
The cheapest option in the test, this tasted artificial and overly sweet, with very little cocoa flavour.
It looked a little grey, though using hot milk instead of water did help a bit. If you’re on a tight budget, it’ll do the job — but I’d recommend adding whipped cream or marshmallows to make it more enjoyable.
1/5
The verdict
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference was my clear winner — a great choice if you want a rich, dark hot chocolate with simple ingredients and no additives.
Knoops is ideal for hot chocolate fans or anyone who prefers flakes over powder, with plenty of dark and white chocolate options. Sainsbury’s standard Drinking Chocolate is a reliable, affordable pick with a decent cocoa flavour.
