{"id":19228,"date":"2015-10-23T03:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-10-23T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/?p=19228"},"modified":"2023-08-12T16:14:17","modified_gmt":"2023-08-13T02:14:17","slug":"review-international-delight-dark-chocolate-hot-chocolate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2015\/10\/23\/review-international-delight-dark-chocolate-hot-chocolate\/","title":{"rendered":"REVIEW: International Delight Dark Chocolate Hot Chocolate"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"International<\/a><\/p>\n

I was a dumb kid.<\/p>\n

Growing up, I never understood society\u2019s romanticized view of hot chocolate. I wondered why people applauded its chocolaty taste, when every time I<\/i> made hot chocolate it tasted bland and runny. <\/p>\n

And why did they so happily warm their hands with the stuff on winter days, when mine got lukewarm and nasty halfway through?<\/p>\n

Oh, that\u2019s right. Because up until I turned [EMBARRASINGLY HIGH NUMBER REMOVED] years old, I thought hot chocolate was made by simply microwaving chocolate milk.<\/p>\n

I was a dumb, dumb kid. <\/p>\n

Perhaps by reviewing International Delight Hot Chocolate, I can atone for my choco-sins. This new refrigerated hot chocolate dairy beverage (\u201cHello, is this the Oxymoron Police? Yeah, it\u2019s me again.\u201d) comes in dark and milk chocolate varieties. I chose the former, figuring it was less likely to just be classier chocolate milk. <\/p>\n

The drink claims to contain all the goodness of hot cocoa* after only 45 seconds in the microwave. <\/p>\n

*In the unending civil war between people who say \u201chot cocoa\u201d and people who say \u201chot chocolate,\u201d I\u2019m choosing to remain as neutral as a mug of Swiss Miss.<\/p>\n

\"International<\/a><\/p>\n

Pouring out the viscous liquid, I curiously wondered what \u201cCold Chocolate\u201d would taste like. I also wondered whether \u201cCold Chocolate\u201d would be a better name for an Android operating system or an Icelandic techno-pop supergroup. But that\u2019s beside the point.<\/p>\n

And unlike an actual feline, who would find chocolate quite toxic, curiosity didn\u2019t kill this cat. Rather, I found the syrupy, chilled drink to have a dense, tasty mix of sweet, fatty milk and rich, creamy cocoa. There was no dark chocolate bitterness, though, so I can only imagine how cloying the milk chocolate flavor would be.<\/p>\n

I suddenly realized that it tastes exactly<\/i> like a slightly melted chocolate Snack Pack! I never knew that \u201cpudding milk\u201d was something I needed so badly in my life, but now that I\u2019ve acquired a taste for it, I don\u2019t think I can ever go back. This must be how Count Chocula got his start.<\/p>\n

\"International<\/a><\/p>\n

Returning from pudding nirvana, I actually followed the instructions and microwaved my 8 fluid ounces of Hot Chocolate. After a brief stir, I sipped the steaming, frothy liquid, and the first taste set off sad Price is Right<\/i> trombones<\/a> in my head. The heating process made the previously lovely goo much thinner and considerably less potent from a chocolate standpoint. <\/p>\n

What was once whole-ier than whole milk was now more like hot 2% and Hershey\u2019s syrup. The thin cream taste had processed cocoa notes that required frequent stirring to save from sinking into the brown abyss. <\/p>\n

I\u2019m no food scientist, so I don\u2019t know what about microwaving makes this taste so diluted, flat, and even kinda slimy. Do microwaves burn off fat? If they do, those \u201cOne Weird Trick To Cut Off Belly Fat\u201d banner ads are about to get a whole lot weirder.<\/p>\n

\"International<\/a><\/p>\n

But even a food scientologist can tell this isn\u2019t quite real hot cocoa. Even adding marshmallows didn\u2019t help; it was just putting sugary white lipstick on a pig.<\/p>\n

I recommend buying this drink, but only if you immediately cross out the word \u201cHot\u201d with Sharpie. Like that shameful misunderstanding from my past, it\u2019s best if we all just pretend it didn\u2019t happen and instead happily chug International Delight Chocolate straight out of the refrigerator.<\/p>\n

Oh, and if you do, you might want to cross out that whole \u201c200 calories per serving\u201d part, too. <\/p>\n

See no evil, no evil goes straight to my thighs, right?<\/p>\n

(Nutrition Facts – 1 cup \u2013 200 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 320 milligrams of sodium, 38 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 31 grams of sugar, and 8 grams of protein.)<\/small><\/p>\n

Item:<\/b> International Delight Dark Chocolate Hot Chocolate
\nPurchased Price:<\/b> $2.99
\nSize:<\/b> 1 quart
\nPurchased at:<\/b> Meijer
\nRating:<\/b> 6 out of 10
\nPros:<\/b> Whole-y cold pudding milk, Batman! Becoming a chocolate vampire. Munching many mini marshmallows. Escaping childhood shame.
\nCons:<\/b> Completely fails at its intended purpose. Pretty much \u201cMicrowaved Chocolate Milk 2.0.\u201d Wasting 45 seconds I could\u2019ve spent microwaving Pizza Rolls. Taking the phrase \u201cbrown abyss\u201d out of context. Still only owning one glass cup.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I was a dumb kid. Growing up, I never understood society\u2019s romanticized view of hot chocolate. I wondered why people applauded its chocolaty taste, when every time I made hot chocolate it tasted bland and runny. And why did they so happily warm their hands with the stuff on winter days, when mine got lukewarm […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1440],"tags":[1610,1552],"class_list":["post-19228","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews","tag-hot-cocoa","tag-international-delight"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":19185,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2015\/10\/13\/spotted-on-shelves-international-delight-hot-chocolate-milk-chocolate-and-dark-chocolate\/","url_meta":{"origin":19228,"position":0},"title":"SPOTTED ON SHELVES: International Delight Hot Chocolate (Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate)","author":"Marvo","date":"October 13, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Heat and drink or just drink. Marshmallows not included. (Spotted by Adam S at Tops Friendly Markets.) If you\u2019re out shopping and see an interesting new or limited edition product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send us an email (theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com) with where you found it and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Spotted on Shelves"","block_context":{"text":"Spotted on Shelves","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/spotted-on-shelves\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"International Delight Hot Chocolate (Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm6.staticflickr.com\/5672\/22122552085_16f9d16d07_z.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm6.staticflickr.com\/5672\/22122552085_16f9d16d07_z.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm6.staticflickr.com\/5672\/22122552085_16f9d16d07_z.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":63498,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2024\/07\/19\/spotted-international-delight-home-alone-creamers\/","url_meta":{"origin":19228,"position":1},"title":"SPOTTED: International Delight Home Alone Creamers","author":"Marvo","date":"July 19, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The Hot Chocolate Marshmallow one is new, while the other two are returning seasonal flavors. (Spotted by Melissa at ShopRite.) If you\u2019re out shopping and see new products, snap a picture of them, and send them in via an email (theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com) with where you found them and \"Spotted\" in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Spotted on Shelves"","block_context":{"text":"Spotted on Shelves","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/spotted-on-shelves\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/idhoalfrosucmmocrers.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/idhoalfrosucmmocrers.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/idhoalfrosucmmocrers.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/idhoalfrosucmmocrers.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/idhoalfrosucmmocrers.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":36443,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2019\/05\/15\/international-delight-smores-creamer-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":19228,"position":2},"title":"REVIEW: International Delight Limited Edition S\u2019mores Creamer","author":"Marvo","date":"May 15, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"International Delight\u2019s S\u2019mores Creamer takes me back to my days at Boy Scouts camp. The sunlight hours were spent earning Merit Badges, repelling mosquitos, and using the only toilet with running water at the camp which was at the main lodge. Nights involved more mosquitos, sleeping on the hard ground,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/International-Delight-Limited-Edition-Smores-Creamer.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/International-Delight-Limited-Edition-Smores-Creamer.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/International-Delight-Limited-Edition-Smores-Creamer.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/International-Delight-Limited-Edition-Smores-Creamer.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/International-Delight-Limited-Edition-Smores-Creamer.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":45423,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2020\/11\/25\/spotted-11-25-2020\/","url_meta":{"origin":19228,"position":3},"title":"SPOTTED – 11\/25\/2020","author":"Marvo","date":"November 25, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Here are some interesting new products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. 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(Spotted by Rachel C at\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Spotted on Shelves"","block_context":{"text":"Spotted on Shelves","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/spotted-on-shelves\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/H-E-B-Creamy-Creations-Limited-Edition-Peppermint-Bark-Ice-Cream.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/H-E-B-Creamy-Creations-Limited-Edition-Peppermint-Bark-Ice-Cream.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/H-E-B-Creamy-Creations-Limited-Edition-Peppermint-Bark-Ice-Cream.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/H-E-B-Creamy-Creations-Limited-Edition-Peppermint-Bark-Ice-Cream.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/H-E-B-Creamy-Creations-Limited-Edition-Peppermint-Bark-Ice-Cream.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":25745,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2017\/11\/08\/spotted-on-shelves-peeps-delights-peppermint-bark-hot-chocolate-cinnamon-roll-and-sugar-cookie\/","url_meta":{"origin":19228,"position":4},"title":"SPOTTED ON SHELVES: Peeps Delights Peppermint Bark, Hot Chocolate, Cinnamon Roll, and Sugar Cookie","author":"Marvo","date":"November 8, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"So Peeps Delights Peppermint Bark is the old Peeps Candy Cane, Peeps Delight Hot Chocolate is the old Peeps Hot Cocoa & Cream, Peeps Delight Cinnamon Roll is the old Peeps Cinnamon Roll, and Peeps Delights Sugar Cookie is the old Peeps Sugar Cookie. 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Born to delight caffeine-addicts everywhere, this creamer without borders exists to bring the cuteness of Just Born\u2019s famous springtime chicks into your drab and dreary cup o\u2019 joe. How is it? Crazy premise aside, this concept isn\u2019t as insane as it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/International-Delight-Limited-Edition-Peeps-Creamer-in-Coffee.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/International-Delight-Limited-Edition-Peeps-Creamer-in-Coffee.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/International-Delight-Limited-Edition-Peeps-Creamer-in-Coffee.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/International-Delight-Limited-Edition-Peeps-Creamer-in-Coffee.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/International-Delight-Limited-Edition-Peeps-Creamer-in-Coffee.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19228","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19228"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19228\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19228"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19228"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19228"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}