Elvis-Inspired Hot Chocolate Will Make Your Taste Buds Sing This Fall

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Elvis Presley has gone down in history for having quite the voracious appetite and unusual food preferences. From his favorite sandwich that used an entire loaf of bread to the unusual way he drank his coffee, Elvis' foodie habits are among some of the most well-documented in music celebrity history. Time and time again, people find themselves in awe of — and sometimes inspired by — his unique tastes. While many might pass on eating an entire loaf of bread in a sandwich, there is a flavor combination that the singer loved that is undeniably delicious: peanut butter and bananas.

This flavor combination works great by itself, but if you want to make a sweet treat inspired by one of Elvis Presley's favorite Southern comfort foods, try mixing these flavors with hot chocolate. The creaminess of both foods pairs well with the richness of hot chocolate, making for an indulgent eating experience. Plus, it's fairly easy to make — all you need to do is mix half of a mashed banana and a couple of teaspoons of peanut butter into your hot chocolate.

Another thing that's great about this Elvis-inspired treat is how customizable it is. You can sweeten it with extra ingredients, make it boozy with a splash of alcohol, have fun with toppings, and so much more. Experiment with your hot chocolate until you find your own personal way to honor the King and his eclectic food preferences.

For the hot chocolate itself, you can either make it using store-bought hot cocoa mix, such as Swiss Miss, or you can make homemade hot chocolate using milk and chocolate chips. If you're not familiar with making homemade hot chocolate, the process is simple. Just heat whole milk until it starts to steam, then stir in chocolate chips until they fully melt.

Speaking of chocolate, you can customize the sweetness of this drink by changing the type of chocolate you use. Milk chocolate will be sweeter than semi-sweet chocolate or dark chocolate. However, if you're looking for an earthier chocolate flavor, go for unsweetened cocoa powder. You can always add more sweetness by including other ingredients, such as maple syrup, agave syrup, white sugar, or brown sugar. For a richer flavor and texture in hot chocolate, you can pour a splash of sweetened condensed milk for the creamiest possible cup.

If you want a boozy variation, you can swap out the mashed banana for banana-flavored cream alcohol or trade the peanut butter for a peanut butter whiskey. Similar to garnishing a cocktail, hot chocolate shines with the right toppings. Common choices include whipped cream, mini marshmallows, and shaved chocolate. If you want some fun textures in your toppings, try adding chopped peanut butter cups, chocolate chips, or pretzel bits. All of these ingredients pair with the flavor of peanut butter and bananas, so you won't be able to help falling in love with this warm, cozy hot chocolate.