How Frozen Hot Chocolate Became A Pop Culture Phenomenon

At last count, Serendipity 3 had served its famous Frrrozen Hot Chocolate 30 million times. TikTokers excitedly drove to their nearest Dairy Queen last winter when they learned they could order DQ's version of the slushy beverage off menu — any time of the year. Instagrammers like to show off the puff of bruléed marshmallow rimming a cup of frozen goodness from New York's viral sensation, Glace. Bloggers and YouTubers have proudly showcased their three-ingredient recipes. What keeps this 70-year-old frozen delight, well, hot? A celebrity following, a featured role in two beloved romantic comedies, a mention on a millennial favorite television show, and social media-worthy special editions have certainly fanned the flames.

Serendipity 3, the Upper East Side restaurant that is one part curiosity shop, one part Mad Hatter Tea Party, and one part celebrity hot spot, claims to have invented frozen hot chocolate in 1954 when it first opened. Frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity 3 is more than a chocolate milkshake. The slushy sensation is made with 14 different cocoas and a cloud of whipped cream. The restaurant often mentions the beverage was a favorite of both Andy Warhol and Marilyn Monroe but you don't need to go back that far to find fans. Just last year, Cher and Jimmy Fallon shared one on air. The chocolate sensation also appeared in the movies "Serendipity" and "One Fine Day" and was mentioned in an episode of "Girls."

The founders and owners of Serendipity 3 have certainly helped keep the beverage top of mind. People have paid to get married in bathtubs filled with it. A $25,000 version with gold leaf and an imported chocolate-covered truffle is now in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's most expensive dessert. They topped that in 2023 with a $250,000 version made especially for Valentine's Day. The Diamond Frrrozen Hot Chocolate, made in partnership with jewelry designer Lorraine Schwartz, was served in a gilded chocolate sphere filled with edible diamonds and gold straws and topped with an elaborate pink, blue, and white-diamond 18-karat gold ring designed by Schwartz.

You can try to emulate Mexican hot chocolate at Starbucks, or make irresistible French hot chocolate by adding butter, but you may never be able to replicate the full experience of Frrrozen Hot Chocolate at Serendipity 3. The restaurant has never shared the recipe — even when former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis asked for it. Thankfully, the three-ingredient versions are simple. All you need is plain or chocolate milk, dry hot cocoa mix, and ice. After you throw it in a blender and give it a whirl, you just have to grab some whipped cream and sprinkles to top it off.