Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate

Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate

My current drink of choice is a Starbucks Non-fat, No whip, Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate.  (plus or minus a  shot of espresso depending on the time of day).  The pairing of salt and caramel seems to be my current flavor obsession, especially when combined with chocolate.  I decided that I needed to learn to make this myself so that I can enjoy it more often, and for a fraction of the cost.  After some research, it seems that Starbucks adds Toffee Nut syrup to their version (which I don't have).  But my local Starbucks tells me they add vanilla.  So what I did, was to start with Pioneer Woman's basic hot chocolate recipe (using non-fat milk, and fat-free half and half, and no sugar).  I added 2 tsp of vanilla while stirring the chocolate.  I poured the hot chocolate into my mug, drizzled each mug with 1 Tbsp caramel sauce (you can use store bought or make your own), and sprinkled each mug with 1/8 tsp sea salt.  (Starbucks uses fancy gourmet smoked sea salt, but I don't have that).  You could top with whipped cream if you're not watching calories, but I do, and this tastes delicious without the whipped cream!  Then curl up and enjoy.  This is seriously the best thing I've ever drank!