December is the month of holiday cookies and sweet treats, so it’s probably no surprise that National Hot Cocoa Day is right in the thick of it on Dec. 13. And to celebrate this food holiday, we’ve found all the least expensive ways that you can get hot cocoa to mark the occasion.
Not to be confused with the totally different National Hot Chocolate Day on Jan. 31, National Hot Cocoa Day is a day to celebrate the powdered cocoa, sugar, and additional flavorings mix. (But it’s easy to get hot cocoa and hot chocolate mixed up, so you’ll find some hot chocolate deals on this list.)
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National Hot Cocoa Day is a day when restaurants offer the popular drink for free or cheap.
National Hot Cocoa Day celebrates the popular cold-weather drink with deals from a bunch of national restaurants — such as cheap or free cups of hot cocoa at popular coffee chains like Starbucks, Pret a Manger, and McDonald's, as well as online promotions from retailers like Keurig and Ghirardelli offering discounts on hot cocoa purchases.
National Hot Cocoa Day happens every year on Dec. 13.
National Hot Cocoa Day takes place every year on Dec. 13, and in 2024, it takes place on a Friday. The Dec. 13 date holds no special significance, but we’re guessing the mid-December date was picked because colder weather months are prime time for drinking hot cocoa.
Everyday Hot Cocoa Day Deals
Cumberland Farms: Enjoy $0.99 hot chocolate every day — including National Hot Cocoa Day.
At Cumberland Farms, you can get hot chocolate, hot coffee, or iced coffee of any size for only $0.99. During the holiday season, they also introduce their Peppermint Hot Chocolate for the same price.
McDonald’s: Rewards members get 50% off one medium or large McCafe drink every day.
If you’re a member of the McDonald’s Rewards program, you can head over to the “Offers” page to find a 50% coupon for medium or large McCafe drinks, including premium hot chocolate. You can use this coupon one time every day.
We’ve got lots of other McDonald’s December deals, plus McDonald’s hacks to save you even more money.
Starbucks: Use your ‘Stars’ to get a free hot chocolate.
If you’ve played the Starbucks for Life game, you can save them up to get a hot cocoa from Starbucks. Once you have 200 Stars in your Starbucks Rewards account (which you can earn when you spend $100, generally speaking), your hot cocoa will be free.
This applies to all the hot cocoa options. Here’s what you can get with your “Stars” in the Grande (16-ounce) size:
Hot Chocolate: $3.95
Peppermint Hot Chocolate: $4.75
Peppermint White Hot Chocolate: $4.75
Toasted White Hot Chocolate: $4.75
White Hot Chocolate: $4.75
There are plenty of ways to get free Starbucks drinks throughout the year.
National Hot Coco Day Deals
Vosges Chocolate: Get 15% off with a promo code by Dec. 13.
If you entered the online-exclusive promo code COCOA15 during checkout at VosgesChocolate.com, on National Cocoa Day in 2022, you saved 15% on your online order. This deal was not stackable with other deals.
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