Mounds Bar Cocktail

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
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Updated on 04/30/21
Mounds Bar Cocktail in a glass, garnished with whipped cream and shredded coconut

The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 5 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

The combination of chocolate and coconut has long been a favorite indulgence. The mounds bar recipe is a hot cocoa cocktail that mimics one of the most famous candy bars to feature the duo and it does a fairly good job of it.

Essentially, all you need to do to make a mounds bar is spike a cup of hot chocolate with coconut rum. Though that's simple enough, you can make it even better by exploring variations on the two ingredients. For instance, while Malibu is a favorite coconut rum, you might want to try another brand, such as Bacardi, Captain Morgan, or Cruzan. RumHaven makes one from real coconut water that's delicious, too.

Once you've chosen the rum, it's time to decide which version of hot chocolate to make. A cocoa mix provides a quick option, but old-fashioned hot chocolate results in a richer chocolate base. No matter which you choose, have fun mixing up your mounds bar, then sit back and enjoy the sweet, luscious taste.

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces coconut rum

  • 6 ounces hot chocolate

  • Whipped cream, for garnish

  • Shredded coconut, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Mounds Bar Cocktail ingredients

    The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

  2. In a heated mug or Irish coffee glass, pour the coconut rum.

    Coconut rum poured into a glass mug

    The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

  3. Fill with hot chocolate, and stir well.

    Coconut rum with hot chocolate in a glass mug with a spoon

    The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

  4. Top it with whipped cream and shredded coconut. Serve and enjoy.

    Mounds Bar Cocktail garnished with whipped cream and shredded coconut in a glass mug and shredded coconut in a bowl

    The Spruce / Bahareh Niati

Tips

  • Warming up your mug helps the drink stays warm to the last sip and it takes just a little bit of extra time. One option is to fill the mug with hot water (from a teapot, for instance) while you make the cocoa. The other way is to heat the water-filled mug in the microwave for about 10 seconds.
  • If you're going with the powdered cocoa option, mix that with hot milk or water separately. This ensures that it's completely dissolved before adding it to the rum.

How Strong Is a Mound Bar?

Most coconut rums are actually liqueurs because of added sweeteners and they're bottled at 70 proof. That starts the drink off just a touch lighter than the average rum cocktail. Though it will ultimately depend on how much cocoa you pour, you can expect the mounds bar to weigh in around 8 percent ABV (16 proof). That's right between beer and wine, so there's not much chance of getting drunk off one mug.

Recipe Variations

  • Pour coconut vodka rather than rum. There are just a few brands that produce the flavor; one of the best is Cîroc Vodka, though New Amsterdam makes a nice one that's a little more reasonably priced.
  • You can also use any unflavored rum you like, then add the coconut flavor with coconut milk (coconut cream works, too). For this version, stick with the 2 ounces of rum, add 1 ounce of coconut milk (more or less to taste), then fill the mug with cocoa.
  • Using coconut milk instead of rum and skipping the liquor completely makes a delicious nonalcoholic mounds bar.
  • If you want to really play with your drink, place a Mounds Bar in the cocoa and let it melt away, adding extra chocolate and coconut. (You may need a spoon to eat the coconut.) The idea is inspired by a fun Argentinian hot chocolate drink called el submarino in which a piece of dark chocolate is melted in warm milk as you drink.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
237 Calories
3g Fat
36g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 237
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 4%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 5mg 2%
Sodium 157mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 36g 13%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 30g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 50mg 4%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 220mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)