Step Aside, Hot Chocolate—We Have to Make Carolina Gelen’s Recipe for Liquid Gingerbread ASAP

The coziest time of the year is finally upon us, which means we have our hands full of deliciously comforting recipes we want to make this season, from pretty cranberry trifle to an easy 3-ingredient appetizer. As always, an assortment of classic holiday beverages makes the list, too—whether it’s mulled wine, hot chocolate or spiced cider, a warm mug of something sweet is a must for the holidays. But this year, we might have to shake things up and try a brand-new cozy beverage from one of our favorite social media chefs.

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Carolina Gelen’s recipe for Liquid Gingerbread might just be the cookie-inspired sippable treat we’ve all been waiting for. It’s a sweet, milk-based drink that’s truly chock-full of all of the wintry spices you associate with the cookie. Gelen, who’s always sharing pretty, simple recipes on Instagram, hopped online to debut the creamy, spiced drink, and commenters fell in love immediately. One fan went so far as to say that they started whipping up a batch of the spiced drink as soon as they saw the post, and it was “soooo good.”

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To copy Carolina, you won’t need that many ingredients—especially if you keep the spice cabinet well stocked. Just gather milk, molasses, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, cloves, brown sugar, salt and cornstarch. The process is simple: Combine everything except the cornstarch in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, bringing it up to a simmer. Adjust the spices to your taste, then make a simple cornstarch slurry to thicken the drink to a truly cozy consistency.

When the texture and taste are to your liking, haul out your favorite mug and get ready to enjoy. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Carolina recipe without some kind of glamorous finish, and the Liquid Gingerbread is no exception.

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In place of the marshmallows that star in hot cocoa, Gelen whips up a quick two-ingredient meringue—you just need egg whites and sugar—and piles a layer of it atop her cup of gingerbread. Then she uses a kitchen torch to add some toasted flavor to the marshmallow topping and takes that first, meringue-mustache-inducing sip. The meringue topping is definitely optional—and leaving it out could be a good way to lower the added sugar content of the drink. You could also keep it simple and top your cup with a little dollop of whipped cream and some gingersnap crumbles.

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Whether you let Liquid Gingerbread replace your holiday cocoa or just add it to the carousel of comforting drinks you try during the colder months, one thing is certain: Everyone is going to want a cup.