KANSAS CITY — Hot cocoa is climbing in popularity as a holiday flavor, especially combined with peppermint.

Dairy Queen is debuting the Peppermint Hot Cocoa Blizzard Treat, featuring candy cane pieces, chocolate chunks and cocoa fudge blended with vanilla soft serve. The dessert is then finished with whipped topping and candy cane pieces.

Auntie Anne’s is introducing the Hot Chocolate Frost, a frozen twist on the holiday staple. The treat features frozen hot chocolate topped with whipped cream and a drizzle of Hershey’s chocolate syrup.

Tim Hortons is launching a lineup of holiday beverages, including Peppermint Hot Chocolate.

Orange Leaf has teamed up with Ghirardelli to launch a new frozen yogurt flavor: Peppermint Hot Cocoa Froyo. Made with Ghirardelli chocolate, the seasonal flavor pairs minty and sweet flavors.

“We are excited to once again partner with Ghirardelli to be able to create a flavor featuring their rich chocolate that’s been handmade in San Francisco for almost 170 years now,” said Kendall Ware, president and chief operating officer of Orange Leaf. “They’ve been a quality flavor partner of ours for years and it’s no surprise that combining their hot cocoa with our proprietary frozen yogurt has already proven to be a crowd favorite.”

View a slideshow of new menu items.