‘Tis the season for a piping hot mug of hot chocolate. And no hot chocolate is complete without that finishing touch on top. But with so many toppings to consider, how can you choose? As it turns out, Americans know exactly what they like atop their cocoa–but is it what you’d expect? 

Among hot chocolate drinkers with a preference, mini marshmallows are the most popular add-on to a cup of hot chocolate (43%), with whipped cream coming in second (34%). Trailing in third (12%) are those who prefer large marshmallows–those oversized squares of sweet goodness that float like a sugary iceberg in a sea of steaming chocolate. 

Although a smaller subset of the population, those who prefer large marshmallows are a unique bunch that set themselves apart with their distinct consumer behaviors. On the surface, large marshmallow fans do not seem especially noteworthy. This group skews slightly towards lower-income individuals and Millennials, but otherwise appears fairly average. However, a closer look reveals that those who opt for a floating barge of sugary sweetness atop their hot chocolate are more than what meets the eye. 

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Here’s the data on large marshmallow fans you didn’t realize you were missing:

Tip Skippers: Large marshmallow fans are the least likely to tip when dining out, as 20% describe their average tip as ‘none.’ This outpaces all other hot chocolate fans by a minimum of eight percentage points.  

Stress Shopping: 42% of those who prefer large marshmallows on their hot chocolate say they shop to relieve stress ‘all the time.’ That figure is three times the percentage of those who prefer mini marshmallows who say the same. 

Night Owls: Nearly one in four large marshmallow fans go to bed after midnight, more than twice that of those who prefer a cinnamon dusting atop their cocoa (24% vs 11%).  

Coffee Ritualists: Beyond hot chocolate, 41% of those who opt for large marshmallows say they enjoy the ritual of coffee. Just 15% of whipped cream fans say the same. 

Fans of Spring: Despite their love of hot chocolate–a decidedly winter beverage– 23% of large marshmallow fans believe spring is the best season of the year for seasonal food. That’s nearly three times the amount of mini marshmallow fans who say the same. 

Clearly, those who enjoy a large marshmallow on their hot chocolate are far from ordinary. They naturally take part in rituals–whether that’s a shopping spree to de-stress or the act of preparing coffee. Yet, they differentiate from the pack by opting out of some social norms–such as tipping–and choose to burn the midnight oil. As a result, these consumers can feel hard to pin down, as they keep their hot chocolate–and their cards–close to their chest. 

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This article’s data comes solely from CivicScience’s database, which contains nearly 700,000 poll questions and 5 billion consumer insights.