Homemade Hot Chocolate
Made with cocoa powder, real chocolate, and your milk of choice, this hot chocolate recipe delivers a velvety, luxurious mug with deep chocolate flavor that puts any hot cocoa packet to shame!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- ½ cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 cups whole milk see note on other varieties
- ¼ cup granulated sugar see note
- ⅛ teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place ½ cup chocolate chips into a small bowl. In a separate small bowl, sift ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder and ⅛ teaspoon table salt together using a fine-mesh strainer.
- In a medium saucepan, heat 4 cups whole milk with ¼ cup granulated sugar (or maple syrup) over medium-low heat until it just warms, whisking every 30 seconds or so. Don’t be tempted to turn up the heat--milk scorches easily!
- Ladle about 1 cup of the warm milk over the chocolate and let it sit for 1 minute to gently melt. Meanwhile, ladle ¼ cup of the warm milk over the cocoa powder and whisk until fully dissolved and smooth. Pour the cocoa mixture back into the saucepan, whisking to combine. Stir the chocolate until completely melted, then whisk the melted chocolate back into the saucepan until smooth.
- Continue to heat over medium-low heat just until the mixture is fully warmed through, about 2-3 minutes. Taste and add more sweetener if desired, whisking to combine.
- Turn off the heat and stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. And serve as desired.
Video
Notes
Milk: Whole milk, half and half, or canned coconut milk if you are dairy-free will produce the richest hot chocolate.
Chocolate: Dark, semi-sweet, or milk chocolate all work well. It comes down to preference.
Sugar: If using milk chocolate, you may want to decrease the sugar to 2 tablespoons to start. If you are using dark chocolate, you may need to add a bit more sugar. Taste and adjust accordingly after combined. *Honey or maple syrup may be used in place of granulated sugar.
Storage: Leftover hot chocolate can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat as desired.
Nutrition
Calories: 282kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 205mg | Potassium: 649mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 597IU | Calcium: 448mg | Iron: 1mg
