Once you’ve had a from-scratch cup of drinking chocolate, you can never go back to those packets that pretend to be hot chocolate. We reserve this decadent treat for special winter moments that call for a little celebration as it is rich and definitely indulgent. It only takes a few minutes on the stovetop and can be scaled up for a crowd or down for a tete-a-tete.
The better the quality of chocolate you use, the better the drinking chocolate will taste. If you like your chocolate rich, use darker chocolate 60% or more. If you like a sweeter chocolate use a semi-sweet chocolate. We love to use a combination of 100% chocolate (baker’s chocolate) and chocolate chips to give that rich dark chocolate flavor without sacrificing one of our more expensive eating bars.
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If you have food allergy concerns, check your. chocolate for soy, gluten, and tree nut cross-contamination. As I have to avoid both soy and gluten, we love the flavors of both Nestle’s allergen-free chips or the Enjoy Life brand. If you need to avoid dairy, oat milk would be a mild-flavored alternative.
When we have some extra heavy whipping cream in the house, we love to whip it up with some Mexican vanilla and a pinch of cane sugar for a nearly mandatory topping for this hot chocolate. The vanilla provides a nice added dimension of flavor and helps to balance the intensity of the chocolate.
Hot Chocolate Recipe Ratio
Ingredients – per serving (scale up)
- 2 oz of chocolate (chips or chopped)
- 1/2 cup milk
- Dash of heavy cream
- Vanilla whipped cream topping (optional)
Instructions
- Pour the milk into a pot on the stove and heat on medium to medium-low heat until bubbles just start to form on the edges. Remove from heat.
- Add the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate and whisk in as it melts into the warm milk
- Add a dash of cream, a little less than a tablespoon per serving, and stir in.
- (Optional) Whip the leftover heavy cream with some vanilla and a pinch of sugar. Top each mug with a dollop.
Hope you enjoy savoring a cup of hot chocolate this winter on a chilly day.
More warm and hearty recipes this way.