Hot Chocolate

This is the BEST homemade hot chocolate recipe. This is smooth, creamy, and rich with deep chocolate flavor. It’s easy to make with 3 ingredients only.

❤️ You'll Love This Hot Chocolate Recipe

Better than store-bought powder mix: This homemade hot chocolate is free from artificial, highly processed, sugary ingredients. So skip the powder stuff and make this recipe with real chocolate.

Quick to make: This recipe gets ready in under 10 minutes.

Made with real chocolate (not cocoa powder): To get the rich and luxuriously creamy texture, you’ll need to use a chocolate bar. Because real chocolate has cocoa butter in it vs cocoa powder doesn’t have it. So cocoa powder lacks the deep chocolatey flavor.

This is not hot cocoa. This is real hot chocolate. Once you try this, you’ll never want to drink hot cocoa again.

🧾 Ingredient Notes

• Semi-sweet chocolate: Real chocolate is the key ingredient here. Always use good quality and to get the best flavor.
  • I like to use semi-sweet chocolate as my kids drink it too. But if making for adults and like dark chocolaty flavor then I recommend using bittersweet chocolate as it has more percent of cocoa.

• Callebaut: This premium Belgian chocolate is my favorite. I have found this in my local whole foods. You can buy it from amazon as well.
• Guittard: This is my second favorite chocolate brand. This is premium quality yet affordable and easily available in most grocery stores like Target.
• Ghirardelli: It doesn’t fall in the premium quality category but it is still good and most widely available in any American grocery store.

• Instant coffee: Coffee brings out the chocolate flavor. Instead, you can add a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
• Whole Milk: I highly recommend using full-fat whole milk to get that creamy consistency. Low-fat or fat-free doesn’t give the same texture.

👩‍🍳 How To Make Hot Chocolate Recipe?

1. Add milk to a heavy-bottom saucepan and heat it on medium heat.
2. Bring it to a stage where it just starts to boil (meaning bubbles start forming on the sides of the pot). and do stir occasionally while it comes to a boil and make sure that milk is not sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. Burnt milk smells and tastes bad.
3. As soon as the milk reaches just starts to boil stage, add the finely chopped chocolate.
4. Add instant coffee.
5. Keep whisking on medium heat until all the chocolate is melted and incorporated well.
6. As soon as it is mixed, turn off the stove. Do not let the mixture boil or simmer.

☕ Serving & Storage

• This homemade hot chocolate is super rich and you don’t need a full mug of it. This recipe makes 2-4 servings depending on the size of your serving. (this quantity is enough for 4 of us = 2 adults, 1 kid and 1 toddler).
• Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
• Reheat in the microwave or stovetop just until it starts boiling. No need to boil or simmer. 
• Do stir it to combine as the chocolate settles down at the bottom after storing.

Toppings For Your Hot Chocolate

This homemade hot chocolate tastes super without any toppings. But there are some topping options to fancy it up a little bit.

• Whipped cream
• Chocolate sprinkles or Holiday sprinkles
• Shaved chocolate
• Sprinkle cocoa powder
• Marshmallows ( use vegan if you’re vegetarian like me)
• A drizzle of chocolate sauce or caramel sauce on top of whipped cream
• Crushed candy canes (peppermint candy)

Customize As Per Liking

• Make extra rich - Replace half amount of the milk with half and half.
• Make less sweet - Use bittersweet chocolate instead of semi-sweet.
• Make Healthy(ish) - Use vegan milk like almond milk or use 2% cow’s milk.
• Make spiked hot chocolate - Add 1.5 oz of liquor for 1 cup of hot chocolate. You can use any whisky, rum, amaretto, Kahlua, peppermint schnapps, Baileys Irish cream, etc.
• Make flavored hot chocolate - Add caramel sauce, a shot of espresso, a pinch of cinnamon powder, peppermint extract, etc.  

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below.

📋 Recipe Card

Step by Step Photos AboveWant to make it perfect first time? Don't forget to check out Step-by-Step photo instructions and helpful Tips & Tricks !!

Print Pin Save Saved!

Hot Chocolate Recipe (3 Ingredients)

5 from 1 vote

Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and/or give ★ ratings

This is the BEST homemade hot chocolate recipe. This is smooth, creamy, and rich with deep chocolate flavor. It’s easy to make with 3 ingredients only.

Author: Kanan

Course: Beverage

Cuisine: American

Calories: 476kcal

Servings 2 -4

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

US measuring cups are used (1 cup = 240 ml) See details

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 cups Milk Full-fat whole milk
• ▢ 4 oz Semi-sweet chocolate finely chopped (use a serrated knife, a food processor doesn’t work here)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Instant coffee

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

• Heat the milk. Add milk to a heavy-bottom saucepan and heat it on medium heat. Bring it to a stage where it just starts to boil (meaning bubbles start forming on the sides of the pot). and do stir occasionally while it comes to a boil and make sure that milk is not sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. Burnt milk smells and tastes bad.
• Add the rest ingredients. As soon as the milk reaches just starts to boil stage, add finely chopped chocolate and instant coffee.
• Heat until the chocolate is melted. Keep whisking on medium heat until all the chocolate is melted and incorporated well.
• As soon as it is mixed, turn off the stove. Do not let the mixture boil or simmer.

Notes

Use good quality, premium brand chocolate to get the best taste.

• Callebaut: This premium Belgian chocolate is my favorite. I have found this in my local whole foods. You can buy it from amazon as well.
• Guittard: This is my second favorite chocolate brand. This is premium quality yet affordable and easily available in most grocery stores like Target.
• Ghirardelli: It doesn’t fall in the premium quality category but it is still good and most widely available in any American grocery store.

Nutrition

Calories: 476kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 98mg | Potassium: 696mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 424IU | Calcium: 336mg | Iron: 4mg

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 serving

Did you make this recipe?Snap a pic, mention @spice.up.the.curry or tag #spiceupthecurry. I would love to see.