Incredibly Creamy Italian Hot Chocolate
This Italian-style hot chocolate is the ultimate cup of creamy, rich goodness. It's so easy to make and absolutely one of our all-time favorite chocolate recipes. Serve it in small cups with softly whipped cream for a decadent treat.
Equipment
Ingredients
Yield: 2-6 servings, depending on cup size
- 2 cups (475 ml) full fat milk dairy or non-dairy
- ⅓ cup (35 g) confectioners' sugar
- ¼ cup (20 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt such as Maldon; or ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 6 ounces (170 g) chocolate (I like dark - use semisweet or milk chocolate if you like a sweeter taste), broken into small pieces or chopped
- ½ cup soft unsweetened whipped cream for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Put the milk in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- While the milk is heating, sift the sugar and cocoa powder over a small bowl — a mesh strainer works well. Add the salt and whisk to blend.
- Add the cocoa mixture, vanilla and chocolate to the milk over low heat. Whisk until the chocolate is melted, about 1 minute, until the mixture thickens.
- Divide the hot chocolate into small cups (it's very rich!). Serve with a spoonful of whipped cream on top, if you like.
Video
Notes
- To keep warm: The hot chocolate can be kept warm for 30 minutes in the pan set over very low heat — stir it frequently to make sure it doesn't burn on the bottom of the pan. To keep it hot up to 2 hours: Place in a slow cooker on the "warm" setting. Or, transfer the hot chocolate to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of with 2 inches of hot water, stirring every once in a while to keep the chocolate from settling on the bottom of the bowl. (check the water level occasionally, adding more as needed so it doesn't boil dry). A large thermos will also work!
- Hot chocolate can be refrigerated up to 1 week. Reheat gently (don't bring to a boil) over low heat before serving.
- For gifting: The recipe can be doubled or tripled. Mix the dry ingredients, along with the chopped chocolate, and put in a glass jar with instructions on how to heat with milk. Use about 1/2 cup of the mix for each cup of milk.
- Garnish ideas: Add a shot of rum, brandy, Irish cream or your favorite liqueur (for the grown ups); add whipped cream and a sprinkle of shaved milk chocolate, small soft marshmallows or cinnamon sticks.
Nutrition
Calories: 240kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 6gFat: 16gSodium: 232mgFiber: 4gSugar: 11g
