This isn’t cocoa: it’s melted chocolate you drink. It’s rich enough that a small 4-5 oz cup is plenty, the way it’s served in European cafés, often alongside churros.
Ingredients
You’ll need: Small saucepan, Whisk
Method
Warm the milk and cream in a saucepan until steaming.
If using cornstarch, whisk it with a tablespoon of cold milk first, then whisk into the pan.
Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate, sugar and salt. Let sit 1 minute, then whisk until smooth.
Return to low heat and whisk 2-3 minutes until it thickens slightly and coats a spoon.
Tips
Use a 60-70% bar you’d happily eat; chocolate chips contain stabilizers that keep them from melting smoothly.
Serve in espresso cups or small mugs.
Nutrition per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 535
- Protein
- 9g
- Carbs
- 37g
- Sugar
- 24g
- Fiber
- 6g
- Fat
- 39g
- Caffeine
- 44mg
Estimated from standard USDA values for the ingredients listed; brands vary.
Variations
Spanish-style: Add the cornstarch and cook until pudding-thick for dipping churros.
Orange: Add a strip of orange peel while warming the milk.
Nutrition at a glance
One serving has about 535 calories, 24 g sugar, 9 g protein and about 44 mg caffeine. Values are estimates from USDA data for the exact amounts listed; your chocolate brand and milk change them: check your version with our chocolate drink calorie calculator.
Storing and reheating
Leftover hot chocolate keeps in a covered jar in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave, whisking well: the chocolate settles as it cools. A skin on top is normal; whisk it back in.
Choosing your chocolate
For drinks made with cocoa powder, Dutch-process gives a darker, smoother, mellower cup and natural cocoa a brighter, fruitier one. For melted chocolate, use a bar you’d enjoy eating: chips contain stabilizers that resist melting. See our cocoa and hot chocolate mix reviews and cocoa powder guide.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between hot chocolate and hot cocoa?
Hot cocoa is made from cocoa powder; hot chocolate (drinking chocolate) is made from melted chocolate and is richer.
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Gear for this recipe
Velvety and deeply chocolatey without being too sweet: the mix that tastes closest to melted dark chocolate. It’s pricey and often sells out in winter.
- Type
- Hot cocoa mix
- Size
- 14.5 oz tin
- Cost
- about $1.30 per oz
- Make with
- With milk
A top pick in America’s Test Kitchen’s cocoa tasting for complex, layered chocolate flavor. Comes in natural and Dutch-process versions.
- Type
- Cocoa powder
- Size
- 8 oz
- Cost
- about $1 per oz
- Make with
- Make from scratch
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