Homemade Hot Chocolate

Published December 23, 2019

I used to travel to Manhattan with my dad for “bring-your-kid-to-work” day.

Before heading home, my dad and I would stop in the Jacques Torres Chocolate shop for dark chocolate hot chocolates.

We watched the hot chocolate pour into small shot-size paper cups — so rich and decadent it was like hot fudge.

With a dollop of fresh whipped cream, I would drink that hot chocolate over several days — to not get sick from how chocolate-y it was.

Thus, last week when I made homemade marshmallows (without corn syrup) — I wondered how challenging it would be to make my own homemade hot chocolate, using melted chocolate.

The answer? Not challenging at all!

Ingredients You Need for Homemade Hot Chocolate

Homemade hot chocolate requires few ingredients. I only went to the store to buy the bittersweet chocolate. I was trying to recreate the dark chocolate hot chocolate that I had at Jacques Torres.

If you like milk or white chocolate, and that’s what you have available, I’m sure you can use that too. I would limit the amount of sugar you add to the hot chocolate base, since milk or white chocolate is already sweet enough.

Further — as I mentioned in my homemade marshmallow post — you don’t have to have a candy thermometer for either of these recipes (though it does make the process easier).

In my recipe research, I read that the milk base is “done” or at 180°F when there are tiny bubbles around the edges of the pan.

How to Make Homemade Hot Chocolate from Scratch

Once you have your chocolate of choice, the rest is easy. Melt your chocolate and set aside. At first, I didn’t think 3/4-1 cup was enough chocolate, but it is.

Then add your milk and sugar (if you’re using bittersweet chocolate) — to the pan, and let it heat to 180°F. Turn off the heat and whisk in your melted chocolate and enjoy!

I used a soup ladle to serve my hot chocolate. I put it in my grandmother’s teacup. I added one of my homemade marshmallows as well. Fresh whipped cream is also a good choice.

The Final Product

Overall Thoughts

Flavor

I added a tablespoon of sugar to my milk base, as I prefer the strong flavor of bittersweet chocolate. If you want a sweeter dessert hot chocolate, add the full amount of sugar. Remember, that marshmallows and other toppings can add sweetness too.

Serving and Storage

The above recipe yielded 5 1/2 teacups worth of hot chocolate. I estimate this — as I filled my sister’s travel mug 3/4 of the way with hot chocolate before she left for school. I also had a small teacup’s worth, and poured the leftover hot chocolate in an over-sized mug.

I imagine that an average-sized mug would give you more servings. You can always double the recipe if you’d like to have leftovers throughout the week.

I reheated the hot chocolate in its mug for a minute or so in the microwave. You can also use a small saucepan, so you don’t overcook the hot chocolate.

Recipe Score

I would give this homemade hot chocolate recipe a 10/10 for the following:

• Recipe Level

  • Easy: Besides melting the chocolate — which you have to be careful not to burn — this recipe only requires you to monitor your milk base. Since you don’t have to stir, this is an easy recipe (especially if you have a candy thermometer).

• Ingredients

  • Besides the chocolate of your choice, you should have milk and sugar on hand. I would not recommend substituting whole milk or another type of milk, as that could change the hot chocolate’s consistency. Feel free to leave a comment if it works for you!

• Prep

  • You can use any saucepan you have at home, so I would say there is limited-to-no prep involved with this homemade hot chocolate recipe.

• Flavor

  • 10/10: I forgot to add the vanilla extract before serving, but I still loved this hot chocolate recipe (which I found on Pinterest). The bittersweet chocolate was perfect — and reminded me of the rich hot chocolate I had in the city. My homemade marshmallows were a fun addition to the cup, and dissolved in the hot chocolate for additional sweetness.

K. Martinelli Makes Homemade Hot Chocolate

Thanks for Watching!

Do you have a favorite holiday hot chocolate recipe? Have you made hot chocolate from scratch? Tell me about it in the comments or check out my other dessert recipes to try.