“The floor seemed wonderfully solid.
It was comfortable to know I had fallen
and I could fall no further. ”
As a kid, I was all too familiar with pre-packaged hot cocoa. I remember it being amazing and I loved that you could just microwave some water, mix the powder in, and there you had it! I delicious cup of hot cocoa. However, once I reached a certain age I started to long for a better hot cocoa. I started by using milk instead water to make the hot cocoa creamier. I then started adding canned whipped cream on top to take it to the next level. That was pretty much where my hot cocoa development stopped.
Then, I started a food blog. I thought to myself one day, “Hot Cocoa sounds really good.” But I knew that I couldn’t go back to that dry powdered stuff. No way. And so, as with most recipes on my blog, I thought to myself, “I can definitely make this homemade and better.”
So I started to research all of the best/popular hot cocoa recipes on the internet and in the cookbooks that I have. I knew I wanted something that was rich, decadent, and not too sweet. My biggest gripe with powdered hot cocoa is that it is way too sweet. I also wanted a hot cocoa that was in between french and ‘regular’ hot cocoa— meaning, I didn’t want something that was too thick or too watery. Don’t get me wrong, French Hot Chocolate is amazing! It just isn’t really a sipping cocoa.
The final ingredients and ratios that I landed on for this Homemade Hot Cocoa are perfect in my opinion. They lend a hot cocoa that is silky smooth, rich, and not too sweet. You taste the richness from the milk and heavy cream (without it being too heavy) and the combination of dark chocolate and cocoa powder create a super concentrated chocolate flavor. This recipe uses a small amount of sugar to up the sweetness ever so slightly, but since the chocolate has a little bit of sugar you don’t need to add very much. The secret ingredients in this recipe are vanilla extract and espresso powder. Both, in my opinion, are completely necessary as they amplify the chocolatey flavor.
The best part about this hot cocoa is that it is super simple to make! All you do is combine all of the ingredients (besides the chopped dark chocolate) into a saucepan and heat it until simmering, then you add the chopped chocolate and whisk until smooth and the chocolate is melted. You then pour into some cups and top with homemade whipped cream! I like to top my hot cocoa with chocolate shavings but you can use whatever toppings you like. Crushed candy canes, mini marshmallows, use whatever you want!
This recipe for Homemade Hot Cocoa is not only easy to make but it only requires a few ingredients and will quickly become something you want to make all fall and winter long! The recipe can also be easily multiplied so you can make it for a crowd. Trust me, you will never want to drink powdered hot cocoa again after trying this recipe! And if you do try this recipe, make sure to let me know how it turns out. Feel free to share your photos with me as well, I would love to hear from you!
Homemade Hot Cocoa
Makes 4-6 Servings
Ingredients
For the Hot Cocoa
¼ Cup Sugar
¼ Cup Dutch Cocoa Powder
¾ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Espresso Powder
4 Cups Whole Milk
1 ½ Cups Heavy Cream
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
12 Ounces Dark Chocolate (at least 60%), roughly chopped
For the Whipped Cream
1 Cup Heavy Cream
2 Tablespoons Sugar
Toppings (Optional)
Chocolate Shavings
Mini Freeze Dried Marshmallows
Crushed Candy Canes
Directions
Make the Hot Cocoa
In a medium-sized saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and espresso powder until fully combined— about 1 full minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and heavy cream until evenly combined and smooth.
Turn the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is simmering— not boiling. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the chocolate. Return the saucepan to the heat and stir over medium-low heat until all of the chocolate is melted and the hot cocoa is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Make the Whipped Cream
In a large bowl, add the heavy cream and sugar and whisk into medium-stiff peaks. The cream should hold a slightly floppy peak when held upside on the whisk. If the mixture looks curdled you have gone too far and need to start over. Alternatively you can use a hand-held electric mixture but be careful, it is easy to over-whip the cream this way.
Assemble
Divide the Hot Cocoa between 4-6 cups (it will vary depending on the size of your cups). Top each cup of cocoa with a big dollop of whipped cream. Top with shaved chocolate or anything toppings you desire. Enjoy!