When it’s cold and dark outside and the dreary gray keeps you pinned to the couch, it’s time for a hot chocolate. And it gets especially delicious when you use real chocolate with a high cocoa content instead of the usual convenience powder. A warm belly and happy feelings are guaranteed!
Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
Nutrition per serving, approx.: 383 kcal11 g protein34 g carbs22 g fat4 g fiber
Estimates, calculated from the ingredients.
Instructions
- Break the 75 g dark chocolate into small pieces and put it in a saucepan.
- Slit open 0.5 vanilla bean and add it to the saucepan together with 500 ml milk and 2 tsp sugar.
- Heat gently and slowly while stirring until the chocolate has melted.
- Remove the vanilla bean, serve and enjoy.
Tips
- The hot chocolate is especially delicious if you replace about 1/3 of the milk with heavy cream. Definitely nothing for calorie counters, though ;-).
- Vanilla beans have become extremely expensive, but they’re still worth it. Please don’t use vanilla sugar, the flavor doesn’t compare! Supermarkets now also carry lots of vanilla pastes and extracts, but those also give the hot chocolate a different flavor than real vanilla beans.
Find more kitchen tips from A to Z in our Kitchen A–Z.
Private notes
Saved only in your browser – nobody else can see them. They are included when you print.
Something didn’t work or did you spot a mistake? Just email contact@homemadestuff.blog – I appreciate every bit of feedback.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hot Chocolate
Which chocolate works best for hot chocolate?
Ideally dark chocolate with a high cocoa content. Some varieties are quite bitter, though. I especially like a mild dark chocolate with 70 % cocoa – it tastes rich, but not bitter.
Can I use milk chocolate instead?
Yes, your hot chocolate will then be sweeter and milder. In that case, it’s best to leave out the sugar and only adjust the sweetness at the end.
What is the vanilla bean for?
The seeds of the vanilla bean give the hot chocolate a delicate, well-rounded flavor. You can find more about vanilla in the kitchen glossary under vanilla bean.
Is hot chocolate the same as cocoa?
Not quite. For drinking chocolate, you melt real chocolate in warm milk; for cocoa, you stir in cocoa powder. Real chocolate makes the drink creamier and more intense. You’ll find even more ideas for cold days in my Christmas recipes.
Can I store and reheat hot chocolate?
Yes, you can keep leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge. Since it’s made with milk, drink it within 1 to 2 days. Reheat it slowly in a saucepan, stirring constantly.
Can I freeze hot chocolate?
Freezing the finished drink isn’t worth it. The milk can separate and the chocolate turns grainy. Just make as much as you want to drink right now, since it only takes a few minutes fresh.
