Homemade Hot Chocolate is my favourite drink this winter! It’s sweet and dark, silky and fragrant, and utterly magnificent.
It is a dream of home. The ideal treat during this time of year, when every breath you take feels like Christmas. And everywhere you go, smells of cinnamon, clementines, chocolate and gingerbread.
At the first sip, a vision will come to mind, with you together with your loved ones beside the Christmas tree and in your hands – a mug of hot chocolate.
The recipe for this homemade hot chocolate is a blend of cocoa, honey, dark chocolate, honey and milk. To make it a true Christmas delight, I added cinnamon and orange juice. Yet, there are endless flavours you may add that blend perfectly, such as vanilla extract, cloves, lemon juice, nutmeg, caramel syrup, maple syrup, marshmallows, cardamom, peppermint extract, and even lavender.
How to make REAL homemade hot chocolate?
Unlike the classic hot chocolate packets, my recipe for homemade HOT CHOCOLATE results in a thick and luscious drink with an intense flavour of dark cocoa.
- Chocolate is the most important ingredient of this recipe. So be picky! Use the finest quality and you will get the most delicious drink. For instance, I use Dr Oetker’s dark chocolate, which by the way, I deeply recommend. Most of the time I juggle between the one made of 52 % of cocoa and 72 %. Regardless, it’s YOUR hot chocolate recipe, you decide how much sugar you want.
- Would you better serve it dairy-free? You need no worry! Use almond, coconut, or oat milk instead of the dairy one. But do not use water. Keep in mind that we’re talking about real hot chocolate here.
*This post may contain AFFILIATE LINKS, see what it means.
How to thicken your homemade hot chocolate?
Easy-peasy! The ANSWER is MORE CHOCOLATE, the more you add, the thicker and rich it will be.
Would you like more goodies with dark chocolate? Try our easy and fluffy homemade brownies.
Ingredients
- Dark chocolate 150 g (chopped)
- Whole milk 450 ml
- Cocoa – 2 tbsp
- Honey – 2 tbsp
- Optional: 1 tsp of cinnamon, the juice from half an orange, whipped cream.
Instructions
1. Place a medium-sized saucepan over low to medium heat and add milk. Allow it to warm a couple of minutes, then add cocoa, chopped chocolate, one teaspoon of cinnamon and two tablespoons of honey. Whisk constantly until the chocolate melts completely and blends evenly with the milk.
2. For a complete Christmas delight whisk in the juice from half an orange. Top with whipped cream, chocolate chips and dust with ground cinnamon or cocoa. Serve immediately and enjoy the warmth.
Recommended equipment:
You are going to need some basic equipment to prepare this homemade hot chocolate. Chances are, you already have everything you’ll need.
- Non-stick saucepan. This one is essential to have in your kitchen, whether you make hot chocolate, boil pasta, make sauces, or prepare a soup. It will serve you for good!
- Wooden spoon. I found these wooden tablespoons amazing and helpful. The best of the best for spooning sauces, just stirring or tasting. More than that, these are great for non-stick dishes.
*This post may contain AFFILIATE LINKS, see what it means.
Nutrition per Serving
*Important: All the nutrition values are based on McCance and Widdowson’s ‘composition of foods on the nutrient content of the UK food supply, thus may differ from your products.
The nutrition label is purely informative. We are not certified nutritionists.
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