Best Homemade Hot Chocolate

Who does not love a delicious Hot Chocolate on a chilly day ? While many classic recipes are made with unsweetened cocoa powder, this recipe for homemade hot chocolate is made with real chocolate, milk (non-dairy if needed), and vanilla. Top it with a generous dollop of freshly whipped cream or a homemade Vanilla Marshmallow.

I don't mind using premade hot chocolate packets in some of my recipes, like my Hot Cocoa Snack Cake, but when it comes to drinking I want the real deal. You will be surprised how easy it is to make the best hot chocolate at home with just a few simple ingredients.

Recipe Ingredient Notes

Chocolate: Make sure you use the best chocolate you can find (or have in your pantry) for this amazing treat. This is hot cocoa recipe is a fabulous way to use one of the artisan chocolate bars you have in your pantry. I use a blend of bittersweet chocolate (64%) and milk chocolate when I make Hot Chocolate. Using dark and milk chocolate in this recipe is a personal preference.

Milk: Hot Chocolate can be made with whole, 2% or skim milk. Whole milk will give you the creamiest hot chocolate. Unsweetened non-dairy milk such as almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, or even coconut milk also works fabulously in this recipe.

Salt: A little pinch of kosher salt will mute the bitterness found in some chocolate. This allows the other flavors to come through more strongly by comparison.

Which Chocolate is the best for Hot Chocolate?

Chocolate is a very complex topic but it shouldn’t be an intimidating one. Grocery stores and even houseware stores such as Sur La Table and William Sonoma have started carrying a selection of artisan chocolates. While I pick my wine by the pretties label, I do not recommend this tactic when it comes to chocolate. Here are 5 things to remember when buying chocolate in general.

• Buy the best quality chocolate you can afford
• Read the ingredients – less is more!
• Avoid products with phrases such as “chocolatey” and “made with chocolate”
• If you don’t enjoy the product on its own, don’t bake with it.
• Check if a company uses ethically sourced cocoa.

First and foremost, buy the best-quality chocolate you can afford. If the chocolate is the main ingredient, like in this recipe for Homemade Hot Chocolate, you should spend a bit more if you can. Store brand does not always mean the product is low-quality. I am a big fan of Aldi’s Specially Selected 62% Dark Chocolate Chunks and Trader Joe’s Pound Plus products.

Read the ingredients. When it comes to chocolate, less really is more. If a product states words like "chocolatey" or "made with chocolate", please skip it. The main ingredients of chocolate should be

• cocoa (maybe also listed as cocoa, cacao, cocoa mass, cocoa liquor, or cocoa solids)
• sugar
• milk (in milk chocolate, white, and some dark chocolate)
• emulsifier (soy lecithin or sunflower lecithin)
• flavorings such as vanilla.

And last but not least: If you wouldn’t eat it on its own, you probably won’t want to make Hot Chocolate or any other recipe with it.

Ethical Sourcing of Chocolate

Ethical chocolate means that the chocolate has been grown, farmed, and produced with the planet in mind and the company has treated the cocoa growers and farmers fairly.

A few brands that are widely available and use ethically sourced cocoa are Guittard, Valrhona, and my favorite Austrian hometown hero Zotter. Things to look for on websites are: where do they source their products from, do they talk about sustainability, what do they say about their cocoa farmers?

It's important to mention that organic does not mean ethically sourced.

How to identify ethical sourced chocolate at the grocery store

A few common symbols you may have seen on chocolates before including the Fairtrade Logo, Rainforest Alliance Certified, Fair for Life, and Certified B Corporations.

Fairtrade (top left)

Fairtrade International believes that there can be sustainable development that benefits the world’s poorest if the trade is equitable and has transparency. There are many versions of the Fair Trade Certified logo including a Fairtrade International and Fairtrade USA logo. Guittard Chocolate is one of many chocolates Fairtrade Certified

Rainforest Alliance Certified (top right)

The Rainforest Alliance certification seal means that the product (or a specified ingredient) was produced by farmers, foresters, and/or companies working together to create a world where people and nature thrive in harmony. Endangered Species Chocolate for example is Rainforest Alliance certified.

Fair for Life (bottom left)

“Fair for Life” is a brand-neutral third-party certification program for social accountability and fair trade in agricultural, manufacturing, and trading operations.  Theo Chocolate is Fair for Life certified

Certified B Corporations (bottom right)

Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. B Corps are accelerating a global culture shift to redefine success in business and build a more inclusive and sustainable economy. Valrhona is a Certified B Corporation.

How to make the Best Homemade Hot Chocolate

You will not believe how simple this great recipe for homemade hot chocolate is.

Start out by chopping your chocolate - especially if you use an Artisan Chocolate Bar, make sure to give it a good chop so it will melt quicker.

Heat your milk of choice in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the milk is warm, remove it from the heat and whisk in the chopped chocolate until it’s melted. If you would like a thick hot chocolate return to very low heat and cook for 2-3 minutes stirring constantly. Be careful not to burn it or over-boil it. Add a splash of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt (which will bring out the chocolate flavor)

Sweeten with brown sugar or maple syrup if desired but if you add some homemade marshmallows and extra chocolate shavings, there is no need for additional sugar.

Serve warm!

Hot Chocolate Toppings and Add-Ins

Toppings are a fun and delicious way to jazz up a cup of hot chocolate. Whether are making a cup of hot cocoa for a treat on a snowy day or want to turn this into a hot cocoa bar for a party, here are a few of my favorite toppings.

• Homemade Marshmallows or Mini Marshmallows (make sure store bought marshmallows are gluten-free)
• a generous dollop of whipped cream (of course homemade made with heavy cream and some powdered sugar)
• homemade caramel sauce (add some to the hot chocolate and of course also for topping)
• small pieces of toffee (such as Heath Bars)
• dark chocolate sauce (check out my Bourbon Fudge Sauce)
• mini chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips
• crushed up candy canes (especially during the holiday season)

Frequently asked questions for Hot Chocolate