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A mug of thick homemade hot chocolate
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How do you make proper hot chocolate at home?

with melted dark chocolate, not cocoa powder

By Bastien Delorme 1 min read

Prep
3 min
Total
10 min
Calories
310
Difficulty
Very easy

In short

  1. Real hot chocolate is made with melted dark chocolate, never cocoa powder: the cocoa butter is what gives it body.
  2. Work to 40 g of chocolate per 200 ml of milk per cup, a 1:5 ratio.
  3. The milk must never boil: past 80 °C the cooked-milk taste takes over.
  4. A pinch of salt and 10 minutes off the heat thicken it without any starch.

Ingredients

For 2 cups
  • dark chocolate, 70 % 80 g
  • whole milk 400 ml
  • fine salt 1 pinch
  • sugar, optional 1 tsp

Instructions

  1. Chop the chocolate

    Chop the chocolate into thin shavings with a knife. The smaller the pieces, the more evenly it melts and the less it can seize at the bottom of the pan.

  2. Heat the milk without boiling it

    Pour the milk into a saucepan and heat over medium until it shivers at the surface without bubbling. Aim for 75 to 80 °C: small bubbles at the edge, a calm surface.

  3. Melt off the heat

    Take the pan off the heat, add the chocolate and the salt, wait a minute without touching it, then whisk until smooth. Melting off the heat is what stops it catching.

  4. Let it thicken

    Rest it 5 to 10 minutes off the heat, then whisk again before serving. Hot chocolate thickens as it cools slightly, with no need for starch or cream.

Good to know

Dark chocolate at 70 % contains roughly 40 % cocoa butter. That fat is what coats the spoon, and it is exactly what defatted cocoa powder has lost: only 10 to 12 % of it is left.

Hot chocolate at a brunch spot often costs 6 euros and arrives lukewarm, oversweet, with a powdery taste. This one costs around 90 cents a cup and takes ten minutes.

Only one rule matters: chocolate, not cocoa. Everything else follows from it.

Frequently asked questions

How do you make proper hot chocolate at home?

With melted dark chocolate, not cocoa powder. Use 40 g of 70 % chocolate per 200 ml of whole milk per cup. Heat the milk to 75 or 80 °C without boiling, take it off the heat, add the chopped chocolate and a pinch of salt, then whisk. Rest it 5 to 10 minutes off the heat and it thickens on its own.

Why is my hot chocolate too thin?

Because it was made with cocoa powder, which is defatted and holds only 10 to 12 % fat, against roughly 40 % for 70 % dark chocolate. The cocoa butter is what makes it coat the spoon, not the amount of powder.

Can it be made with a plant-based milk?

Yes, oat gives the best result because it is naturally sweet and thick. Almond milk makes it thinner: in that case go up to 50 g of chocolate per 200 ml.

Can it be made ahead for brunch?

Yes. It keeps 48 hours in the fridge and reheats gently in a pan, without boiling. It will have thickened in the meantime, so just add a splash of milk and whisk.