Hot chocolate is a perfect treat to enjoy snowy winter weather, which can fill your mouth with chocolaty goodness. An ingredient-rich, thick, and smooth hot chocolate could be made using few simple ingredients that make it flawless to drink. Hot chocolate serves the best in the chilly pleasant weather. From a spicy authentic Mexican chocolaty drink to a seasonal velvety cup of comfort, there are numerous ways to make hot chocolate.
Hot Chocolate Recipe
The key ingredient of this special drink is chocolate. The type and quality you choose make a huge difference while in taste and flavor. Branded products are preferred to be used for the better taste to make hot chocolate.
Make Hot Chocolate With Cocoa Powder
Have warm and delicious homemade hot chocolate using cocoa powder and it is practically easy to make. This quick homemade drink is prepared using milk, cocoa powder, honey, and whipped cream. Making your home bases recipes provides you the advantage to add tasty addition to your beverage.
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- ½ teaspoon brown sugar
- Real maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon heavy whipped cream
- Chocolate candy bar
- Hot Fudge sauce
Instructions
- Warm the milk in a pan on medium heat.
- Add Cocoa powder, maple syrup, and brown sugar to the mixture.
- Whisk the mixture to blend properly.
- Pour it into a cup and add whipped cream on the top.
- Drizzle hot fuzz sauce over the drink and garnish with your favorite chocolate shavings.
Make Hot Chocolate Without Cocoa Powder
A hot chocolate drink serves best even with or without cocoa powder. However, professionals prefer giving a chocolate powder touch to the beverage but even without it, the drink tastes well. Here is the recipe to make hot chocolate without cocoa powder in the microwave.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1tbsp sugar
- Chopped chocolates
- whipped cream
- Marshmallows
- Vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- On medium heat, place the pan and let the milk boil. Add the sugar to the milk.
- While milk is heating, place chopped chocolate on the microwave and heat it for almost 30 seconds. Take the chocolate out and stir it well. Again, keep it in the microwave for some more seconds. Keep repeating the process until the chocolate melts down properly.
- At a point when the milk reaches scalding point turn off the heat and add the melted chocolate and stir using a whisk. If desired, add the vanilla extract and garnish the top with whipped cream and marshmallows.
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Simple Hot Chocolate Recipe
Ingredients
- Cocoa powder- 1tbsp
- Granulated sugar- 1tbsp
- Half cup evaporated milk
- Vanilla extract
- Marshmallows
- ¾ cup of water
Instructions
- Make a mixture of cocoa powder and granulated sugar.
- Pour water into a bowl and microwave it for 1 minute until the water boils.
- Pour hot water over cocoa mixture and stir well.
- Microwave the milk for 1 min and then add milk to the cocoa mixture.
- Add vanilla essence. Whisk the mixture and add some marshmallows to the cup and serve hot.
Hot Chocolate Mocha
Ingredients
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Sugar
- Vanilla essence
- Instant espresso powder
- Milk
- 1½ cups of half-and-half
Instructions
- Combine a cup of unsweetened cocoa powder with sugar, instant espresso powder, vanilla, a pinch of salt, and 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Heat the whole mixture in a low flame.
- With the heating process, continue to stir the mixture with a whisk to avoid lumps and dissolve the mixture into a smooth and creamy texture.
- Gradually add half-and-half and the milk to the solution while stirring it in a medium to low flame to make hot chocolate. Add the ingredients in small proportions at a time and blend them thoroughly.
- The drink is ready, serve it hot!
Spicy Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- Unsweetened chocolate
- Milk
- Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Ground chili pepper
- 1 Sliced red bell pepper
Instructions
- Heat the milk on the medium flame and add chopped unsweetened chocolate to it. Add ¼ consistency of sugar in comparison with the amount of milk you add.
- Add ¾ tablespoon cinnamon powder and pinch of chili powder. Also, add 1 sliced bell pepper to the mixture.
- After a while extract the red pepper strips after the flavor gets intact to the drink
- Serve hot and enjoy the spicy hot chocolate.
Tips For Making Home Made Hot Chocolate
- The best taste and flavor come from cocoa powder that is available at almost every grocery shop. Prefer raw cocoa powder over others, as it is rich in flavor and even healthier, or use a good quality processed cocoa powder.
- Whisking the solution i.e., cocoa powder with the milk is very important.
- Use canned coconut milk instead of regular milk for the vegan version of hot chocolate.
- A pinch of salt every time magnifies the flavors within the beverage.
- To get Mexican inspired taste, add cayenne pepper and a pinch of cinnamon.
Conclusion
The results have always seen to be unpredictable while making the hot chocolate beverage at home. But if know the right trick then, what is better than a prodigious mug of a thick and creamy hot drink on a chilly day?
A rich and velvety hot chocolate is super simple to make and has a strong chocolaty flavor. Garnish your drink with thick cream, Chocolate chips, or marshmallows for a better look and taste. Ensure not to overheat the milk. You do not want to boil it rather simply have bubbles in the corner, 180 degrees F is just enough. Start with our master recipes to make hot chocolate
Dark chocolates require sugar addition but if you are using sweetened chocolate or milky one, you might want to reduce the sugar weightage in the drink. Although, sugar could always be added at the end.
Frequently Asked questions
1- What is the difference between hot chocolate and hot cocoa?
Both hot chocolate and hot cocoa are tremendous drinks for chilly weather. Hot cocoa is made from cocoa powder sugar and milk whereas hot chocolate is usually made from melted chocolate and quality milk. Even though the terms are similar, both the chocolaty drinks are not similar. Hot cocoa tends to be light in the body and contains flavorings with added sugar. Usually, hot chocolate contains flavors but not sugar, as they are already sugary in taste.
2- Is hot chocolate good for health?
Hot chocolate consists of heated milk or water, chocolate essence, and sugar. It is a tasty low-calorie drink and there are a variety of health benefits associated with this drink.
- Helps fight depression, stress, and anxiety.
- Pure cocoa contains fats that regulate the blood absorption rate of sugar.
- Increases blood flow in the whole body and increases oxygen supply to the brain.
- Reduces the risks of heart store due to the presence of anti-clotting and blood-thinning abilities.
3- Can we drink hot chocolate every day?
Hot chocolate contains various artificial components including cream or topping. Eventually, ignoring those components and if you opt for natural products, then it is good to drink hot chocolate every day. According to European Food Safety Authority, it is evident right to roughly consume 2.5g of high flavored cocoa powder to attain heart benefits. However other researchers have considered this number is too small.
4- Instead of milk can you make hot chocolate with water?
Hot chocolate purely with water allows the complex flavor of chocolate to shine within the drink. Often people are more fond of dairy-free beverages and make hot chocolate with water. Preparing hot chocolate with water ensures to get maximum benefits of antioxidants.
5- Can we make hot chocolate for the diet?
A bar of chocolate is higher in sugar, but Cocoa can help in the weight loss process. The key ingredients of chocolate are cocoa powder, sugar, and milk. Therefore, while in diet make hot chocolate using the cocoa or select the chocolate containing the highest percentage of cocoa.