Classic Hot Chocolate

By Melissa Clark

Classic Hot Chocolate
Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
10 minutes
Rating
5(875)
Comments
Read comments

This is a dark, rich and classic hot cocoa that’s perfect for any snowy afternoon. Nondairy milk can be substituted for whole milk here, though you might have to reduce the sugar, since some brands are sweetened. Also bear in mind that the higher the cocoa percentage of the chocolate you use, the less sweet the drink will be. Add the sugar gradually, tasting as you go: Hot cocoa sweetness is a very personal thing.

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • ¼cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
  • 3cups whole milk
  • 4½ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate or ¾ cup bittersweet chocolate chips
  • 1 to 3tablespoons granulated sugar
  • Tiny pinch of fine sea salt
  • 1teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Whipped cream or marshmallows, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

319 calories; 18 grams fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 39 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 34 grams sugars; 8 grams protein; 102 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Fill a small pot with ⅓ cup water and bring to a boil. Whisk in cocoa; it may clump, which is O.K.

  2. Step 2

    Reduce heat to medium and whisk in milk, whisking around the sides of the pan to help dissolve all the cocoa.

  3. Step 3

    When milk simmers, whisk in the chocolate, 1 tablespoon sugar and a tiny pinch of salt, and reduce heat to low. Whisk until chocolate is melted and very smooth. Taste and add more sugar if you like. Turn off heat and whisk in vanilla.

  4. Step 4

    Serve topped with whipped cream or marshmallows.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

5 out of 5
875 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

Barbara P.

Mixing the cocoa powder with a little bit of cold water before whisking into the boiling water prevents clumping; grandma's helpful hint ;)

Tim

Got the ingredients in anticipation of the snow storm. No storm, but the hot chocolate was amazing.

Maxine Godfrey

2 c. milk + 1 c. heavy cream, or 1-1/2 c. each. throw in some espresso powder, too.

Laura

Delicious! I used 2 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips and added just about a teaspoon of sugar for a half batch of this recipe.

Lee

Far too much chocolate for that amount of milk. Sludge. I had to add 2-3 more cups of milk to make it drinkable.

Deborah Chud

I made this as written & used Guittard Cocoa Rouge + 3 Tbs sugar. It was good, but--IMO-- undistinguished & not worth the effort or # of steps. If you add 2 Tbs good cocoa + extra sugar to a packet of Swiss Miss, you'll approximate this recipe's result. Meanwhile, for the ultimate hot chocolate experience, try NYT's recipe for Rumplemayer's Hot Chocolate (use bitter-, not semi-sweet chocolate). The 3 ingredients go into the pot all at once & yield 10X the return on investment.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.