Cookie and Kate’s Favorite Hot Chocolate

By Cookie and Kate,

What’s better than a mug of hot chocolate on a snow day? I’ve been working on my own hot chocolate recipe for a while, and it’s finally time to share it. This hot chocolate recipe is made with simple, wholesome ingredients and tastes more grown-up than the packets of hot chocolate I loved as a kid. It’s rich and complex, but not so decadent that I can’t finish the cup.

Whether you’re warming up on the couch or hosting a hot chocolate bar for your friends (check out the variations offered below), I think you’re going to love it. As a bonus, this creamy hot chocolate recipe is easy to make dairy-free or vegan, if desired.

My favorite hot chocolate is a hybrid between “hot cocoa” (made with cocoa powder, which yields a lighter result since the rich cocoa butter has been removed from the cacao beans) and “hot chocolate” (which is richer since it’s made with chocolate bars, containing cocoa, sugar and rich cocoa butter).

The combination of the two produces a seriously delicious hot chocolate with deep chocolate flavor. You can control the intensity of the chocolate flavor by your choice of cocoa powder and, more important, your choice of chocolate. I love dark chocolate so that’s what I used.

Hot Chocolate Ingredients

You’ll only need five simple ingredients to make a great cup of hot chocolate:

1) Milk of Choice

You can use traditional cows’ milk (whole milk) or plant-based milk (cashew milk, etc.). This will come as no surprise but thicker, creamier milks produce thicker, creamier hot chocolate. You’ll find more notes on milk options under the recipe.

2) Cocoa Powder

This is the base of your chocolate flavor. Use a good one! I used Trader Joe’s but you can get fancier if you’d like (I love Lake Champlain). Dutch-processed cocoa powder will produce a smoother, less acidic result, but regular cocoa powder works as well.

3) Maple Syrup

I like to sweeten my hot chocolate with real maple syrup instead of sugar. Since it’s in liquid form already, it whisks right in. It adds a very subtle layer of extra flavor, too. While there is regular sugar in chocolate bars or chips (more or less depending on your chocolate strength), I like using a natural sweetener to make up the difference.

4) Chopped Chocolate or Chocolate Chips

This doubles the chocolate flavor and makes the drink more creamy, thanks to the cocoa butter content. Choose milk chocolate or dark chocolate, depending on the intensity desired.

I love dark chocolate so I used Theo’s 70% dark chocolate baking bar (bought at Whole Foods). You can also use chocolate chips; I recommend using a quality brand for best results (Ghirardelli is better than Nestle, for example).

5) Vanilla Extract

Vanilla adds greater depth of flavor. A small amount goes a long way.

Optional Toppings

Enjoy your hot chocolate on its own, or make it even more decadent by adding a dollop of real whipped cream or a couple of marshmallows.

For full recipe and instructions go to Cookie and Kate. 

tagschocolate chipschopped chocolatecocoa powdercomfort drinkshot beverageshot chocolate recipesmaple syrupvanilla extractwinter drinks