Best Homemade Hot Chocolate

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Author: Delphine Fortin
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 2 servings 1x
Category: Beverages
Diet: Vegetarian

Best homemade hot chocolate is a rich and creamy hot chocolate recipe, prepared with real dark baking chocolate for more intense flavors.

Ingredients

Scale

½ vanilla pod
2 cups (500 ml) milk
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder, unsweetened
3 ounces (85g) 70% dark chocolate*, chopped
¾ cup (180 ml) heavy cream
1 stick cinnamon (optional)**
½ small chili pepper, seeded (optional)**

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Instructions

Pour the milk into a medium saucepan. Make a slit through the vanilla pod, scrape the seeds and add to the saucepan together with the vanilla pod. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
In a separate saucepan placed on low heat, melt the chocolate together with the cream, stirring constantly to prevent chocolate from burning.
Add unsweetened cocoa powder, and slowly pour in the hot milk over the chocolate mixture, a ladle at a time, stirring as you go to make sure it’s fully incorporated before adding more milk. This process enables the hot chocolate to be thick, creamy and perfectly chocolaty.
If using, infuse the cinnamon stick and ½ chili pepper. Then, simmer for about 5 minutes on medium high heat until the mixture thickens, stirring constantly. When hot and fragrant, take out the chili, cinnamon stick and vanilla pod, and serve immediately in 2 bowls or cups.

Notes

* For best results, it’s important you use high quality baking dark chocolate. I recommend baking chocolate with a cocoa percentage of 70% or higher.

** You can replace the cinnamon stick with ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, the chili pepper with a pinch of ground chili pepper, or you can omit the spices altogether.