Delicous Dark Hot Chocolate Recipe

In this post, you learn how to make Dark Hot Chocolate easily from scratch. You need only a few, good quality ingredients to enjoy the deep flavors of your Dark Hot Chocolate.

Woman holding a dark hot chocolate in her hands on the blue woolen blanket.

The dark and gloomy weather is still with us though it’s already the beginning of February here in Finland. The darkness is almost too heavy so I decided to embrace it. I started to dream about a velvety pure dark hot chocolate. You know, the one that when you taste it, you are balancing between the deep dark flavors of the chocolate and the sweetness of it. You are unsure if one sip is enough or even too much, but soon you notice that the cup is empty…

So let’s make the best hot chocolate with only a few simple steps and ingredients.

Tips for making the best homemade hot chocolate

  • Use good quality chocolate, fair trade, and preferably around 44-70% to get the best result.
  • Keep an eye on the pot on the stove and do not let it boil, simmering is enough.
  • You can choose between vanilla powder or extract, just remember that the extract is stronger in flavor.
  • You can do also a Dark Hot Chocolate Mix. You know I love anything that you can meal prep, so why not hot chocolate too? You can use the homemade hot chocolate mix yourself later or give it as a gift.
  • Get creative with serving. You can serve from a cup or mug but why not use some beautiful tall glasses too?
  • Recipe is for two, but you can easily multiply the recipe depending on the number of the hot chocolate lovers.
Two glasses of hot chocolate on a wooden tray. Red carnations lying on the table.

FAQ

What is the difference between hot cocoa and hot chocolate?

Hot chocolate is commonly made with solid chocolate that is melted into hot milk or cream, whereas hot cocoa is a mixture of cocoa powder and sugar that are dissolved into water or milk. There is generally a bit of overlap when using these terms, but hot chocolate is normally thicker and smoother in consistency than more liquid hot cocoa.

Can you make hot chocolate with almond milk?

You can use the milk of your preference when making hot chocolate. The traditional option was with Mayans to mix it with water, so plant-based milk is a good option.

Ingredients you need

  • Dark chocolate, preferably around 44% or higher and fair trade
  • Milk of your preference
  • Organic cane sugar or brown sugar
  • Vanilla powder can be substituted with vanilla extract or vanilla bean
  • Sea salt
  • Unsweetened dark cocoa powder (100%)
  • Cream (optional)

Tools you may need

  • Cooking knife and a cutting board
  • Measuring cups
  • Whisk
  • Stainless steel pot
  • Glasses or cups for serving
  • Electric whisk (optional)
  • High mixing bowl (optional)
Knife lying on the wooden surface with chopped dark chocolate on it.

How to make dark hot chocolate

Start by chopping the dark chocolate into small chips to make it faster to melt into milk. Pour the milk into the pot and place it on the stove over medium heat. Measure the sugar and vanilla in and stir once in a while. Keep an eye on the milk and do not let it boil, for it changes the flavor.

When the milk is almost simmering and the sugar has dissolved, add the chopped chocolate chips with a pinch of salt. Stir constantly until the chocolate has melted and the color of milk has changed into a dark brown. Lastly, add the cocoa powder through a sieve and whisk it in.

And some whipped cream on the top…

Whip the cream, and add some vanilla powder or some sugar to the flavor. Try adding a few drops of red food color to give it a dreamy rose color. You can use vegetables as colorants like a drop of beetroot juice instead of artificial colorant. If you prefer plant-based cream Minimalist Baker guides you through how to do a coconut whipped cream. Use tall glasses to see the contrast between the beautiful dark hot chocolate color and the light rose-colored whipped cream. Decorate with some chocolate flakes.

Two glasses of hot chocolate on a wooden tray with pink whipped cream and chocolate chips. Red carnations lying on the table.

Simple serving

Pour the dark hot chocolate into the cups and serve immediately. Enjoy with some biscuits or almond cake. I love to dunk my gingerbread in it to get the chocolate yumminess, too!

A woman holding a dark hot chocolate mug in her hands on the top of a blue blanket.

How to add a twist to your hot chocolate

You can easily twist your chocolate with a few ingredients or toppings.

  • Drop some peppermint or orange extract in
  • Crumble some nuts or gingerbreads on the top of the whipped cream
  • Cut some chocolate flakes and sprinkle on the top
  • Try different chocolates: milk chocolate, white chocolate, dark chocolate with orange peel…
  • Dip the rim of the glass with syrup or honey and then in the cookie or nut crumble
  • Sieve a pinch of unsweetened cocoa powder on the top of the cream float on your dark hot chocolate
  • Sprinkle some cinnamon, ginger, or (like Mayans) some chili powder on the top
  • Try different types of milk: almond milk, soy milk, oat milk…

Storage

Enjoy right away or store in a glass container for a few days. Heat up on a stove until simmering and serve hot. You can prep the dry ingredients with my ultimate Dark Hot Chocolate Mix recipe for you in a glass jar and label it with my FREE Hot Chocolate Mix Tags and enjoy the dark hot chocolate easily anytime you want!

Little Helper

This is the ultimate favorite of any child. Chocolate chip tasting between cooking is at least our little girl’s dream. Using the electric whisk with the help of an adult is always an intriguing thing to do and finally – splashing the whipped cream on the hot chocolate and decorating to his or her liking. The happiness is so pure!

Woman holding a dark hot chocolate in her hands on the blue woolen blanket.

Dark Hot Chocolate

Yield: 2
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

I started to dream about a velvety pure dark hot chocolate. You know, the one that when you taste it, you are balancing between the deep dark flavors of the chocolate and the sweetness of it. You are unsure if one sip is enough or even too much, but soon you notice that the cup is empty...

So let's make the best hot chocolate with only a few simple steps and ingredients.

Ingredients

  • 4 dl milk
  • 100g dark chocolate (44%)
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla sugar
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions

    How to make dark hot chocolate

  1. Start with chopping the dark chocolate into small chips to make it faster to melt into milk. Pour the milk into the pot and place it on the stove over medium heat. Measure the sugar and vanilla in and stir once in a while. Keep an eye on the milk and do not let it boil, for it changes the flavor.
  2. When the milk is almost simmering and the sugar has dissolved, add the chocolate chips with a pinch of sea salt. Stir constantly until the chocolate has melted and the color of milk has changed into a dark brown. Lastly, add the cocoa powder through a sieve and whisk it in.

And some whipped cream on the top...

Whip the cream, and add some vanilla powder or some sugar to the flavor. Try adding a few drops of red food color to give it a dreamy rose color. You can use vegetables as colorants like a drop of beetroot juice instead of artificial colorant. If you prefer plant-based cream Minimalist Baker guides you through how to do a coconut whipped cream. Use tall glasses to see the contrast between the beautiful dark hot chocolate color and the light rose-colored whipped cream. Decorate with some chocolate flakes.

Simple serving

Pour the dark hot chocolate into the cups and serve immediately. Enjoy with some biscuits or almond cake. I love to dunk in my gingerbread to get the chocolate yummyness in it too!


How to add a twist to your hot chocolate

You can easily twist your chocolate with a few ingredients or toppings.
- Drop some peppermint or orange extract in
- Crumble some nuts or gingerbreads on the top of the whipped cream
- Cut some chocolate flakes and sprinkle on the top
- Try different chocolates: milk chocolate, white chocolate, dark chocolate with orange peel...
- Dip the rim of the glass with syrup or honey and then in the cookie or nut crumble
- Sieve a pinch of unsweetened cocoa powder on the top of the cream float on your dark hot chocolate
- Sprinkle some cinnamon, ginger, or (like Mayans) some chili powder on the top
- Try different types of milk: almond milk, soy milk, oat milk...


Storage

Enjoy right away or store in a glass container for a few days. Heat up on a stove until simmering and serve hot. You can prep the dry ingredients ready for you in a glass jar to enjoy the dark hot chocolate anytime you want or to give it as a beautiful gift to your loved ones!

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 588Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 311mgCarbohydrates: 70gFiber: 5gSugar: 61gProtein: 20g

Did you make this recipe?

Share and tag me @blue.tea.tile - I would love to see how it turned out ♡

What are your favorite toppings?

Are you a non-cream person or do you prefer ice cream on top of your hot chocolate? Let me know in the comments how you enjoy your dark chocolate!

Pin it for later!

A woman holding a cup of dark hot chocolate in her hands. Text says dark hot chocolate - easy recipe.

Check out my other hot drink recipes

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