How to Make Hot Chocolate

Guide Note When the weather turns cold, something about a steaming cup of hot cocoa is both delicious and comforting. This guide provides simple methods to make hot chocolate using cocoa powder or melted chocolate. It also reveals how to make a quick cup in the microwave and whip up tasty variations with everything from cayenne pepper to peppermint schnapps.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Stovetop Hot Chocolate
  • With Cocoa Powder
  • With Chocolate
• Microwave Hot Chocolate
• Variations
• References

Hot Chocolate Tips

1. Use cocoa powder or chocolate pieces to flavor the milk.
2. Heat the mixture on the stove or in the microwave to melt the chocolate or cocoa.
3. Remove the hot chocolate from the heat before it comes to a boil.
4. Use a whisk to whip the hot chocolate if you want it frothy.
5. Garnish with whipped cream, a dusting of cocoa powder or chocolate shavings.

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Introduction

• When you curl up on a chilly day, nothing hastens relaxation like a sipping on a cup of rich hot chocolate as a comforting treat. Although it's technically only "hot chocolate" when melted chocolate is used to flavor the drink, and "hot cocoa" when it features cocoa powder, either version will be a crowd pleaser if you follow these simple steps.¹

Making Hot Chocolate on the Stove

• Whether you prefer blending your hot chocolate with real chocolate pieces for richness or with cocoa powder for added convenience, these hot chocolate recipes will hit the spot. Both will create three to four servings.

With Cocoa Powder

• 

  (Creative Commons photo by Anne Norman)
  What You'll Need
• 4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Whipped cream (optional)
• Saucepan
• Spoon or whisk
• Stove
• Mugs

• What to Do

1. Stir the cocoa, sugar and water together in a saucepan.²
2. Place the pan over medium heat.³
3. Stir the mixture constantly and allow it to boil for two minutes.²
4. Stir in the milk.³
5. Heat until steam rises, but don't let the mixture come to a boil.²
6. Stir in the vanilla extract.⁴
7. Pour the hot chocolate into mugs.
8. Top with whipped cream, if desired.⁵
   • 
     
     
   • YouTube Video: QuickBites: Hot Cocoa (Time: 2:27)

With Chocolate

• What You'll Need
• 3 cups milk
• 3 ounces chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• Whipped cream or cocoa powder (optional)
• Saucepan
• Stove
• Spoon or whisk
• Mugs

• What to Do

1. Combine milk, chocolate and sugar in a saucepan.⁶
   • -You can substitute white chocolate for the bitter or semisweet chocolate if you prefer the taste.⁷
2. Place over medium-low heat.⁸
3. Stir constantly until the chocolate is melted, about 10 minutes.⁶
4. Remove from heat before stirring in the vanilla.⁹
5. Whisk the mixture until it's foamy.⁶
6. Pour into mugs and garnish with whipped cream and cocoa powder, if desired.¹⁰
   • 
     
     
   • YouTube Video: How to Make Hot Chocolate: How to Make Royal Hot Chocolate (Time: 2:07)

Making Hot Chocolate in the Microwave

• When you want a cup of hot chocolate with less clean up, you can also mix quick servings in the microwave in under five minutes.

What You'll Need

• 

  (Creative Commons photo by Bryan Gosline)
  1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Whipped cream (optional)
• Chocolate shavings (optional)
• Microwave oven
• 2 microwave-safe mugs
• Spoon
• Blender or whisk (optional)

What to Do

1. Combine the water, cocoa and sugar in a microwave-safe mug.¹¹
2. Heat in the microwave on high for one to two minutes to create a syrup.¹²
3. In a different mug, warm the milk in the microwave on high for one minute.⁷
4. Stir the milk and vanilla into the hot cocoa mixture with a spoon.¹¹
5. Make the hot chocolate slightly frothy by whisking it or pulsing in a covered blender, if desired.¹³
6. You can also top the mugs with whipped cream and chocolate shavings before serving, if desired.¹²

Variations

• Give your hot chocolate extra flavor and zip by adding new ingredients to the mix.

1. Grind a candy cane with cocoa, sugar, creamer and skim milk powder to create a minty hot chocolate mix.¹⁴
2. 

   (Creative Commons photo by Paul Fenwick)
   To create a minty hot chocolate for the adults, add peppermint schnapps along with the peppermint sticks.¹⁵
3. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper to give the hot cocoa a little kick.¹⁶
4. Create a sophisticated blend by incorporating spices like cardamom, cloves, star anise, nutmeg and crushed red pepper.¹⁷
5. Make a quick cup of peanut butter hot chocolate by mixing instant hot chocolate mix with creamy peanut butter.¹⁸
6. Actually melt marshmallows into the hot chocolate to create a gooey blend.¹⁹
7. Flavor the hot chocolate with real vanilla beans as a rich complement.²⁰
8. Use coconut milk in place of regular milk to create an extra sweet cocoa.²¹
9. Crushed toffee and butterscotch chips turn hot chocolate into a decadent treat.²²
10. Add brown sugar instead of white for a richer flavor.²³
11. Use soymilk to turn the hot chocolate into a dairy-free beverage.²⁴
12. Blend hot chocolate with ice cubes to create a frozen dessert.²⁵

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References for How to Make Hot Chocolate

1. ↑ Real Simple: Hot Chocolate Vs. Hot Cocoa
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Recipezaar: Hot Cocoa
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Hershey's Kitchens: Hot Cocoa
4. ↑ Food Network: Ellie Krieger's Hot Chocolate Recipe
5. ↑ Recipezaar: Hot Cocoa
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} Martha Stewart: Hot Chocolate
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Recipezaar: White Hot Chocolate
8. ↑ Recipezaar: Hot Chocolate
9. ↑ Recipezaar: Sinfully Rich and Delicious Hot Chocolate
10. ↑ Recipezaar: Hot Chocolate
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1} Recipezaar: Starbucks Hot Chocolate
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Recipezaar: Starbucks Hot Chocolate
13. ↑ Eating Well: Hot Chocolate
14. ↑ Recipezaar: Candy Cane Hot Chocolate
15. ↑ Food Network: Michael Chiarello's Hot Chocolate with Peppermint Schnapps Recipe
16. ↑ Food Network: Alton Brown's Hot Cocoa Recipe
17. ↑ Epicurious: Spiced Hot Chocolate
18. ↑ All Recipes: Peanut Buttercup Hot Chocolate
19. ↑ All Recipes: Fluffy Hot Chocolate
20. ↑ Martha Stewart: Vanilla Hot Chocolate
21. ↑ Real Simple: Coconut Milk Hot Cocoa
22. ↑ Food Network: Rachel Ray's Toffee Hot Chocolate
23. ↑ Recipezaar: Brown Sugar Hot Chocolate
24. ↑ Recipezaar: Dairy Free and Delicious Hot Cocoa
25. ↑ Rachel Ray: Frozen Caramel Hot Chocolate

Additional Hot Chocolate Recipes with Cocoa Powder

• CHOW: Hot Cocoa Recipe
• AOL Food: Hot Chocolate
• All Recipes: Easy Mexican Hot Chocolate
• Recipezaar: Tennessee Hot Chocolate
• Recipezaar: Vanilla Spiked Hot Cocoa
• Recipezaar: Hot Cocoa for a Crowd
• Food Network: Gale Gand's Best Hot Chocolate Recipe
• All Recipes: Creamy Hot Cocoa

Additional Hot Chocolate Recipes with Chocolate

• Recipezaar: New England Hot Chocolate
• Recipezaar: French Hot Chocolate
• Epicurious: Hot Chocolate with Whipped Cream
• Food Network: Paula Deen's White Hot Chocolate
• Food Network: Emeril Lagasse's Hot Chocolate Drink
• Recipezaar: Hot Chocolate Deluxe