Published: January 7, 2024 · Modified: January 7, 2024 by Cindy Gibbs

This Hot Chocolate is velvety smooth, rich and creamy. It’s made with bittersweet chocolate, half and half and whipping cream, making it the most delicious hot chocolate you’ll ever taste.

When it’s cold outside and you’re craving a hot cup of rich velvety smooth hot chocolate, and you’re not in the mood for that mediocre hot chocolate from a packet, make this delicious comforting recipe. It only takes a few minutes to make, and boy oh boy is it worth it.

Send the kids outside to play in the snow and surprise them by making this hot chocolate while they are out playing. You’ll be the most popular mom around once they take a sip of this hot chocolate with cold little hands. Make sure to let hot chocolate cool for 3-4 minutes before serving to kids.

This hot chocolate is already delicious, but feel free to top it with lots of whipped cream for an over the top cup of hot chocolate, or some homemade vanilla marshmallows. The homemade marshmallows melt as quickly as whipped cream in hot chocolate, not like store-bought marshmallows.

How to make hot chocolate

  1. Add the chocolate and water to a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, and heat until melted. Add the sugar and salt.  Turn heat to medium and bring to a boil. Boil for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Add the whipping cream and half & half.
  3. While stirring constantly, heat the mixture over medium heat until it’s scalding but not boiling. Remove from the heat.

Pro tips for this recipe

  • This recipe is made with equal parts heavy whipping cream and half & half. For a lighter version, you can swap out the half & half, cream or both for whole milk, just note it won’t be as rich. Yes, this hot chocolate has quite a few calories, but so worth it.
  • Use fresh half & half and whipping cream for this recipe, especially if you’re making this recipe for one person. You can refrigerate the hot chocolate until the milk expires. This recipe makes 5 good size cups of hot chocolate.
  • Use good quality chocolate in this recipe. It make a big difference. I used a Ghirardelli 60% cacao baking bar in this recipe. For one batch of hot chocolate, you need 1/2 bar of the chocolate.
  • Don’t let the chocolate come to a boil. It should only be scalding hot. It it boils, the chocolate will separate and become grainy.
  • If you want a stronger hot chocolate, feel free to decrease the cream by one cup. I experimented with the ratio of chocolate to cream in this recipe and I think the ratio I used is perfect. It’s smooth and not too sweet or chocolatey, but the rich chocolate flavor shines through.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between hot chocolate and hot cocoa?

Hot chocolate is made with pure chocolate that’s melted and added to milk or cream for a pure chocolate flavor.

Hot cocoa is made from cocoa powder and again mixed with milk or cream. The stuff in a packet is mixed with dry milk and usually instructs to mix with hot water. Not the best!

How do I reheat it?

Heat it in a saucepan or microwave until it’s just hot, but not boiling, or the chocolate will separate.

Can it be frozen?

No. The cream and chocolate will separate. You can refrigerate it for 3 to 4 days or until the cream is ready to expire, but don’t worry, it won’t last that long.

Hot Chocolate.

Yummy Garnishes

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Hot Chocolate-1

Hot Chocolate

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  • Author: Cindy @mycountrytable
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 5 servings 1x
  • Category: Drinks/Winter
  • Method: Cook
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

This hot chocolate is easy to make and velvety smooth. It has the perfect chocolate flavor and makes the perfect amount for the family.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 ounces of Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate, (1/2 of a 4 ounce bar)
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 2 cups half & half
  • Whipped cream or homemade vanilla marshmallows for topping

Instructions

  1. Add the chocolate and water to a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, and heat until melted. Add the sugar and salt.  Turn heat to medium and bring to a boil. Boil for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Add the whipping cream and half & half. While stirring constantly, heat the mixture over medium heat until it’s scalding but not boiling. Remove from the heat.
  3. OPTIONAL: Use a hand mixer to blend the hot chocolate until it’s smooth and frothy, or use a milk frother if you like a foamy top.
  4. Pour into individual mugs while hot, and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, or homemade vanilla marshmallows.
  5. Refrigerate leftovers. Stir thoroughly before reheating. Reheat in the microwave until hot.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 1724
  • Sugar: 117.6 g
  • Sodium: 2909.8 mg
  • Fat: 114.9 g
  • Saturated Fat: 71.7 g
  • Trans Fat: 3 g
  • Carbohydrates: 156.6 g
  • Fiber: 4.6 g
  • Protein: 23.3 g
  • Cholesterol: 297.8 mg