Homemade Hot Chocolate Recipe (Hot Cocoa) (2024)

FAQs

How do I make a hot cup of cocoa? ›

Mix sugar, cocoa and salt in large mug. Heat milk in microwave at high (100%) 1-1/2 minutes or until hot. Gradually add hot milk to cocoa mixture in mug, stirring until well blended.

(A solute is anything the solvent dissolves.) In hot chocolate, the hot water or milk acts as the solvent to dissolve the cocoa powder, the solute.

Hot chocolate, also known as hot cocoa or drinking chocolate, is a heated drink consisting of shaved or melted chocolate or cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and usually a sweetener. It is often garnished with whipped cream or marshmallows.

It Started in Mexico

As early as 500 BC, the Mayans were drinking chocolate made from ground-up cocoa seeds mixed with water, cornmeal, and chili peppers (as well as other ingredients)—a much different version from the hot chocolate we know today.

Although hot chocolate doesn't necessarily need an even more creamy, decadent taste, using milk certainly enriches the experience. We suspect that milk adds a creamier taste than water alone, and when combined with the notes of chocolate, the smooth undertones of the milk simply add a delicious backdrop.

Hot Chocolate is made using solid chocolate melted in warm milk or cream. Hot Cocoa, however, is made from a powdered base of cocoa with added sugar and dissolved in hot water or hot milk.

She also recommends Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker as another solid option for natural—the 100% Unsweetened Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder—and mentioned the King Arthur Baking Company. The latter has two Dutch-process cocoas she likes—the Bensdorp Cocoa Powder and the Burgundy Cocoa.

Time It Right: Start with 1 minute for a standard mug of milk. After this time, stir the milk quickly and check the temperature by dipping a finger in (be cautious). If it needs more warmth, microwave in further 20-second intervals, stirring and checking after each.

You can also try using a higher quality cocoa powder or adding a splash of cream or milk to balance out the bitterness. Another tip is to make sure you are using hot, but not boiling, water or milk when preparing your hot chocolate.

Why do marshmallows keep hot chocolate warmer for longer? ›

Loss says kitchen air produces an “evaporative cooling” effect as water is freed from the drink's surface and into the atmosphere. Since they're filled with air, the marshmallows could insulate the hot chocolate by slowing down this cooling.

Expert Tips. Always add the cacao powder to the mug before the liquid. If you try adding the cacao after you have already added the liquid, it is difficult to dissolve into the hot chocolate and stays clumpy.

Milk skin or lactoderm refers to a sticky film of protein that forms on top of dairy milk and foods containing dairy milk (such as hot chocolate and some soups).

Hot Chocolate is made using solid chocolate melted in warm milk or cream. Hot Cocoa, however, is made from a powdered base of cocoa with added sugar and dissolved in hot water or hot milk.

Good-quality milk or dark (or even white!) chocolate is chopped finely or shaved so that it melts quickly when combined with hot water, milk, or even cream. It can also contain flavoring like vanilla, but usually doesn't have added sugar, as there is already sugar in the chocolate.

Cocoa butter (a key ingredient in chocolate) adds fat and richness to the resulting drink, and the lack of it in cocoa powder is one of the key reasons hot cocoa doesn't have the same level of richness as hot chocolate and has a thinner consistency.