How to Make The Best Hot Chocolate Of All Time (4 ways)

milk

🥗Healthier: almond milk

💰Cheaper: water

Almond milk is lower in calories, while water is a budget-friendly base.

cocoa powder

🥗Healthier: raw cacao powder

💰Cheaper: chocolate syrup

Raw cacao is more nutritious, while chocolate syrup can be more affordable.

sugar

🥗Healthier: honey

💰Cheaper: brown sugar

Honey is a natural sweetener, while brown sugar is often cheaper.

Make classic instant hot chocolate by mixing 2.5 tablespoons of hot chocolate mix with 1 cup of hot milk and adding marshmallows.

For a simple hot chocolate, combine 1 cup of whole milk, 1 tablespoon of heavy cream, 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1.5 tablespoons of brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium heat, whisking until hot and dissolved.

For Italian style hot chocolate, add 4 ounces of finely chopped dark chocolate and a splash of whole milk to a small saucepan, heat over medium heat, and stir in 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder until melted.

Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with a small splash of whole milk, then add the rest of the milk to the melted chocolate mixture slowly while whisking.

Continue heating until hot, then whisk in the cornstarch slurry until thickened, and pour into a mug with whipped cream and cocoa powder dusting.

For Mexican hot chocolate, char one side of a cinnamon stick under the broiler and combine 8 ounces of finely chopped dark chocolate, 1.5 tablespoons of brown sugar, half of a vanilla bean pod (scraped), the cinnamon stick, a seeded dried chili, a small pinch of salt, and 1.5 cups of whole milk in a small saucepan.

Heat and stir until hot and chocolate is melted, then let sit for 10 minutes, remove the vanilla bean pod and cinnamon stick, and blend until smooth, straining through a fine mesh strainer.

Cooking Techniques

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