Infinitely adaptable Hot Chocolate (better than swiss miss)

Servings
4

Don’t get me wrong, I love Swiss Miss. I have multiple boxes in my pantry as I type this. However, there is a time and place for a quick hot “hocho”. Sometimes, when cozy season hits you want to put the effort into making the whole drink from scratch. You may even want to make…

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Infinitely adaptable Hot Chocolate (better than swiss miss)

Don’t get me wrong, I love Swiss Miss. I have multiple boxes in my pantry as I type this. However, there is a time and place for a quick hot “hocho”. Sometimes, when cozy season hits you want to put the effort into making the whole drink from scratch. You may even want to make your own marshmallows. You may not. The great news is that the choice is yours.

This hot chocolate recipe serves as the base for many delicious iterations. Some of my personal favorite creations include salted tahini hot chocolate, Mexican hot chocolate, and of course, the classic (OG) hot chocolate. They are all rich, dreamy, and creamy with the addition of cornstarch. I very much believe that creating a super thick hot chocolate with chocolate bars will just lead to a tummy ache. For that reason, the base of this recipe is a bit lighter and can even be made thinner, if you wish.

Make sure to whisk constantly, scraping the sides of the saucepan as well, in order to evenly melt the chocolate!

Hot Chocolate Base

Infinitely Adaptable Hot Chocolate

This hot chocolate base recipe is meant to be the building block for your creativity! Hot chocolate is such a fun drink to play around with so feel free to take it in whatever direction you choose.
Cook Time15 minutes
Servings 4
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Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup 100 grams powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons white chocolate chips OR 2 oz white chocolate bar chopped
  • 3 tablespoons dark chocolate chips OR 2 oz dark chocolate bar chopped (i used 70 percent because I prefer dark, if you like sweeter, go semisweet)
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1.5 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 32 oz whole milk you can always substitute the milk of your choice, just know it will affect texture

Instructions

  • In a medium saucepan, combine dry ingredients and whisk to combine.
  • Add a few tablespoons of the whole milk and whisk again to form a paste. This will ensure that when you add the rest of the milk, there are no lumps of dry ingredients.
  • Once smooth, add the chocolate and the rest of the milk.
  • Place over medium hit and whisk continuously to ensure that the chocolate melts evenly.
  • If you prefer your hot chocolate thinner, you can stop here.
  • The cornstarch will thicken as it cooks so for a very thick hot chocolate bring the mixture to a boil stirring constantly. Remove from heat and pour into mugs.

Video

@lilypcrumbs

Classic hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows, salted tahini hot chocolate, white hot chocolate with peppermint… the possibilities are endless!#homemademarshmallows #whitehotchocolate #mexicanhotchocolate #tahinihotchocolate

♬ Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee

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  1. Thanks for posting. I really enjoyed reading it, especially because it addressed my problem. It helped me a lot and I hope it will help others too.

  2. Do you add both the white chocolate & the dark chocolate or is this an either/or situation?

    • You add white chocolate for all chocolate variations! I found it add sweetness without making it taste too chocolatey!