The THICKEST and CREAMIEST Hot Chocolate Recipe EVER! (2024)

FAQs

How do you make hot chocolate thicker? ›

Cornflour/Cornstarch: Mix a small amount with cold milk or water to create a smooth paste. Whisk this into your hot chocolate towards the end of the cooking process until it thickens. Double Cream: Stirring in a splash of double cream can instantly enrich and thicken your drink, giving it a velvety texture.

In mainland Europe (particularly Spain and Italy), hot chocolate is sometimes served very thick due to the use of a thickening agent such as cornstarch.

Dairy Milk: Full cream dairy milk remains a classic choice for a rich, velvety hot chocolate. Plant-Based Milks: Soy, oat, almond, and coconut milks offer delightful plant-based alternatives, each adding a unique twist.

If the hot chocolate doesn't thicken, add a slurry of cornstarch and milk (dissolve ¼ teaspoon of cornstarch in a tablespoon of cold milk) to the hot chocolate and continue stirring over medium high heat until slightly thickened.

For instance, when chocolate comes into contact with even the smallest amount of water, it seizes. Similarly, if chocolate is overheated, it will become thick and lumpy.

The cornstarch version thickened quickly, making the hot chocolate very thick and creamy, and in the end we decided on a combination of cornstarch and confectioner's sugar, for the ideal texture and sweetness.

The most significant difference is in the ingredients. Mexican hot chocolate uses various spices, including cinnamon, cloves, and ancho chili pepper.

Both Switzerland and France are renowned for their hot chocolate, and each country offers a distinct experience. Switzerland is famous for its rich and indulgent hot chocolate. Swiss hot chocolate tends to be thick, creamy, and often made with high-quality chocolate.

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.

Belgian Hot Chocolate

Of course Belgium has made it to a list involving decadent chocolate! Usually involving more than one kind of chocolate, Belgian hot chocolate is thick and creamy, but its rise to fame is specifically the Wittier Chocolatier recipe from Brussels.

What is the difference between hot chocolate and hot cocoa? ›

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.

Oat Milk. Oat milk is perhaps the creamiest of all the plant milks. Its thick creamy texture means it's one of the closest plant-based milks to resemble dairy milk. Oat milk is quickly becoming a favorite non-dairy alternative to milk with popular brands like Oatly disrupting the traditional milk industry.

Italy is another European country that loves its thick hot chocolate. Their version of hot chocolate uses heavy cream and milk like the French. But unlike the French, they go an extra step by adding cornstarch to thicken the mixture even more. The result is a pudding-like consistency that is still pourable.

Try a teaspoon of cornstarch, mixed with a little cold water, added to the milk when you boil it. As Kate Gregory suggests, you could also use full-fat milk, or loads of shaved chocolate.

Cocoa butter is the best option as it's the natural fat present in chocolate. Alternatively, you can use a bit of vegetable oil or shortening. Start by adding just a small amount (a teaspoon for every 100 grams of chocolate should suffice), stir it in, and see if the chocolate is thin enough for your needs.

Chocolate and water don't go together. Even a small splash of water in your melting chocolate will cause it to seize, becoming stiff and grainy instead of smooth and silky.