Oh, Hot Chocolate, how I have missed you! It had been so long since I last tasted the pleasure of your rich, divine goodness. But this morning, when I was at last reunited with you…it was pure joy! I will never forsake you for so long ever again!
Okay, maybe that is a bit dramatic, but seriously, I LOVE this hot chocolate! It’s finally cooled down enough here lately, that we’ve been able to enjoy it once again. It goes along perfectly with a warm blanket, a special someone, and a cuddly couch. Ahh…it is truly a wonderful treat!
My hot chocolate recipe is not as cloyingly sweet as most. It is dark and rich, and we think it’s just perfect. And for the record, it tastes nothing like Swiss Miss. So keep that in mind if that is the style of hot chocolate that you are used to. But I encourage you to give this a try. Just be warned – it can be habit forming!
Dark Hot Chocolate
This recipe makes a hot chocolate mix. I mix it up in a clean pint-sized ball jar and store it in that same jar in my pantry to have on hand for chilly evenings when cuddle time is needed!
Hot Chocolate Mix Ingredients:
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2 parts good quality cocoa powder
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1 part sucanat (Turbinado or regular sugar will work if that is all you have. See this post on natural sweeteners for more info on why I choose sucanat.)
Hot Chocolate Mix Preparation:
Combine 2 parts cocoa powder and 1 part sucanat in a clean container. Mix well. You can make as much or as little as you would like.
To Prepare Hot Chocolate:
Whisk together 1 2/3 cup milk and 3 TBSP Hot Chocolate Mix in a small saucepan on stovetop. Warm over medium heat, whisking until it is the desired temperature. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Pour into 1 large mug or 2 small mugs. Serve immediately and enjoy! May be topped with fresh whipped cream if desired.
Notes:
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This is a very versatile recipe. Feel free to adjust it to your specific taste. When we first started making it, we used 1 part cocoa powder to 1 part sucanat. Over time, we realized that we liked it better with 2 parts cocoa to 1 part sucanat. Find what works for you and your family.
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Also, feel free to experiment with the ratio of milk to hot chocolate mix. What I listed above is our favorite.
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Good quality cocoa powder really makes a difference in this recipe, as it is the star player, so keep that in mind.
This post has been shared with Simple Lives Thursday, Delightfully Inspiring Thursday, and Pennywise Platter Thursday.
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Oh. Yum! I am counting down the days until hot chocolate season! Just curious, have you ever tried this with Stevia instead? Definitely bookmarking!
I have not ever tried Stevia with this before, Jill. I was going to try it this time, but I dropped my entire bottle of Stevia and it broke all over my kitchen floor!
It was a brand new bottle too!
Let me know how it turns out if you try it with Stevia.
Oh, we love dark chocolate, too- I think we’ll try this just the way your family likes it.
Thanks!
Yum! I love the dramatic intro
We are always on the look out for a good hot chocolate recipe! Will try this one. My list of things to try from your blog is getting rather long!
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Ooo, yummy!! It was cooler here last week but this week it’s supposed to warm up again…then cool down again. Crazy weather.
What brand of cocoa powder do you use/recommend?
Hi Haley! I usually use Ghirardelli cocoa. It is very good quality, not too expensive, and widely available. Of course there are more expensive, higher quality brands available, but Ghirardelli is more in my price range, and it’s better quality than the more common brands. Hope this helps!
It’s been getting pretty cold recently where I live. This hot chocolate looks great! I especially love dark chocolate. Can’t wait to try this recipe this fall and winter. Thank you for posting it!
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My daughter is a chocoholic and will love coming home from high school with a mug of this nectar waiting for her! Thank you for the post!
We love hot chocolate at our house. Sometimes, when we really can’t bear to wait for winter, we make it in july :] One thing we do that makes it really wonderful is add a dash of cinnamon. It’s delicious!