French Hot Chocolate
This simple 5-ingredient French Hot Chocolate Recipe, AKA Drinking Chocolate, is a Parisian favorite and a must-make for the holidays!
Why You’ll Love This French Hot Chocolate Recipe
Several months ago I had the opportunity to spend a week in Paris with a few friends. Traveling with a group of sweet tooths, I noticed that hot chocolate is aย thingย in Paris.
It’s everywhere.
Cafes. Bakeries. Sandwich shops. Chocolatiers. Tea shops. If you need a warm luxurious mug of French Hot Chocolate while in Paris, you can find one within a block or two, no doubt.
And if you have ever had a cup of hot chocolate from France, you are in luck. It will change your whole perspective on what good hot chocolate is. Good hot chocolate is made with real, quality chocolate, cream, and a little brown sugar for good measure. This hot chocolate recipe is for real chocolate lovers only!
Drinking Chocolate
Luxury is a prominent feeling when experiencing French Hot Chocolate for the first time.
It’s not thin andย cocoa powder-based, like most American hot chocolates.
The Parisian variation, known as Chocolat Chaud, is most definitely a dense Drinking Chocolate. It is thinner than chocolate fondue or liquid ganache, yet not by much.
Ingredients You Need
My French Hot Chocolate Recipe requires only five simple ingredients:
- Good quality semisweet (or bittersweet) chocolate
- Milk
- Cream
- Brown sugar
- A little vanilla extract
I tried using only milk, only half-and-half, and then only heavy cream, but I found that this combination of whole milk and heavy cream provides just the right consistency to rival any mugful I tasted in Paris.
The key is to gently simmer and stir the ingredients until not a single unmelted speck of chocolate is present. The mixture must simmer until entirely smooth. Then it will thicken just a touch to the perfect velvety texture.
This French Hot Chocolate Recipe is the perfect after-dinner drink for your holiday feast.
Sip it by the fire for a romantic ending of a day (hopefully) filled with love and laughter.
Looking for More Decadent Drinks? Be Sure to Also Try:
- Drinking Caramel
- Toffee Caramel Latte
- Best Chai Tea
- Horchata Recipe
- Hot Chocolate Bombs
- Hot Apple Cider Wassail Recipe
- Vietnamese Egg Coffee
- Hot Buttered Rum (Crock Pot)
- Mexican Mocha Recipe (Mexican Coffee)
French Hot Chocolate Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 8 ounces quality chocolate bars, semisweet or bittersweet
- 1 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a sauce pot. Set the pot over medium-low heat and add the milk, cream, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Stir until the chocolate comes to a low simmer and the drinking chocolate is completely smooth and slightly thickened.
- The drinking chocolate should be substantially thicker than classic hot chocolate, but not as thick as chocolate fondue. If it is too thin, simmer a little longer. If it is too thick, add another 1/4 cup milk. Ladle into mugs and enjoy immediately.
thanks for sharing your recipe. This was so amazing. It was a perfect ending to our family’s Christmas eve dinner!
My 17 year old granddaughter made this for us for Christmas this year. Oh my goodness! It is sooooโฆ. good! Iโm adding it my family recipe collection. Iโd give it ten stars if I could. Thank you for sharing the t3cipe.โค๏ธ
What brand of chocolate do you use?
Hi Sophia,
There’s not one specific brand I buy, but I do buy the good chocolate bars in the candy section rather than buying “bakers chocolate”.
ย ย Outstanding. ย Reminds me of the Chocolat Chaud I had when I visited France. ย ย I added to the pan ย all the ingredients except the chocolate. Also added 2 sticks of cinnamon. Brought to a light boil and then simmered for 10 mins for the cinnamon to infuse the milk. ย After this the chocolate went in and stirred until lightly thickened. ย Wow, this is absolutely ย delicious. ย
ย ย If you want you can make the full recipe and store the hot chocolate you will not consume immediately in the refrigerator. ย Just reheat when you are ready. ย Taste just as good as just made. ย
This was delicious, and as close as Iโll get to the hot chocolate I had at Angelinaโs and Lauderee without actually boarding a plane to Paris. I paired it with freshly made whipped cream. Magnifique!ย
Thank you
And you recipe is good and yummy
Thanks for sharing! Does it separate very quickly?
Hi Vanessa,
No, if you follow the directions it will not separate at all. :)
This looks so good! What a fun drink to make when you are trying to get cozy at home!ย
Will this recipe work with almond milk, coconut milk.
Hi Linda,
Coconut milk would be a good choice! :)
So i’m deathly allergic to coconut would the almond milk work?
It won’t be as thick, but should still taste delicious!
This. Is. Spectacular. I have been trying to find a drinking chocolate like this for, literally, YEARS. I made it with Ghirardeli bittersweet chocolate chips. It was perfect. Thank you so much!!!
You can do this same thing but much easier if you have a French press. Just process good quality chocolate in a small food processor I told fine and pour a little hot water over it to melt, then add the other ingredients into a mug.ย
I happened to have all of the ingredient when researching this recipe. ย ABSOLUTE PERFECTION. ย Keep you eye on the pan at all times. ย It can boil over very quickly. ย It is VERY RICH and a teacup even a demitasse would suffice as a serving rather than a mug.
Will definitely be making this one again and again.
Thanks for sharing.
I noticed the serving size was only 4oz but made sense since it’s so richm