Italian Hot Chocolate Recipe - Thick and Decadent! (2024)

FAQs

Italian Hot Chocolate Recipe - Thick and Decadent!? ›

How To Make Italian Hot Chocolate. Add milk to a saucepan and then add chopped chocolate, cocoa powder and sugar. Heat the mixture, stirring occasionally until all the chocolate and sugar has melted. Mix the corn starch with 2 tablespoon of milk then add it to the chocolate milk.

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.

You may think something this decadent is made with heavy cream, but it's not! With real chocolate, cocoa powder, 2 percent milk, and cornstarch used to thicken it, this Cioccolato Caldo is much richer, and enjoyed in smaller quantities than American-style hot cocoa.

Italian hot chocolate is thicker, creamier, and generally much richer than traditional American hot chocolate, which is less dense and milkier. It is made with a few key ingredients: cocoa, sugar, and milk. In some cases, a little dark chocolate and a thickening agent, such as cornstarch, are added as well.

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.

Ensure a higher ratio of chocolate to cream or use chocolate with a higher cocoa percentage. Allow ganache to cool at room temperature or chill briefly in the refrigerator to thicken. Gently reheat with more cream, stirring slowly to smooth out.

Heat the cream until simmering, then turn off the heat and pour into the chocolate. If you heat it until boiling, the cream will be too hot and it can burn the chocolate or cause it to separate. Let it rest for a while before mixing chocolate and cream together until it's mixed well.

Although made with similar ingredients, Italy's version of this universally beloved treat, cioccolata calda, is in a league of its own. Bonus: original Italian recipe by Sant Ambroeus included! Hot chocolate is one of the winter season's best perks.

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.

Which country has the best hot chocolate in the world? ›

We'd be remiss not to include Swiss Miss in our taste test because when it comes to hot chocolate mix, it's by far the most well-loved. Swiss Miss makes a variety of flavors of powdered hot chocolate mix from seasonal favorites like pumpkin spice to mix made with unicorn-shaped marshmallows.

As a result of American-made chocolate having lesser percentage cacao, there is a higher sugar content. That's why Americans are usually known for their lighter, sweeter milk chocolates while Europeans consider their chocolates to be almost bitter as a result of the low sugar content.

It Started in Mexico

As early as 500 BC, the Mayans were drinking chocolate made from ground-up cocoa seeds mixed with water, cornmeal, and chili peppers (as well as other ingredients)—a much different version from the hot chocolate we know today.

In Colombia, one of the birthplaces of cacao, sweet hot chocolate is accompanied by savory cheese. Sometimes known as chocolate completo, chocolate santafereño comes in the form of breakable blocks, called pastillas, that contain cloves and cinnamon.

Want it thicker? Try adding a teaspoon for cornstarch before blending. Make it a Chocolate Milkshake by adding vanilla ice cream!

In my opinion, the best hot chocolate is simple to make, with just a few quality ingredients. Milk: You can use dairy or dairy-free milk, including cashew milk, almond milk, or oat milk. The creamier the better! And since this recipe has sugar in it, I'd choose unsweetened milks (if you're buying them from the store).