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French Hot Chocolate Recipe (chocolat chaud) | The Sweet Savory Life

French hot chocolate (or chocolat chaud) is NOT your typical hot chocolate. It’s thick, rich, and somewhere between a ganache and a chocolate fondue. It’s decadent with a velvety texture made with rich dark chocolate bars instead of cocoa powder mix. One sip and you’ll be hooked. As intimidating as it may seem, given how utterly delicious it is, this Parisian-style drink is actually quite simple to make. Simply simmer all the ingredients together and sip away.

What chocolate to use…

Use only good quality chocolate for this recipe. One of the best ways to find excellent chocolate is through its label, pick the one with high cocoa butter content. Many grocery store chocolate bars such as Lindor are good to use as well as bean-to-bar chocolate brands. For this recipe, I used Trader Joe’s “Pound Plus Dark Chocolate” block. Chocolate chips or compound chocolate are not ideal to use.

To learn more about chocolate, check out this “Bean-to-bar FAQ” blog post.

Because this decadent beverage is chocolate heavy, dark chocolate or 72% and above dark chocolate are best to use. I find using semisweet chocolate slightly sweet. This is, however, yours to enjoy so tweak the recipe to your preference.

Some noteworthy tips…

Your hot drink is only as good as the quality of chocolate you use. Treat yourself and pick a good brand. Do NOT use baking chocolate chips since those require a higher temperature to melt which may burn your milk.
This recipe is a blend of milk and heavy cream to get a thick consistency. If you only have milk, you can just add more chocolate to thicken it.
Add sugar only after tasting it. This is a rich velvety drink and I personally like it less sweet.
To get the perfect velvety consistency, simmer in slow heat to avoid burning the milk while melting the chocolate.
Adding instant coffee or espresso enhances the flavor of the chocolate. I highly recommend it.

How to make French hot chocolate…

Yield: 2 servings of small cups (espresso size); this is a rich hot chocolate best served in a smaller serving.

Equipment: small pot, whisk, cup

Prep time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
4 oz dark chocolate
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp instant coffee or espresso
sugar to taste (add as needed)

Directions:

In low heat, whisk together milk, heavy cream, and dark chocolate until chocolate is melted and mixed thoroughly.
Once done, turn off the heat and add vanilla extract and instant coffee. Mix until vanilla is mixed through and the instant coffee is dissolved.
Add sugar as preferred. Make sure to taste first before adding.
Pour into a small cup and top with whipped cream and serve immediately.

This Parisian-style hot chocolate drink is utterly magnificent! Although this hot chocolate is mostly enjoyed with a pastry, I prefer them after a hearty meal.

Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @sweetsavorygrace when you get the chance to make it! Cheers!