Our French hot chocolate recipe will remind you of that cozy cup of cocoa that you were served in your favorite Parisian cafe. Our creamy hot chocolate starts with a homemade chocolate ganache of both dark and milk chocolate. We add heavy cream, vanilla extract and a pinch of sea salt to the ganache.
Our hot chocolate recipe is for true hot chocolate lovers who want to make this delicious treat in their own kitchen. Using our step by step instructions, you can either make the full recipe, or store the ganache and make a single cup of hot chocolate any time you are craving hot chocolate.
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❤️ What You'll Love About This Recipe
- this is not your typical hot chocolate - our recipe produces the best hot chocolate with a creamy texture and dark chocolate flavor
- made with good quality ingredients, this is the hot chocolate recipe for true chocolate lovers
- like most European hot chocolate recipes, this recipe is made with whole milk and high quality chocolate
- one of my favorite indulgences anytime, but especially during the winter holiday season
🍫 Ingredients
milk chocolate - use a good quality chocolate like Callebaut or Ghiradelli
dark chocolate - at least 70% cacao and use a premium brand like Callebaut or Ghiradelli
heavy cream - you will use the heavy cream for both the chocolate ganache and the whipped cream to top your Parisian hot chocolate
whole milk - for that rich and creamy texture of the hot chocolate
🍮 Variations
Cinnamon Hot Chocolate - try adding a pinch of cinnamon to the individual mugs of hot chocolate. You can also add ½ teaspoon when you are making the ganache if you want all of your hot chocolate to be cinnamon.
Dark Hot Chocolate - swap out some or all of the milk chocolate for dark chocolate. This will give you a decadent and rich darker hot chocolate.
🍳 Instructions for the Ganache
Chop the chocolate and place in a medium, heat safe mixing bowl. Warm the heavy cream over low heat.Just before the heavy cream comes to a boil, remove from the heat and pour over the chopped chocolate.
Whisk the vanilla extract and salt into the chocolate ganache.
🥘 Instructions for Making the Hot Chocolate:
For a Large Batch - Heat milk (2 ½ cups) in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Once the milk is warm, whisk in your ganache and pour into four mugs. Top with homemade whipped cream and a few chocolate shavings.
For a Single Mug of Hot Chocolate - Warm ¾ cup of milk in a medium saucepan over low heat. Once the milk is warm, whisk ¼ cup of ganache into the hot milk. Pour le chocolate chaud into your favorite mug and top with homemade whipped cream and a few chocolate shavings.
Hint - Use a top-quality chocolate such as Callenaut, Ghiradell or Guittard when making this delicious hot chocolate.
🧑🏼🍳 Instructions For the Whipped Cream
Combine the heavy cream, vanilla and powdered sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer. Whip on medium speed until light and fluffy.
📦 Storage
Leftover French Hot Chocolate - you can store homemade hot chocolate for up to a week in an airtight container. Simply reheat the hot chocolate when you are ready to enjoy.
Homemade Chocoalte Ganache - ganache last for up to a month in the refrigerator. Store in an airtight container and use anytime that you want a mug of real hot chocolate.
Whipped Cream - whipped cream last for 1-2 days in the refrigerator before losing its fluffiness. You can refresh your whipped cream by whipping it again until it is light and fluffy.
🥸 FAQs
Typically French hot chocolate is made from just a few simple ingredients. For our recipe, we use heavy cream, milk, a combination of milk and dark chocolate, a little bit of vanilla extract and a pinch of sea salt.
Hot chocolate is typically made with a combination of melted chocolate and milk. This creates a rich and creamy drink similar to hot chocolate that you would be served in Europe or in a high end coffee shop in the US. Hot cocoa is often made with cocoa powder, sugar and milk. Hot cocoa is less rich and often has a sweeter flavor.
🇫🇷 Related Recipes
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Homemade Hot Chocolate with Whipped Cream
Ingredients
For the Ganache
- 3 ounces milk chocolate, cut into pieces
- 1 ounce dark chocolate (70%), cut into pieces
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla
- pinch sea salt
For the Hot Chocolate
- 2 and ½ cups milk
For the Whipped Cream
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
Instructions
For the Ganache
- Coarsely chop chocolate and place in a small mixing bowl. Over low heat, warm the heavy cream. Just before the cream boils, pour it over the chocolate. Whisk until all of the chocolate is melted. Add vanilla and salt, whisk to combine.
- At this point, you can either proceed with making hot chocolate or store the ganache in the refrigerator until you are ready to make hot chocolate.
For the Hot Chocolate
- In a medium sauce pan, warm the milk until almost boiling. Whisk in the ganache. Mix until well combined. Pour into four mugs. Garnish with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.
For the Whipped Cream
- In a medium mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine heavy cream, vanilla, and confectioner's sugar. Whip on medium until the cream begins to thicken. Turn the speed up to medium high and whip until you have reached your desired consistency. Leftover whipped cream can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days and can be refreshed by whipping again for a few minutes as needed.
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