Level up your hot cocoa with the most luxurious cocoa recipe ever.

Few warm beverages, other than coffee, send us into a peaceful cozy state. For those who prefer the richer side of cozy, a cup of hot cocoa is as good as it gets. We’re not talking about spoons full of Swiss Miss (also loved in our home) – but instead enjoying a luxurious, smooth and very delicious cup of haute cocoa.

The Swiss and French have perfected hot cocoa. While both are delicious and incredibly decadent, they are more like warm sipping desserts. We have modified the french drinking chocolate just enough to make it more of a cozy beverage – richer than the powdery stuff but not a dessert like the french. For a delicious and sultry cocoa recipe keep reading below.

Ingredients

To make a perfect cup of hot cocoa, you will need a lot of chocolate – we chose our favorite chocolate bars and melted them to use as a base for our cocoa. Below is our ingredient list:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 pint half and half
• 70g 57% cocoa bar – we like the 360 whole foods dark chocolate bar
• 2 squares 70% cocoa bar -we use the Ghirardelli 70% dark chocolate bar
• 4-5 teaspoons white granulated sugar
• 2-3 drops of vanilla extract
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 tbl pure cocoa powder
• optional 1 cinnamon stick
• optional mini marshmallows or whipped cream for a topping

Step-by-Step Instructions

• Heat the half and half and whole milk in a saucepan on a medium high heat, adding the cinnamon bark (optional) and vanilla.
• Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer, stir for about 5 minutes with the lid off. 
• Turn off the heat and remove the cinnamon stick.  Add a tablespoon of cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Some cocoa lumps may not dissolve.
• Add the sugar and a pinch of salt.  Add all chocolate pieces and stir in gently until melted and smooth consistency. 
• Using a new saucepan, strain the cocoa with an extra fine strainer. This is to remove any undissolved cocoa and helps make it extra smooth.
• For a thicker cocoa, continue cooking until the desired consistency is reached. 
• Top with whipped cream or mini-marshmallows.
• The cocoa is ready – enjoy!