Around the World in hot chocolate Recipes

Everyone loves a nice warm cup of hot chocolate as the weather starts to change. Hot chocolate was a drink that started in Mexico in 500 BC. The Mayans made it with ground coco beans, cornmeal, water, and chili powder. Today’s drink lost the cornmeal and chili powder, but the overall concept is the same. American hot chocolate is delicious, but typically just made with water and a powdered packet. It’s close relatives of Mexican, Hungarian, Italian hot chocolate and many others are much more thick, rich, and flavorful. Here are the top 10 recipes I’ve found from around the world.

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Champurrado, or Mexican hot chocolate, is creamy and chocolatey with an extra kick of spice. To make this delicious drink, you need:

1. 3 cups whole milk
2. 3 tablespoons crushed cinnamon sticks
3. 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
4. 3 tablespoons demerara or granulated sugar
5. ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
6. Pinch of kosher salt
7. ¼ teaspoon ground chile de árbol or cayenne pepper, plus more for serving
8. Lightly sweetened whipped cream (for Garnish)

To prepare:

1. Bring milk and cinnamon to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking occasionally and making sure milk doesn’t boil, until cinnamon is floral and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Whisk in chocolate, sugar, vanilla, salt, and ¼ tsp. ground chile and cook, whisking frequently, until mixture is smooth and creamy and chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes.
2. Divide hot chocolate among mugs. Top with whipped cream and dust with cocoa powder.

Recipe from bonappetit.com

Colombian Hot Chocolate

Want a cheesy chocolatey mix? Colombia has got you covered! To make a traditional Colombian cheesy hot chocolate you need:

1. 2 cups milk
2. 1 ½ tbsp sugar
3. 2 ¼ oz of a dark chocolate bar, chopped
4. 1 oz Mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes

To prepare:

1. In a medium pot, heat the milk over the stove until warm, stirring constantly.
2. Add the chocolate into the milk and stir until the chocolate melts and combines with the milk. Add the sugar. Keep stirring, bringing the milk to a low boil.
3. Add a few cubes of mozzarella cheese into the bottom of two mugs. Pour half of the hot chocolate into each mug, and let sit for 2-3 minutes until the cheese melts.

Recipe from foreignfork.com

Brazilian Hot chocolate

If you’re looking to take hot chocolate to a whole new level, Brazilian hot chocolate is the drink for you. We’re ditching the cheese in this one and instead adding Sweetened condensed milk! Here’s what you need (besides the milk) for this one:

1. 2-4 oz bars of 60-70% bittersweet baking bars/chocolate bars chopped
2. 2 cups of full fat milk add more if you don’t want your hot chocolate to be as thick and strong
3. 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
4. 2 sticks of cinnamon
5. 1/4-1/2 cup sweet condensed milk

For Garnish

1. Freshly whipped cream
2. shaved chocolate
3. pinch of ground cinnamon

To prepare:

1. Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Set a couple of spoonfuls of whipped cream aside to garnish your finished drink and add the rest of it to a saucepan.
2. Add the milk, and the cinnamon sticks to the saucepan, and stir to combine.
3. Over medium heat, bring this mixture to a simmer. When the milky mixture is simmering, add the chopped chocolate. Whisk gently until the chocolate has melted completely. Remove and discard the cinnamon sticks.
4. Add 1/4 cup of condensed milk, whisk to combine and taste for sweetness. If not sweet enough to your taste add the remaining condensed milk, incrementally, while taste testing along the way. After you reach your desired sweetness, pour the hot chocolate into cups.
5. Top it with fresh whipped cream, shaved chocolate and a pinch of cinnamon.

Recipe from Braziliankitchenabroad

Indian chai spiced white hot chocolate

Not a fan of milk chocolate? We’ve still got you covered with a white chocolate drink from India! Complete with traditional Indian spices of course. To make this spiced drink you need these ingredients:

1. 2 thin slices of fresh ginger
2. 4 green cardamom pods, crushed
3. 1 2-inch cinnamon stick
4. 2 whole star anise
5. 1 cup water
6. 1 1/2 cups milk
7. 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
8. 3/4 cup white chocolate chips

To prepare

1. In a small saucepan add ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, star anise, and water. Bring water to boil and then reduce to simmer. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
2. Add brown sugar and whisk until fully dissolved.
3. Reduce the heat to low. Add milk to saucepan. Let milk heat up for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add white chocolate and whisk until melted. Heat beverage to preferred temperature (but DO NOT let boil). Remove all spices (I like to keep the cinnamon and star anise for garnish). Serve immediately, sprinkle with cinnamon.

Recipe from theschmidtywife.com 

Hungarian hot chocolate

Keeping with the spiced theme, we move on to Hungry. They are famous for their use of paprika so of course, they also use it in their hot chocolate! Much like the Mexican hot chocolate, this drink is a little spicy. Here’s what you need to make this drink:

1. 4 cups whole milk
2. 1 teaspoon smoked paprika or Hungarian hot paprika
3. 1/2 teaspoon finely ground white pepper
4. 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
5. 7 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

To prepare:

In a saucepan over medium-low heat combine the milk, paprika, white pepper, and cloves together and heat until almost boiling. Add chocolate and stir in with a wooden spoon and continue to stir until the chocolate is fully melted. Whisk to a froth and serve immediately.

Recipe from VanillaGarlic.com

French hot chocolate

This French hot chocolate is for all the dark chocolate lovers out there. It’s rich and creamy and sure to hit the spot. Pro tip; pair with a croissant for the ultimate French experience!

1. 1 1/2 cups whole milk
2. 1/2 cup heavy cream
3. 2 teaspoons powdered sugar
4. 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder (optional, but delicious for intensifying chocolate flavor)
5. 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate at least 70%, chopped*
6. Giant bowl of whipped cream for serving

To prepare

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the whole milk, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and espresso powder until small bubbles appear around the edges. Do not allow the mixture to boil.
2. Remove from saucepan from the heat and stir in the chopped chocolate until melted, returning the sauce to low heat if needed for the chocolate to melt completely. Serve warm, topped with lots of whipped cream.

Recipe from Well plated by Erin

Italian Hot chocolate

Another one for the dark chocolate lovers out there. Italian hot chocolate is known for its thickness, it even uses cornstarch for an extra boost. This is what else you’ll need to make this decadent drink:

1. 3.5 ounces Dark Chocolate (chopped into small pieces)
2. 2 tablespoons sugar
3. 2 1/2 tablespoons cocoa unsweetened
4. 1 cup + 1 tablespoon milk (2% or whole milk/divided)
5. 1 teaspoon cornstarch

To prepare

1. In a small bowl whisk until smooth, 1/4 cup milk and cornstarch set aside.
2. Sift the cocoa into a medium bowl then add the sugar and whisk together, set aside.
3. In a small/medium pot, heat 3/4 cups + 1 tablespoon milk until boiling, reduce heat to low, start whisking and add the milk/cornstarch mixture then add the cocoa mixture slowly while continually whisking until smooth, add the chopped chocolate and whisk for approximately 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Recipe from An Italian in my Kitchen

Dutch hot chocolate

This hot chocolate, also dark chocolate based, has an additional (and completely optional!) kick. It is traditionally served as an alcoholic drink, using a shot of brandy or rum. Of course, it tastes just as delicious as a typical non alcoholic beverage. 

1. 1/3 cup (100 grams) dark chocolate chips
2. 1 teaspoon Dutch process cocoa powder
3. 1 1/4 cups (300 milliliters) whole milk
4. 1 tablespoon whipped cream, best quality
5. 1 shot brandy, or rum, to taste, optional
6. Granulated sugar, or sweetener to taste, optional
7. whipped cream ,for garnish
8. Cocoa powder, for dusting
9. Ground cinnamon, for dusting

To prepare

1. Put the chocolate chips, cocoa, and 1/4 cup of the milk (about 60 ml) in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Allow the chocolate to melt into the milk while stirring with a wooden spoon.
2. Add the rest of the milk and whisk lightly until well mixed and foamy. Then, add the brandy or rum, if using.
3. Pour into small cups, top with whipped cream, dust with cinnamon, and serve piping hot.

Recipe from The Spruce Eats

Viennese hot Chocolate

On the theme, this hot chocolate also has a surprising ingredient – egg! Yes it’s true, Viennese hot chocolate calls for one egg. See what else you need to make this simple recipe below;

1. 6 ounces semisweet chocolate (60 to 70 percent cocoa)
2. 1 1/4 cups milk
3. 1 large egg yolk
4. Whipped cream, for garnish

To prepare

1. Place chopped chocolate in a heavy saucepan with the milk. Heat the milk and chocolate, stirring frequently until small bubbles come to the surface, but do not boil. Stir as needed to keep the milk from burning and the chocolate from sinking to the bottom.
2. Simmer for 3 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk to create foam. At this point, taste the milk and add sugar if it is not sweet enough for you.
3. When the milk looks very smooth, remove from the heat, and cool a little bit.
4. Whisk together the egg yolk in a small bowl along with 2 tablespoons of the hot chocolate. This acts to temper the egg yolk so that it does not cook when you add it to the larger pot of hot chocolate.
5. Whisk the egg yolk mixture back into the pot with the hot chocolate mixture. Return to heat, stirring constantly, and whisk to create foam. Do not let this boil or the yolk will curdle. When ready to serve, divide between 2 or more cups and garnish with whipped cream.

Recipe from The Spruce Eats

Crockpot hot chocolate

While this one is not exactly a hot chocolate from around the world, I’d like to think it is a way to give America a better hot chocolate than Swiss Miss (not that there’s anything wrong with Swiss Miss, we still love you!) But compared to all of these other thick, rich, delicious hot chocolates, Americans need to step up. Since we love to cook things in crockpots, I thought this is the perfect recipe. Here are the ingredients you’ll need (besides a crockpot)

1. ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2. 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
3. 6 cups whole milk, (divided use)
4. 2 cups heavy whipping cream
5. 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6. 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
7. mini marshmallows, for serving

To prepare:

1. In a microwave-safe bowl or cup, microwave one cup of milk to scalding (not boiling). This can also be done in a small saucepan on the stove top.
2. Gently whisk in the ¼ cup cocoa powder into the milk.
3. In a 4-quart (or larger) slow cooker, combine sweetened condensed milk, whole milk, heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract and semi-sweet chocolate chips.
4. Finally stir in the cocoa and milk mixture that you made first.
5. Cover and cook on low for about 2 hours and stirring often as it begins to warm up. Stirring is very important because you want to make sure those chocolate chips are melting evenly and getting incorporated into the rest of the mixture. You don’t want a big clump of melted chocolate on the bottom.
6. It’s ready when all the chocolate chips have melted and the mixture is warm.
7. Ladle into mugs and top with marshmallows or whipped cream

Recipe from The Country Cook

Now all you need is a blanket, good movie, and maybe a snack to fully enjoy the chilly weather this fall. Happy sipping!

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