Italian Hot Chocolate Recipe (Cioccolata Calda) • Mocktails And More (2024)

Italian hot chocolate is such a treat! This thick, rich and creamy hot chocolate is so much better than the store-bought mixes and is perfect for cold weather!

I love a good cup of hot chocolate and I've had my fair share of them. while I love a healthy hot chocolate on a regular basis, Italian hot chocolate (Cioccolata Calda) is the way to go if I want to indulge a bit. This recipe is a keeper because it gives you thick and creamy hot chocolate every time! It's so easy to make and is ready in just a few minutes. Treat yourself to this creamy and rich drink on a cold winter day!

Why this recipe works

This Italian hot chocolate recipe is a family favorite for a few good reasons:

• It's very easy to make and is ready is a few minutes.
• This recipe calls for just a few ingredients that you might already have in hand.
• You can easily adjust this recipe to your liking by adding more liquid or more cornstarch for a thicker drink.

Once you try this recipe, you won't have the powdered mix ones again. This one is just too good to resist!

Ingredients

Dark chocolate -It's best to use high quality chocolate for this recipe since that's where all the flavor is.

Sugar -This is optional, but if you like your hot chocolate on the sweeter side, you can add some sugar.

Cocoa powder -To enhance the flavor, add some cocoa powder.

Milk -Whole milk works best for this recipe. However, 2% milk works just fine.

Cornstarch -It makes the hot chocolate rich and thick.

How to make Italian hot chocolate

• Place milk and sugar in a saucepan and place over medium heat.
• Once the milk starts bubbling around the edges, add the cocoa powder and cornstarch.
• Mix well using a whisk and then add the chocolate chunks.
• Whisk over medium heat until the chocolate is melted.
• If desired, add a little bit of vanilla extract.
• Pour into mugs and serve plain or with whipped cream.

Notes and tips to make Italian hot chocolate

• I strongly suggest that you use quality chocolate bars to make this rich hot chocolate. Chocolate chips are not going to work as well.
• It's important to constantly stir the hot chocolate to make sure it doesn't burn.
• If you'd like your Italian hot chocolate to be richer, add ¼ cup heavy cream to the milk.
• I like my Cioccolata Calda to have strong dark chocolate flavor therefore I use chocolate that has 70% or 80% cocoa. However, if you like yours sweeter, you can use anything below 60%.
• To make a thicker hot chocolate, add an additional teaspoon of cornstarch to the mixture.

Looking for more hot chocolate recipes?

• Dairy free hot chocolate
• Homemade hot cocoa mix