On a cold winter day, there’s nothing quite as warming and soul-satisfying as a rich, delicious cup of homemade French hot chocolate.
When I was in Paris recently it turned quite cold one day and I quickly headed to my favorite spot for hot chocolate (Un Dimanche à Paris). The French call it chocolat chaud, pronounced shuh-koh-lah show. Now that I’m back home, I enjoy my own version for special occasions. Equally delicious even without that wonderful French ambiance.
French Hot Chocolate Ingredients
Because there are so few ingredients in a traditional chocolat chaud, using the highest quality chocolate is extremely important. When people tell me their hot chocolate wasn’t magnifique it’s almost always because of the chocolate they used.
Here are the ingredients, in order of importance:
- High quality dark chocolate. I like to use a premium dark chocolate with about 60% to 75% cacao for my hot chocolate. An excellent chocolate from France for this French hot chocolate is Valrhona 65% cacao. Another option is the Valrhona chocolate bar tasting collection that provides three different chocolate bars all suitable for hot chocolate.
- Cocoa powder. Again, high-quality 100% cocoa powder will enhance the flavor of your chocolate. If you want authentic French cocoa powder, Valrhona cocoa powder is a good bet.
- Milk. I use low-fat milk in my hot chocolate, just to lower the calories a bit. I don’t find it alters the taste much because the chocolate is really the star here. But you can use whole milk if you prefer. My favorite milk is Horizon Organic Lowfat milk. Traditional chocolat chaud usually isn’t made with cream, despite how creamy it tastes.
- Vanilla. Vanilla brings out the flavor of the chocolate. Be sure to use pure vanilla and not an artificial extract. I like Madagascar vanilla.
- Cinnamon. I like adding a bit of cinnamon but this is optional.
You’ll notice that I don’t add sugar to my hot chocolate. To my taste, the sweetness from the chocolate is enough to create a lightly sweet beverage. If you have a real sweet tooth, you can add a bit more sugar (or stevia if you prefer). Be sure to taste first to avoid an overly sweet drink!
Substitutions and Options
If you have special dietary requirements — or are just a bit of a rebel — here are some substitutions and options.
- Lactose-Free. If you’re lactose intolerant, use lactose-free milk such as Horizon Organic Lactose-Free Reduced Fat Milk.
- Vegan. Substitute the dairy milk with a non-dairy alternative. I find that almond milk retains the traditional flavor best, but you can also try coconut milk for a different twist. My favorite is Silk Unsweetened Almond Milk (either Regular or Vanilla).
- Low-Calorie. Rich and creamy French hot chocolate isn’t known to be a diet drink. But if you want to reduce calories, replace more of the chocolate with cocoa powder and use either low-fat milk or almond milk.
- Flavored Chocolate. Using flavored dark chocolate gives your hot chocolate a different flavor profile. Chocolove Raspberries in Dark Chocolate and Lily’s Blood Orange Extra Dark Chocolate are fun to try.
If you’re looking for some other French recipes, consider these:
- French Chocolate Soufflé: A Classic Recipe
- Cherry Clafoutis French Custard Dessert
- French Salad with Walnuts, Pears, and Grapes
French Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 100 grams dark chocolate
- 2 cups low fat milk
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Chop the chocolate bar into small pieces.
- Heat the milk in a saucepan.
- As soon as the milk starts to simmer, add the chocolate pieces and cocoa powder and whisk briskly.
- Add the vanilla and cinnamon. Whisk to combine.
- Pour into four cups and serve!
Notes
Nutrition
10 comments
Absolutely delicious! You can’t go wrong when you’re using high quality chocolate.
Wow, looks amazing. I’d like to sip this on a cold evening, forget that, any evening or time of day.
It wouldn’t be winter without hot chocolate! This looks delicious; definitely too good to pass up! Looking forward to warming up with this after dinner tonight!
This hot chocolate looks so decadent and rich! Will definitely have to try this over the weekend when my sweet tooth kicks in 🙂
This looks divine! I can’t wait to cozy up with a mug of this soon!
This drink looks fantastic! Rich chocolate with a little hint of cinnamon. Perfect treat for winter!
This French Hot Chocolate sounds so decadent! I could imagine how rich that chocolate flavor is!
This hot chocolate looks delicious! I especially love that you use dark chocolate sweetened with Stevia for it and that you provide options/substitutions for everyone! 😀
This looks ultimately amazing. I have tried Lilly’s chocolate before and it is one of my favorites. I also believe it has a great carbohydrate and sugar level too, which makes it healthy too. Not all chocolate is created equal, hence why it isn’t so I am actually happy you used that in this recipe. I think I am going to make this tonight. I’ll try it with dark chocolate almond milk.
Wow, this looks really yummy. I am going to try it.