This simple 5-ingredient French Hot Chocolate Recipe, AKA Drinking Chocolate, is a Parisian favorite and a must-make for the holidays!



Several months ago I had the opportunity to spend a week in Paris with a few friends. Traveling with a group of sweet-tooths, and noticed that hot chocolate is a thing in Paris.

It’s everywhere.

Cafes. Bakeries. Sandwich shops. Chocolatiers. Tea shops.

If you need a warm luxurious mug of French Hot Chocolate while in Paris, you can find one within a block or two, no doubt.

Luxury is the prominent feeling when experiencing French Hot Chocolate for the first time.

It’s not thin and cocoa powder based, like most American hot chocolates.

The Parisian variation, known as Chocolat Chaud, is most definitely a dense drinking chocolate. Thinner than chocolate fondue or liquid ganache… Yet not by much.

My French Hot Chocolate Recipe requires only five simple ingredients:

Good quality semisweet (or bittersweet) chocolate

Milk

Cream

Brown sugar

A little vanilla extract

I tried using only milk, only half & half, and then only heavy cream, but found this combination of both whole milk and heavy cream provides just the right consistency to rival any mugful I tasted in Paris.

The key is to gently simmer and stir the ingredients until not a single unmelted speck of chocolate is present. The mixture must simmer until entirely smooth. Then it will thicken just a touch to the perfect velvety texture.

This French Hot Chocolate Recipe is the perfect after dinner drink for your holiday feast.

Sip it by the fire for a romantic ending of a day (hopefully) filled with love and laughter.

Love out drinking chocolate? Also try our decadent Drinking Caramel!

Print Recipe 4.91 from 22 votes Leave a Review » French Hot Chocolate Recipe French Hot Chocolate Recipe (Chocolat Chaud) Rich, dark, and silky, this Parisian style Drinking Chocolate is a thick, gourmet hot chocolate that is hard to put down! Servings: 6 Ingredients 8 ounces quality chocolate bars, semisweet or bittersweet

1 3/4 cup whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Instructions Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a sauce pot. Set the pot over medium-low heat and add the milk, cream, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.

Stir until the chocolate comes to a low simmer and the drinking chocolate is completely smooth and slightly thickened.

The drinking chocolate should be substantially thicker than classic hot chocolate, but not as thick as chocolate fondue. If it is too thin, simmer a little longer. If it is too thick, add another 1/4 cup milk. Ladle into mugs and enjoy immediately. Video Nutrition Serving: 4 ounces , Calories: 346 kcal , Carbohydrates: 27 g , Protein: 4 g , Fat: 24 g , Saturated Fat: 14 g , Cholesterol: 36 mg , Sodium: 43 mg , Potassium: 323 mg , Fiber: 3 g , Sugar: 21 g , Vitamin A: 425 IU , Calcium: 120 mg , Iron: 2.4 mg Author: Sommer Collier Making this recipe? Follow us on Instagram and tag @ASpicyPerspective so we can share what you’re cooking!

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