Ultra creamy, this Thick Italian Hot Chocolate is made with real chocolate and milk and is like drinking comfort straight from a mug! You’ll love indulging in this drinkable chocolate dessert (Cioccolata Calda) on the couch or at a gathering with friends!
We had Italian Hot Chocolate for the first time at Max Brenner in NYC, and we were so in love with it! We had to figure out how to make it at home, and this recipe is even better in our opinion than Max’s!
Whatβs Italian Hot Chocolate?
Italian Hot Chocolate also goes by cioccolata calda or Spanish hot chocolate. Basically, it’s just really thick and creamy hot chocolate!
Can you add cornstarch to hot chocolate?
Yes! You can add cornstarch to make your hot chocolate thicken up!
Is Hot Cocoa better with milk or water?
While you can use water, we really prefer to use whole milk because it gives the hot chocolate a creamy feel!
What You’ll Need to Make Italian Hot Chocolate
- 1 ΒΌ cup milk + Β½ tsp, divided
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
How to Make Thick Italian Style Hot Chocolate
- In a saucepan, mix together 1 ΒΌ milk, sugar, chocolate chips and cocoa powder over medium heat. Stir constantly until all ingredients are well-combined and chocolate is completely melted.
- Stir cornstarch and Β½ tsp milk in a small bowl until a paste forms. Add it to the chocolate and milk mixture.
- Mix vigorously until it bubbles, creating a thick consistency.
- Pour into your mugs and serve. Enjoy!
Tips for Making Cioccolata Calda
Heat Your Ingredients Slowly
You’ll want to slowly heat your milk sugar, chocolate chips, and cocoa powder so that it doesn’t get scorched. Milk can burn, and it will ruin your drink. So make sure to stir the mixture over a low-medium heat until it’s mixed.
The Best Chocolate to Use
We used milk chocolate because it balances out the cocoa powder; however, if you love dark chocolate you could use semi-sweet chips
Another fun twist would be to use white chocolate chips!
Storing the Leftovers
Our recipe is set up for 2 servings so you probably won’t have leftovers, but if you do – you can store it in your refrigerator for 3 days. Then, you can reheat it on the stove in a saucepan over medium to low heat until warm!
We love serving this with Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies with Peppermint Buttercream Frosting for a Christmas movie night!
Max Brenner Inspired Italian Hot Chocolate
Ultra creamy, this Thick Italian Hot Chocolate is made with real chocolate and milk and is like drinking comfort straight from a mug! You'll love indulging in this drinkable chocolate dessert (Cioccolata Calda) on the couch or at a gathering with friends!
Ingredients
- 1 ΒΌ cup milk + Β½ tsp, divided
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- In a saucepan, mix together 1 ¼ milk, sugar, chocolate chips and cocoa powder over medium heat. Stir constantly until all ingredients are well-combined and chocolate is completely melted.
- Stir cornstarch and ½ tsp milk in a small bowl until a paste forms. Add it to the chocolate and milk mixture.
- Mix vigorously until it bubbles, creating a thick consistency.
- Pour into your mugs and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Yields: 2 servings in standard-size mug or 1 serving in an extra-large mug
- Heat your ingredients slowly & stir until completely melted
- We used milk chocolate because it balances out the cocoa powder; however, if you love dark chocolate you could use semi-sweet chips
- Another fun twist would be to use white chocolate chips!
- You can store any leftovers in your refrigerator for 3 days. Then, you can reheat it on the stove in a saucepan over medium to low heat until warm!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 524Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 68mgCarbohydrates: 68gFiber: 3gSugar: 56gProtein: 7g
Nutrition is only an approximate and may not be accurate.
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