Drinks

Italian Hot Chocolate

The Southern Rustic

When it comes to hot chocolate, there is nothing better than homemade. Don’t get me wrong, the packet stuff is ok, and I always have it on hand when we just want a quick cup of cocoa. But according to my daughter, it has to have marshmallows. I mean, what is a good cup of hot chocolate without marshmallows?

Now, Italian hot chocolate is, in my opinion, the ultimate hot chocolate. It is thick, rich, and creamy, but there is a technique to this wonderful cup of cocoa. It is a simple technique and isn’t too hard to master. It is just knowing what to mix with what and when to make the perfect cocoa.

So let’s make a delicious cup of hot chocolate.

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 C. Whole Milk
1 Tbsp. Cornstarch
2 1/2 Tbsp Sugar
3 Tbsp. Cocoa Powder ( I use Dutch organic cocoa)
4 oz. Chocolate – Chopped ( I use semi-sweet or dark chocolate)
1/4 Tsp. Kosher Salt

DIRECTIONS: (serves 3 to 5 people)

  1. Combine 1/2 cup of milk with the sugar and cornstarch in a measuring cup. Mix well.
  2. Add a pinch of salt and mix to dissolve.
  3. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until the cocoa powder dissolves into the milk mixture. It may take a minute or two but be patient. It will come together.
  4. Pour the 1 1/2 Cups of milk into a saucepan and add the cocoa powder mixture. Whisk to combine well.
  5. Add the remaining milk into the cup that had the cocoa powder mixture in it and stir to gather the remaining cocoa mixture. Pour into the saucepan.
  6. Turn the heat on to medium-low and whisk until the milk mixture comes to a simmer.
  7. Add the chopped chocolate and whisk until the chocolate dissolves and the mixture becomes smooth.
  8. Remove from the heat and ladle into serving mugs.
  9. Top with your favorite hot chocolate toppings.

  • See… I said it wasn’t going to be hard. It is all in the technique. lol. It’s simple but so good.
  • You can add any spices that you like to this to flavor the hot cocoa any way you like. You can add cinnamon for warmth. Nutmeg and cardamom for earthiness. Clove and allspice or depth. Add some mint extract, almond extract, or other extracts for a wonderful aroma. Add a cup of espresso for a punch of energy. Mix and match your pairings for your perfect cup of cocoa.
  • Be sure to check out my recipe for homemade vanilla marshmallows for a wonderful topping that melts down into a delightful creamy topping. Who doesn’t like homemade marshmallows? I wouldn’t recommend making smores with them on an open fire but on top of this decadent hot chocolate… it’s heavenly.
  • Don’t like marshmallows? no problem. Add some whipped cream on top. It is just as delicious. And don’t forget the sprinkles. If you like them of course. lol.
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Published by The Southern Rustic

Hello Everyone! Thank you so much for stopping by. Let me tell you a little bit about me. I am a mom of two, a stepmom of 1, two wild and silly pups, and I have the best husband in the world. I also have a love of cooking and baking. I am always in the kitchen finding new recipes to try, recreating old family recipes, and reminiscing about the old ways. I am vintage at heart and love all things old and cast iron. I love spending time with the family and pups and just going where life takes us. I created my blog a few years ago with my youtube channel because I thought that If I shared a recipe, then people just might like to see just how the recipe is put together. I share all of my family recipes along with today's recipes. Whether it is old-fashioned recipes, sourdough, einkorn, desserts, sheet pan meals, or even crockpot meals, they are all absolutely delicious. I spend hours, if not days, creating and dabbling with recipes to make sure they are the best for you and your family. All of my recipes are family tested and family-approved before they are ever posted to my blog or youtube channel. Every now and again I will share some behind-the-scenes fun and chaos of our creations and family adventures. I hope you all stick around and join us here at The Southern Rustic and see what we cook up in my kitchen. You can find all of my social media information in the Contact/Donate OR the Social Media Accounts tab on my home page. There I have listed my Instagram pages, YouTube channel, Email, and other information so you can easily find everything in one place. I hope that you all have a wonderful, wonderful day and I will see you soon. Sam TheSouthernRustic

3 thoughts on “Italian Hot Chocolate”

    1. Although there are a few ways to make Italian hot chocolate, this way is by far the most popular. A sweet lady who moved here with her family from italy about 15 yrs ago showed me how to make this style of Italian hot chocolate. There are a few recipes she shared that only used chocolate, cream, and sugar. It was a bit more bitter and not as thick as what is typically served in italy that italians now and love. It still is quite delicious. I can share that recipe in the future. I also have a wonderful mexican hot chocolate that our mexican neighbor shared with us that his mother typically made for him growing up in mexico. I can share that in the future as well. No matter how one makes hot chocolate, they are all delicious in their own way, and we enjoy them all. And you are right about it being served across European countries. It’s wonderful how each puts their own spin to it. I’ve not tried greek hot chocolate, but I’m sure it’s similarly made. Hot chocolate, in my opinion, is the universal comfort drink. Lol.

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      1. The Greek hot chocolate I had was just before 6am one summer at the foot of the hill up to the Parthenon. Thick enough to stand a spoon in, bittersweet & served with fried dough balls dipped in sugar. Similar to churros but more dense.

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