French hot chocolate (or Parisian hot chocolate) is unlike your typical hot chocolate! An intensely thick and luscious hot chocolate drink, made with 3 simple ingredients. This is one of my favorite cozy winter recipes.
This easy chocolate dessert is a versatile recipe that can be easily adapted, doubled, and made ahead of time too!
Why you’ll love this French drinking chocolate recipe
- A super easy to make recipe that results in a hot chocolate unlike anything you’ve had before!
- There is no cream in this recipe, and it only uses 3 simple ingredients. The result is a classic, sinfully thick, luscious hot chocolate.
- I provide tips on how to improve and elevate the flavor, and what NOT to do!
- Authentic recipe, with ingredient substitutions if needed.
What is French hot chocolate (Chocolat chaud)?
Hot chocolate (like this peanut butter hot chocolate or even white hot chocolate) is of course a warm drink made by melting chocolate and milk together. Sometimes cream is used to make the drink taste more rich.
Hot cocoa is made with cocoa powder that is mixed and heated with milk or water.
French hot chocolate (or Parisian hot chocolate), on the other hand, is slightly different.
- The drink is made with chocolate and milk. Usually, there’s no cream at all to make French hot chocolate recipe.
- A good quality European chocolate that is at least 70% cocoa content is used (i.e. bittersweet chocolate).
- The hot chocolate is cooked on low heat, longer than regular hot chocolate. This creates the luscious and thick beverage that sets it apart from regular hot chocolate.
Ingredients and substitutions
Bittersweet chocolate – At least 70% cocoa content. For best results, use proper, solid, couverture dark chocolate, and not melting or compound chocolate.
Milk – Whole milk is preferred. This will add to the silky mouthfeel of this Parisian hot chocolate drink. 2% milk is OK, but please avoid milk with 1.5% fat or lower.
Milk substitutions
- You can also use plant-based milk or lactose-free milk as well. I love using a rich plant-based milk like cashew milk or almond milk or oat milk, or a barista grade plant-based milk that is slightly thicker and richer than regular plant based milk. With this option, you can easily make a dairy free or vegan hot chocolate as well.
- To skip having to simmer the hot chocolate to make it thicker, you can also use evaporated milk instead of whole milk.
Salt – Just the smallest amount of salt. This is optional, but I find that it really does make the drink taste a little sweeter.
Sugar – This is optional too. I prefer to use dark brown sugar, as this adds a lovely molassey flavor to deepen the chocolate flavor. But you can certainly use white sugar too. You can also use a sugar substitute if you prefer, as the sweetness is adjustable to your liking. Honey or even maple syrup can be used in a pinch.
Optional flavors – Use optional flavors such as the following to add more flavor and / or to change the flavor profile of your French hot chocolate recipe.
- Bourbon or whiskey – To give your creamy hot chocolate a boozy kick (like this bourbon dairy free hot chocolate).
- Vanilla extract – This adds another dimension of sweetness, and it’s one of my favorite additions.
- Coffee extract – Just a little bit adds depth to the bittersweet chocolate flavor. Adding more will turn this drink into a French hot mocha (or Parisian mocha).
- Peanut butter – Not traditional at all. But if you like peanut butter hot chocolate, then you can add a teaspoon of peanut butter.
What’s the best type of chocolate for hot chocolate?
Use a couverture chocolate for this recipe. This is chocolate made with cocoa butter. Compound chocolate contains vegetable fats instead. The taste of couverture chocolate is better and smoother than that of compound butter.
For a deep, rich chocolate flavor, use a chocolate with a higher cocoa mass content – 70% or higher. Higher the cocoa content, deeper (and bitter) the chocolate flavor is. But, you can balance the flavor by adding sugar if you’re so inclined.
Ideally, a European chocolate is the best chocolate, but you can use any good bittersweet chocolate you have access to.
Here are some top choices (if you have access to these brands)
- Callebaut chocolate (available at Farm boy in Canada)
- Barry Callebaut or Cacao Barry (available in Canadian online stores such as Gusta supplies or Vanilla food company)
- Valrhona chocolate (available in Canadian online stores such as Gusta studios or Vanilla food company)
- Belcolade (available online, and at bulk barn)
More accesible brands
- Lindt chocolate
- Ghiradelli chocolate
- Bakers chocolate
- Guittard chocolate
How to make Parisian hot chocolate
Making this Parisian hot chocolate recipe is super easy.
Step one – Get all the ingredients ready
You will only need the chocolate and milk. All other additions are added at the end, to suit your taste.
Step two – Heat the milk
Place the milk in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until warm. Do not let the milk boil.
Step three – Add the chocolate to the milk
If you’re using a block of chocolate, then cut the chocolate into smaller pieces. Smaller callets / chips or pieces will dissolve faster in the milk. So make sure to chop up the chocolate.
Add the chocolate to the warm milk and stir to dissolve.
Step four – Simmer
The melted chocolate will not be smooth in the milk at first. Heat the milk over medium / medium-low heat, while stirring, until the chocolate has completely melted and is smooth in the milk.
To quickly achieve a smoother texture with the milk and chocolate, use a stick blender to blend the milk and chocolate together once all the chocolate has completely melted in the milk. This will emulsify and make the drink smoother.
Bring the drink to a gentle simmer over medium heat, and then adjust the heat to keep it at a very gentle simmer. Make sure to frequently stir / whisk the hot chocolate to prevent the milk from catching at the bottom of the pan – this is very important!
Simmer for a few minutes, about 3 – 5 minutes for two drinks, and up to 10 minutes for a double batch. The times may vary, but the hot chocolate should be simmered until the drink starts to thicken just slightly.
Step five – Add flavoring
Taste the hot chocolate and add sugar to taste, and a pinch of salt (to your liking). You can also add vanilla extract, or coffee extract, or even a little alcohol here too. Stir to mix.
How to serve French hot chocolate
Pour the French hot chocolate into serving cups. For small servings, you can even serve this in demitasse cups. Or for larger serving sizes, serve this in cappuccino cups.
- Demitasse cups hold about 2 – 3 fl oz / 60 – 80 mL. They are also known as espresso cups.
- Cappuccino cups hold about 5 – 6 fl oz / 148 – 170 mL.
You can use large mugs or glasses as well, but keep in mind that this is a very rich drink, so smaller portions are likely more preferable.
Serve your French hot chocolate with whipped cream, and other delicious French pastries or desserts on the side. My husband loves enjoying this with a Tim Tam cookie for an extra indulgent Tim Tam slam!
In the photos here, I served my le chocolat chaud with,
- Chantilly cream (French for “sweetened whipped cream”)
- Homemade French croissants, made with my small batch croissants recipe
- Homemade eclairs, with raspberry filling. But classic chocolate eclairs are perfect too!
Marshmallows are also delicious on top, but I do prefer a dollop of fresh whipped cream or crème fraiche or double cream instead.
Recipe tips
This is a super simple recipe, so it’s hard to mess it up. However, there are a few tips that will help you get the perfect cup of hot chocolate.
- Use good chocolate. It’s the main flavor, so make it a good one.
- Use whole fat milk or evaporated milk. Whole milk is the traditional way, but evaporated milk is a great shortcut to achieve creaminess and thickness.
- Add a pinch of salt. Just a small pinch per 500 mL of milk. Why? The salt helps to soften the bitterness of the chocolate and bring out the sweetness. I personally find that I need to add less sugar when I add a pinch of salt.
- Do not leave the hot chocolate unattended when it’s simmering. If the milk boils for too long, OR if the milk and chocolate catch on the bottom of the pot, the milk will absolutely burn. This will result in an awful burnt taste in your hot chocolate. That’s why it’s important not to let the milk come to a boil and stay at a boil for too long.
- Use a stick blender to blend the hot chocolate when the chocolate has melted, and before you serve. This aerates and mixes all the ingredients into a smooth creamy texture.
- Add the sugar at the end. This way you can adjust it to your taste.
- If you’re reheating your hot chocolate, again make sure not to boil it. Reheat gently to avoid the milk from burning. Also, do not reheat multiple times.
Storage
Leftover French hot chocolate can be stored in the fridge for about 3 – 4 days. But only remove what you need, and gently reheat before serving.
I would avoid reheating and refrigerating the drink multiple times, as this will have an impact on the taste and how long it lasts.
You can also freeze this for later. Freeze this French hot chocolate in ice cube trays, and make incredibly delicious mocha frappuccino in the summer!
Frequently asked questions
Why is French hot chocolate so thick?
Because of the chocolate and because the drink is simmered longer than with regular hot chocolate. Many think it’s because the recipe uses cream, but that’s not true.
The bittersweet chocolate is richer and heavier in cocoa mass. When melted in milk, it makes the milk heavier and thicker. But more than that, the milk is simmered for a few minutes, allowing some water evaporation and “concentration” of the chocolate in the milk.
This is why I recommend using evaporated milk to make this authentic French hot chocolate (for a faster version), because evaporated milk already has less water than regular milk.
Can I double this recipe?
Absolutely.
In the photos here, I actually made a double batch. However, be careful when simmering the hot chocolate because you don’t want the milk to catch at the bottom of the pot and burn.
The simmering time will increase depending on the pot you use, so keep an eye on the hot chocolate, stir and simmer until it thickens slightly.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes you can. But don’t reheat this drink multiple times.
As the drink cools down, a milk skin (lactoderm) will form. So if you’re reheating this drink (reheat gently), the drink will need to be whisked to incorporate the milk skin back into the hot chocolate.
I like to make it ahead of time, and then reheat on low heat until it warms up again. Then use a stick blender to make sure that the milk skin re-incorporates into the milk.
Can I reduce the amount of sugar?
Using bittersweet chocolate means there is much less sugar in this hot chocolate. While I do prefer to add sugar to my drink, you don’t have to. Just leave out the sugar completely, or add a sugar-free substitute that you like.
This is why I like to add a pinch of salt to my hot chocolate, as it reduces just a little of the bitterness to give the drink a more rounded, well-balanced chocolate flavor.
Recipe
French Hot Chocolate (Chocolat Chaud)
US based cup, teaspoon, tablespoon measurements. Weight measurements are recommended for accurate results whenever available.
Common Measurement ConversionsIngredients:
- 115 – 125 g good quality bittersweet chocolate 4 – 4.4 oz (at least 70% cocoa mass)
- 480 mL whole fat milk 2 cups (OR evaporated milk. 2% milk is OK too, but not lower than that)
- 2 tbsp brown sugar optional (more or less to taste)
- Pinch fine sea salt optional
- 1 tsp coffee extract or vanilla extract optional
To serve
- Whipped cream or creme fraiche, double cream
- Marshmallows
Instructions:
French hot chocolate
- Place the milk in a saucepan. Heat the milk over medium heat until it's very warm. Do not let it boil.480 mL whole fat milk
- Chop the bittersweet chocolate into smaller pieces, especially if you're using a block of chocolate, or larger chocolate chips.115 – 125 g good quality bittersweet chocolate
- Add the chocolate to the warm milk, and whisk to melt the chocolate.115 – 125 g good quality bittersweet chocolate
- Heat over medium heat, while constantly stirring, until the chocolate is melted and mixed in properly with the milk. The milk should turn a brown color with very little chocolate specks.
- The milk should be at a low simmer. Lower the heat if the milk is starting to heat too much. Whisk the hot chocolate frequently to prevent the milk and chocolate from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning.
- Simmer the milk mixture on medium low for about 3 – 5 minutes, until the milk starts to thicken. When the milk is starting to thicken, the French hot chocolate is ready to be served. The time will depend on the size of the pot and your stove.
- OPTIONAL – Use a stick blender to blend the hot chocolate drink before serving.
- Mix in the salt and sugar to your taste. If you like bittersweet chocolate, you will not need to add any sugar, but you can add sugar to your liking.2 tbsp brown sugar, Pinch fine sea salt
- Stir in coffee or vanilla extract at this stage, if you'd like to.1 tsp coffee extract or vanilla extract
- Serve in small serving cups such as demitasse cups or cappuccino cups. Or equivalent glasses.
- Top with whipped cream or creme fraiche or double cream. Or even marshmallows (homemade vanilla marshmallows are perfect for this creamy hot chocolate).Whipped cream, Marshmallows
Recipe Notes
Note about using evaporated milk instead of whole milk
Substitute the whole milk with evaporated milk. Once the chocolate is dissolved in the warm milk, use a stick blender or a whisk to mix the chocolate well with the milk for a homogenous drink with no chocolate flecks. When the hot chocolate is steaming, it’s ready to serve. Evaporated milk does not need to be simmered for long because it’s already thick.Note about adding flavor
To give Parisian hot chocolate a little boozy kick, add 1 – 2 fl oz / 28 – 56 mL of whiskey (of your choice). I prefer bourbon. But you can also use other liquor such as brandy or rum as well.Nutrition Information:
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
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