Description
Our easy Homemade Gluten-Free Hot Chocolate recipe is the perfect cozy drink for cold weather. You’ll love it!
Ingredients
Scale
For 4 Servings Hot Chocolate:
- 4 cups whole milk*
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (32 grams)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (50 grams)
- tiny pinch salt (less than 1/8 teaspoon)
- 3 ounces chopped dark chocolate or 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For 2 Servings Hot Chocolate:
- 2 cups whole milk*
- 1/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (16 grams)
- 1/8 cup granulated sugar (25 grams)
- tiny pinch salt (just a few flakes)
- 1 1/2 ounces chopped dark chocolate or 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional Toppings:
- whipped cream, mini marshmallows, chocolate syrup, chopped chocolate, crushed candy cane, toffee bits, caramel sauce, or sprinkles
Instructions
- Combine Milk, Cocoa, Sugar & Salt in a medium saucepan.
- Heat Until Steaming. Whisk this mixture over medium heat to combine. Heat until mixture is steaming, but not boiling. (At first, it will seem like the cocoa isn’t going to blend in, but as it heats and the cocoa “blooms,” it will blend it smoothly.)
- Stir In Chocolate & Vanilla, stirring over low heat until the chocolate is fully dissolved. (Again, at first, it will seem like the chocolate gets grainy. Don’t panic! Just keep stirring.
- Serve with your favorite toppings–whipped cream, marshmallows, and more!
Notes
- MILK. You can use dairy-free milk (unsweetened almond milk, cashew milk, oat milk, soy. milk, etc.) instead of whole milk for a gluten-free, dairy-free hot chocolate. Or, swap some of the milk for half-and-half for thicker hot chocolate. Just keep in mind that the lower in fat the milk is, the thinner and less rich the hot chocolate will be. (Just don’t try to use hot water instead. It won’t work!)
- COCOA. I’m using natural cocoa powder (like Hershey’s), but you can use Dutch Processed Cocoa for a darker look.
- SUGAR. Feel free to swap in another sweetener here or play with the amounts. You can start with less sugar or use your favorite sweetener instead.
- CHOCOLATE. I recommend chopped chocolate for the smoothest finish. Otherwise, try for high-quality chocolate chips that do not contain added stabilizers. (These can make it harder for the chocolate to melt.) Guittard is a great brand!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Drink
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
