Besides Hot Cocoa, there are many different hot beverages that one can choose from. Perhaps the most popular one is Coffee. Some people, like me, enjoy a plain jane Cup O’ Joe. Others like their coffee with all the fixins. Another favorite of many is Tea. There’s the standard Black Tea, which is my preference, and then there are other types of tea such as Green and Bubble Tea. That said, the drink that us arguably underrated is the rich & creamy hot cocoa. Most are familiar with the instant packets sold at the grocery store, and they’re fine in a pinch. That said, nothing beats hot cocoa from scratch and I’m happy to share my homemade recipe in this post.
Key Ingredients for Chocolate Pudding
Hot Cocoa from scratch is made from your standard ingredients: Cocoa Powder, White Granulated Sugar and Vanilla Extract. That said, what makes this recipe stand out from the rest is the use of Brown Sugar, plus Half & Half.
- Half & Half: Most recipes call for using whole milk. The thing with whole milk is that it has water content upwards of 85% to 90%. This poses a couple differences in the Hot Cocoa. One, half & half is essentially a combination of whole milk plus cream, and the cream helps to give the hot cocoa a more velvety texture. In addition, the relative lack of water in the half & half helps to give the hot cocoa a richer flavor and even mellow out the bitterness of the chocolate, giving the hot cocoa a somewhat more complex taste. For these reasons, I find using half & half vs. whole milk makes for better hot cocoa, which is what my recipe calls for.
- Brown Sugar: This is, admittingly, another unconventional ingredient in most Hot Cocoa recipes. While half of the sugar in my recipe is white granulated (which is typical), I opted to replace some of the white sugar with brown sugar for a couple reasons. For one reason, brown sugar is essentially the combination of white granulated sugar and molasses. Believe it or not, the molasses actually helps to keep the sweetness of the sugar in check compared to white sugar by myself which is simply sweet. In addition, the brown sugar really enhances the richness of this hot cocoa, by giving itpleasantly subtle hints of caramel & toffee, offering a nice contrast to the chocolate flavor and allowing it to shine through.
- Iodized Salt: If you’ve seen and tried enough of my recipes, you’ll notice that they all specifically call for the use of Iodized Salt. Iodized salt is what we also know best as table salt, thus it is easily accessible & available compared to Kosher or Sea Salt (which is what most other recipes will call for). Iodized salt also contains Iodine, and scientific studies have shown that a lot of us are deficient of this mineral (despite it being critical for our bodies to grow/develop/function normally). But that’s enough with the science lesson! The salt really helps to balance out the richness of the hot cocoa, giving it a more complex profile and preventing it from tasting flat.
And lastly, it is true that you don’t have to micromanage hot cocoa to nearly the same extent as a custard, since you don’t have to worry about eggs or flour / cornstarch clumping & scorching. However, that doesn’t mean you can leave it alone while it cooks either. If it’s left unattended, you may end up with hot cocoa that sticks to the sides / bottom of your pot as well as ingredients that aren’t well-combined or fully dissolved. That’s why I do recommend that you constantly but gently stir the hot cocoa (although a brisk stir is not required) from the time you start heating it until the time it’s done, to ensure it remains smooth, silky and creamy.
Tips for Making this Recipe
Use fresh brown sugar. This seems like a silly tip, but I will explain exactly what I mean. The issue with brown sugar is that over time, it will have to tendency to become rock solid as the moisture from the molasses evaporates your relatively warm cabinet or pantry. This can happen whether you open it or leave it unopened. Unfortunately, I ran into this issue when trying when filming the tutorial for the recipe (had to use a bit more hand muscle to blend it with the other ingredients). That being said, I do recommend using brown sugar that you recently purchased from the store, just to be safe, for an easier time dissolving it in the hot cocoa.
Do not boil. A bit to my surprise, there are actually some recipes that here that instruct people to boil their Hot Cocoa when preparing it. AndI don’t just mean the water when I say this, but the actual cocoa powder and milk together! I strongly advise against doing this. The reason why is because as both the cocoa powder and milk approach the point of boiling, there’s a steadily increasing risk of them both scorching. If this happens, you’ll end up with burnt cocoa with a bunch of curds flowing around everything. Not only will it taste very unplesant, but it won’t look very pretty either. It is imperative that you prepare this according to the instructions given.
Garnish just before serving. This is not required, and my recipe doesn’t officially call for it. It won’t really affect how the Hot Cocoa comes out either. That said, I understand some folks are big on aesthetics when they’re trying to impress others they’re looking for and a big on making their food look pretty. If you’re feeling really fancy and want to show off,, one thing you can do to give your hot cocoa a nice finishing touch when it’s ready to serve is by placing some whipped cream atop the hot cocoa in a cup into the cup or glass. In addition, you can also try adding shaved chocolate or sprinkles o on top of the whipped cream.
Be patient. I understand that we all have demanding lives and our time is extremely valuable, so it’s always great when we can find “hacks” that make cooking easier or faster. Unfortunately, this is one of those recipes where there aren’t any real short cuts to the process. I strongly advise against stepping away from the stove while the preparing the Hot Cocoa, and I strong advise against adjusting the temperature as it cooks. The pot (or saucepan) should be kept at a stable medium heat until it comes to temp, to ensure the best results for this recipe. Otherwise, you risk either having undercooked or overcooked cocoa. It’ll all be worth it once you taste the hot cocoa!
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between hot cocoa and hot chocolate?
A lot of people use these terms interchangeably, and it’s understandable why (because they’re both deriavtives of the same plant, cacao beans, and their flavor profiles are similar). That being said, it is important to note that hot cocoa and hot chocolate are in fact two different things. As the name implies, hot chocolate is traditionally made from melted chocolate bars or pieces, which were already combined with sugar & milk during processing. Meanwhile, hot cocoa (which this recipe is for) is made from unsweetened cocoa powder, which undergoes less processing and doesn’t contain the additives you find in the finished chocolate products. For this reason, cocoa powder also retains more of the nutrients that that are found in cacoa beans.
Can I substitute the Unsweetened Cocoa Powder for Dutch Cocoa Powder?
Absolutely! The main difference you’ll see in the recipe is that the chocolate flavor will be much more intense, which is never a bad thing with hot cocoa!
Can I substitute the half-and-half for water?
This recipe has not been tested with the additional of water in place of the half-and-half. That being said, I still wouldn’t recommend it for a couple reasons. One, in terms of texture, you’re going to lose its creamy and velvety profile by eliminating all of the fat that’s found in the half-and-half. Also, in terms of flavor, the fat in the half-and-half is what helps to enhance the Hot Cocoa’s flavor.
How long can I store the Hot Cocoa in the refrigerator?
As long as the Hot Cocoa is sealed in an airtight container, it should be safe to eat for at least 3 days. After 3 days, it may begin to lose their flavor & texture. Once 5 days have passed, I would advise that you dispose of the hot cocoa as it may no longer be safe to drink. You can reheat it either in the microwave (15-30 second intervals) or by simmering it on the stove.
Can I freeze the Hot Cocoa?
I don’t recommend. While it is possible to freeze Hot Cocoa, its texture will become much more gritty and children as the milk solids and sugar will tend not to freeze smoothly, thus there’s the risk of seperation as they thaw.
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Easy Hot Cocoa Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Whisk
- 1 3qt Saucepan
- Measuring Cups/Spoons
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 4 Cups Half & Half
- 1/4 Cup White Granulated Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Light Brown Sugar
- 1/8 TSP Iodized Salt
- 1 TSP Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Add cocoa powder, salt, sugar and half + half to cool 3qt saucepan and mix until combined, ensuring few/no clumps.
- Warm saucepan on medium heat and constantly stir gently until it reaches a temp between 145*F to 160*F***.
- Once cocoa has come to temp, immediately remove from heat while continuing to stir gently for additional 2-3 minutes.
- Add vanilla extract to hot cocoa then whisk until combined.