french hot chocolate (thick drinking chocolate)

This French hot chocolate is a decadent treat. Thick, silky, and intensely chocolatey. We use whole milk and 70% dark chocolate for a hot chocolate that is lusciously smooth and flavorful, with lingering notes of bitter cocoa. Make sure to follow the directions, though. There’s a reason for it!

Why I love it:

I’ve always been fascinated with the idea of drinking chocolate. I’ve had it once in Spain and, while delicious, it was ridiculously indulgent. Thick enough to eat with a spoon, rather than sip. A whole different animal.

This French chocolate is a middle ground between sipping a cup of melted chocolate and a mug of sweet hot cocoa. It’s more restrained in the sweetness and cream than your standard ski resort hot chocolate.

It’s a serious expression of chocolate-- but one that is deliciously balanced and keeps you coming back for more. Not too heavy, not too sweet, and not so thick that you feel gross. It is made with chocolate, not cocoa powder, which creates a luxurious, silken texture. And that texture is everything!

We love to add a touch of brown sugar for a caramelized sweetness, but forgo it if you’re a purist. This recipe is all about good technique and a ton of freedom to adjust the drink to your specific chocolate and tastes. Have fun with it!

French hot chocolate ingredients:

How to make French hot chocolate:

1. Heat half the milk and brown sugar until steaming.
2. Add chocolate and gently heat until smooth and shiny, 3 minutes.
3. Add remaining milk and heat through.
4. Enjoy!

What is drinking chocolate?

Drinking chocolate is hot chocolate made with melted chocolate rather than cocoa powder. It has a richer texture and flavor than your standard hot cocoa, but it can vary in thickness and intensity.

Very traditional European style drinking chocolate is made with hot water only. This allows for the most vivid expression of the chocolate, which is dulled by milk and cream. If you’re a purist, by all means, swap the milk in this recipe for water. Or try a mixture of half milk and half water for a lean, chocolate-driven drink.

We prefer our drinking chocolate made with 100% whole milk for the liquid, which smooths out the edges of the chocolate and adds just enough richness. 

French chocolate (chocolate chaud) tends to be made with 70% cacao chocolate, whole milk, and the tiniest touch of brown sugar. The result is a thick and decadent treat with a focus on the silken texture of good chocolate and bitter notes of cocoa.

How to pick the best chocolate for hot chocolate:

• Look for a 70% cacao chocolate bar. 
• Use pure chocolate, whether in a bar or in wafers, without any added flavors or nuts. The higher the quality chocolate, the more expressive and delicious your thick hot chocolate will be. 
  • Check the ingredients to make sure it’s just chocolate with cocoa butter and no added vegetable oils
• Try a single-origin chocolate. Cocoa beans take on different flavors depending on where they’re grown (terroir!). Here are some common regions and the flavors you can expect from them:
  • Madagascar: citrusy, berry-like flavors, tangy acidity
  • Venezuela: mild, creamy, nutty
  • Ecuador: floral, herbal, earthy
  • Peru: tropical fruit, mildly acidic, caramel sweetness
  • Dominican Republic: bold, tobacco, leather, dried fruit
  • Ghana: straightforward robust cocoa

A few more tips:

• The trick with drinking chocolate is melting half the chocolate in hot milk until it’s all completely emulsified and thick. Cook it over low heat, or a double boiler, until it’s thick, glossy, and beautifully smooth. Then slowly stir in the rest of the milk. The velvety texture of fully melted and emulsified chocolate is so important here!
• Make this hot chocolate as thick as you want. Don’t add the rest of the milk if you want it extra luscious, or add a few splashes to reach your desired consistency.
• I find this recipe, specifically, is so fun to taste the differences of chocolates. Halve the batch, make a few versions with distinctly different chocolates, and throw together a hot chocolate-tasting party. Don’t forget a tray with homemade marshmallows, shortbread, and croissants!

More coffee and hot chocolate recipes to try:

homemade hot chocolate

boozy coconut milk hot chocolate

spanish coffee

Irish coffee

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