Real French Hot Chocolate - European Sipping Chocolate • All that's Jas (2024)

BY: Jas · PUBLISHED: Oct 22, 2020 · UPDATED: Nov 3, 2023 · This post may contain affiliate links.

This French sipping chocolate only needs 4 ingredients and 10 minutes to make! It's rich, intense, creamy, and incredibly decadent. It’s the best hot chocolate you’ll ever taste! Trust me - it tastes like heaven!

It's not a secret that the French seriously know what they're doing when it comes to food and this hot delight is no exception.

If you ask the French about the importance of chocolate, they’d say that sipping is the best way to enjoy it - it’s both a dessert and a beverage that way!

And I do have proof there - you can find the 8 eating secrets of the French here!

📃 Why it Works

Often associated with moments of comfort and softness, one of the most popular winter drinks is hot chocolate (hot cocoa, or chocolate tea as they call it in Nigeria).

It warms our body and heart in the cold season, which is why depriving ourselves of it can be a slimming resolution difficult to keep.

You are going to be fulfilled because this drink has wonderful benefits. Not only does it keep you warm, but it can also improve your overall health.

Dark chocolate itself is rich in antioxidants that help prevent heart disease and premature aging. It may even lower your risk of cancer as they fight free radicals in your body.

However, while this is primarily a cold-weather recipe, there’s no reason you can’t enjoy this luxury in the warmer months too.

I mean, you wouldn’t stop drinking tea or coffee just because it’s summer, so why give up a good, proper European hot chocolate?

🛒 Ingredients and Notes

You don’t need much, but it’s important to use good quality ingredients here. Otherwise, you just won’t get that smooth, silky luxurious feeling that real hot chocolate has to have.

• Whole milk - if you can’t have dairy or are vegan, I find that full-fat coconut milk is the best option for a similar experience. Whatever you do, don’t use water here!
• Heavy cream - If you’re dairy-free then you could try using full-fat coconut cream here, although personally, I’ve never tried this.
• Bittersweet chocolate - However, if you prefer sweeter chocolate then you can either use milk chocolate or add a little bit of sugar to suit your tastes.
• Vanilla extract - you could technically skip this, but I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s only a small quantity, but it does really add to the final flavor!

🔪 Instructions

*Keep scrolling to get the full (printable) recipe, and ingredient amounts, or click on the “Skip to Recipe” button at the top of the page.

Step 1

Heat the milk, heavy cream, and vanilla extract in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Do not boil!

Step 2

Add the chocolate broken in pieces to the hot milk mixture and remove from the heat.

Step 3

Whisk until chocolate is creamy and completely melted.

Step 4

Immediately pour into mugs or cups and serve hot.

🍽 How To Serve It

The proper way is to take a spoon of whipped cream and dip it into the cup with melted goodness. After each sip, cleanse your palate with sparkling water.

It’s very rich and silky, so a little sip of sparkling water every so often helps to stop it from becoming overwhelming

You could always add marshmallows as well if you're a fan. I much prefer simple chocolate shavings sprinkled over the top!

Try biscuit sticks, rolled wafers, homemade yeast buns, or some sort of shortbread-type cookies for dunking!

• Unless Ghirardelli or Godiva, I do not recommend chocolate chips as they contain stabilizers and do not melt as well.
• To benefit from all the benefits of cocoa, prefer organic dark rather than all other chocolates containing many more chemicals and less cocoa content.
• Leftovers (if you have any) can be cooled to room temperature, then refrigerated in an airtight container or a mason jar. Reheat gently in the microwave or in a saucepan over low heat.
• Are you lactose-intolerant? I recommend full-fat coconut milk for a dairy-free option that yields a similar experience. Do not use water.
• If you prefer it sweeter, add sugar to taste or use milk chocolate instead.
• For a thicker consistency, let the melted chocolate cool a bit and then pour it into the serving cups.
• If your hot chocolate is too thick, add more milk or cream.
• Cooled sipping chocolate will be very thick. It will liquefy as you heat it.
• I suggest small servings of this French sipping chocolate as it is quite rich. Espresso cups (or demi-tasse) is a suitable option.

More Creamy Drinks to try

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