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If you like hot chocolate this Homemade Drinking Chocolate will absolutely blow your mind. It’s thick – often called European Hot Chocolate – and it’s like drinking chocolate ganache. It’s EPIC!

drinking chocolate in a white mug covered in whipped cream and chocolate chips


What is Drinking Chocolate?

It is essentially chocolate ganache heated up and thinned out slightly so that you can drink it. Meet the creamiest, richest, and most delicious chocolate you’ve ever sipped on in your life! If you love the ease of instant hot chocolate but want something that tastes straight out of Europe, then this is the recipe for you.

  • There are only two steps to make drinking chocolate and 3 ingredients! (Four if you like whipped cream). 
  • Feel free to make this drinking chocolate any flavor you want! It’s easily customizable by adding different flavored coffee creamers to the mix. 
ingredients in drinking chocolate laid out on a white counter

Ingredients Needed

  • Milk – I used nonfat milk, but you can also use 2% or regular or nondairy milk.
  • Coffee Creamer – Feel free to use any flavor you think would be yummy! For a classic cocoa use vanilla flavor. You can also omit this and add more milk instead.
  • Semi-sweet chocolate – Chocolate chips are the easiest but you can also use baking chocolate.
  • Whipped cream- For garnish, what’s drinkable chocolate without whipped cream? 

How to make drinking chocolate

  1. Heat to combine ingredients: Add milk, coffee creamer, and chocolate chips to a medium sized saucepan. Heat the ingredients over medium-low heat, whisking it often until the mixture is fully melted and smooth.
  2. Serve: Serve hot with whipped cream. 
drinking chocolate in a white mug

Expert Tips

  • If you want to mix it up try adding different extracts to the mix, such as peppermint or orange for a fun holiday flavor. You can even add it to coffee to create a yummy mocha flavor!
  • For an adult drink and a great party pleaser, add a shot of peppermint Schnapps, Amaretto, or Baileys to your drinking chocolate.
  • Don’t want to use coffee creamer? No problem. Use a combination of whole milk and nonfat milk or heavy cream and nonfat milk if you want a richer treat.

FAQs

What is the difference between hot chocolate and drinking chocolate?

They have differences in flavor, texture, and consistency. Drinking chocolate is made of chocolate ganache (chocolate and cream whipped together). This gives drinking chocolate a thick creamy texture and richer flavor than regular hot chocolate which is often just chocolate mixed with whole milk or water. 

How do you store drinking chocolate?

You can store this in a reusable bottle or Tupperware in the fridge so it’s ready to reheat when you want it.  It will get a little skin on the top when cool, so stir to mix that in.

How do you reheat this?

The best way to reheat hot chocolate is on the stove stirring it periodically, although you can use the microwave. Just heat it up, stir it, and heat it again if it wasn’t heated all the way through the first time. 

drinking chocolate in a white mug covered in whipped cream and chocolate chips

Drinking Chocolate Recipe

3.93 from 13 votes
This Drinking Chocolate is the richest, most indulgent hot chocolate recipe ever! It’s like drinking hot ganache and it’s to die for!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Yield 3 servings
Serving Size 1 serving

Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup (237ml) nonfat milk
  • 1 cup (237ml) Coffee Creamer (any brand, any flavor)
  • 2 cups (340g) semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
  • Whipped cream for garnish
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Instructions

  • Add milk, creamer, and chocolate chips to a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat, whisking often, until melted and smooth. Make sure to stir in the corners of the pan; the chocolate will melt and gather in the edges.
  • Serve hot with whipped cream.
  • Tip: Add peppermint or orange extract to taste for a fun holiday flavor or add the drinking chocolate to coffee to make a mocha. Or, for an adult drink, add a shot of peppermint schnapps, amaretto, or Bailey’s.

Recipe Video

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 680kcal | Carbohydrates: 86g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.003g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 33mg | Potassium: 479mg | Sugar: 78g | Vitamin A: 167IU | Calcium: 194mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Drinks
Cuisine American

Other Favorite Drinks

Drinking Chocolate is a rich ganache hot chocolate recipe – like European hot chocolate but made at home with just a few ingredients!



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

3.93 from 13 votes (12 ratings without comment)

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64 Comments

  1. Do you know if this recipe is good cold and would whole fat milk work? I am catering an event at my church and they are looking for a drinking chocolate that we can serve cold. I am concerned about separation when it cools. I don’t mind using nonfat milk just curious if it makes a difference in the final result.

  2. Love the article, but being a native of Seattle, it is Pike Place Market (not Pike’s). Everyone uses the plural form of Pike and we just want to make sure people know it is not associated with Pike’s Peak.