Hot Chocolate Using Chocolate bar

Instead of using cocoa powder, make your hot chocolate using chocolate bars. This simple recipe for hot chocolate gives you a cozy, heart-warming drink that is perfect for these cold winter evenings!

We all love hot chocolate, right? Or at least the idea of hot chocolate. I mean the coziness and the warmth and sweetness, especially when it is so cold outside (at least for those of us living in a cold climate). The problem with most hot chocolate and hot cocoa drinks I have tried is that they are nauseatingly sweet! I barely get through half a cup, before I no longer want it and when I finish the cup, I seriously need some plain water to just get rid of this icky-sweet feeling out of my mouth!

But not this recipe! If you’re like me, you’ll love this hot chocolate recipe. And if you do love the over-sweetened hot chocolate drink, I have an option for that, as well. So, read on!

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Side note, did you know that chocolate was a bitter beverage for most of its history (before it became the “hard” candy that we know it as today)? Here is a great page from history.com that has lots of interesting information on the topic: History of Chocolate.

How to Make Real Hot Chocolate

In a small saucepan, heat up the milk and keep it warm/hot. Make sure the milk doesn’t boil.

Break your dark chocolate bar into small pieces. Using a separate saucepan, melt the chocolate stirring all the while until it is smooth (You can also chop the chocolate and melt it in the microwave, if you prefer).

SLOWLY add the hot milk to the hot chocolate, stirring all the while.

Add hot water to the milk and chocolate and mix well.

How to serve hot chocolate

Here are some topping ideas to serve with hot chocolate:

• Whipped cream – this one is my favorite and a total must for any hot chocolate drink! Since this real hot chocolate uses bittersweet or dark chocolate, the drink is less sweet. Whipped cream really evens out the flavor! (Check out my post for a great Homemade Whipped Cream Recipe)
• Marshmallows – could be used instead of whipped cream or even with the whipped cream. Note that the hot chocolate will be much sweeter, so if this is not something you wish, avoid the marshmallows.
• Chocolate shavings – Just use a vegetable peeler or even a small grater to shave some chocolate on your drink.
• Caramel sauce – another fun option to take your drink to the next level.
• Sprinkles – Use fun colors to customize the hot chocolate to your occasion (e.g. red and green for Christmas, red for Valentine’s Day, etc.)
• Cocoa powder – use a sieve to dust it on the top of the whipped cream.
• Crushed candy – something like m&m‘s would be great here.

Tips for Making Hot Chocolate using Chocolate bar

Use quality chocolate – use a good quality chocolate for this recipe to make the best tasting hot chocolate. However, even using a lower quality chocolate gives you a nice cup of hot chocolate.

DON’T boil the milk – make sure you don’t boil the milk, but just warm it up/make it hot. If it does boil, your end result might be grainy.

Lastly, if you make this Hot Chocolate using chocolate bar, make sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating here! I’d love to hear back from you and will do my best to answer and respond to every comment. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram if you make this recipe. I’d love to see the photos of the recipes you have made!