• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Start here
  • Baking 101
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Cart

The Bake School logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Start here
  • Baking 101
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Contact
  • Cart
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Start here
    • Baking 101
    • Recipes
    • Shop
    • Contact
    • Cart
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Chocolate recipes

    Published on: January 28, 2018 by Janice; Updated on: March 4, 2022 4 Comments

    The best hot chocolate with Earl Grey

    277 shares
    • Facebook50
    • Yummly
    • Email
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Two cups of homemade dark hot chocolate with foam served with 3 heart shaped cookies

    You can make the best hot chocolate with just two ingredients: dark chocolate and milk. Start with the best dark chocolate you can buy. You can keep it simple or you can infuse the milk with Earl Grey tea, masala chai, spices, herbs, extracts, etc. Hot chocolate is very easy to make and deeply satisfying.

    This post was sponsored by Cacao Barry. 

    Two white cups of homemade hot chocolate made with 70% dark chocolate served with heart-shaped gingersnaps

    My mom used to serve us hot chocolate in tiny, very fancy china teacups when we were growing up. I remember having it after playing with the dogs out in the backyard in the dead of winter. The tiny teacups only came out when we were having hot chocolate. I'm honestly not sure what else you would serve in tiny teacups besides hot chocolate.

    If you are in the middle of winter, like we are, and you are craving other hot beverages, try this Turkish coffee (great afternoon caffeine jolt) and hot buttered rum (because sometimes, booze is the answer).

    Hot chocolate vs hot cocoa

    I suspect a lot of people think that hot chocolate and hot cocoa are the same. They are both hot, chocolaty beverages, but they aren't made in the same way.

    Hot chocolate is made from chocolate and milk, while hot cocoa is often made from cocoa powder and boiling water. Hot cocoa mix may also contain sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, or other ingredients. Both hot chocolate and hot cocoa are very easy to make at home and require few ingredients.

    Personally, I find that hot chocolate made with real chocolate has a richer, more luscious flavour. And the more chocolate you add, the more unctuous and luxurious hot chocolate becomes.

    Homemade hot chocolate served in white cups, white saucers, and heart-shaped cookies.

    How do you make hot chocolate with real chocolate?

    Making hot chocolate with real chocolate is so simple. All you have to do is heat the milk, add the chocolate and stir to melt. You can finish the hot chocolate with a hand blender to smooth out any lumps and to make sure the mixture is emulsified properly. This will also add froth to your drink. If you'd like to infuse hot chocolate with tea or spices, you would want to do that before, then strain it out and add the chocolate to the hot infused milk.

    The ratio of milk to chocolate

    For a luscious hot chocolate that is not too thick and not too thin, you want to start with 2 parts milk (preferably whole milk) and 1 part dark chocolate (the best chocolate you can buy and preferably 70% cacao chocolate), so 2:1 by volume. This means 2 cups (500 mL) milk mixed with 1 cup (250 mL) chocolate. By weight, this works out to 25% dark chocolate in whole milk or 150 grams of dark chocolate melted with 500 grams of milk.

    This is how I personally make the best hot chocolate to suit my taste, but you might want to tweak this recipe to make it the way you like it, with more or less chocolate.

    The best chocolate for the best hot chocolate

    When it comes to recipes like hot chocolate, where the chocolate is the star and one of two main ingredients, it's even more important to reach for the best chocolate for baking that has a great flavor.

    To make this hot chocolate, I used Ocoa chocolate from Cacao Barry, which is a 70% cocoa dark chocolate with a deep chocolate flavour. You can find it at IGA grocery stores in Quebec in 1 kilo resealable bags.

    If you aren’t living in Quebec, you can order this chocolate online (and many other Cacao Barry products) via the Vanilla Food Company website. They ship across Canada and to the United States! This means that we all have access to professional quality chocolates at the click of a button. By investing in the best chocolate, you will make the best hot chocolate. It's that simple.

    Transform dark hot chocolate into dark chocolate milk

    Chill this drink for several hours before serving and you have homemade dark chocolate milk. Just make sure to give it a good shake before serving.

    Overhead shot of two cups of hoomemade hot chocolate made with just 2 ingredients: chocolate and milk, and served with heart-shaped cookies.

    Flavouring and infusing hot chocolate

    There are so many flavours that pair well with hot chocolate and dark chocolate. In the recipe below, I infused the milk with Earl Grey tea before making the hot chocolate. I've done this to make Earl grey chocolate truffles and this Earl Grey chocolate tart. Here are a few examples of how you can get creative and flavour hot chocolate. Remember that in all cases, you will have to experiment to get the flavour you want. Make sure to add less flavouring first and add more as needed. If you add too much, you can't go back!

    • Tea-infused hot chocolate: steep the milk with a few tea bags (or a tea strainer with loose leaf tea) to add tons of flavour before adding the chocolate
    • Spiced hot chocolate: add cinnamon, cardamom, or even some dried chilli for a kick
    • Nutty hot chocolate: stir in a little nut butter, like tahini or peanut butter. Start with ¼ cup (60 mL) and add more to taste.
    • Peppermint hot chocolate: stir in a little peppermint extract. Start with around ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract and add more as needed. 
    Two cups of homemade dark hot chocolate with foam served with 3 heart shaped cookies

    Earl Grey hot chocolate recipe

    Homemade hot chocolate recipe made with real chocolate
    Save Recipe Saved! Print Pin

    Hot chocolate with Earl Grey tea

    Prevent your screen from going dark
    This is a recipe for the best hot chocolate, made with high quality dark chocolate (70%) and whole milk. The milk is infused with Earl Grey tea, but you can skip that if you prefer. This makes a rich, luxurious hot chocolate.
    Course Drinks
    Cuisine American
    Keyword dark hot chocolate, Earl grey hot chocolate
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 10 minutes
    Total Time 15 minutes
    Servings 2
    Calories 429kcal
    Author Janice

    Equipment

    Shop now
    GIR spatula
    Hand blender

    Ingredients

    • 500 mL (2.1 cups) whole milk (3.25 % fat)
    • 3 tea bags (3 tea bags) Earl Grey tea or masala chai tea optional
    • 150 g (1 cup) Cacao Barry Ocoa 70% dark chocolate

    Instructions

    • Place the pan of milk on the heat. Heat over medium–high heat until it's almost boiling. Remove from the heat and add the dark chocolate. Stir to melt. Use a hand blender to emulsify the mixture to yield smooth hot chocolate. This will also froth the hot chocolate.
    • Optional: Heat the milk in a saucepan with the tea bags, if using. When the milk almost comes to a boil, remove the pan from the heat and let steep 5 minutes. Squeeze the bags and remove. then continue with step 1
    • Divide the hot chocolate between two mugs. Serve immediately as is, or with a dollop of sweet whipped cream or a marshmallow.
    Give backIf you enjoy the free content on this website, say thank you!
    Tried this recipe?Mention @bakesomethingawesome or tag #bakesomethingawesome!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 429kcal
    A cup of homemade dark hot chocolate served with heart-shaped cookies for valentine's day drink

    This post is sponsored by Cacao Barry. I was compensated monetarily and with product. Thanks for supporting the companies that allow me to create content for Kitchen Heals Soul. As always, please know that I wouldn’t work with a sponsor nor recommend a product if it wasn’t worth it.
    Please note this post contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you buy a product I recommend, I will get a small commission, and the price you have to pay will not change in any way.

    More Chocolate recipes

    • Chocolate brownie ice cream
    • Dark chocolate ice cream
    • Chocolate shortbread cookies
    • Chocolate chip cookies with pecans
    277 shares
    • Facebook50
    • Yummly
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Baking resources

  • Baking conversion charts
  • Baking ingredients and pantry staples
  • Baking substitutions
  • Common baking conversions
  • Choosing baking pans
  • How to measure ingredients for baking
  • Mixing methods
  • Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Charlotte says

      January 29, 2018 at 8:12 am

      Hot chocolate and earl grey are two of my favorite things. I can't believe I haven't put them together yet! Definitely trying this recipe ASAP

      Reply
      • Janice says

        March 01, 2018 at 10:38 am

        It's a great pairing! I'm sure you will love it!

        Reply
    2. Sheila says

      February 23, 2018 at 2:49 am

      Ocoa has an intense cocoa flavour I love so much. Will definitely be making this as we are still having minus 4 temperatures here. Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
      • Janice says

        March 01, 2018 at 10:37 am

        I think it will be hot chocolate season for at least another month! Let me know how you like the recipe when you make it 🙂

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    This is a picture of Janice Lawandi

    Hi, I'm Janice! I am a baking-obsessed recipe developer with a PhD in Chemistry who writes about baking and the science of baking.

    More about me →

    Give back

    If you enjoy the free content on this website, consider saying thank you!

    Eggless chocolate cake

    Chocolate layer cake with cream cheese frosting and chocolate sprinkles on a cake stand.
    Learn to make an eggless chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting with this easy recipe!

    Bake with citrus

    • Lemon loaf cake
    • Lime marmalade
    • Pavlova
    • Orange pie

    Baking conversions

    How to poach pears

    Poached pears on an enamelware plate.
    This simple poached pears recipe is easy and you can use the fruit for salads, appetizers, and desserts!

    Footer

    If you enjoy the free content on this website, consider saying thank you!

    Buy Me a Pound of Butter

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Meet Janice
    • FAQ
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and conditions
    • Press

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Services
    • Portfolio

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    COPYRIGHT © 2022 · THE BAKE SCHOOL