Italian Hot Chocolate Recipe - Thick and Decadent! (2024)

FAQs

Why is Italian hot chocolate so thick? ›

Italian hot chocolate is thicker, creamier, and generally much richer than traditional American hot chocolate, which is less dense and milkier. It is made with a few key ingredients: cocoa, sugar, and milk. In some cases, a little dark chocolate and a thickening agent, such as cornstarch, are added as well.

Cornflour/Cornstarch: Mix a small amount with cold milk or water to create a smooth paste. Whisk this into your hot chocolate towards the end of the cooking process until it thickens. Double Cream: Stirring in a splash of double cream can instantly enrich and thicken your drink, giving it a velvety texture.

In mainland Europe (particularly Spain and Italy), hot chocolate is sometimes served very thick due to the use of a thickening agent such as cornstarch.

Italy is another European country that loves its thick hot chocolate. Their version of hot chocolate uses heavy cream and milk like the French. But unlike the French, they go an extra step by adding cornstarch to thicken the mixture even more. The result is a pudding-like consistency that is still pourable.

European chocolates, with their smoother, richer flavor, use European butter and cream, which has a higher fat content. To accentuate the smoothness of the chocolates, Europe also uses more cocoa butter, further accentuating the difference in taste.

It's not thin and cocoa powder based, like most American hot chocolates. The Parisian variation, known as Chocolat Chaud, is most definitely a dense Drinking Chocolate. Thinner than chocolate fondue or liquid ganache… Yet not by much.

Nail the Texture

Digging into hot chocolate theory, I discovered that cornstarch is sometimes added to hot chocolate mix to help give it a creamy consistency.

A quick and easy way to add flavor to your hot chocolate is by adding a splash of your favorite extract. Coconut and almond extracts lend hot chocolate an Almond Joy-like taste, while vanilla adds dimension to the chocolate flavor. Peppermint extract instantly gives the drink a holiday flair.

How much water are you using? It might be worth checking how much water a packet is designed to be used with and whether you're adding too much. How much milk did you try adding? I find that even a small amount (a teaspoon or two) can make it noticeably creamier without too much effect on the taste.

Although drinking chocolate or hot chocolate is common all over Europe (and the world) this Italian-style hot chocolate stands out for its thick creamy, texture as well as its richness. You may think something this decadent is made with heavy cream, but it's not!

What ethnicity puts cheese in their hot chocolate? ›

In Colombia, one of the birthplaces of cacao, sweet hot chocolate is accompanied by savory cheese. Sometimes known as chocolate completo, chocolate santafereño comes in the form of breakable blocks, called pastillas, that contain cloves and cinnamon.

A popular and fine Italian chocolate is “cioccolato di Modica,” made in Sicily. The tradition of chocolate making in Sicily came about centuries ago when the natives were taught the traditional process by Spaniards, beginning by collecting cacao beans (more about their influence on Sicilian Cuisine in this post).

Both are made with real, high grade couverture chocolate however a Parisian hot chocolate is generally sweetened with a little extra sugar while a Belgian one is not. (Please note that neither style can be considered low in sugar as they are both made with real chocolate.)

Real hot chocolate is rich, thick, and creamy. It's almost like you're drinking a liquid chocolate bar or ganache.

Chocolate seizes when it comes into contact with even a small amount of liquid or moisture during the melting process. This is because the water causes the sugar in the chocolate to dissolve and then form a syrup, which binds the cocoa particles together, creating a grainy, thick, and clumpy texture.

The roots of hot chocolate can be traced back to the ancient Mayan civilisation in the regions of present-day Mexico and Central America. Around 500 BC, the Mayans began cultivating cacao trees and discovered the pleasure of a drink made from its beans.