The taste was very nice and strong but the consistency was more like soup. It was quite difficult to drink. I think there is too much cream in the recipe!
Hi Alberto, glad you were able to enjoy the taste. For consistency, it definitely should not be soupy. It should be thick and creamy. I would heat it a little longer and see if that helps.
It’s… supposed to be that way. You eat it with a spoon. That’s why it’s traditional French hot chocolate and not American hot chocolate from a paper bag.
Absolutely delicious. I recently travelled to Prague and was amazed by the hot chocolate there. I decided to find something sweet and rich and amazing to try and recreate it. The hot chocolate I ordered had a little bit of Masala spice added to it, not a lot just maybe half a teaspoon and then an additional 2 teaspoons of masala spice served next to the cup which I added a little at a time. It was unbelievably good. Today, I was out of masala, so I used a tikka spice mix and was just as happy with the results. It doesn’t overwhelm the flavour but adds to it in a wonderful way.
Oh my, just made a batch and I have to say it rivals any I’ve had I used Fortunato #4 68% and it was thick and delicious, my wife and sipped a cup and just were left speechless😎
Haven’t made this( hot chocolate)
yet but before I start I got a question. Having a plethora of semi-sweet chocolate could I use that and cut back on the powdered sugar ? Thanks. Mike
Hi Mike, semi-sweet should work. The amount of sugar would be based on how sweet you like your hot chocolate, so that would be up to you. Let me know how it goes if you decide to experiement!
The choice of chocolate is questionable. I was hoping the thickness and richness of the cream and whole milk would balance out the bitterness of it, but the drink just ended up tasting mostly bitter despite the extra confectioners sugar. It also did not look like the picture shown, which I’m sure is just a random stock photo. The drink was somewhat thicker than standard hot cocoa, but it was nowhere near as thick as the images on this page imply. Would definitely not make this one again.
Taylor, I’m sorry it didn’t hit the spot. NONE of my photos are stock or AI — I took this photo myself and do regularly make the recipe. It could have cooled a bit in the photo, so maybe that is why it looks thicker? It’s very intense, so if you prefer a sweeter chocolate, I’d try using all or part milk chocolate next time.
This is more like a chocolate truffle drink than the kind of hot chocolate we’re used to in America (I know it’s French!). It’s very thick, and *very* rich. You can’t have more than a few sips (and I love rich things!!). It is delicious! However, if you’re like me and are looking for just a very good cup of hot chocolate that doesn’t taste like Swiss Miss, half the chocolate in this recipe will give you something closer to what you’re looking for. Still very rich! But more drinkable and probably the best cup of hot chocolate you’ve ever had.
I’ve had thick, decadent hot chocolate in Berlin in the past & hoped this would be similar. It is delicious but waaaaay too thick to *sip.* Even with adding additional milk, it’s more a consistency somewhere between a ganache and a pudding. Too rich & too bitter. (Probably my fault, used Lindt 85% dark.) I used a spoon to lick /eat this but it’s clawingly rich. Will store the rest & see about reheating & adding more milk tomorrow.
This really nailed the Cafe Angelique recipe from Paris, which I’ve been working to replicate for a couple of decades now. What a delightful, well-researched find. Thank you so so much!!
Ps, I used whole milk Lactaid, which worked just fine, along with a 1/2 cup of heavy cream and 1 tsp of Espresso powder.
Glad you enjoyed it, Hannah. It definitely should be thicker than a regular hot chocolate. I would try to let it stay warmer on the stove longer to allow it to thicken more. Hope this helps!
Hi Caitlin, it’s supposed to be really thick, which is customary in Europe. You could also try some milk or cream to get the consistency you are looking for. Hope this helps!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! During covid, my young daughter and I replaced our Xmas Eve Starbucks date with a hot chocolate date at home. This has become the one singular recipe that is accepted (I tried cocoa powder mix once and I’ll never live that down!). Now both of my daughters enjoy this hot chocolate on snowy winter days, and, of course, our annual Christmas Eve hot chocolate date.
Made this last year for Christmas and it so much like the French Hot Chocolate we had in Paris!!! It was absolutely amazing. Then I printed the recipe and gave it to friends along with good quality chocolate as a gift. They ALL reported it was fantastic! It’s become a Christmas tradition for our family on Christmas Eve, served with a fresh croissant. Thank you for this incredible recipe!!!!
WOW! Made this for Christmas morning. This is just like the hot chocolate I had in France. Thank you for the recipe. This will stay in rotation at our home for Christmas.
Just made this recipe with family for Christmas Eve and I have some advice:
– 8 oz of chocolate is a lot – even for 4 smaller cups! We had to add more milk to thin it out because it was a bit too thick (and I love thick hot chocolate). I recommend just 3.5 oz (equivalent to 1 Ghirardelli chocolate bar, 8 oz is equal to almost 3!). The chocolate bar adds more texture than cocoa powder, so be mindful of that.
– The dark chocolate was a bit too bitter for the youth. If you enjoy dark chocolate like myself it’s fine but the children didn’t like how bitter it tasted (mind you, we skipped the espresso powder). The powdered sugar didn’t sweeten it as much as I thought it would. If you’re making this for kids, I recommend using milk chocolate or at the very least mixing both milk and dark.
Other than that it’s a solid recipe and I like how decadent it was compared to hot chocolate made with cocoa mix.
Hi Kay, this is supposed to be a very thick hot chocolate, makes you almost want to eat it with a spoon other than drink it. It’s European style, so it’s meant to be that way. Also it’s not supposed to be overly sweet, so definitely add more based on your own taste.,
This sounds amazing! Could this be a cook everything together and then let it hang in the crockpot on low all day thing? Or would that compromise texture too much?
Hi Sarah, I think you could try that and stir it often. I’d use a small crock pot and increase the batch yield so it covers the bottom by at least a few inches or you’ll only have a thin layer that might burn. I’d love to hear how it goes!
Would a cup of half and half and one cup of milk work, instead of 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1 1/2 cup milk?
Hi Lyn, you could use half and half, and the hot chocolate will still taste lovely, but it definitely won’t be as thick and rich. I hope this helps!
The taste was very nice and strong but the consistency was more like soup. It was quite difficult to drink. I think there is too much cream in the recipe!
Hi Alberto, glad you were able to enjoy the taste. For consistency, it definitely should not be soupy. It should be thick and creamy. I would heat it a little longer and see if that helps.
It’s… supposed to be that way. You eat it with a spoon. That’s why it’s traditional French hot chocolate and not American hot chocolate from a paper bag.
Yes, you definitely want to eat it with a spoon!
Absolutely delicious. I recently travelled to Prague and was amazed by the hot chocolate there. I decided to find something sweet and rich and amazing to try and recreate it. The hot chocolate I ordered had a little bit of Masala spice added to it, not a lot just maybe half a teaspoon and then an additional 2 teaspoons of masala spice served next to the cup which I added a little at a time. It was unbelievably good. Today, I was out of masala, so I used a tikka spice mix and was just as happy with the results. It doesn’t overwhelm the flavour but adds to it in a wonderful way.
Delish! Thank you Mariette!
Oh my, just made a batch and I have to say it rivals any I’ve had I used Fortunato #4 68% and it was thick and delicious, my wife and sipped a cup and just were left speechless😎
Yay! Makes me so happy to hear you enjoyed it, Randy!
Haven’t made this( hot chocolate)
yet but before I start I got a question. Having a plethora of semi-sweet chocolate could I use that and cut back on the powdered sugar ? Thanks. Mike
Hi Mike, semi-sweet should work. The amount of sugar would be based on how sweet you like your hot chocolate, so that would be up to you. Let me know how it goes if you decide to experiement!
this was so rich and creamy! i used ghirardelli dark chocolate chips and it still worked! the little bit of espresso made the flavour so nice.
So glad to hear, thank you!
The choice of chocolate is questionable. I was hoping the thickness and richness of the cream and whole milk would balance out the bitterness of it, but the drink just ended up tasting mostly bitter despite the extra confectioners sugar. It also did not look like the picture shown, which I’m sure is just a random stock photo. The drink was somewhat thicker than standard hot cocoa, but it was nowhere near as thick as the images on this page imply. Would definitely not make this one again.
Taylor, I’m sorry it didn’t hit the spot. NONE of my photos are stock or AI — I took this photo myself and do regularly make the recipe. It could have cooled a bit in the photo, so maybe that is why it looks thicker? It’s very intense, so if you prefer a sweeter chocolate, I’d try using all or part milk chocolate next time.
This is more like a chocolate truffle drink than the kind of hot chocolate we’re used to in America (I know it’s French!). It’s very thick, and *very* rich. You can’t have more than a few sips (and I love rich things!!). It is delicious! However, if you’re like me and are looking for just a very good cup of hot chocolate that doesn’t taste like Swiss Miss, half the chocolate in this recipe will give you something closer to what you’re looking for. Still very rich! But more drinkable and probably the best cup of hot chocolate you’ve ever had.
Thanks for sharing Donna!
I’ve had thick, decadent hot chocolate in Berlin in the past & hoped this would be similar. It is delicious but waaaaay too thick to *sip.* Even with adding additional milk, it’s more a consistency somewhere between a ganache and a pudding. Too rich & too bitter. (Probably my fault, used Lindt 85% dark.) I used a spoon to lick /eat this but it’s clawingly rich. Will store the rest & see about reheating & adding more milk tomorrow.
Hi Kathy, if the consistency is too thick for you, I would definitely add some more. Hope this helps!
This really nailed the Cafe Angelique recipe from Paris, which I’ve been working to replicate for a couple of decades now. What a delightful, well-researched find. Thank you so so much!!
Ps, I used whole milk Lactaid, which worked just fine, along with a 1/2 cup of heavy cream and 1 tsp of Espresso powder.
So glad you enjoyed it, Maryfran! Thank you!
Tastes good but I was hoping for it to be thicker. This is just the consistency of regular hot chocolate
Glad you enjoyed it, Hannah. It definitely should be thicker than a regular hot chocolate. I would try to let it stay warmer on the stove longer to allow it to thicken more. Hope this helps!
Oh my God, this was delicious! Pricey to make because of the chocolate, but cheaper than a trip to Paris! Thank you!
Cheers (and agree!)
I was wondering what I could add to this recipe to make it more liquidy because in the comments most say it’s very thick.
Hi Caitlin, it’s supposed to be really thick, which is customary in Europe. You could also try some milk or cream to get the consistency you are looking for. Hope this helps!
Would it be possible to make this in a small crockpot for a family Christmas party? What should i multiply the recipe by for that?
Hi Ariel! Yes! This is my crockpot version: https://www.wellplated.com/crockpot-hot-chocolate/ Enjoy!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! During covid, my young daughter and I replaced our Xmas Eve Starbucks date with a hot chocolate date at home. This has become the one singular recipe that is accepted (I tried cocoa powder mix once and I’ll never live that down!). Now both of my daughters enjoy this hot chocolate on snowy winter days, and, of course, our annual Christmas Eve hot chocolate date.
This makes me so happy to hear, Grace! Thank you!
Made this last year for Christmas and it so much like the French Hot Chocolate we had in Paris!!! It was absolutely amazing. Then I printed the recipe and gave it to friends along with good quality chocolate as a gift. They ALL reported it was fantastic! It’s become a Christmas tradition for our family on Christmas Eve, served with a fresh croissant. Thank you for this incredible recipe!!!!
Makes me so happy to hear, Jacqueline! Thank you for sharing and it looks fantastic!
WOW! Made this for Christmas morning. This is just like the hot chocolate I had in France. Thank you for the recipe. This will stay in rotation at our home for Christmas.
Looks great Lisa! Glad you enjoyed it!
Just made this recipe with family for Christmas Eve and I have some advice:
– 8 oz of chocolate is a lot – even for 4 smaller cups! We had to add more milk to thin it out because it was a bit too thick (and I love thick hot chocolate). I recommend just 3.5 oz (equivalent to 1 Ghirardelli chocolate bar, 8 oz is equal to almost 3!). The chocolate bar adds more texture than cocoa powder, so be mindful of that.
– The dark chocolate was a bit too bitter for the youth. If you enjoy dark chocolate like myself it’s fine but the children didn’t like how bitter it tasted (mind you, we skipped the espresso powder). The powdered sugar didn’t sweeten it as much as I thought it would. If you’re making this for kids, I recommend using milk chocolate or at the very least mixing both milk and dark.
Other than that it’s a solid recipe and I like how decadent it was compared to hot chocolate made with cocoa mix.
Hi Kay, this is supposed to be a very thick hot chocolate, makes you almost want to eat it with a spoon other than drink it. It’s European style, so it’s meant to be that way. Also it’s not supposed to be overly sweet, so definitely add more based on your own taste.,
Leftovers? Why would I have leftovers? 😂
Facts! LOL R.J.!
So rich and chocolatey, I love chocolate but I would say it’s too much. A serving should probably be like a 2 ounce espresso sized cup.
Thanks for the feedback, Crystal! Thank you!
This sounds amazing! Could this be a cook everything together and then let it hang in the crockpot on low all day thing? Or would that compromise texture too much?
Hi Sarah, I think you could try that and stir it often. I’d use a small crock pot and increase the batch yield so it covers the bottom by at least a few inches or you’ll only have a thin layer that might burn. I’d love to hear how it goes!