Italian hot chocolate (aka cioccolata calda) is pure heaven for chocoholics. This is a rich and thick hot chocolate, but it is still liquid enough to class as a drink not a dessert. And sweet joy, it takes just 10 minutes to make.
I fell in love with thick Italian hot chocolate (cioccolata calda) on my honeymoon in Florence many years ago. Truthfully, it was a bit warm to be drinking hot chocolate at the time. But it was my first time in Italy, I’d read a guide book and I was buzzing from being newly-wed. I was definitely going for it.
Unsurprisingly, it did not disappoint. Italians seem to know a thing or two when it comes to hot chocolate.
The memory of this culinary holiday delight has stayed with me over the years. But it’s only recently that I’ve realised how easy it is to make Italian style hot chocolate at home. I’m delighted to be sharing the recipe with you now though.
Why you’ll love this thick hot chocolate
Thick Italian hot chocolate is liquid heaven for chocoholics. Here are a few reasons why it is worth making:
- It is lusciously thick and creamy but still fluid enough to class as a drink not a dessert.
- And it is intensely chocolate rich with just a hint of sweetness about it.
- Italian-style thick hot chocolate is also very quick and simple to make.
- The recipe can be adjusted easily to accommodate your personal taste preferences.
- It’s easy to vary the flavour.
Seriously, what is not to love about this Italian chocolate drink?
Ingredients
Though my list of ingredients pictured above stands at 8, three of these are entirely optional. There are just 5 ingredients that are essential for Italian style hot chocolate: chocolate, cocoa powder, milk, cornflour and sugar.
Instant coffee, vanilla extra and salt are all optional, but highly recommended, to create a rich and full-flavoured cioccolata calda.
Milk: use whole milk (full-fat) for a decadent creamy taste. Semi-skimmed or skimmed milk will deliver a less luxurious drink.
Chocolate: this recipe has been devised using dark chocolate. Use anything from 65% cocoa solids upwards. Replacing dark chocolate with either milk or white chocolate will result in a significantly different drink that could end up being rather too sweet to entirely enjoy.
Cocoa powder: ensure it is pure cocoa powder rather than hot chocolate or drinking chocolate powder as the latter 2 will have sugar added in.
Cornflour/ cornstarch: this is the vital ingredient required to turn this Italian chocolate drink into the thick and decadent treat that it is. Please don’t miss it out.
Step-by-Step instructions
This thick hot chocolate is a particularly easy drink to make. Follow the 5 steps below and it will be ready in 10 minutes:
- Begin by chopping the chocolate finely and measuring the cornflour, cocoa and sugar into a saucepan. Add the salt and coffee granules if using.
- Add 3 tablespoons of the milk to the pan and whisk until smooth – a small handheld whisk is ideal for this task.
- Pour in the rest of the milk and the vanilla extract (if using) and heat, stirring constantly until hot but not boiling.
Constant stirring is vital as the recipe includes cornflour which will turn lumpy if not kept continuously on the move whilst it is cooking.
- Slide the chopped chocolate into the pan, return to a low-medium heat and keep on stirring until the chocolate has melted and the drink has thickened.
- Take off the heat and give a really good stir. The thick hot chocolate is ready to pour into 2 small cups.
Expert Tips
This indulgent thick Italian hot chocolate is incredibly easy to make. Follow the instructions and you can’t go far wrong. But here are a few extra pointers to help you achieve your ideal thick hot chocolate drink:
- The precise taste of this drink is entirely dependent on your choice of chocolate. Go for quality, but do ensure that the level of cocoa solids present is one that you are happy with. The higher the percentage of cocoa solids, the darker, less sweet and more intense the cioccolata calda will be.
- Dark chocolate is the best option for this drink, but if you are set on using milk chocolate, you can omit the sugar – it really won’t be necessary.
- This Italian drinking chocolate is an incredibly rich and luxurious drink designed to be served in small quantities, so pull out some suitably small yet elegant serving cups for this beautiful creation. Espresso cups are ideal.
- I urge you to try out the base recipe first and then try it with my optional extras – small quantities of salt, vanilla and coffee. These extras are by no means traditional but they do pull the flavours of this drink around in a rather lovely fashion.
- If you want to inject a little extra flavour into your thick Italian hot chocolate the most natural way to do this is by using flavoured chocolate. It’s easy to pick up mint and orange variations of dark chocolate for instance (or you can take inspiration from my Chocolate Orange hot chocolate recipe and convert it into this Italian style hot chocolate).
- Remember that adding liquids (such as alcohol or syrups) will alter the thickness and sweetness of the final drink. If doing so, consider increasing the amount of cornflour slightly and reducing the amount of sugar added in.
Frequently Asked Questions
By all means. The whole milk can be replaced with a non-dairy alternative in this Italian drinking chocolate. My top choice would be almond milk.
If using coconut milk, you may need to reduce the quantity of cornflour used (try 1 tsp) as coconut milk is naturally thicker than regular milk.
Definitely serve this drink in small portions. Less is more as the saying goes, as this is a very indulgent treat. Think along the lines of espresso sized portions. A tea-cup or mug would be far too much in one sitting.
To add cream or not to add cream, that is the question. Honestly, cioccolata calda is so rich, creamy and decadent that a swirl of cream on top just seems like overkill to me. That’s just me though – you may feel differently.
My preference is to serve this rich and thick Italian hot chocolate with a small spoon and some simple biscuits or wafers to dunk. Try biscotti, cantuccini or even some Viennese fingers.
Yes, this Italian style hot chocolate can be reheated. You may find it is thicker after being heated up again, so an extra splash of milk might just be required to return it to premium consistency.
Don’t forget to keep on stirring as the drink heats through to avoid those nasty lumps forming – remember this recipe has cornflour in it.
More Hot Chocolate Recipes to Try Out
Don’t miss my guide on making the best hot chocolate at home. Hot chocolate lovers will be pleased to learn that I’ve quite a collection of hot chocolate recipes on here now. Here are a few reader favourites:
Have you made this thick hot chocolate recipe? If you have please give it a rating or leave a comment – I love to hear how you get along with my creations.
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📖 Recipe
Cioccolata Calda (Italian Hot Chocolate)
Ingredients
- 250 ml/ 1 cup Whole milk full-fat
- 2 teaspoon Cornflour cornstarch
- 50 g/ Dark chocolate at least 70%
- 15 g/ ½ oz Cocoa powder
- 15 g/ ½ oz White sugar
Optional extras
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon Instant coffee granules
Instructions
- Begin by chopping the chocolate finely and measuring the cornflour, cocoa and sugar into a saucepan. Add the salt and coffee granules if using
- Add 3 tablespoons of the milk to the pan and whisk until smooth
- Pour in the rest of the milk and the vanilla extract (if using) and heat, stirring constantly until hot. Constant stirring is vital as the recipe include cornflour which will turn lumpy if not kept continuously on the move whilst it is cooking.
- Slide the chopped chocolate into the pan, return to a low-medium heat and keep on stirring until the chocolate has melted and the drink has thickened
- Pour into 2 small cups and serve straight away with a spoon and biscuits for dunking
Notes
- The precise taste of this drink is entirely dependent on your choice of chocolate. The higher the percentage of cocoa solids, the darker, less sweet and more intense the drink will be. Use quality chocolate, but do ensure that the level of cocoa solids present is one that you are happy with
- Dark chocolate is the best option for this drink, but if you are set on using milk chocolate, you can omit the sugar – it really won’t be necessary
- Cioccolata Calda is an incredibly rich and luxurious drink designed to be served in small quantities, so pull out some suitably small yet elegant serving cups for this beautiful creation
- I urge you to try out the base recipe first and then try it with my optional extras – small quantities of salt, vanilla and coffee. These extras are by no means traditional but they do pull the flavours around in a rather lovely fashion
- Similarly, if you want to inject a little flavour into your cioccolata calda the most natural way to do this is by using flavoured chocolate. It’s easy to pick up mint and orange variations of dark chocolate for instance
- Remember that adding liquids (such as alcohol or syrups) to the drink will alter the thickness and sweetness of the final drink. If doing so consider increasing the amount of cornflour slightly and reducing the amount of sugar
- The whole milk can be replaced with a non-dairy alternative. My top choice would be almond milk. If using coconut milk, you may need to reduce the quantity of cornflour used (try 1 tsp) as coconut milk is typically thicker than regular milk
- This drink can be reheated. You may find it is thicker after being heated up again, so an extra splash of milk might just be required to return it to premium consistency. And don’t forget to keep on stirring as the drink heats through to avoid those nasty lumps forming
Chelsie
Absolutely perfect
Jane Saunders
So pleased you enjoyed it – I might treat my family to it this weekend.
Margaret
Made this today with a little extra milk to make it drinkable. Tasted delicious.
Jane Saunders
So pleased you enjoyed it 🙂
Tamara Andersen
I have never had Italian hot chocolate, but I adore all things chocolate (sweet an savory), and this looks and sounds amazing Jane!
Jen L
YES PLEASE!!!! This is exactly what I need right now!
Jane Saunders
Pleased you like it!
Gina
Oh I’ve had this in Italy! Nothing compares once you’ve tasted this deliciousness. So thick and creamy and chocolaty!
Jane Saunders
Oh I totally agree Gina. It’s even better when you happen to be people-watching in a lovely cafe overlooking a bustling Italian city square. However, in lieu of holidays, homemade is pretty good too 😉
Jenn
I didn’t know thick hot chocolate was a thing and now it’s all I can think about! How absolutely luxe and comforting!!!
Jane Saunders
It’s so good – hope you get to try it out very soon.
Katie
This looks AMAZING. My mouth is watering; I can’t wait to try it!
Jane Saunders
Thankyou – I think you’ll love it 🙂