Hot Chocolate Recipe

Warm the milk

Pour 4 cups whole milk into a medium saucepan. Warm over medium-low heat until small bubbles form around the edges and steam rises, about 4–5 minutes. Do not let it boil.

Blend cocoa and sugar

In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. This helps prevent clumping when added to the milk.

Incorporate cocoa mixture

Add the cocoa-sugar mixture to the warm milk and whisk vigorously until fully dissolved and the milk turns uniformly chocolate-colored, about 30–45 seconds.

Melt the chocolate

Add 4 ounces finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate to the saucepan. Continue to stir constantly with a heatproof spatula or whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and the drink is smooth, about 2–3 minutes. Keep the heat at medium-low to avoid scorching.

Finish and season

Remove the saucepan from heat. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and a pinch of fine salt. Taste and adjust sweetness: add up to 1 more tablespoon sugar if you prefer sweeter hot chocolate.

Serve

Ladle the hot chocolate into four mugs (about 1 cup each).

Top each mug with a generous dollop of whipped cream and a handful of mini marshmallows, if using.

For a spiced note, sprinkle 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon across the four mugs (about 1/4 tsp per mug) or dust as desired.

Garnish with chocolate shavings for extra richness (approximately 1/2 tablespoon per mug).

To make a peppermint version, stir 1 teaspoon peppermint extract into the entire pot before removing from heat (or 1/4 tsp per mug if making individually).

For salted caramel hot chocolate, drizzle 2 tablespoons salted caramel sauce divided across the four mugs (about 1/2 tablespoon per mug) and gently stir before serving.