Hot chocolate season is here. I don’t think I’ll ever be ready for the gloom and darkness of the approaching winter days, but I am always ready for cosy days of cardigans and hot chocolates! One of my favourites to make is definitely this Maple Cinnamon Hot Chocolate recipe. It is easy to make, rich to taste, and gives you all the snuggly cosy feels!
When it comes to making hot chocolate at home, I have always been a little iffy about store-bought instant hot chocolate mixes. These mixes usually contain sugar and powdered milk, hence ready to drink with just a splash of hot water. The outcome I usually find is watered-down flavours. Even if you make it with hot milk, it still lacks richness and just doesn’t quite hit the spot the same way.
So ditch that instant hot chocolate mix and turn on the stovetop instead. What you’ll need is some chocolate and cocoa powder. It could be your usual baking chocolate or a commercial chocolate bar – stir that into milk, add your sweeteners, and a luscious cup of hot chocolate is what you’ll get. In this maple cinnamon hot chocolate recipe, it’s all about melting that dark chocolate into milk, whisking it till it gets a creamy texture, and then taking it up a notch by pimping it with a touch of cinnamon and maple! This is no doubt one of my favourite hot chocolate combos ever. It really doesn’t take long to make. Seriously, just say bye to that instant stuff.
How to Make Maple Cinnamon Hot Chocolate at Home
Ingredients for making Maple Cinnamon Hot Chocolate
- Dark Chocolate Chunks – I usually go for baking dark chocolate, but you can use commercial chocolate bars too as long as it’s dark chocolate
- Cocoa Powder – unsweetened and ideally Dutch-processed
- Milk – you can use any milk of your choice, but I’d recommend full-fat milk as it creates a creamier texture
- Maple Syrup
- Cinnamon Powder
Recommended Tools & Kitchen Appliances
- You’ll need a milk pan to make this over the stovetop. It’s not the end of the world if you don’t have one – just use the smallest pot you have at home.
- What I also like to do is to whisk the hot chocolate mixture till it’s frothy with an electric hand milk frother before serving. It’s totally up to you but I like that extra frothy layer! Why not when it can be done within seconds with just a press of a button – zero extra effort required.
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Cooking Tips & Recipe Notes
- Not all cocoa powders are created equal. The quality of cocoa powder matters a lot, not just for this recipe but in general. As much as I like to be frugal and go for whatever’s cheapest, cheap cocoa powder tends to leave an acidic taste, which is not ideal! Dutch-processed cocoa powders are generally known to be the better choice to go for. You can see from the colours alone that Dutch-processed cocoa powder has a darker colour and a more earthy touch to bring the chocolate flavours out.
- Do not boil the hot chocolate. Temperature plays a factor in how your hot chocolate tastes. Boiling the hot chocolate could result in a loss of flavour from the chocolate itself.
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Maple Cinnamon Hot Chocolate Recipe
Equipment
- Milk pan
- Electric hand milk frother (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Whole Milk or any milk of your choice
- 2-3 tbsp Dark Chocolate chunks or cut in small pieces
- 1 tbsp Cocoa Powder ideally Dutch-processed
- ¼ tsp Cinnamon Powder
- 2 tbsp Maple Syrup
Instructions
- Add all ingredients into the milk pan and heat over medium heat. Whisk until chocolate chunks have melted.1 cup Whole Milk, 2-3 tbsp Dark Chocolate, 1 tbsp Cocoa Powder, ¼ tsp Cinnamon Powder, 2 tbsp Maple Syrup
- Once the hot chocolate mixture is smooth and warmed, remove it from heat. Do not boil the hot chocolate.
- If you like, use an electric hand milk frother to whisk the hot chocolate till frothy. Pour into cup and serve immediately.
Notes
- Whole milk (full-fat milk) is recommended as it provides a creamier texture. But you can substitute with any milk of your choice.
- Dutch-processed cocoa powder is recommended as it offers better flavour & quality.
- I usually use baking dark chocolate but you can use any commercial chocolate bar as long as it’s dark chocolate. The amount to be added is flexible as different brands of chocolate could give differ in richness & flavour.
- Do not bring the hot chocolate mixture to a boil as the chocolate flavours could fade away as a result of the high temperature.
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