How To Give Hot Chocolate A Frothy Café Finish With No Added Ingredients

As far back as 500 B.C., the Mayans knew that the best hot chocolate was frothy. Their recipe included cornmeal and chilis, and they mixed cacao between two vessels to aerate it, creating a rich, frothy texture. Today, we can achieve the same effect much faster using an electric immersion blender. These handheld, stick-shaped blenders not only make delicious butternut squash soup perfectly smooth right in the pot, but also elevate your hot cocoa to a new level.

Whether you use a packet mix or a homemade recipe with a secret ingredient for creamy cocoa, the aeration from blending creates a velvety-smooth finish in about 30 seconds. Because immersion blenders create a strong vortex, hot liquid can splash and cause burns, so it's safer to heat and blend cocoa in a pot on the stove.

If you prefer to heat milk directly in your mug using a microwave, you can aerate your cocoa with a conventional blender or a standalone milk frother. Chop chocolate into small pieces to help it melt easily, then add it to your blender with hot milk and sugar. If using a milk frother, combine all ingredients in it and froth until smooth.

Though blending improves pretty much any type of hot chocolate, everyone knows that a packet of generic instant powder made with water always tastes inferior to indulgent stovetop cocoa made with smooth and fatty luxury chocolate. While you don't need fancy couverture chocolate for great results, consider using good-quality bittersweet bars, or even your favorite solid candy bar. This ensures your hot cocoa is full of deep chocolate flavor, not flat bitterness. Plus, candy bars often have enough sugar, so you may not need to add more. You can enjoy flavors like cookies and cream, golden toffee, or the fruity, earthy notes of a 70% cacao Godiva bar.

You don't need milk to make frothy hot chocolate, but using it instead of water makes the drink richer and more satisfying. Plant-based milks, though usually thinner than dairy, still contain some fat that adds a nice texture. Nut milks get fat naturally from the nuts, and many are fortified with oils, especially barista-style creamers designed to steam well for vegan lattes and cappuccinos. For a super rich vegan option, canned coconut milk is a good choice.