
Velvety rich and decadent thick hot chocolate recipe made very simply with three ingredients. Famous for a reason, this is an even simpler adaptation of Jacques Torres’s hot chocolate recipe. It’s not too sweet, and it’s completely comforting. You’ll love this!
How to make thick hot chocolate:
The secret ingredient to thickening your hot chocolate is the same thing you’d use to thicken sauces and stews- cornstarch! The key is letting the cornstarch (or cornflour) come to a boil to get rid of any starchy flavor and also to allow it to thicken the milk.
3 Ingredient Hot Chocolate:
Cornstarch: As discussed above, this is what thickens the whole thing, so this is a must. I use a big heaped tablespoon, make sure to whisk it in well to dissolve it, and then let it boil a little.
Chocolate: This is the most important thing, so use quality chocolate. I like using 52-55% chocolate discs, but you can go as high as 65% or even 70% if you like your chocolate extremely dark and sexy. This is where you’d break out the good stuff, brands like Valrhona, Cacao Berry, Callebaut. Otherwise, you can go for supermarket chocolate bars like Lindt.
Milk: Use full fat milk to get that perfect creamy texture. Jacques Torres’s recipe originally calls for an addition of milk powder to add creaminess and thickness, but simply because I didn’t have any on hand and don’t use this for other recipes, I decided to omit this. Instead, I slightly increased the amount of cornstarch. Worked out perfectly! The end result is a thick and decadent thot chocolate, but if you like it less rich, you can increase the milk by up to 3 cups.
That’s it! You can play with the basic ingredients- add some vanilla, a pinch of salt. The way I made it, with just the three ingredients listed was just perfect for us.

What to top hot chocolate with:
Whipped cream of course! I opted to whip some heavy cream and top the hot chocolate with it. I didn’t sweeten the cream at all and it was a nice way to cut the richness.
Marshmallows are another classic, and if you have a kitchen torch, you can go the extra step and brûlée them. I’m so excited because I finally have a kitchen torch, so you better believe I whipped that baby out.
Storing leftovers:
In the rare event that you have any leftovers, you can tightly cover them and store in the fridge for up to 3 days, just reheat in a saucepan or in the microwave.


Thick Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 heaped tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup 55-60% chocolate disks or coarsley chopped 150 g
Instructions
- Bring the milk to a boil in a medium saucepan set over medium high heat.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the cornstarch, and whisk to combine. Let it boil for 30 seconds-1 minute.
- Add the chocolate and whisk until chocolate has melted and completely combined. Let it boil a further 30 seconds or until hot chocolate has thickened into desired consistency.
- Pour hot chocolate evenly into four cups and top as desired. Enjoy warm!
Notes
Nutrition
If you liked this recipe, you might like:
Unbelievably Moist Chocolate Bundt Cake

Did you make this? Tag @everylittlecrumb or hashtag #everylittlecrumb and I’ll share your images!
Angela Allison says
This is simply perfection! Reminds me of the hot chocolate my grandmother used to make me. Love that you have made this recipe so simple. Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Farah Abumaizar says
I love nostalgic memories when it comes to food! Thanks Angela!
Danielle Wolter says
This was perfect for an evening by the fire. My boyfriend is a huge chocolate fan and he loved this!
Farah Abumaizar says
So happy to hear that Danielle! thank you!
Alexandra says
This time of year always makes me think of hot chocolate – and I love this delicious recipe. It is so cosy and comforting 🙂
Farah Abumaizar says
Thanks so much Alexandra!
Veena Azmanov says
This is so easy and yet so delicious, creamy and yum. Looks heavenly and my kids to love it all.
Farah Abumaizar says
So glad to hear that Veena!
SHANIKA says
I’m so loving the sound of Thick Hot Chocolate! I definitely need to try adding cornstarch in mine! Looks amazing!
Farah Abumaizar says
It kind of turns it into drinkable chocolate pudding!