Meet your new cold weather must-have: a cozy mug of German hot chocolate! Intensely rich and silky smooth, this cocoa is made on the stove with melted high-quality chocolate, whole milk, a little brown sugar, and a pinch of salt. In just 15 minutes, you can be cuddling up with a drink that tastes like a warm hug.
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“Heiße Schokolade” is what I grew up calling hot chocolate. Throughout Germany, it's also known simply as “Kakao” or cocoa. And since we Germans love our chocolate, there are multiple varieties of this cozy drink. My favorite is Trinkschokolade which is a suuuper rich drinking chocolate. *drool*
This cocoa is so thicc, I swear it has never missed a day at the gym. And it's not overly sweet, but it is sweet enough to make you want to curl up under a cozy blanket by the fire.
Thirsty for a taste yet? Decadent German hot chocolate is the perfect drink to dunk your fave German cookies into, like buttery Spritzgebäck and 6-ingredient almond horn cookies.
What's the Difference Between American and German Hot Chocolate?
American hot chocolate is made from a powdered mix of cocoa, powdered milk, and sugar. And (just between us) I find that the flavor from those packaged envelopes is seriously lacking.
German hot chocolate on the other hand is as if American hot chocolate had a bougee, old-money aunt who only shops organic and gets red light therapy on the daily. It’s made from rich quality chocolate melted with creamy whole milk.
Hot Chocolate in Germany
Seriously, this homemade German hot chocolate gives all the festive Christmas market vibes that you don't even have to leave your home to embrace!
Growing up in Germany, Heiße Schokolade was always my go-to drink at the local Weihnachtsmarkt (German Christmas market) since my parents wouldn't let me dip into the Glühwein.
To this day, I still love cocoa so much that during my most recent visit to Berlin, I had to make a pit stop at Rausch Schokoladenhaus. My husband and I brought home a treasured bag of Rausch's Trinkschokolade mix, which we savor on only the very most special occasions.
But honestly, this homemade version tastes better than any powdered blend, no matter where it's from!
Secret Ingredient to Make the Best Hot Chocolate
Listen we're baking besties, which means I won't gatekeep secrets from you.
When my Dad worked in Switzerland, he uncovered the secret to the best hot chocolate ever. Just a pinch of salt enhances the rich flavor of the chocolate + milk, and transforms your Kakao into the most irresistible drink.
Ingredients and Notes
- Whole milk - You can use milk with less fat but keep in mind that your cocoa won't be as creamy. I don't recommend using heavy cream, because then you're basically making ganache! (Which I'd still drink, I'm not gonna lie.)
- Dark chocolate and Semi-sweet chocolate - For a rich flavor and creamy, smooth texture, use quality bars of chocolate like Baker’s Chocolate, Lindt, Milka, or Ghirardelli. Cheaper chocolate might not melt evenly, and it can add a fake flavor.
- Salt - Use a pinch of table salt or fine sea salt, which is about 1/16 of a teaspoon.
- Brown sugar - You can use any sweetener you like, including granulated sugar or honey. But I love the subtle caramel-like flavor of brown sugar.
Let's Make German Hot Chocolate!
For the full step-by-step directions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
In a small saucepan on medium-low heat, add the milk and chocolate.
Whisk occasionally until the chocolate has melted into the milk.
Increase the heat and whisk in the salt and brown sugar. Transfer to mugs and enjoy!
Carissa's Kitchen Tip
Watch your milk closely! You want it hot enough to steam, but lower the temp right away if you see the milk starting to bubble and simmer.
If your milk gets too hot, it can curdle, making your precious cocoa lumpy.
Can I Double this Recipe?
This is such a fun drink to make for girls movie night or family game night! So if you have more mugs to be filled, this recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.
It fills two small mugs or glasses as I wrote it, or one giant mug if you want it all to yourself. 😉
How to Serve Heiße Schokolade
Listen, if we’re going through the trouble of making German hot chocolate from scratch, let’s pull out all the stops. We’re vibing in our chunky knit sweaters with some jazz playing the background, and allllllll the toppings loaded on our mugs of hot chocolatey bliss.
- Whipped cream (hot chocolate just begs to have whipped cream on top)
- Cinnamon sticks and/or a sprinkle of ground cinnamon
- Candied orange peel, or infuse your hot chocolate with orange zest
- Crumbled gingerbread cookies like Lebkuchen Herzen
- Chocolate sauce or homemade caramel sauce
- Shavings from a chocolate bar
- Crushed peppermint candies
- Heath bar crumbs (Trust me, ever since I tried this at Timberline Lodge in my home state of Oregon, I’ve never been the same.)
Related Recipes
Looking for more cozy Winter recipes to cuddle up with? Try these:
German Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 1½ cups whole milk
- 4 ounces dark chocolate (see note below)
- 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (see note below)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions
- In a small saucepan on medium-low heat, add the milk and chocolate. Whisk occasionally until the chocolate has melted into the milk.
- Increase the heat to medium and add the salt and brown sugar. Whisk constantly until the sugar dissolves and it forms a creamy mixture. The milk should steam a bit, but be careful not to let it bubble.
- Transfer the hot chocolate to two mugs. Top with any toppings you wish, and enjoy!
Notes
- Chocolate: Use quality bars of chocolate (it makes a BIG difference in the flavor and texture) such as Baker’s Chocolate, Lindt, Milka, or Ghirardelli.
- Salt: One pinch of salt is about 1/16 of a teaspoon.
- Sweetener: You can also sweeten your drink with granulated sugar, maple syrup, or honey depending on your preference and what you have available.
- Toppings: Marshmallows and hot cocoa are the classic combo. You can also add shaved chocolate, chocolate or caramel sauce, crushed peppermints, a cinnamon stick, and (of course) whipped cream.
- Melting Tip: The chocolate will melt faster in smaller pieces but you don’t need to chop it with a knife. Just break it by hand.
- Double: This recipe can easily be doubled, tripled, etc. based on how many mugs of cocoa you want to make.
Flora
Chocolate overload! Love it!