Spanish Thick Hot Chocolate
Milk, chopped chocolate and a cold cornstarch slurry cook into a glossy, spoon-coating chocolate. The small portions are intentionally richer and thicker than an everyday mug of cocoa; serve them warm while the texture is still pourable.
Non-alcoholicMake it like a pro.
5 minutes preparation and about 7 minutes gentle cooking.
- 01
Whisk the cornstarch and cocoa with 3 tablespoons of the measured cold milk in a small saucepan until completely smooth. Whisk in the remaining measured milk.
- 02
Set over medium-low heat and stir along the bottom until steaming. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until melted.
- 03
Bring to a very gentle bubbling simmer, whisking constantly, and cook for about 2 minutes until glossy and lightly spoon-coating. Lower the heat if the bottom catches.
- 04
Divide evenly between two small heatproof cups and serve warm. The chocolate thickens further as it cools.
Tools for This Recipe
Helpful equipment for making this recipe at home.
A small saucepan for warming milk, spices, chocolate, and café bases.
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Easy swaps
- Replace the whole milk with the same weight of 2% milk for a less rich version; its nutrition differs.
- For a slightly looser drink, add 1 tablespoon water to the full batch after cooking. The portion volume changes, while the original ingredients still supply the batch nutrients.
Mixpert tips
- Disperse cornstarch in cold milk before heating; adding dry starch to hot chocolate creates lumps.
- Use finely chopped chocolate and gentle heat so it melts before the milk reduces noticeably.
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Spanish Thick Hot Chocolate FAQs
Why did the chocolate turn lumpy?
Cornstarch needs a smooth cold slurry before it is heated. Whisk it with the cocoa and a little of the measured milk first. If small lumps remain after cooking, whisk firmly; straining would remove an unknown amount of the counted ingredients.
Is this the same as Italian thick hot chocolate?
Both can use starch for a thick, glossy drink. This page describes its own Spanish-style milk, cocoa and semisweet-chocolate formulation; changing the nationality in the title alone would not justify a separate recipe.
How do I halve the Spanish thick hot chocolate batch?
Halve every ingredient by weight: 122 g milk, 30 g semisweet chocolate, 2.7 g cocoa and 3 g cornstarch. A small pan helps prevent the shallow mixture from scorching.