Cioccolata Calda (Hot Chocolate Italian-Style)

I loved it! I’ll admit, I altered a couple of things, and I hate to be that person. But it wasn’t insanely different. I don’t consume dairy, so I used oat milk. And I did do a dash of salt. I love the consistency and was fine with the taste as it was! But I did warm up and add about a tablespoon of pure maple syrup, just to bring a tiny bit more sweetness. It did take longer than 3 minutes to thicken, but I’m willing to admit that could be the fault of the oat milk. Try it out!

It’s delicious…

I was unable to get it to thicken even way past the cook time. I even tried extra corn starch after like 10 mins with no change and that didn’t do anything either. The flavor was still pretty good, though. I might try again next Winter.

Not as sweet as I would like, I guess I can experiment and add more chocolate, do like the consistency

This recipe is so delicious! Absolutely loved it and was very amazed at how thick it got so quickly! Highly recommend, but I would add more sugar.

It was very yummy, thick and creamy, but I think lacked some ingredients. As other reviewers have said, it tastes much better if you add a pinch of salt, a tsp of vanilla, and an additional 1/2 tbsp of sugar.

It was very yummy, thick and creamy, but I think lacked some ingredients. As other reviewers have said, it tastes much better if you add a pinch of salt, a tsp of vanilla, and an additional 1/2 tbsp of sugar.

Was good, specially because not too sweet. However, next time I would: add less starch to reduce thickness, and add extra flavor with a splash of vanilla, rum, a dash of salt and cinnamon.

I cut the recipe in half and only used 1 teaspoon of sugar and used 2 teaspoons of cornstarch. Very thick and yummy, especially with a scoop of marshmallow fluff. I will definitely make this again.

This was just the recipe I was looking for! I skipped the corn starch. And topped it with some whip cream. I did not increase sugar quantity, but the whip cream added to the sweetness. Perfection

OMG – thanks for the recipe! When we were in Milan in March it was cold and rainy and several cups of cioccolata calda kept us warm every day. It is a lovely, thick concoction. Almost like a drinkable pudding. It’s also a drinkable warm hug. Thank you! I’m making it!

Added 3 tbs sugar instead of the one and half and it was perfect 🙂 next time I want to add pieces of dark chocolate to the mixture.

I used 4 packets Truvia instead of sugar and Silk Coconut milk in place of regular milk. It was thick but not as thick as pudding. I did like it but I don’t think it will be something that I will crave anytime soon.

Very close, though a touch bitter, so I amped up the sugar a tad. Very close indeed.

This is a religion in Northern Italy. My husband constantly complains when we are outside Italy because he says the hot chocolate served anywhere else is just hot chocolate milk. This recipe is perfect; the amounts and method are precise. It is exactly as you get in any bar (cafè) in Italy. In fact, it is always “eaten” with a spoon because it resembles a liquid pudding. I always add some hot chili powder, but the classic recipe is as written here. Thank you for sharing.

This is close to the real thing in Italy. The consistency, while thick, could be more accurately described as drinkable pudding. Italian cioccolata calda is not as sweet as what we are accustomed to and is often served with a sugar packet to the side. I plan on investing in some better quality darker cocoa and trying this again in the near future.

When we were in Venice a few years ago we found a little cafe/coffee shop that served a similar delicious hot chocolate. Thick and rich! I’ve searched and searched, and this is the closest recipe I’ve been able to find. I add the corn starch to the sugar and cocoa to save a step and it works great. We love this recipe and use it quite often during the cold, winter months. Thank you for sharing!

I love this throat coating, creamy, for real hot chocolate. I don’t drink the powdered junk anymore, though Swiss miss filled my childhood with happiness. I loved whisking real cacao (navitas natural brand) into some local wildflower honey on the stove top. As it heated the chocolate aroma filled my kitchen. I added in half and half because it was Christmas and we were going all the way with this hot cocoa. I had already added in the cornstarch. It would’ve been easier in a second step. It got hot and turned a beautiful color. We did add extra honey and vanilla. I do think it isn’t sweet enough. I have been off refined sugar for over a year and I hardly ever have sweets. I added a tablespoon extra in my kids mugs too. I had no problem with the thickness of the chocolate. It wasn’t like pudding at all to me. Just spoon coating, chocolate bomb of a hot liquid happiness. Thank you for the recipe!

This was an exceptional cup of hot cocoa! I heated this up in a sauce pan after the family spent a chilly evening putting up Christmas lights outside. I didn’t have cornstarch so threw in some mini marshmallows (to taste) instead, which thickened and added sweetness so didn’t use any sugar. Topped with some home made whipped cream with a touch of vanilla and cinnamon, it was OUTSTANDING! Definitely will make this again, using the same ingredients. I let the mixture cool and put it in a large glass canning jar in the fridge and heated it up in the microwave the next evening. It turned out perfect.

You can save yourself a lot of cleanup by making this in the microwave in a 2 cup pyrex measuring cup. Just heat the milk/coco mixture, stirring every minute or two until it gets to temperature, then add the corn starch slurry, return it to the microwave to heat some more until it is thick (the consistency should be like cooked pudding) and then pour from the pyrex cup into a mug (or 2 mugs, as it makes quite a bit). Beyond that, use 3 tablespoons of sugar and finish it off by adding a splash of Kahlua. If it doesn’t get as thick as you think it needs to be, add an extra generous teaspoon of cornstarch to the slurry. Top off with whipped cream and you’re in a bistro in Italy, punto e basta! I guess two more things, use good cocoa powder, and use whole milk. If you only have skim on hand, add three tablespoons of half and half and that produces the amount of fat in whole milk for this recipe.

This was absolutely delicious, and I did add a little vanilla and cinnamon to it, like other reviewers. Don’t go too heavy when adding whipped cream – this chocolate stands on its own two feet! Thank you for the wonderful treat!