Homemade Hot Chocolate: Recipe to Make a Great Cup

There is nothing more comforting than a cup of hot chocolate. It is a great companion to happy moments, friends gatherings and even hard times, and a good source of energy. You will enjoy it even more if you use good-quality cacao.

Finding the right balance between the ingredients requires some practice. It all comes down to experimentation. You can prepare the classic hot chocolate or enjoy it cold on summer days.

Given that using good chocolate is key to achieving a great cup, we wanted to guide you through the process of making chocolate and explain the differences between cocoa percentages.

Check out our artisan chocolate made with 100% Colombian cacao!

Cacao Farming & Processing

Same as with coffee, good chocolate starts at the farm. Cacao is also a fruit, and to ensure the quality of the final product, farmers need to harvest cacao pods at the right time, which is when they have achieved a certain level of ripeness. Generally, cacao pods are handpicked, because they are ready at different times.

Following the harvest, farmers break the pods apart and remove the pulp. Afterwards, the pulp covering cacao seeds will undergo a fermentation process. This step is necessary to separate the pulp from the beans (seeds). Cacao nibs are then dried and finally, aged from a few days to several months.

Lastly, they are roasted, conched to separate the butter from the cacao mass, and tempered. These processes improve texture, flavour and appearance. 

Depending on the variety, terroir, region, processing, and roasting practices, each chocolate has different flavour profiles.

Cocoa Percentages Explained

The cacao percentage is important and will determine the intensity and bitterness of the chocolate. Generally speaking, to make chocolate you need cacao butter and cacao paste. Sometimes, it can contain other ingredients, such as sugar or flavourings. Good quality chocolate does not contain vegetable fats other than cacao butter.

The total content of cacao in the recipe determines the cocoa percentage. The higher the amount, the stronger your chocolate will be. 

Try chocolates with different cacao percentages until you find your favourite.

A Hot Chocolate Recipe For You

Our range of hot chocolates made of 100% High-Quality Colombian cacao contains different cacao percentages, for all tastes. Our Casablanca white chocolate is made of Colombian cacao butter. 

We asked our highly skilled baristas to develop this hot chocolate recipe for you to try at home.

• 10 g of your favourite chocolate.
• 250 g of hot milk of your choice

Stir until the drink has a homogeneous texture and enjoy.

You can experiment with the amount of chocolate and milk until you find your favourite ratio.

Introducing Our Chocolate Subscription

Would you like to have a good supply of great Colombian chocolate in your home to prepare your favourite drinks and pastry recipes?  We have launched our new hot chocolate subscriptions! You can receive weekly, monthly or fortnightly deliveries, and even purchase 3,6, and 12-month prepaid subscriptions.