10 Celebrity Chef Tips For The Best Hot Chocolate

There's nothing quite like a steaming mug of hot chocolate on a chilly evening. This much-loved treat is always sure to bring comfort, with its sweet, indulgent taste and velvety texture. If your go-to hot chocolate method is simply stirring store-bought powder with boiling water, there's nothing wrong with that. But there are also plenty of ways to give this warming drink an upgrade. Whether you like yours piled with whipped cream and marshmallows, ultra-rich, or infused with bold flavors, it's easy to switch up your approach to craft the perfect mugful. And, what better way to level up your hot chocolate-making skills than grabbing tips from some of the world's favorite celebrity chefs?

We've done some digging and got our hands on 10 game-changing hot chocolate recipes, brought to us by 10 well-known chefs who've mastered the art of this cozy creation. Some of these methods feature simple tweaks and ingredient swaps, while others flip the standard powdered hot chocolate method on its head. While each approach offers a slightly different taste and texture, they're all guaranteed to yield a top-tier drink. So, let's explore the expert tips that can elevate this comforting classic to a whole new level.

French pastry chef and chocolatier Jacques Torres has earned quite the reputation as a hot chocolate connoisseur, and he offers a wealth of knowledge on how to create a next-level mugful. But, perhaps his most crucial tip of all is ensuring that the drink features real dark chocolate, rather than cocoa or a pre-mixed hot chocolate powder. In his recipe, Torres reaches for dark chocolate with a 60% cocoa content. This is seemingly the sweet spot for ensuring a wonderfully rich, bold flavor. A lower cocoa content might yield a hot chocolate that lacks depth, while a higher percentage could leave a bitter taste.

To further enhance his chocolatey creation, Torres also includes cornstarch, which acts as a thickening agent and creates a super silky consistency. There's also milk powder, which brings that all-important creaminess and makes the hot chocolate feel richer still. It's a simple case of bringing milk to a boil in a saucepan, whisking in the chopped chocolate, and letting it melt before stirring in the remaining ingredients. The resulting mixture should be smooth, velvety, and packed with chocolatey flavor. You can absolutely garnish the drink with some extras, too, such as a classic swirl of whipped cream or a scattering of marshmallows. Or, you could even mix in a drop of orange or peppermint extract for a festive twist.

You might've reached for espresso powder in your cooking or when whipping up a chocolatey dessert, but this simple add-in can also serve as a powerful flavor-booster in hot chocolate. Coffee is known for its ability to enhance chocolate's depth of flavor, so pairing the two together is really a no-brainer. And that's exactly what Ina Garten does in her signature hot chocolate recipe. By adding a dash of espresso powder to her decadent base of half-and-half, whole milk, sugar, dark and milk chocolate, and vanilla extract, she amplifies the chocolate's natural richness without introducing a noticeable coffee flavor.

Garten adds about 1 teaspoon of espresso powder per four servings of hot chocolate, whisking it right at the end, after the chocolate has melted. The powder is finely ground, so it'll dissolve readily into the milky base and instantly get to work intensifying those cocoa notes. Using espresso powder rather than standard instant coffee is recommended here, since the former boasts a more concentrated, well-rounded flavor. However, if you do only have instant coffee on hand, just increase the amount by 50%. Once poured into mugs and garnished with a vanilla bean or stick of cinnamon, this luscious treat will be oozing with elegance.

Give your hot chocolate a dose of comforting nostalgia with the addition of malted milk powder. According to British TV chef Jamie Oliver, this is the key to making an off-the-scale drink that'll taste infinitely better than one made with a shop-bought cocoa mix. Malted milk powder is a blend of malt powder (typically made with sprouted barley) and milk solids. It boasts a sweet, slightly nutty taste which complements chocolate brilliantly, while making the drink creamier too. Popular brands include Horlicks and Ovaltine, which dissolve readily in hot liquid and make the perfect hot chocolate add-in.

Oliver's recipe starts with a carefully crafted homemade hot chocolate mix that includes finely grated dark chocolate, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and cornstarch. The chef also adds a pinch of cinnamon for a hint of spicy warmth, then adds a generous scoop of malted milk powder. With the dry ingredients well combined, the mixture is ready for whisking into a pan of hot milk until thick and smooth, and then serving with your favorite toppings.

A simple splash of booze can transform hot chocolate into something altogether more sophisticated, and when Nigella Lawson mixes up a chocolatey sip, rum is her go-to. With its deep, spicy flavor notes, dark rum in particular is a fantastic match for chocolate, and it's an amazing tool for giving the drink a more warming, grown-up feel.

To build on the rich flavor that the rum offers, Lawson also infuses her hot chocolate with a whole cinnamon stick. This gets added to the pan of milk along with the chopped dark chocolate, plus some honey and brown sugar, which brings a more complex, caramel-like sweetness than the usual white sugar. With the ingredients melted and combined, the rum is added at the end with a drop of vanilla extract. Lawson adds a tablespoon of booze per serving, but feel free to adjust this to your taste.

If your drinks cabinet isn't stocked with dark rum, there are other options to consider here. Baileys Irish Cream is another exceptional add-in, with its sweet vanilla and chocolate notes tying in perfectly. Or, try adding a splash of a nutty liqueur, such as almond-flavored amaretto, or hazelnut-based Frangelico. Other warming liquors like brandy, whiskey, and bourbon are also ideal.

For many, a hot chocolate simply isn't complete without whipped cream and marshmallows, but there's another, equally delicious way to bring creaminess and indulgence to your drink. This next tip comes from Bobby Flay, who's famous for his red velvet hot chocolate. And, when it comes to the topping, he makes use of a much-loved sweet spread. Marshmallow creme has a gloriously fluffy texture, much like whipped cream. However, the marshmallow creme is the more structurally sound option of the two, and won't melt down into your drink in a matter of minutes. It also adds more sweetness to your mugful, essentially bringing all the goodness of the cream and marshmallow combo in one.

While you can absolutely dollop marshmallow fluff onto your hot chocolate straight from the jar, Bobby Flay takes this trusty ingredient a step further by mixing it with a few extras. First, he whips heavy cream with cream cheese, then folds in the marshmallow creme with a little vanilla extract. The cream helps to lighten the consistency of the topping, with the marshmallow creme bringing its stabilizing qualities, and cream cheese adding a hint of tangy flavor. You could even experiment with flavored marshmallow cremes here, such as strawberry, raspberry, or caramel. As for the hot chocolate base, Flay uses a mixture of cocoa powder and semisweet chocolate, and adds a few drops of red food coloring for that striking red velvet-inspired look.

Cardamom is loved for its warm, fragrant flavor, being a go-to for spicing up pastries and cakes, and incorporating into Indian-inspired curries. It's something that British TV chef Nadiya Hussain frequently uses in her cooking and baking, but one of her favorite applications for this spice is stirring it into hot chocolate, where its floral notes bring an incredible aromatic depth.

Hussain's version blends cocoa powder with malt powder, creating a rich, nutty base. These ingredients are added to a saucepan with the ground cardamom (½ teaspoon per serving) and sweetened with a drizzle of honey. Combined with a little water, everything is stirred and heated to create a paste. The pan is then topped up with whole milk and cream for a satisfying, silky finish. The chef opts for a classic mini marshmallow topping, but also amps up the indulgence with a final drizzle of melted white chocolate on top of each mug.

This is an amazing way to give your usual hot chocolate a sophisticated edge, and this spice adds just enough intrigue to make the drink feel special, without overpowering its comforting sweetness. If you're after an even spicier profile, try combining the ground cardamom with other spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or chili powder.

Alton Brown is best known for his scientific approach to cooking, and this doesn't end with his food-based creations. Brown also has a nifty trick up his sleeve for upgrading hot chocolate, and it involves a chemical process called the Maillard reaction. Milk powder is a common component of pre-mixed hot chocolate, but in his unique recipe, Brown incorporates a simple yet transformative step that takes this creamy add-in to the next level.

The milk powder is first sprinkled onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Then, it's popped into the oven to bake for around 20 minutes, and this is when the Maillard reaction takes place. As the milk powder is heated, the sugars and proteins it contains react, giving the powder a golden brown hue and a deliciously toasty, caramelized flavor. And, this elevated powder tastes incredible as part of a chocolatey drink.

If the powder appears a little clumpy after baking, Brown recommends giving it a quick blitz in a food processor before combining it with the other dry ingredients — that's sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt. There's also the option to throw in a dash of cayenne pepper if you like your hot chocolate with a little spice. Once whisked into hot water, this deeply flavorful mix yields something far more layered and complex than your average mug of cocoa.

Adding a sprinkling of spice is an easy way to make your hot chocolate even cozier, and Carla Hall is an advocate for this aromatic approach. In her aptly named "snow day cocoa" recipe, she incorporates both ground ginger and cinnamon to give the drink a hint of heat. The zingy warmth of ginger does an excellent job of balancing the chocolate's depth, while the cinnamon boasts an earthy sweetness that brings all of the comforting vibes.

Hall also recommends toasting the cinnamon in a pan before adding the other ingredients, which helps the spice to release its natural oils, thus deepening its flavor. Milk, dark chocolate, and sugar are then whisked with the toasted cinnamon on the stovetop until everything is smooth and creamy. The ginger forms part of the garnish, which begins with a dollop of freshly whipped cream. Hall then stirs the ground ginger together with some sugar and sprinkles the mixture on top. The final touch is a strip of orange peel, which adds zesty aroma to every sip, perfectly complementing the hot chocolate's spicy profile.

There's always room for experimenting with other spices here, too. Feel free to stir in some nutmeg, cloves, or infuse your mixture with star anise for a licorice-like flavor boost. Fierier additions like cayenne pepper and chili powder can also help you transform your drink into a Mexican-inspired treat.

Giada de Laurentiis' idea of a perfect hot chocolate is one that hits the chocolatey flavor notes from multiple angles. Her recipe not only includes 60% cacao chocolate chips, but also benefits from the dark, toasty notes of cacao nibs, and the nutty sweetness of chocolate hazelnut spread. Yes, we're talking Nutella, or any brand that takes your fancy. Melting down with ease, the spread provides a rich and moreish texture, eliminating the need for additional sweeteners and creating a drink that feels ultra luxurious.

For a perfectly smooth finish, Laurentiis recommends using a blender to craft your mugful. The chocolate, nibs, and spread are blended together first, along with a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness. Next, you'll pour over some hot milk (or a plant-based alternative), and blitz everything again until creamy. 

While this hazelnut-spiked hot chocolate tastes amazing as is, it also makes a versatile base for enhancing with other add-ins. Its nutty flavor pairs beautifully with everything from classics like vanilla extract and warming spices to boozy add-ins such as rum or hazelnut liqueur. A generous swirl of whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce would make a fitting garnish, too.

The perfect hot chocolate shouldn't just taste spectacular; it should deliver on texture, too. Let's face it, a watery hot chocolate isn't particularly inspiring, and a thicker, creamier texture is generally the goal. This mouth-watering consistency was something the late Anne Burrell had perfected, and she employed two trusty ingredients to create that irresistible finish.

Rather than using milk alone, Burrell's hot chocolate also incorporates evaporated milk. This convenient canned pantry staple is essentially a concentrated version of standard cow's milk, that's had around 60% of its water content removed. This means it has a richer, creamier texture that lends itself especially well to hot chocolate. Burrell's recipe sees the milk and evaporated milk warmed in a pan with some vanilla extract, then the dry ingredients are whisked in. There's the usual cocoa powder and sugar, plus a dash of cinnamon, but the other add-in that's crucial to achieving a super-thick consistency is cornstarch. This has powerful thickening properties, and along with the evaporated milk, truly takes the hot chocolate to the next level of decadence. If desired, you can finish your luscious creation with some extra mix-ins. Burrell was particularly partial to a splash of peppermint schnapps or Kahlúa.