Description
A rich, indulgent hot chocolate made with cocoa powder, semi-sweet chocolate, caramel sauce, and a pinch of sea salt, topped with whipped cream. It’s quick, easy to make, and tastes like a high-end café drink.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3–4 tablespoons caramel sauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- A pinch of sea salt
- Whipped cream, for topping
- Flaky sea salt, for garnish
Instructions
- Pour the whole milk into a small saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Warm until steaming with small bubbles around the edges, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming (3-4 minutes). Do not boil.
- Whisk in the cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Whisk vigorously until the cocoa is dissolved and the chocolate is melted, creating a glossy, smooth mixture (2 minutes).
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the caramel sauce and vanilla extract. Whisk until fully combined and the color is uniform (1 minute).
- Pour the hot chocolate into a mug. Drizzle with additional caramel sauce and top with a generous dollop of whipped cream.
- Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt. Enjoy immediately while hot.
Notes
Do not boil the milk as it can scald and create a skin. Always remove from heat before adding caramel to prevent separation. For best results, use flaky sea salt for garnish. The drink is best enjoyed fresh and does not reheat well due to texture changes.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Beverages
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mug
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 35
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 14
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 45
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 8
Keywords: salted caramel hot chocolate, easy hot chocolate recipe, winter drinks, cozy beverages, 10 minute recipes, dessert drinks