Is there a Difference Between Hot Chocolate and Hot Cocoa?

The major difference is the type of chocolate used.  Hot cocoa is made by mixing cocoa powder, powdered milk, and a sweetener with water or milk.  By contrast, hot chocolate is made by mixing actual chocolate (grated) with milk.

So, What Other Differences are There?

Because hot cocoa is made with cocoa powder, it doesn’t have any cocoa butter in it, making it low in fat.  Hot chocolate, being made with actual chocolate, does contain cocoa butter.  While this does add fat, it also creates a richer flavor and a smoother and thicker beverage.

Hot cocoa has a more powerful chocolate flavor than hot chocolate because all the cocoa butter is pressed out of the cocoa powder.  Hot chocolate is more mild in chocolatey-ness, but it is more rich.

Here’s a recipe for hot cocoa and one for hot chocolate.  Make up a batch of each and see which one you prefer.

European Hot Chocolate

Ingredients (Serves 4)

Instructions

Add chocolate and about 1 cup of the milk to a medium saucepan.
 
Melt the chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly.
 
Once all the chocolate is melted, whisk in the remaining milk.
 
Continue to whisk over low heat until chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
 
We recommend our Spring Milk chocolate for this recipe.  It’s our customer favorite and is a very smooth and creamy chocolate.  If you prefer a darker chocolate, we recommend our Midnight Delight, which is a delicious semi-sweet chocolate.  However, any chocolate you choose will work.  It’s all a matter of taste preference.
 

Hot Cocoa

Ingredients (Serves 4)
  • 1/4 cup Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 cup Water
  • 4 cups Whole Milk
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
Instructions
 
Mix cocoa, sugar, salt and water in medium pan and bring to boil over medium heat.
 
Boil for 3 minutes.
 
Add milk and continue stirring.
 
Do not let milk boil or the cocoa will scald.
 
Stir until the cocoa just barely comes to a boil.
 
Remove from heat and transfer to cups.
 
We have found that dutch process cocoa powder tastes more chocolatey in hot cocoa that does regular cocoa powder.  However, just as with the hot chocolate, it’s a matter of preference.

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