Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate (Printable version)
Creamy hot chocolate with caramel and sea salt, ready in 15 minutes.
# What you need:
→ Dairy
01 - 2 cups whole milk
02 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
→ Chocolate & Caramel
03 - 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
04 - 1/4 cup caramel sauce, plus extra for drizzling
→ Sweetener & Flavor
05 - 2 tbsp granulated sugar
06 - 1/4 tsp sea salt, plus extra for garnish
07 - 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
→ Toppings
08 - Whipped cream
09 - Additional caramel sauce
10 - Pinch of flaky sea salt
# How To:
01 - Combine whole milk and heavy cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Warm until steaming but not boiling, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.
02 - Add chocolate chips, caramel sauce, and granulated sugar to the warm milk mixture. Whisk continuously until chocolate and caramel are completely melted and incorporated, creating a smooth, velvety base.
03 - Stir in sea salt and vanilla extract until fully blended. Taste the mixture and adjust sweetness or saltiness to your preference.
04 - Evenly divide the hot chocolate between two pre-warmed mugs, ensuring each serving gets an equal amount of the rich mixture.
05 - Top each mug with a generous dollop of whipped cream. Drizzle with additional caramel sauce and finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt. Serve immediately while hot.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The combination of sweet caramel and just enough sea salt creates that perfect salted caramel flavor that feels surprisingly sophisticated for something so comforting
- It comes together in fifteen minutes flat but tastes like it came from a fancy chocolatier
02 -
- Never walk away from the warming milk, dairy has a frustrating habit of boiling over the second you turn your back
- Room temperature chocolate incorporates more smoothly, but if you are in a rush, just whisk a bit more patiently
03 -
- Making your own caramel sauce is worth it once, but store bought works perfectly fine for weeknight cravings
- The drink continues thickening as it cools, so do not worry if it seems slightly thinner than you expected initially