Name: The Best Hot Chocolate
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 2 cups (480 ml) lactose-free whole milk; 4 ounces (115 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, (very finely chopped)

The Best Hot Chocolate

To make the world’s best hot chocolate you have to start with really high quality chocolate. You would think that wouldn’t need to be said, but there are plenty of cups of hot chocolate out there that are made with sub-par ingredients or – wait for it – are made with cocoa! That, my dear friends, is hot cocoa, and there is nothing wrong with hot cocoa, per se. It’s just not hot chocolate.

You Can Have Chocolate on the Low FODMAP Diet

You might be getting the idea that I am a bit of a hot chocolate snob. I am. I take chocolate itself very seriously. You know how when you first find out you have to go on this diet and one food comes rushing to the front of your mind and you frantically ask your dietitian, “But, can I still have _________?” I know for a lot of people they say wine, or meat or ice cream. For me? Chocolate. Once I knew I didn’t have to give up chocolate on the low FODMAP diet, I knew everything was going to be okay.

Parisian Hot Chocolate a la Café Angelina

There are many styles of hot chocolate and I am fond of the Parisian approach for chocolat chaud, which is to say – rich. Very. Years ago my daughter Ravenna (then 10) and I went to several places in Paris to have hot chocolate just so that we could assess for ourselves which one was “the best”.

This exercise was futile, in the sense that so many had such great qualities going for them, but one that you will see mentioned again and again is the hot chocolate at Café Angelina on the Rue de Rivoli. As you can see in the image the Limoges cup is from Angelina, as we became so enamored of their version that we wanted to recreate the experience at home.

How to Make Low FODMAP Hot Chocolate

Parisian hot chocolate is very thick and it comes as a surprise to many that it is made quite simply with chocolate and milk. No cream necessary, although the texture would lead you to believe this.

Lactose-Free Milk to the Rescue

To keep the FODMAP content down we use lactose-free milk, have lowered the chocolate amount a bit and also suggest a small serving size. Don’t be put off by that, however, because this is so rich you really don’t need more than what I recommend. When I serve this to a bunch of people – I don’t have Angelina cups to go around – I like to use demitasse cups. They are elegant and help control portions!

Choosing The Right Chocolate

I like a chocolate of at least 60% cacao and as high as 80%, for a very bittersweet result. This hot chocolate might very well be too rich and bitter for most kids. It is a very adult hot chocolate – although 10 year old Ravenna loved it. If you want something a little less intense, try our Hot Cocoa.

For another approach, check out our Hot Chocolate Truffle Bombs!

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