Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
Whether you’re a die-hard fan of the Olympics or just skim the highlights, when the games roll around, there’s one thing you won’t be able to escape—the viral foods that emerge from Olympic Village to sweep the globe.
In 2024, it was the jumbo chocolate muffin with a fudgy filling. They first became an obsession of the self-proclaimed “Muffin Man,” Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen, then led to a slew of recreation recipes popping up all over the internet and social media so everyone could have a taste of the medal-worthy icon.
In 2026, the chocolate theme is alive and well, this time with a retro lava cake and a seasonally appropriate cioccolata calda, AKA Italian hot chocolate.
Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
What Is Cioccolata Calda—and What Makes It So Special?
Cioccolata calda is nothing like the hot chocolate we know and love here in the States; it’s thick, rich, and almost pudding-like, landing it squarely in luxurious dessert territory. The best part, in my opinion, is that it’s no more difficult to make than the typical homemade American hot chocolate.
Recipe developer Georgia Freedman says cioccolata calda is as much about the texture as it is about the flavor. To get its thick, velvety texture, many recipes use cornstarch to set the chocolate, but there are plenty of other recipes that skip the starch and load the pot with even more chocolate, which thickens as it cools and offers a richer flavor.
In Freedman’s recipe, she combines these two techniques, ensuring a deep chocolate flavor and pudding adjacent, spoonable finish. All you need for this decadent dish is unsweetened cocoa powder, cornstarch, whole milk, granulated sugar, and 70% dark chocolate. In about 15 minutes, you’ll have an enviable cup of cioccolata calda to accompany you on the couch as you watch some of the world’s finest athletes compete.
How To Serve This Hot Chocolate
Before you take a sip of this Italian-style beverage, it’s important to know how it’s typically served. Since it’s so rich and thick—often enough to hold a spoon upright—it’s generally intended to be eaten with said spoon and is served in a relatively small vessel, like an espresso cup. (When Freedman had her first cup, her mom thinned it out with hot milk. While this isn’t traditional, it’s the ideal compromise if you’re looking for something more sippable.)
Cioccolata calda is sometimes topped with whipped cream and served with sweet biscuits—including biscotti, amaretti, buttery shortbread, or delicate savoirdi (ladyfingers)—for dipping.
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