During the winter months, there are few things more comforting than a warm cup of hot chocolate. It’s delicious, sweet, and creamy, especially if you make it with milk instead of water. Add cozy blankets and holiday movies, and you’ve got yourself the perfect evening.
Thankfully, store-bought hot chocolate mix is easy to find, so you don’t always need to make it from scratch. But how do you know which brand is worth buying? We asked three chefs for tips on spotting high-quality hot chocolate mix, plus the one they reach for most often.
Meet Our Expert
Erin Clarke, chef, creator of Well Plated, and author of Well Plated Every Day: Recipes for Easier, Healthier, More Exciting Daily Meals
What to Look for When Buying Hot Chocolate MixIngredients
According to all three chefs we interviewed, the first thing you should check is the ingredients list. “Real cocoa powder, dark chocolate, or cocoa butter should be near the top [of the list],” says executive chef Lemuel Santos. “If sugar and artificial flavoring lead the list, keep looking,” he says.
Chef Dennis Littley agrees, noting that he looks for cocoa or real chocolate in the ingredients because he wants the chocolate flavor to come through—not just the sweetness.
Alkali Cocoa
If chocolate tastes bitter to you, keep an eye out for mixes made with alkali cocoa (also known as Dutch-processed cocoa). “Cocoa processed with alkali makes a smoother, less bitter cup,” says chef and cookbook author Erin Clarke.
Sugar Content
Also look at the sugar content, the experts say. “Some mixes are so sweet [that] they cover up the cocoa, and I want the chocolate to come through,” Santos says. Likewise, Clarke compares the grams of sugar per serving between brands, then opts for a lower-sugar option. According to Clarke, the latter tastes richer and more “chocolate-y.”
The Best Store-Bought Hot Chocolate Mix
When asked to recommend the best store-bought hot chocolate mix, all three chefs we interviewed called out Ghirardelli.
The most common product mentioned? Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa, which is available at big-box stores like Target and Walmart. “This is my everyday pick. The chocolate and the sweetness stay in balance, and it’s especially good made with warm milk,” says Santos.
Littley also says it delivers a rich, chocolate-forward cup, which is what he looks for in hot chocolate. “Ghirardelli is a great choice when I want a satisfying, easy-to-make hot chocolate,” Littley notes.
Meanwhile, Clarke loves the different hot cocoa flavors that Ghirardelli offers, like peppermint and caramel. She also appreciates that it contains real cocoa and chocolate. What’s more, “when made with milk, it mixes up richer and creamier than other brands. The powder dissolves smoothly, so you aren’t left with unappetizing bits of dry powder floating around,” Clarke says.
How to Use Hot Chocolate Mix at Home
“Hot chocolate mix can do more than make a drink,” Littley points out. Try stirring some into whipped cream, blending it into a milkshake, or sprinkling it over vanilla ice cream, he suggests. “It can also add chocolate flavor to a dessert dip,” says Littley. You could even stir a spoonful into hot coffee for a mocha-inspired cup.
Since hot chocolate mix is already sweetened, be sure to adjust any additional sugar in your recipe, rather than treating it like unsweetened cocoa powder, Littley says.
Read the original article on Real Simple
Dining and Cooking