Masala Chai Hot Chocolate
This recipe is a hybrid of two of my all-time favorite hot drinks. The combination feels so luxurious and cozy and it is the perfect “not too sweet” treat.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I can get into Swiss Miss from time to time (mostly for the nostalgia), but when I think about hot chocolate what I want is more like the European kind that’s super velvety and thick and basically like drinking a chocolate bar.
To achieve this, we want to use a good quality chocolate bar—chocolate chips contain stabilizers that help them keep that chip shape, so you’ll end up with some chocolate granules instead of a smooth mixture. I like to use a combination of dark chocolate, at least 55% cocoa, and white chocolate. I feel like I get the best balance of bitter, rich, and creamy. Be sure to chop the bars into ¼- ½” chunks/shards. A mix of fine dust and small chucks will melt beautifully.
So, full disclosure, I am not the masala chai authority, and this recipe is meant to be quick, so we’re not making our own spice blend here. To simplify things, I like to use a high quality loose tea blend or a really bold tea bag (Twining’s Ultra Bold is my go to). Masala chai literally means “spiced tea” so spice blends can vary across brands but typically spices used will include cardamom, cinnamon, clove, ginger, and black pepper.
The combination of the rich chocolate and warming spices complement each other in a way that makes each sip feel like a hug from the inside out. The addition of the white chocolate gives it an extra touch of sweetness and creaminess—it even adds a bit of a marshmallow-y quality to it...but you’ll probably still want to add marshmallows on top for good measure.
Masala Chai Hot Chocolate
Active time: 10-15min
Total time: 15min
Yield: 1-2 servings
1 cup water
3 tbsp loose masala chai (or 3-4 spiced tea bags)
1 cup milk (I used almond)
½ cup chopped dark chocolate
¼ cup chopped white chocolate
¼ cup mini marshmallows/marshmallow fluff/whipped cream (optional)
To a saucepan, add water and tea, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to medium/low and simmer for 2-3 min.
If you use tea bags, prepare the tea following the directions on the package (generally: boil the water separately and allow the bags to steep for 3-5min). Boiling tea bags for too long can burn the leaves and give it a bitter aftertaste.
After the mixture has simmered, add your milk of choice and allow to simmer for another 2-3 min.
Strain the mixture to remove the tea leaves and return it to the saucepan over medium heat. Add in both of your chopped chocolates and stir gently with a whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and the milk had thickened slightly, 3-5 min.
Serve with whipped cream or toasted marshmallows for maximum coziness.
