This decadent and luxuriously smooth Earl Grey Hot Chocolate is great for enjoying on a chilly day. A combination of Dutch-processed cocoa powder and Valrhona feves creates an ultra rich and chocolatey drink that’s insanely addicting!
With an entire pantry shelf dedicated to tea, it’s safe to say we’re pretty serious tea drinkers. Especially when it comes to rich black teas and blends like Earl Grey. Those fragrant notes of bergamot really stand out and add a delicate floral taste to whatever you mix it with.
This Earl Grey Hot Chocolate strikes the perfect balance of that floral bergamot flavor and rich chocolatey goodness. It’s also not too sweet which is great if you want to add a generous dollop of whipped cream on top!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Decadent: The combination of whole milk mixed with dark chocolate and cocoa powder creates a rich, velvety smooth hot chocolate.
- Easy to Make: There’s minimal prep time involved and it all comes together in one pot.
- Cozy: Chilly weather calls for something warm and soothing, and this drink definitely satisfies that need. Curl up with a warm blanket and sip away on this delicious hot chocolate!
Ingredient Notes
The full list of ingredients and their quantities is in the recipe card below. Here you’ll find notes on why we chose certain ingredients as well as any substitutions.
- Whole Milk: The best milk to use for a rich, milky hot chocolate.
- Earl Grey Teabags: Bags work best for this recipe since you won’t need to do any unnecessary straining.
- Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder: It has a lot more depth than natural cocoa powder and it enhances the rich chocolatey flavor of the drink.
- Light Brown Sugar: The molasses in brown sugar adds another layer of flavor.
- 70% Dark Chocolate: We highly recommend using Valrhona feves for this Earl Grey hot chocolate. They’re smooth, rich, and melt nicely into the milk. Another good alternative is Guittard.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This section provides a general overview as well as any pictures to guide you through the recipe. The full detailed recipe instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
STEP 1: Steep the tea with the milk. Add the milk and teabags to a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat and let the tea steep for 10 minutes. Remove the teabags, pressing them against the side of the pot to extract all their liquid.
STEP 2: Whisk in the other ingredients. Turn the heat back on to medium-low and whisk in the dark chocolate, cocoa powder, brown sugar, and salt. Whisk constantly until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
STEP 3: Aerate the hot chocolate. Use a handheld milk frother to whisk the milk until bubbly. You can also use the whisk to vigorously mix it back and forth until frothy.
Expert Tips
- Squeeze out the excess liquid from the teabags. Press the teabags against the side of the pot with a spoon before removing them. You want to extract as much flavor from them as you can.
- Don’t forget to froth your hot chocolate. Much like tea and coffee, aerating the hot chocolate can actually enhance its flavor and tone down some of the bitterness. We tried it with our Dark Chocolate Mocha and it made a huge difference in the overall taste.
FAQ
Yes, you can use a barista blend almond or oat milk. These will have the best consistency similar to whole milk.
Yes, any high-quality 70% dark chocolate will work. If it’s in bar form, give it a rough chop or break it up into smaller pieces so it melts better into the milk.
If you tried this recipe, let us know how it turned out for you! Leave a star rating and review below and tag us on Instagram @fancifuleats so we can see your amazing kitchen creations!
📖 Recipe
Earl Grey Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (350 ml) whole milk
- 3 Earl Grey teabags
- 3 oz (85 g) high-quality 70% dark chocolate preferably Valrhona feves
- 1 tsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- ⅛ tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- Add the milk and teabags to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer.
- Once simmering, turn off the heat and let the tea steep for 10 minutes.
- Remove the teabags, pressing them against the side of the pot to extract all the liquid.
- Add the dark chocolate, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt to the milk and turn the heat back on to medium-low. Whisk constantly until melted and smooth.
- Turn off the heat and use a handheld milk frother to froth the hot chocolate.
- Pour into 2 mugs and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings if desired.
Notes
- Whipped Cream: Using an electric hand mixer, whip ¼ cup (60 ml) of heavy cream with ½ tbsp of powdered sugar until soft peaks form.
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