Boozy Red Wine Hot Cocoa Recipe
Red wine hot chocolate tastes like a wine and chocolate pairing poured into one warm mug. The wine comes through as dark berry while the chocolate stays deep and rich. I make it after dinner when everyone is still around the table and nobody wants a plated dessert. Wine and milk can separate on you though, so I built this recipe in mind with right fat ratio and the temperature cues.
Servings: 2
Calories: 389kcal
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate bar
- 3/4 cup fruity and sweet red wine Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, or Merlot
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2-3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- pinch salt OPTIONAL for flavor balance
- whipped cream for topping
Instructions
- Chop the chocolate bar into small pieces.
- Heat the milk in a sauce pot over medium to medium-low heat until hot but not simmering.
- Add the chopped chocolate and sugar. Whisk slowly and continue whisking until the chocolate melts completely and the mixture is smooth.
- Use a fine strainer to sift in cocoa powder into the pot with milk to ensure that there are no clumps. Whisk until incorporated.
- Lower the heat to low. Pour the red wine in slowly while whisking constantly.
- Stir in the vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt if using. Warm through for 1 to 2 minutes without letting it simmer.
- Divide hot chocolate among 2 mugs and serve it with some whipped cream on top.
Notes
- Feel free to double the recipe for more people!
- Do not boil the milk at any point. Wine brings both acid and alcohol, and each one destabilizes milk proteins on its own. Heat makes both worse. Keep the pot at medium-low or lower throughout.
- For extra insurance: stir a splash of heavy cream in with the milk. Whole milk and a chopped baking bar usually carry enough fat on their own, but a dry, high acid wine benefits from the extra cream fat.
- Wine choice: fruity, full bodied reds work best. For a sweeter, dessert-style version, use 1/4 cup port plus 1/2 cup red wine and reduce the sugar.
- Sugar: start with 2 Tbsp and taste at the end. Drier wines need the full 3 Tbsp.
- Storing: store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat slowly over medium-low heat, whisking as it warms.
- For a crowd: multiply as needed and make it in a slow cooker. Build the chocolate base on low, stir the wine in at the end, and hold on warm.
Nutrition
Calories: 389kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 90mg | Potassium: 629mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 296IU | Calcium: 243mg | Iron: 6mg