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Rich, decadent, and easy-to-make Black Forest hot chocolate marries the flavor of deep chocolate with fruity cherries. It makes 2 servings and whips up in just 10 minutes, so it’s the perfect cozy indulgence for Valentine’s Day or anytime!
I’ve been in the mood for a beautiful slice of Black Forest cake for a while now.
If you aren’t familiar with Black Forest cake, it’s a completely gorgeous over-the-top confection. It has layers of chocolate sponge cake sandwiched with whipped cream and cherry filling. The top is adorned with more cream, cherries, and chocolate shavings. It’s a decadent, delicious work of art. As you can imagine, this cake is quite an undertaking to make. And as you might have guessed, it’s quite a calorie-fest too! (Side Note: If you’re also a fan of Black Forest desserts, check out Black Forest brownies…swoon.)
So instead, for now, I made Black Forest hot chocolate to satisfy my craving. Of course it doesn’t have quite the same wow factor as a massive cake. But then again, it only takes 10 minutes to whip up, and it features all the same flavors.
This delicious beverage is warming, rich and chocolatey, and creamy with a beautifully balanced flavor profile. Cherry adds a touch of sweet/tart fruity flavor that really makes this hot chocolate stand out as something special.
If you’ve never made it before, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to make hot chocolate from scratch! It’s so better than a powdered mix. And it’s absolutely perfect for cozying up with on a chilly day.
What Makes This Recipe a Winner
- Rich and creamy. Here we use whole milk for a creamy texture, and if you want to make it even more rich and creamy, swap out half of the whole milk for half and half.
- The perfect blend of cocoa powder and dark chocolate. Cocoa powder adds depth and complexity, and enhances the flavor of good-quality dark chocolate.
- Chocolate + cherry is a delicious pairing. The fruity sweet/tart flavor of cherry marries perfectly with chocolate.
- Quick and easy to make. Say goodbye to powdered hot cocoa mix! It’s quick and easy to make from scratch, and so much more delicious.
Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
Black Forest Hot Chocolate Ingredients
- Whole milk – I like to use whole milk here for the rich flavor and creamy texture it gives. And if you want it even more decadent, you can replace up to half of the whole milk with half and half, or simply add a splash of cream! However, you aren’t limited to using whole milk here; feel free to use any kind of milk or plant-based milk product.
- Sugar – You can use regular granulated white sugar or your favorite granulated keto sweetener.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – Instead of only using melted chocolate, I like to add cocoa powder to my hot chocolate. It lends intensely deep chocolate notes, and its bitterness helps create a balanced flavor profile.
- Amarena cherry juice – The syrupy juice from the jar of cherries.
- Vanilla extract – For depth of flavor and complexity.
- Salt – Salt is a natural flavor enhancer that pulls out the flavors of everything else. It makes chocolate taste even deeper!
- Dark chocolate – I like to use around 70 to 75% dark chocolate here for really intense chocolate flavor that’s not too sweet. Feel free to use whatever kind of dark chocolate you like, or swap it out for milk chocolate if you prefer your hot chocolate on the sweeter side.
Toppings
- Heavy whipping cream – Whip the cream to soft peaks and dollop it on top of your hot cocoa for the ultimate decadent topping.
- Amarena cherries
- Dark chocolate curls
How to Make Black Forest Hot Chocolate From Scratch
- Prep. Finely chop the chocolate. (TIP: The finer you chop the chocolate, the easier it will melt.)
- Make the base. Add the milk, sugar, cocoa powder, cherry juice, vanilla, and salt to a small saucepan over medium heat, and whisk to combine.
- Add the chocolate. Once simmering, whisk in the chopped chocolate.
- Simmer. While whisking constantly, bring to a simmer and cook until the chocolate is melted and fully incorporated, and the mixture is slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
Pour into 2 mugs and top each with half of the whipped cream, 1 cherry, and 1 teaspoon chocolate curls. Serve immediately.
Tips For the Best Homemade Cherry Hot Chocolate
- If you can’t find Amarena cherries, there are a couple different substitutes that work well. You can use Luxardo cherries or regular maraschino cherries.
- Don’t skip the salt. The end result won’t be salty, we just need a little bit of salt to balance the sweetness and pull out the other flavors. I like to use sea salt.
- In a pinch you can use whipped cream from a can. But if possible, I recommend taking a couple minutes to whip heavy cream to soft peaks. It’s easy to do, and there’s no comparison in terms of flavor.
Cherry Hot Cocoa Frequently Asked Questions
Black Forest cake was the inspiration for this hot cocoa recipe! Black Forest is a German cake with layers of chocolate sponge cake, whipped cream, cherries, and shaved chocolate for decoration. Here we use the same flavors of chocolate, cherry, and whipped cream in this warming drink. The chocolate curls on top are optional, but make it feel extra special.
Amarena cherries have a sweet/tart intense cherry flavor. Additionally, they are usually smaller with a deep mahogany color.
On the other hand, maraschino cherries are usually dyed bright red and soaked in sugar syrup with a variety of preservatives and additives.
Hot cocoa is usually made from unsweetened cocoa powder, sugar, and milk. Alternatively, hot chocolate is typically made from chocolate melted into milk, cream, or another liquid. As a result, hot cocoa is thinner and less rich than hot chocolate. Sometimes hot chocolate is so rich that it tastes like a chocolate bar in liquid form!
More Delicious Hot Chocolate Recipes to Make
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Black Forest Hot Chocolate Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
Hot Chocolate:
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar or your favorite keto granulated sweetener
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon Amarena cherry juice the syrupy juice from the jar of cherries
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/16 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 1/2 ounces 72% dark chocolate finely chopped (see Notes)
Toppings:
- 4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream whipped to soft peaks
- 2 Amarena cherries
- 2 teaspoons dark chocolate curls
Instructions
- Make the base. Add the milk, sugar, cocoa powder, cherry juice, vanilla, and salt to a small saucepan over medium heat, and whisk to combine.
- Add the chocolate. Once simmering, whisk in the chopped chocolate.
- Simmer. While whisking constantly, bring to a simmer and cook until the chocolate is melted and fully incorporated, and the mixture is slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
- Enjoy. Pour into 2 mugs and top each with half of the whipped cream, 1 cherry, and 1 teaspoon chocolate curls. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Dark Chocolate: I like to use around 70 to 75% dark chocolate here for really intense chocolate flavor that’s not too sweet. Feel free to use whatever kind of dark chocolate you like, or swap it out for milk chocolate if you prefer.
- Amarena Cherries Substitute: If you can’t find Amarena cherries, there are a couple different substitutes that work well. You can use Luxardo cherries or regular maraschino cherries.
- Sea Salt: Don’t skip the salt. The end result won’t be salty, we just need a little bit of salt to balance the sweetness and pull out the other flavors. I like to use sea salt.
- Whipped Cream: In a pinch you can use whipped cream from a can. But if possible, I recommend taking a couple minutes to whip heavy cream to soft peaks. It’s easy to do, and there’s no comparison in terms of flavor.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
Free Bonus
I’m not waiting for cold weather for this! It looks SO yummy!