Description
Rich and creamy Strawberry Hot Chocolate brings Italian dessert inspiration to winter’s warmest comfort drink. Homemade strawberry syrup and melted chocolate create a luxurious beverage you’ll savor with pure delight.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups strawberries (fresh or frozen)
- 2 cups milk (dairy or non-dairy like almond or oat milk)
- ½ cup white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate
- 2 tbsps granulated sugar (or more, to taste)
- ½ cup heavy cream (optional, for extra creaminess)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Whipped cream (for garnish)
- Fresh strawberry slices (for garnish)
- White chocolate shavings (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preparation: Pulverize ripe strawberries with granulated sugar in a high-powered blender until achieving a silky, smooth puree, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve to extract pure liquid while removing seeds.
- Base Creation: Gently warm milk and cream in a sturdy saucepan over medium heat, maintaining a consistent temperature and introducing white chocolate pieces while whisking continuously to ensure seamless integration.
- Flavor Fusion: Incorporate the strained strawberry puree into the chocolate-infused liquid, stirring methodically to create a blush-colored beverage with balanced fruity and creamy characteristics.
- Aromatic Enhancement: Add a splash of vanilla extract, allowing the aromatic essence to meld harmoniously with existing flavors without disrupting the delicate temperature.
- Temperature Management: Carefully monitor the liquid, preventing aggressive boiling to preserve the drink’s silky texture and nuanced flavor profile.
- Presentation: Elegantly ladle the hot chocolate into serving mugs, transforming each portion into a visual masterpiece by garnishing with billowy whipped cream, fresh strawberry slices, or delicate white chocolate shavings.
Notes
- Select Ripe Strawberries: Choose bright red, fragrant strawberries at peak ripeness to maximize natural sweetness and vibrant flavor in your hot chocolate.
- Strain Thoroughly: Use a fine-mesh sieve and gentle pressing technique to remove seeds while extracting maximum strawberry essence without compromising smoothness.
- Control Heat Carefully: Maintain medium-low temperature when warming milk and chocolate to prevent scorching, ensuring a silky, consistent texture throughout preparation.
- Customize Creatively: Experiment with alternative chocolate types like dark or milk chocolate, or substitute dairy milk with almond, oat, or coconut milk for dietary variations and unique flavor profiles.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Drinks, Desserts
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg