Brazilian Hot Cocoa is thick, silky and unbelievably creamy! A decadent treat to warm you up and sooth your soul. You’ll want to sip this all winter long! 

Love cozy drinks? We also have Mexican Hot Chocolate, Low Carb Hot Chocolate, Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate, Frozen Hot Chocolate and Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix.

The creamiest hot cocoa!

If you haven’t cozied up with a mug of hot cocoa on a cold day, you are not living your best life! And, for me, nothing beats the richness of our Brazilian version.

What makes it Brazilian, you might be asking yourself. I’ll give you one shot!

If you’re familiar with Brazilian cuisine, I bet you got it right. Sweetened condensed milk, of course. Our favorite ingredient for all things sweet!

The condensed milk brings this hot cocoa to a whole new level. Thick, velvety, sweet and oh so luscious! 

If you’re a fan of drinking chocolate, you’ll want to give our Chocolate Quente a try. It’s especially delicious by the fire, after a day out in the snow.

What’s the difference between hot cocoa and hot chocolate?

Both terms are often used interchangeably, so you might think they are the same thing.

And while they’re both delicious, there is a main difference.

Hot cocoa is made with cocoa powder and hot chocolate is made with melted hot chocolate. That sometimes means that hot cocoa is lighter in body than hot chocolate, but not in this case!

Brazilian Chocolate Quente is made with cocoa powder but is rich and thick like hot chocolate.

Chocolate Quente Ingredients

The basic ingredients to make this hot cocoa recipe are:

• Whole Milk
• Sweet Condensed Milk
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• Cornstarch

I also like to add a pinch of cinnamon (or a cinnamon stick) and a splash of vanilla extract. And if I’m feeling naughty, a little dose of bourbon or cachaça!

How to make Brazilian Hot Cocoa recipe

Making this recipe is easy and straight-forward. The only important thing to remember is that you must whisk the cornstarch in the milk before you bring your pot to the stove, or it might clump up.

This recipe is also easily halved or doubled, and very customizable!

Recommended tools: Saucepan, whisk and mugs.

Here’s how I make Chocolate Quente:

1. Combine all the ingredients: Add milk and cornstarch to a saucepan, and whisk until the cornstarch has dissolved. Then, add the sweet condensed milk and cocoa powder, and whisk until combined. The cocoa powder won’t quite blend in, but that’s okay! It will dissolve later.
2. Cook until thick: Add the sweet condensed milk and bring the pan to the stove, over medium heat. Cook – stirring every now and then – until hot but not boiling. Add vanilla extract, if using, and serve!
   
   If the drink is too thick, you can add more milk to thin it out.

How long will hot cocoa last in the fridge?

This drink will last in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.

It will get quite thick, almost like pudding or mousse, so when ready to reheat, you should bring it back to the stove and reheat on medium-low heat, adding some more milk as needed!

Serving suggestions

You have your hot cocoa, now what?

Well, you could just… drink it! But why not spice things up a bit?

Here are a few ideas:

• Whipped cream – a must in my house!
• A splash of booze – for grown-ups only, obviously.
• A sprinkle of cinnamon
• Chocolate shavings
• Toasted coconut
• Marshmallows – regular, mini or those big fun ones that are everywhere during the Christmas season.
• Crushed peppermint sticks 
• Candy cane
• Caramel or hot fudge sauce.

And as I said earlier, you can customize the recipe by adding fun ingredients, like vanilla extract, chili powder, coconut extract, nutmeg and even coffee!

More Brazilian treats:

• Brigadeiros
• Paçoca (Peanut Candy)
• Queijadinha (Coconut Tarts)
• Pão de Mel (Honey Cakes)