Baileys French Hot Chocolate
The ultimate festive hot chocolate! Here we’re making a thick, luxurious French style hot chocolate that’s flavoured with Baileys liqueur & topped with whipped cream.
When the weather’s cold, there’s not much better than a cup of hot chocolate! This isn’t your average cup of hot cocoa though. It’s a French style hot chocolate so it’s made with a bar of good quality dark chocolate which makes it incredibly rich, velvety & luxurious. There’s a generous spoonful of softly whipped cream on top as well, which makes this hot drink even more comforting!
To give this French hot chocolate a festive twist, we’re also adding in a good amount of Baileys liqueur just before serving. It’s a grown up hot chocolate that’s perfect for Christmas! Although it’s good for whenever the weather’s cold though…
For more festive recipes, take a look at our ever growing collection of Christmas recipes! There’s lot to choose from here, from Christmas dinner recipes, to starters, desserts & snacks.
What Is French Hot Chocolate?
French hot chocolate (chocolat chaud) is a thick style of hot chocolate that is made with dark chocolate as appose to an American style hot chocolate (or hot cocoa) that’s made with cocoa powder. French hot chocolate is typically served in Parisian cafes & is made by melting good quality dark chocolate in milk then topping with softly whipped cream to serve. It has a richer, more luxurious flavour than other hot chocolates & is typically served in small cups.
What You’ll Need
- Baileys – Baileys is an Irish liqueur made with double cream & Whiskey. This can be bought from most supermarkets & is a popular drink at Christmas. It also works really well in hot chocolate!
- Chocolate – Using a really good quality bar of chocolate makes all the difference when making French hot chocolate. I’d recommend using a dark chocolate with a cocoa content around 72%.
- Milk – Whole milk makes the richest hot chocolate but semi skimmed will work as well.
- Sugar – You’ll only need to add a small amount of sugar to this hot chocolate, as we don’t want to make it too sweet. It’s meant to be rich!
- Salt – Adding a small amount of sea salt enhances the flavour of the chocolate. You’ll only need a pinch.
- Whipped Cream – A spoonful of gently whipped double cream is a classic topping for French hot chocolate, so it’s what we’re going to be topping ours with.
How To Make Baileys French Hot Chocolate
Making a thick, rich French hot chocolate is super easy & only takes around 10 minutes, from start to finish! For a classic serve, top your hot chocolate with some whipped cream. I like to make this whilst the milk is warming up, so that both the whipped cream & hot chocolate are ready at the same time.
- Chop Chocolate
First, we need to roughly chop up a bar of dark chocolate then set to one side. Try to chop the chocolate fairly small so that it melts properly! - Warm Milk
Next, we place milk & a small amount of light brown sugar into a pan then set over a low heat & warm until steaming hot. But not boiling (this is important)! - Add In Chocolate & Cook Until Thick
Once the milk is warm, we add in the chopped dark chocolate then cook, stirring/whisking frequently until the chocolate has melted & the milk is thick. This will take 3-4 minutes of cooking once you’ve added in the chocolate. - Stir In Baileys
Once thick, we’re going to stir a generous amount of Baileys into the hot chocolate then take the pan off the heat. We don’t want to cook off the alcohol! - Serve!
Our Baileys hot chocolate is now ready & should be served straight away! If you like, you can top your hot chocolate with a generous spoonful of softly whipped cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
Leftover French hot chocolate needs to be stored in the fridge in an airtight container & will keep for up to 3 days. To reheat French hot chocolate, heat it up in a pan over a low heat.
Using a good quality bar of dark chocolate makes all the difference when making French hot chocolate! I’d recommend a chocolate that you’d eat on its’ own. I’ve found that using a dark chocolate with a cocoa content around 72% works best for French hot chocolate.
Yes, you can add more Baileys to your hot chocolate if you’d prefer a stronger flavour. I wouldn’t recommend adding in too much extra Baileys though, as this could make your hot chocolate too thin.
French hot chocolate will go grainy & separated if it gets too hot on the stove. To avoid this, don’t let the milk boil & cook the hot chocolate over a low heat.
To make French hot chocolate on an Aga, cook on the simmering plate.
More Christmas Recipes To Try!
- Baileys Gingerbread Loaf Cake
- Christmas Rocky Road
- Deep Fried Mince Pies
- Leftover Christmas Pudding Flapjack
- Baileys Basque Cheesecake
- Baileys Vanilla Panna Cottas
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Baileys French Hot Chocolate
Equipment
- Large Saucepan
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
Baileys Hot Chocolate
- 180 g Dark Chocolate (72% Is Best – See Notes)
- 600 g Whole Milk
- 40 g Light Brown Sugar
- A Pinch Of Sea Salt
- 150 g Baileys
Whipped Cream
- 200 g Double Cream
Instructions
Baileys Hot Chocolate
- Roughly chop up the dark chocolate then set to one side.
- Add the milk & sugar into a saucepan then set over a low heat & warm until steaming hot. But not boiling!
- Next, add in the chopped up chocolate then continue cooking, whisking frequently until the chocolate has melted & the hot chocolate is thick & smooth. This will take 3-4 minutes.
- Once the hot chocolate is thick, whisk in the Baileys then pour into cups & serve straight away. Top each serving with a generous amount of whipped cream!
Whipped Cream
- Make the whipped cream whilst the milk is warming up! To do this, add the cream into a mixing bowl then whisk to very soft peaks. You can do this by hand or with an electric mixer.
- To serve, spoon the whipped cream on top of the hot chocolates.
