My first job after moving to Australia and slowly transitioning out of chef work was at a wholesale bakery and café that I can only describe as the Fawlty Towers of baking. If you’ve never watched the series, it’s well worth it. Controlled chaos would have been an optimistic description. Every morning I walked into chaos, missing orders, incorrect orders, basically nothing gone to plan. They did make great bread and pastries though.
My job was in the office, which mostly involved chasing missing orders and fielding calls from increasingly frustrated chefs wanting to know where their bread had disappeared to. Bread had an uncanny habit of going missing, fingers were pointed in every direction and somehow it all landed back on my desk to sort out. It wasn’t exactly a quiet introduction to Australian working life.
One of my fondest memories from that wonderfully dysfunctional place, though, was the hot chocolate. Proper hot chocolate. Thick, rich, deeply chocolatey and unapologetically indulgent. Most afternoons, after surviving another morning of bakery mayhem, I’d reward myself with a mug before heading home. It made the chaos strangely worthwhile.
This is my version of that hot chocolate, with a toasted hazelnut twist. The hazelnuts can easily be left out if you’re simply after an exceptionally rich homemade hot chocolate, but they add a subtle roasted flavour that elevates the whole experience and is worth the extra time and effort.
It does take a little more effort than opening a packet or pumping hazelnut syrup into a mug, but most of that effort goes into making the chocolate base. Once that’s sitting in the fridge, homemade hot chocolate is never more than a few minutes away whenever the craving strikes.
Serve it in your biggest, most huggable mug and don’t hold back on the finishing touches. I like a fluffy marshmallow, shaved dark chocolate and a scattering of toasted hazelnut crumbs. If I’m really leaning into the indulgence, there’s also a generous dollop of homemade whipped cream and a splash of Frangelico.
If you’re after the kind of drink that warms you from the inside out and reminds you that a little extra effort is sometimes completely worth it, this is the one. Just don’t blame me when the powdered mixes start gathering dust in the pantry.
Worth Making?
- Yes – if you’ve only ever had hazelnut hot chocolate made with syrup. Real toasted hazelnuts give a much deeper, roasted flavour.
- Yes – because the chocolate concentrate can be made ahead, making an indulgent hot chocolate as simple as heating the milk.
- Yes – if you’re looking for a café-style hot chocolate that’s rich enough to feel like dessert.
- Skip it – if you’re after a quick hot chocolate. This one takes a little extra effort, but you’ll taste where those few extra minutes went.
- Skip it – if you don’t have good quality chocolate, its not worth the effort with compound chocolate.
Hazelnut Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
Hot Chocolate Base
- 200 grams dark chocolate (70%), finely chopped
- 60 grams 60g good quality cocoa powder
- 70 grams caster sugar
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 250 ml boiling water
- 150 ml thickened cream
Hazelnut Infused Milk
- 50 grams toasted hazelnuts
- 250 ml full cream milk 250ml makes one serving. Hot chocolate base will make about 8 servings
Instructions
Hot Chocolate Base
- Whisk cocoa, sugars and salt together. Slowly whisk in boiling water until smooth.
- Add both chocolates and stir until melted. Stir through cream and vanilla.
- Cool and refrigerate. It should be thick—almost like a pourable chocolate ganache.
Hazelnut Hot Chocolate
- Toast hazelnuts until fragrant, roughly chop.
- Heat chopped hazelnuts with the milk until just steaming. Cover and infuse for 30-45 minutes.
Make it your own way
- Swap the hazelnut milk for orange-infused milk for a bright citrus twist.
- Add a shot of espresso for a rich mocha version.
- Stir in a splash of Frangelico, dark rum or orange liqueur for an adults-only treat.
- Top with whipped cream, shaved dark chocolate or chopped toasted hazelnuts for extra indulgence.
- Make a double batch of the chocolate concentrate. It keeps well in the fridge for several days and also doubles as the base for an incredibly rich chocolate mousse—which deserves its own recipe and will be making an appearance on Well Salted Kitchen soon.
