How to Make Hot Chocolate With Water Taste Good? 6 Tips
As the weather starts getting colder, the best delicious beverage that you will find suitable for the season is probably hot chocolate. There are different mixtures of hot chocolate to which you just have to add water, and they will be ready for you in no time. However, can you make hot chocolate with water taste better, and how can you achieve that?
To improve the taste of hot chocolate with water, add less water or just add two packets of hot chocolate mixture. Also, you can add a pinch of salt to balance the flavors. Adding water to hot chocolate is the easiest way to make this beverage, although the taste might not be what you expect.
When your only liquid for hot chocolate is water, you have to find ways to improve the taste and the flavors, so you can drink a delicious warm beverage. You might think that this is impossible without the milk included, but you will see the exact opposite in this article. Namely, in this article, I have explained how you can make hot chocolate with water, and obtain some tasty flavors after all.
How to Make Hot Chocolate With Water Taste Better?
Usually, the easiest and quickest way to make hot chocolate is with water. Most times, the recipes included along with the packets of hot chocolate call for water rather than milk. This is because water is the cheapest, i.e. the free ingredient.
However, your hot chocolate can taste delicious even if it’s made only with water. As long as you know the right methods, there is no reason why you should not enjoy a tasty cup of hot chocolate. So, several ways and tricks will help you improve the taste of your hot chocolate.
Below, I have included the methods along with explanations, so you will be prepared to follow these tips with ease.
Add Less Water
If you want your hot chocolate to have a thicker texture, i.e. to not be so watery, then the easiest way is to decrease the amount of water you will add to it. You do not always need a full big cup of hot chocolate.
Therefore, you do not have to follow the recipe that might be included on the package when it comes to water. However, if you opt for this method, you should know that you may end up with hot chocolate that is suitable for eating, not actually for drinking because of its thickness.
Some people prefer their hot chocolate this way, so they do not actually mind that their hot chocolate is not exactly a beverage. On the other hand, some people do not like the thickness of hot chocolate. The hot chocolate reminds them of pudding rather than a warm drink.
Therefore, bear in mind that if you add less water to the mixture, you will end up with thick hot chocolate, and if you do not prefer it this way, it would be just a waste of ingredients.
Add More Mixture
This method is the reversed way from the one that I explained above. If you do not want your hot chocolate to be watery, you can add more mixture of hot chocolate. This way, you will retain the liquid-like texture, but your beverage will not be watery and bland. You can do this by using two packets of the mixture instead of one. However, you do not have to use the whole second packet.
For instance, you can use one whole packet and half of the other, which will be enough to obtain the perfect structure of hot chocolate. You can save the other half of the packet for some other occasion, or you can share it with someone else who wants some extra mixture. Either way, you will not waste your ingredients, but you will still have an excellent hot beverage.
Add a Pinch of Salt
Even though adding salt to a sweet drink might seem strange, a pinch of it can really help balance the texture of hot chocolate and make it less watery.
Salt helps balance the flavors and absorbs a little bit of the water. So, you will end up with the perfect texture of hot chocolate, the one you actually desire.
Some people worry that salt might affect the sweetness of the beverage. However, a pinch of salt is not enough to mess with it. Therefore, you can freely try this trick, and enjoy your hot chocolate without going through the additional trouble of adding more ingredients to it.
Add More Stuff
You should always remember that sweet add-ins, such as marshmallows, whipped cream, chocolate chips, or creamer powder, can always be helpful in these kinds of situations.
These add-ins are primarily good because they will add different flavors to your hot chocolate, and what is more, they will make the texture of your drink thicker. You will have both lightness and creaminess, meaning you will obtain the perfect taste for your hot chocolate.
On top of everything, this way, you will achieve the traditional hot chocolate beverage everyone craves. There is nothing better than enjoying a real cup of hot chocolate, especially during the really cold and chilly days.
How to Make Hot Chocolate Without Milk?
If you are looking for a non-dairy hot chocolate recipe, then replacing milk with water is the easiest and the most convenient option. But, not everyone can satisfy their sweet tooth with hot chocolate made with water.
So, there are some methods and recipes that can help you obtain the perfect cup of hot chocolate.
Add Non-Dairy Milk Along With Vanilla Extract
If you want to make a non-dairy hot chocolate, you have several options, including milk without lactose.
Therefore, almond and oat milk are great choices to avoid lactose inside your drink. There are sweetened almond and oat milk options, so your hot chocolate will still be sweet enough, and your drink will be really tasty.
If you want to make sure that your hot chocolate will not end up watery, you may opt for vanilla extract. The combination of non-dairy milk and vanilla extract will give you the perfect texture, and you will not need to worry about ruining the flavors since vanilla plays a great role in balancing the taste of hot chocolate.
Add Coffee
Can you think of a better combination than hot chocolate and coffee? If you want to obtain hot chocolate with energizing features, adding coffee might be a great option. You can opt for regular coffee or a shot of espresso, and you will surely be satisfied with the result.
As you can see, the taste of hot chocolate can always be improved with some basic ingredients. In other words, you do not have to use milk to have a delicious cup of hot chocolate.
How to Make Hot Chocolate With Water Taste Good?
Ingredients
- 3 cups water
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ⅓ tsp salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Place water, cocoa powder, salt and sugar in a small saucepan.
- Heat over medium/medium-low heat, whisking frequently, until warm.
- Add chocolate chips and whisk constantly until the chocolate chips melt and distribute evenly into the milk.
- Serve immediately.
