This thick and creamy slow cooker hot chocolate is inspired by Italian hot chocolate, known for its rich chocolate flavour and wonderfully thick, velvety texture. Made in the slow cooker, it is ideal for warming up on chilly days when you fancy something a little more indulgent than an ordinary mug of hot chocolate.

Two cups of hot chocolate with cream on top, with squares of chocolate beside them.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Italian Style Thick Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
Method
Serving
A Warming Winter Treat
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Recipe
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Thick and creamy: Inspired by Italian-style hot chocolate, this is much thicker and richer than a regular hot chocolate.
Rich chocolate flavour: A delicious indulgent drink for anyone who enjoys a proper chocolate hit.
Made in the slow cooker: A convenient way to prepare a batch to share, without standing over the hob.
Perfect for cold days: Ideal for warming up on chilly afternoons or enjoying as an indulgent winter treat.
Lovely for sharing: Serve it when family or friends come over for a cosy get-together.

Italian Style Thick Hot Chocolate

Have you had hot chocolate abroad that is so thick you can nearly stand your spoon up in it?

Italian style hot chocolate, or cioccolata calda, is made with chopped real dark chocolate and thickened with a little cornflour to give a lovely thick glossy drink which is almost like a dessert. It is often served in smaller cups with a spoon. Yum!

I’ve adapted this idea to a slow cooker so that you can make your own thick and creamy hot chocolate at home and serve this rich and indulgent treat whenever you want.

A cup of hot chocolate with cream and chocolate shavings on top.

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you will need (quantities are in the recipe card below):

milk – I use semi-skimmed normally. Full fat or skimmed milk can also be used.
whipped or spray cream – use your favourite kind of cream to top your hot chocolate.
cocoa powder – I use standard cocoa powder for baking.
sugar – caster or granulated sugar can be used, to sweeten.
dark chocolate – dark chocolate brings a deep chocolate flavour. If you like you can use milk chocolate but the flavour won’t be as rich.
cornflour (corn starch) – to thicken.

Method

Here is the method to make this thick and creamy slow cooker hot chocolate. Find the quantities in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Milk and cocoa powder in slow cooker pot.

Step 1. Pour the milk into your slow cooker pot and add the cocoa powder and sugar.

Whisked milk and cocoa powder in slow cooker pot.

Step 2. Whisk it well so it is all combined. Heat on high for 2 hours.

Squares of chocolate on a wooden board, about to be added to slow cooker pot with hot chocolate in it.

Step 3. Add the chopped dark chocolate to the pot and stir with a wooden spoon until it has melted.

Step 4. Make a smooth paste in a small bowl or mug using 8 teaspoons of milk and 4 teaspoons of cornflour, mixed well.

Cornflour paste being poured into slow cooker containing hot chocolate.

Step 5. Pour the cornflour mixture into the hot chocolate, then whisk well.

Thickened hot chocolate in slow cooker pot, coating a wooden spoon held above it.

Step 6. Heat on high for 1 hour until thickened. Whisk it occasionally to prevent lumps. Once ready, transfer the hot chocolate to a jug and serve. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Two clear glass mugs of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings, with squares of chocolate and zester behind.

Serving

If you like, add marshmallows, use flavoured chocolate such as chocolate orange, add a dash of your favourite liqueur – Baileys would be delicious, to make this slow cooker hot chocolate your own.

Why not try white hot chocolate – use squares of white chocolate as the base instead of cocoa powder, and flavour it with vanilla extract.

A Warming Winter Treat

It is definitely the weather now for a warming mug of hot chocolate to take the chill off. What better than to make a big batch of it in your slow cooker so you can ladle it out at your winter parties.

Now, I’ve made slow cooker hot chocolate before (see my boozy salted caramel version here) but this is an extra thick and creamy version for pure indulgence!

Curling up on the sofa with a mug of this is my idea of heaven. Lashings of whipped cream and chocolate shavings take this from an everyday hot chocolate to something else completely.

Extra thick and creamy slow cooker hot chocolate

Watch my video within this post to see how easy it is to make this recipe.

For loads more slow cooker recipes including many indulgent slow cooker cakes and desserts, make sure you check out my Recipe Index!

Make sure you check out my Christmas slow cooker post full of edible gifts, sweet treats, Christmas dinner recipes and more, all made in your slow cooker.

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