Luxurious Persian Hot Chocolate Recipe

This Luxurious Persian hot chocolate has quickly become one of my favorite drinks on a chilly day or cold winter evenings! Like the infamous  Parisian hot chocolate( chocolat chaud), which combines brown sugar, dark chocolate, and hot milk; but with a  blend of warm spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and saffron.  This is not a regular hot cup of hot chocolate but a decadent and delicious drink to satisfy a chocolate lover’s chocolate craving!

In Sweden, we love to use a lot of saffron around the holiday season, and it’s that time of year when I start to add saffron to everything: savory and sweet! It makes the best hot chocolate! 

Iran is the world’s leading producer of saffron producing 85 percent of the world’s saffron.

Thanks to its relatively dry, sunny climate and the agricultural knowledge passed down through generations of farmers.

UN Food and Agriculture Organization

Persian Hot Chocolate Ingredients

The recipe makes enough for one serving!

1 cup/ 230ml Whole milk – the higher fat content in whole milk helps to carry the flavors of the chocolate. You can also use regular milk if you prefer.

1/4 Tsp Cardamom – I used cardamom seeds that I lightly crushed using a pestle and mortar. You can also use powdered cardamom. 

1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon – For extra flavor, you can add a cinnamon stick to the milk as it warms. 

Pinch of saffron – you can use whole saffron strands or powdered saffron, which is often less expensive, but you may need to use a little more.

2 Tsp of Brown sugar –  Muscovado sugar adds a delicious, malty flavor to hot chocolate!

50g Dark Chocolate – Use good quality chocolate! You can use bittersweet chocolate chips with a high percentage of cocoa solids or a bar of chocolate. The important thing is that it’s top-quality chocolate and the kind of chocolate that you would enjoy eating.

2 Tsp Cocoa powder – use a high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder for best results 

Pinch of salt

For serving: 

Fresh whipping cream 

To make this hot chocolate vegan: use almond, oat or coconut milk and be sure to use dairy-free chocolate and a plant-based cream for serving. 

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​Method

1.Warm the milk over medium-low heat together with a cinnamon stick if using, cardamom seeds and a generous pinch of saffron. Stir occasionally but don’t allow it to boil.

2. When you start to see bubbles forming on the side of the pot ( about 10 minutes), add the sugar, cocoa powder, and cinnamon powder to the warm milk and stir with a whisk or a wooden spoon until dissolved. 

3. Add the chopped chocolate or chocolate chips and a pinch of sea salt and mix until combined. 

Pass through a sieve before serving.

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Serving suggestions

Serve in cute cups with a  swirl of heavy cream for a simple hot chocolate. You can also top it with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles or a star annis for a more sophisticated look. 

Variations

The best thing about homemade hot chocolate is that you can vary the flavors to your personal taste! 

-Adding some vanilla brings out a sweetness in the hot chocolate. A vanilla pod is the height of luxury, but powdered vanilla or vanilla extract is fine if that’s what you have on hand.

-This recipe makes a deliciously thick hot chocolate, but you can add some hot water to the pot if you prefer. 

-Substitute the brown sugar for some maple syrup or honey for a healthy hot chocolate. You can add either of these in step 3!

​-If you find the hot chocolate to be too rich, you can reduce the amount of cocoa powder or use milk chocolate instead. 

–This recipe makes a great hot cocoa mix to give as a gift! Just mix the dry ingredients together in a pretty jar or airtight container and write the recipe on a gift tag! 

If you enjoyed this recipe, I would love it if you would give it 5 stars and let me know in the comments below!

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