The 10 Best Drinking Chocolates

Short answer: if you want a mug that tastes like melted chocolate rather than sweet brown milk, you’re looking for drinking chocolate (aka “sipping chocolate”). It’s thicker, richer, and often made from real chocolate shavings or finely ground chocolatenot just cocoa powder. Hot cocoa and drinking chocolate are related, but they’re not identical: hot cocoa is typically lighter (cocoa powder + sugar + milk), while drinking chocolate melts actual chocolate into milk for a velvety, more decadent sip.

Below are our 10 favorite drinking chocolates available in the U.S. right now, plus smart buying tips and prep tricks. To reach this list, we compared expert taste tests from major food publications with details from chocolatiers and retailers, then prioritized flavor, texture, ingredient quality, and ease of preparation. Recent blind tastings from outlets like Serious Eats, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Epicurious, Food Network, and The Kitchn informed our criteria.

Best Overall Picks: Rich, Real, and Ready

1) Vosges Haut-Chocolat “La Parisienne” Drinking Chocolate Best Overall

Elegantly dark and perfumed with Madagascan vanilla, Vosges’ La Parisienne is a lush, cafe-style blend that multiple tastings call out for its grown-up richness and gift-ready packaging. If you like deep chocolate flavor without cloying sweetness, this is your first stop.

2) Guittard Grand Cacao Drinking Chocolate Best Classic Pantry Pick

A beloved American chocolatier since 1868, Guittard’s Grand Cacao balances Dutch-processed cocoa with ground chocolate and real vanilla for a smooth, nostalgic cup that still tastes authentically chocolatey. It dissolves easily and works with dairy or alt-milks.

3) Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa Best Mainstream Crowd-Pleaser

When you want something everyone will love at a gatheringkids, grandparents, and self-described chocolate snobsGhirardelli’s double chocolate mix delivers creamy, balanced flavor. Editors at Epicurious, Bon Appétit, and Food Network have all highlighted it in tastings for its dependable richness.

Bean-to-Bar Beauties: Small Makers, Big Flavor

4) L.A. Burdick Dark Drinking Chocolate Best for Dark-Chocolate Purists

Served in the famed Burdick cafés, this shaved-chocolate blend makes an intense, bittersweet mug that hardcore cacao fans adore. It’s often cited among the top “fancy” drinking chocolates for its depth and cafe-quality results at home.

5) Dandelion Chocolate European Drinking Chocolate Best Café-Style at Home

San Francisco’s Dandelion is a bean-to-bar icon. Their European-style method uses real ground chocolate for a thick, spoon-coating textureexactly what many people imagine when they think “sipping chocolate.” Their at-home instructions are straightforward, too.

6) Ritual Chocolate Drinking Chocolate Best Single-Origin Character

Ritual’s finely grated chocolate showcases heirloom cacao character in a cup that’s rich but nuanced. If you want to taste origin notes (fruit, nuts, florals) rather than just sugar, Ritual belongs on your shortlist; they even offer a bold unsweetened 100% option.

7) Dick Taylor Single-Origin Drinking Chocolate Best Fruity & Aromatic

From an award-winning California maker, this European-style drink skews elegant: think warm cocoa with subtle dried-fruit and floral notes, crafted from ethically sourced cacao. It’s a great example of how “real chocolate” in the pot yields complexity in the mug.

Spiced & Textured Classics: Cozy with a Kick

8) Taza Chocolate Mexicano Discs Best Mexican-Style (Stone-Ground)

Taza’s stone-ground discs (try Cinnamon!) bring rustic texture and bold flavor. Whisk a chopped disc into hot milk or water and froth with a molinillo for the real dealwarming, lightly gritty, and aromatic.

9) Jacques Torres “Wicked” Hot Chocolate Best Spicy

NYC’s Mr. Chocolate spikes his rich drinking chocolate with ancho and chipotle chiles (plus warm baking spices) for an addictive sweet-heat balance. The brand’s own home recipe mirrors the shop experience.

10) Lake Champlain Chocolates Traditional Hot Chocolate Best Organic & Fair Trade

Made with just cocoa and sugar, this Vermont favorite is organic and Fair Trade USA certified, and it’s frequently praised in taste tests for delivering a classic, not-too-sweet cup. For a thicker style, the brand’s “drinking chocolate” approach is also excellent.

How to Choose a Drinking Chocolate

• Real chocolate vs. cocoa powder: Drinking chocolate usually contains real chocolate (cacao solids + cocoa butter), which gives body and creaminess; hot cocoa is typically lighter because it’s mostly cocoa powder and sugar. If you want a thicker, more luxurious texture, look for “drinking chocolate” or “ground chocolate.”
• Dutch-processed vs. natural cocoa: Dutch cocoa is treated to neutralize acidity, often yielding darker color and rounder flavor; natural cocoa tastes sharper and brighter. Both can be deliciousjust know which profile you prefer.
• Cacao percentage: Higher percentages usually mean more chocolate flavor and less sweetness. Some premium options list the % (e.g., 62% or 72%); use that as a quick sweetness/strength gauge.
• Texture preference: If you love European-style ultra-thick sipping chocolate, choose blends built on melted chocolate (Dandelion, Burdick, Ritual) and control thickness by simmering a little longer.
• Dietary needs: Plenty of great mixes are dairy-free or vegan-friendlyTaza’s discs (use oat milk) and several bean-to-bar makers are easy wins.
• Budget and availability: For value and wide availability, mainstream winners like Ghirardelli and Guittard remain easy to find and consistently tasty.

How to Make It Taste Like a Café (at Home)

1. Use milk (or a creamy alt-milk): Most drinking chocolates shine when whisked into hot milk. Follow each maker’s directions; some mixes work with water but will be thinner by design.
2. Grate or finely chop the chocolate: If you’re starting from bars or discs, smaller pieces melt faster and more evenly. (Dandelion’s method is a good model.)
3. Froth for body: A handheld frother, whisk, or traditional molinillo adds lightness and a café-style cap of microfoam.
4. Dial in thickness: Simmer briefly after the chocolate melts to concentrate, or add a splash of cream for extra silkiness (a classic chef tip).
5. Flavor upgrades: Try chai spices, orange zest, a pinch of sea salt, or a shot of espresso. For heat, follow the “Wicked” playbook: cinnamon + ancho + chipotle.

Tasting Notes & What Expert Panels Say

Editorial tastings continuously praise a few standouts: Food & Wine singled out Vosges’ La Parisienne as its overall favorite; Epicurious and Bon Appétit often tap Ghirardelli for balanced, crowd-pleasing cocoa; and several panels call Lake Champlain a beautiful, not-too-sweet classic. These align with our own criteria: clean ingredients, strong chocolate flavor, and a smooth, creamy finish.

Honorable Mentions (Still Excellent)

• French Broad Chocolates (NC): A bean-to-bar favorite making rich, thick hot chocolate mixes from directly sourced cacaofantastic with dairy or plant milks.
• Lake Champlain “Old World” Drinking Chocolate: A thicker style from the Vermont maker if you want more intensity than the traditional mix.

Quick Comparison (Use This to Match Your Taste)

• Thickest, most decadent: Dandelion, L.A. Burdick, Ritual.
• Best spicy: Jacques Torres Wicked.
• Best for nostalgic, easy mixing: Ghirardelli, Guittard.
• Best stone-ground (textured): Taza Mexicano Discs.
• Organic & Fair Trade focus: Lake Champlain.

FAQ

Is “drinking chocolate” the same as “hot chocolate”? Many brands use the terms interchangeably, but strictly speaking, drinking chocolate is made from real chocolate and tends to be thicker, while hot cocoa relies on cocoa powder and is lighter.

What does “Dutch-processed” mean? The cocoa has been alkalized to reduce acidity, yielding rounder flavor and darker color. It’s terrific in beverages and is common in premium mixes.

Milk or water? Water highlights cacao’s flavor (and yields a thinner body), while milk softens edges and adds creaminess. Follow each maker’s guidance and your personal taste.

The List, Recapped

1. Vosges Haut-Chocolat La Parisienne Drinking Chocolate.
2. Guittard Grand Cacao Drinking Chocolate.
3. Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Hot Cocoa.
4. L.A. Burdick Dark Drinking Chocolate.
5. Dandelion European Drinking Chocolate.
6. Ritual Chocolate Drinking Chocolate.
7. Dick Taylor Single-Origin Drinking Chocolate.
8. Taza Chocolate Mexicano Discs (for drinking).
9. Jacques Torres “Wicked” Hot Chocolate.
10. Lake Champlain Traditional Hot Chocolate (organic).

Conclusion

Whether you crave a European-style cup you can almost stand a spoon in, or a silky smooth classic cocoa that pleases a crowd, the best drinking chocolates all start from the same place: real chocolate, thoughtfully sourced, prepared with care. Use milk for creaminess, simmer a touch longer for body, and don’t be afraid to personalize with spice, citrus, coffee, or a frothy finish. If you only try one, make it Vosges for a luxe baseline; if you want a pantry staple, Guittard or Ghirardelli will keep everyone happy; and if you’re chasing pure cacao character, lean into bean-to-bar gems like Dandelion, Ritual, Dick Taylor, and L.A. Burdick.

of Real-World Experience & Tips

What separates an “okay” cup from an unforgettable one is usually technique, not just the tin. Across professional tastings and maker guides, a few patterns keep repeatingand they’re easy to translate into at-home wins. First, treat your drink like you would a ganache: melt gently, whisk thoroughly, and never let it scorch. If you see specks or feel graininess in an otherwise smooth mix, pull the pot off heat, whisk in a tablespoon of hot milk to re-emulsify, then return to the stove on low for 30 seconds. That little pause often fixes texture without diluting flavor.

Second, tailor the liquid. Water highlights cacao’s edgesgreat for very sweet mixes or if you want the origin flavors to popwhile whole milk (or a creamy oat milk) smooths sharpness and amplifies body. Split the difference with a 50/50 blend when a mix tastes either too sweet (cut with water) or too intense (soften with milk). Several makers explicitly note that the choice of water vs. milk changes both thickness and perceived chocolate flavoruse that lever intentionally.

Third, froth. A ten-second blast with a frother or an energetic whisk transforms mouthfeel. Traditional Mexican hot chocolate uses a molinillo for a reason: aeration brightens aromatics and makes the drink feel lighter even when it’s very rich. If your drinking chocolate seems dense, froth; if it seems thin, simmer another minute after frothing.

Fourth, flavor with a light hand. Borrow from café playbooks: chai spice (cardamom, cinnamon, ginger), orange zest, or a pinch of flaky salt can focus flavors without masking the chocolate. For heat, the ancho-plus-chipotle combo balances warmth and smokiness; add tiny pinches and taste as you go. If a mix leans bitter, a teaspoon of brown sugar or a splash of cream softens it; if it leans sweet, a dash of espresso or extra-dark chocolate reins it in.

Fifth, control thickness like a pro. Think of your ratio as a slider: more chocolate or a longer simmer equals thicker results. A number of premium blends (Dandelion, Burdick, Ritual) are designed to be adjustablestart with the maker’s ratio, then add an extra tablespoon of chocolate per cup if you want spoon-standing texture. Resting the drink for one minute before pouring allows cocoa butter to set slightly, boosting body without any thickeners.

Finally, match the mug to the moment. Hosting a crowd? Ghirardelli or Guittard make consistent, widely loved cocoa that won’t split opinions. Date-night dessert? Go thick and luxurious with Dandelion or L.A. Burdick. Gifting a foodie friend? Vosges looks and tastes special. Craving texture and spice on a cold morning? Taza’s stone-ground discs, whisked vigorously, bring cozy café vibes fast. These aren’t just brand namesthey’re reliable styles you can reach for without thinking.