Name: French Hot Chocolate Oatmeal
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 6 oz good quality dark or bittersweet French chocolate (60% or higher), finely chopped; 16 oz (2 cups) whole milk; 1-2 tbsp light brown sugar; a pinch of Kosher or sea salt; 160 g (2 cups) old fashioned oats (gluten-free certified if needed); 16 oz (2 cups) whole milk; 8 oz (1 cup) water, plus more as desired; A generous pinch of Kosher or sea salt; Optional: a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom; Whipped cream; Marshmallows; Shaved chocolate; Crushed candy canes

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Chocolate Chaud for Breakfast

This French Hot Chocolate Oatmeal includes thick and rich Chocolate Chaud, poured over creamy old fashioned oats cooked in whole milk. It's a cozy and rich brunch dish perfect for the chilliest fall and winter mornings when you need something sweet and special. Top your bowl with a dollop of whipped cream, a few marshmallows, additional chocolate shavings, or some crushed candy canes during the holiday season, or enjoy on its own for a rich morning treat.

What is French Hot Chocolate?

French Hot Chocolate, known as chocolate chaud in France, is a thick, rich drinking chocolate. Unlike traditional hot chocolate or cocoa variations in the United States, French Hot Chocolate does not contain any cocoa powder, rather, it utilizes melted chocolate to get its rich chocolatey taste. It's also much thicker than the hot chocolate you may be used to stateside. A good French Hot Chocolate should easily coat the back of a spoon like a sauce, but owing to the omission of cornstarch (included in Italian hot chocolate), it should be thinner than pudding or ganache.

To make this recipe you will need:

6 oz good bittersweet or dark chocolate (60% or higher)*
16 oz (2 cups) whole milk
1-2 tablespoon light brown sugar
A pinch of Kosher salt or sea salt

*Starting with a good unsweetened or very lightly sweetened dark chocolate will allow you to better control the sweetness when making the hot chocolate. Don't be tempted to utilize milk chocolate or anything with high sugar content or your hot chocolate will likely be unbearably sweet. This is the time to choose very good chocolate so go with quality over quantity here!

a gold spoon resting in a bowl filled with French Hot Chocolate Oatmeal and marshmallows

a golf spoon resting in French Hot Chocolate Oatmeal with chocolate shavings

What kind of oats are best to use for this oatmeal?

I prefer a traditional rolled oat for this recipe, however, if you would like to swap these out for an alternative you can also use steel cut oats or Scottish porridge. I personally would avoid instant oats for this recipe as the hot chocolate works best when paired with a hearty base and the lightness of instant oats might be overwhelmed by it.

Tips for the creamiest tastiest oatmeal

It's not difficult to make a great bowl of oatmeal, but it's also easy to make a flavorless bowl of oatmeal -- and nobody wants that! Here are my two favorite tips to ensure a super creamy and tasty bowl of oatmeal.

Use milk for creaminess

Swapping all or part of the water required with whole milk will help yield creamier more flavorful oats. My preference is to swap anywhere from ½ to ⅔ of the water required for milk, which produces a really creamy oatmeal without becoming overly rich.

Don't forget the salt!

Do as Ina Garten does and use salt in your oatmeal. As she says, "without it, it just tastes like wallpaper paste." I prefer to add a good pinch as the oats are cooking to help balance the flavor of the oats. I also add a pinch directly into the French Hot Chocolate as well because salt does magical things with chocolate.

marshmallows on top of a bowl of French Hot Chocolate Oatmeal

Ideas for topping French Hot Chocolate Oatmeal

Though this French Hot Chocolate Oatmeal recipe is wonderful served on its own without any additional toppings, it's always fun to add a few extra things, much in the same way you might top a cup of hot chocolate. Some of my favorite topping options are:

Whipped cream or a drizzle of un-whipped cream
Marshmallows
Chocolate chunks or shavings, or cocoa nibs
Crushed peppermint candy canes
A sprinkle of warm spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, or pumpkin pie spice mix are lovely. Even a small pinch of powdered cayenne can be nice swirled directly into the French hot chocolate before pouring
A dollop or swirl of yogurt
A drizzle of melted nut butter or a spoonful swirled in
Chopped nuts: Almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts
Shredded coconut
Berries: Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, or currants
Other fruit: Figs, bananas, pears, plums

a gold spoon in a bowl of French Hot Chocolate Oatmeal on a piece of mauve colored fabric

What tools do I need to make this recipe?

A cutting board
A chef's knife
A kitchen scale
Liquid measuring cups
Measuring spoons
A small saucepan
A whisk
A thermometer
A small microwave-safe mixing bowl
A silicone spatula
A medium pot (or large if you are making a big batch of oatmeal)
A wooden spoon

Are you looking to upgrade to your cooking tools or replenish your pantry? Check out my kitchen tools shop page and pantry staples shop page to find my must-have kitchen tools, pantry items, and other Whip & Wander favorites.

two white bowls filled with French Hot Chocolate Oatmeal resting on a gauzy mauve cloth

a bowl of oatmeal with french hot chocolate and a gold spoon

Looking for more sweet breakfast and brunch inspiration?

Love this French Hot Chocolate Oatmeal? Here are some more of my favorite sweet breakfast and brunch recipes:

French Hot Chocolate Oatmeal

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Author: Whip & Wander
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Method: Stovetop, Microwave
Cuisine: French
Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

Ingredients

Scale

For the French hot chocolate / chocolate chaud: This batch will make twice as much hot chocolate as needed for this recipe, so feel free to halve this recipe or reserve half to refrigerate and rewarm for oatmeal (or to drink!) on another day.

6 oz good quality dark or bittersweet French chocolate (60% or higher), finely chopped
16 oz (2 cups) whole milk
1-2 tablespoon light brown sugar
a pinch of Kosher or sea salt

For the oatmeal:

160 g (2 cups) old fashioned oats (gluten-free certified if needed)
16 oz (2 cups) whole milk
8 oz (1 cup) water, plus more as desired
A generous pinch of Kosher or sea salt
Optional: a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or cardamom

Optional toppings (see post above for more ideas:

Whipped cream
Marshmallows
Shaved chocolate
Crushed candy canes

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Instructions

For the French hot chocolate / chocolate chaud:

Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches scalding point (180 degrees F / 82 C), then remove from heat breifly.
- * If you do not have a thermometer to check, you can identify the scalding point by the small bubbles that appear just around the outer perimeter of the milk.
While the milk heats, add the chocolate to a small microwave-safe mixing bowl and heat in 30-second increments until fully melted, stirring with a silicone spatula in between each heating session.
- * Though you can add the chocolate directly to the pan prior to melting, I find that pre-melting it this way ensures the smoothest hot chocolate.
Once the milk has reached scalding point, pour the melted chocolate into the pan along with the milk (ensuring you scrape every last bit out with your spatula), and whisk together. Return the pan heat on medium-low and cook, whisking constantly until thickened. Lower heat if the mixture begins to boil. Taste for sweetness and add brown sugar as needed (I generally find that 1-2 tablespoon is plenty for bittersweet or dark chocolate), stirring to melt and combine. Then remove from heat.