Hi everyone! Jim here, bringing another one of my favorite recipes. This one is definitely inspired by one of my favorite childhood treats… CHOCOLATE MILK. There’s nothing simpler and more delicious to kids (and grown-up kids like me) than liquid chocolatey goodness.
Chocolate milk was my favorite easy treat growing up, probably because it was something that I could make myself and we almost always had the ingredients on hand. All you need is milk and chocolate syrup. I don’t know about you, but I was definitely team Hershey’s syrup growing up…. I wasn’t having that Nestle’s Quick.
One time at my grandma’s house (I was probably 8 or 9) I remember having a hankering for some chocolate milk. I looked through her cabinets and fridge and didn’t find chocolate syrup. I did find some cocoa powder though. I added the cocoa powder to a glass of milk, thinking I was just using a strangely named version of the dry chocolate milk mix. I learned quickly that it was most definitely not equivalent. Cocoa powder + milk = a powdery mess that won’t mix. Looking back, that was my first attempt at homemade chocolate milk. I had no clue what I was doing, but I was definitely pointed in the right direction.
Skip forward to present day and I’ve discovered the holy grail of chocolate fanaticism… the perfect recipe for homemade chocolate syrup. It’s pure chocolate bliss. This recipe makes incredible chocolate milk, is a wonderful topping for ice cream, and is the key ingredient in the greatest chocolate milkshakes you’ve ever had. And if you’re feeling particularly hedonistic, it’s great eaten right by itself.
Chocolate syrup (and therefore chocolate milk) is really simple to make. Its simplicity is part of the beauty. The quality of your syrup depends entirely on the quality of the chocolate that you use… my current favorite is Callebaut dark chocolate. Plus, homemade chocolate syrup doesn’t have any nasty preservatives, flavorings, or anything else that’s wholly bad for you. Yep, there’s sugar, but it’s much less than what you get in the store bought syrups and prepared chocolate milks. Did you know that a lot of store-bought chocolate milk has corn syrup in it? No thanks.
- 1/2 C water
- 1/2 C sugar
- 1/2 C bittersweet chocolate, chopped (70%+ chocolate preferably)
- 2 Tsp vanilla extract
- Dash salt
- Place the sugar and chocolate in a mixing bowl. Heat the water until almost boiling and power over the sugar and chocolate.
- Add salt and vanilla to chocolate and then let sit for 2 minutes so chocolate can melt. Whisk to combine.
- Place mixing bowl in an ice bath to quickly cool the syrup. Keep whisking until mixture is completely smooth.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- This syrup can get thick when refrigerated, that's normal. If you want a thinner syrup then add a little more water when making it.
- For chocolate milk, add 1 Tbsp syrup at a time to a glass of milk until desired chocolatey-ness is achieved.
As you can see below, this recipe makes children happy! Enjoy!
