‘Tis the season to take a break from all the stress and dreary-ness of winter quarter. Counter the cold, frigid weather outside by staying indoors with your friends while drinking cups of warm, rich, and velvety Filipino hot chocolate.

Filipino hot chocolate is (arguably) the best hot chocolate because it’s sexy, decadent, and spreads warmth throughout your body with every sip. It tastes this way because the fat content of cocoa is better preserved in tablet form, rather than powdered form.

It’s traditionally consumed during the Christmas season, but I ask why deprive yourself of goodness for the rest of the year? Once you taste Filipino hot chocolate, you’ll never go back.

You can usually buy tableas in your nearby Filipino grocery stores, or order them online here.

Filipino Hot Chocolate

  • Prep Time:5 minutes
  • Cook Time:20 minutes
  • Total Time:25 minutes
  • Servings:2 cups
  • Easy

    Ingredients

  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 chocolate tableas
  • 1/2 cup muscovado sugar
  • Step 1

    Pour the one cup of milk into a saucepan.

    #SpoonTip: Whole milk makes the hot chocolate taste richer and sweeter, but any type of milk will work.

    Photo by Danielle Limcaoco
  • Step 2

    Heat the milk, stirring constantly to prevent it from burning, until scalded (hot enough that you can’t stick your finger in it) but not boiling.

    Photo by Danielle Limcaoco
  • Step 3

    Add two tableas to the hot milk.

    #SpoonTip: The usual ratio is 2 tableas to 1 cup of milk. You can add one more tablea for an EXTRA rich, chocolate-y taste… or take one out if the chocolate is too much for you to handle.

  • Step 4

    Wait for the chocolate to melt and become fully incorporated.

    #SpoonTip: You may have to break the tableas up with a whisk to help speed up the process. And remember to keep on stirring.

  • Step 5

    Add in 1/2 cup of sugar once the tableas have been fully incorporated into the milk.

  • Step 6

    Keep on tasting the hot chocolate to make sure it’s in the perfect sweet spot for you; the 1/2 cup is just a suggestion.

  • Step 7

    Continue mixing until everything is fully incorporated, making sure the sugar fully melts as to prevent clumping.

  • Step 8

    Pour it into your mug (and into your friends’ mugs too, if you’re feeling generous) and decorate with whipped cream, sprinkles, chocolate chips… anything your heart desires. Enjoy the best hot chocolate ever!

    Photo by Danielle Limcaoco