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Spooning up a thick, Spanish hot chocolate known as chocolate a la taza.

Spanish Hot Chocolate (Chocolate a la Taza)

Last Modified: December 16, 2019 // by Tracy Ariza, DDS // October 30, 2019 I may receive a commission if you purchase through links in this post. Learn more here.

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Thick and creamy, chocolate a la taza, or Spanish hot chocolate, isn't just your ordinary hot chocolate. Its thicker consistency is perfect for dunking churros or sweetbreads, or for eating with a spoon. #churros #chocolate #chocolatealataza #spanishrecipes #chocolateconchurros #chocolateaddicts #chocolatelovers #chocolaterecipes #thethingswellmake #miy
Thick and creamy, chocolate a la taza, or Spanish hot chocolate, isn't just your ordinary hot chocolate. Its thicker consistency is perfect for dunking churros or sweetbreads, or for eating with a spoon. #churros #chocolate #chocolatealataza #spanishrecipes #chocolateconchurros #chocolateaddicts #chocolatelovers #chocolaterecipes #thethingswellmake #miy
Thick and creamy, chocolate a la taza, or Spanish hot chocolate, isn't just your ordinary hot chocolate. Its thicker consistency is perfect for dunking churros or sweetbreads, or for eating with a spoon. #churros #chocolate #chocolatealataza #spanishrecipes #chocolateconchurros #chocolateaddicts #chocolatelovers #chocolaterecipes #thethingswellmake #miy

Thick and creamy, chocolate a la taza, or Spanish hot chocolate, isn’t just your ordinary hot chocolate. Its thicker consistency is perfect for dunking churros or sweetbreads, or for eating with a spoon.

Spooning up a thick, Spanish hot chocolate known as chocolate a la taza. In this case, it's being served with pan quemado, a Spanish sweet bread typical at Easter.
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While it may not be the most typical breakfast served in Spain, churros and chocolate is definitely one of the favorites of those who come to visit the country.

Churros can be found for breakfast or as an anytime snack at many cafés and bars. They are also often served at flea markets and fairs.

When served at a bar or café, though, they are almost always accompanied by chocolate a la taza.

What is chocolate a la taza?

Chocolate a la taza is a type of Spanish hot chocolate. Unlike the typical hot chocolate served in the US, though, this hot chocolate is much, much thicker. In fact, when cooled, it has a pudding-like consistency!

Its thick consistency makes it perfect to use as a dip for everything from churros to buñuelos (pumpkin fritters) to other sweetbreads commonly found here (like fartons). At Easter, it’s often served with panquemado, a typical sweetbread served that time of year.

Dipping panquemado into Spanish hot chocolate
Dipping panquemado into Spanish hot chocolate

How is Spanish hot chocolate made?

Here in Spain, most people buy a prepackaged powdered “chocolate a la taza.” To make it, you either add water or milk to the powdered mixture and slowly cook it over the stove, stirring constantly, until it has thickened.

I have never have really understood why there are so many prepackaged versions of chocolate a la taza. It is really just as simple to make it with just two ingredients: chocolate and milk.

Why make it from scratch, without a mix?

When you make chocolate a la taza from scratch, you can better control the result. You have full control of the quality of the chocolate, how sweet it will be, etc. Plus, you don’t have to have an extra container of powdered chocolate sitting around.

For those of you in other countries, you probably don’t have access to the powered prepackaged version anyway. So making it from scratch (from only 2 ingredients) is simpler than hunting down a mix.

You will need:

  • Milk
  • Chocolate bars

I have normally made chocolate a la taza with whole milk and dark chocolate bars, but, theoretically you should be able to make it with any milk and any chocolate. Even vegan nut milks are said to work, but I haven’t personally tried using them yet. (When I do, I’ll try to remember to update the post with the results.)

Overhead view of someone spooning up some Spanish hot chocolate from a platter with chocolate and churros.

How to make a thick Spanish hot chocolate

The secret to getting a really thick hot chocolate is to simmer the chocolate with the milk until it comes to a boil and then remove it from the heat source. Then, you simmer it again until it boils again, and then remove (again). Repeat the process several times, until you are happy with the consistency.

Adding starch to further thicken it

If bringing the mixture to a boil several times doesn’t thicken it enough for your liking, you can also thicken it more with a tad of cornstarch, tapioca starch, or arrowroot powder.

To thicken with a starch, dissolve the starch of choice into cold water or milk. Add the solution, little by little, into the warm chocolate mixture, stirring quickly to incorporate it well. Once it is well incorporated, bring the mixture to a simmer again.

Serve Chocolate a la taza with:

  • Churros (or grain-free churros)
  • Buñuelos or donuts
  • Panquemados, monas, or other sweet challah-like breads
  • Fartons
  • Fruit

It can also be served like pudding when cooled.

Watch how to make Spanish Hot Chocolate

Spanish Hot Chocolate Recipe

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Spooning up a thick, Spanish hot chocolate known as chocolate a la taza.

Spanish Hot Chocolate: Chocolate a la Taza

Spain's version of hot chocolate is thick and meant for dunking churros and sweetbreads into it. Learn how simple it is to make chocolate a la taza for chocolate and churros using only 2 ingredients!
4.41 from 5 votes
Print Rate
Servings: 4 small, 4 oz. servings
Calories: 330kcal
Author: Tracy Ariza, DDS

Ingredients

  • 200 g chocolate
  • 500 ml milk (Just over 2 cups)
Switch units back – Convert units

Instructions

  • Break the chocolate into small pieces.
  • Warm the milk and chocolate pieces together in a pan on the stove over medium heat.
  • Simmer the chocolate and milk, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to boil. When it reaches the boiling point, remove it from the heat. At this point, the mixture won't be very thick yet.
  • Allow the mixture to cool for around a minute.
  • Return the chocolate mixture to the stove again, and simmer until it boils again.
  • Remove the chocolate from the heat source and allow it to cool again.
  • Repeat the process of simmering until boiling, then cooling, at least one more time or until you are happy with the thickness.
  • The mixture will continue to thicken as it cools, but it's best served warm, accompanied by churros or sweetbreads, of course.

Notes

  • The process of cycling between boiling and cooling is what thickens the hot chocolate.
  • If you aren’t happy with the thickness, you can further thicken it with cornstarch, tapioca starch, or arrowroot powder. To do so, mix a tablespoon of starch with enough cold milk or water to fully dissolve the starch. Add a small amount of the starch mixture to the warm chocolate, stirring quickly to fully incorporate it before heating the mixture again to boiling point. Add more as needed. 
  • Chocolate a la taza is normally accompanied by churros or sweetbreads.
Course Breakfast, Desserts
Cuisine Spanish
Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @thethingswellmake or tag #thethingswellmake!
Serving: 4oz. | Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 62mg | Potassium: 310mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 203IU | Calcium: 153mg | Iron: 1mg

*This post was originally published on Feb. 18, 2015. It was updated in October of 2019 to add new photos, videos, and more ideas for thickening the chocolate.

Easy Spanish Churros Recipe

Overhead view of two plates of churros sprinkled with sugar with a cup filled with Spanish hot chocolate next to it.

Grain-free, Gluten-Free Churros

A closeup of a plate of pumpkin fritters covered with sugar.

Pumpkin Fritters – Buñuelos de Calabaza (Grain Free)

Category: Beverages & Smoothies, Breakfast, Desserts & Sweets, Spanish Food & Recipes

About Tracy Ariza, DDS

Tracy Ariza, B.A., D.D.S., left dentistry and the United States to found Oh, The Things We’ll Make!, writing to you from the Spanish Riviera. She loves making things herself in order to keep control of what goes in them. While far from perfect, she strives each day to live a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Karen D Martin

    February 15, 2022 at 5:29 PM

    I am late to the party, but I lived in Spain for nearly 5 years from the time I turned 19 – now 40 years ago. I looked for YEARS for how to make their hot chocolate and never found it. I can’t tell you how delighted I am to stumble on your site and to find this amazing drink. Can’t thank you enough!

    Reply
  2. Florencia Botta

    September 23, 2021 at 5:02 PM

    Chocolate para taza is not the same as any chocolate bar. The composition of sugar and cacao is different.
    Do you know a place where you can get actual chocolate para taza bars o good substitutes?

    Thank you,

    Reply
    • Tracy Ariza, DDS

      September 29, 2021 at 7:28 PM

      Hello Florencia,
      Where you can find it will depend on where you live. I’d suggest doing a search online to see what you can find locally available if you have your heart set on buying a bar that is marketed as chocolate a la taza.
      That said, I can assure you that making your own from a chocolate bar works very well and that there are chefs here who make it that way so that they can choose the composition of their chocolate bar. Chocolate bars obviously vary in the amount of cacao, sugar, and milk (if included) depending upon the percentage of chocolate in the bar. That’s why if you use a bitter chocolate bar, you’d end up with a bitter hot chocolate. If you use milk chocolate, you’d end with one that is overly sweet. I find that the semi-sweet chocolates are most like what you would generally find sold as chocolate a la taza. (Maybe around 60-75%).

      Reply
  3. yaanu

    April 22, 2020 at 4:24 PM

    4 stars
    Ya!! Its look so deliciously!!

    Put some Nutbutter,Peanutbutter creame with cocoa its amazing to tasty!!

    Here i share proudly in my kitchen asset nuts cream maker!

    Reply
  4. Joel Saegert

    July 3, 2018 at 6:53 PM

    Please tell me how I can buy Chocolate Familiar a la Taza online. Thank you, Joel Saegert

    Reply
    • Tracy Ariza

      July 4, 2018 at 7:32 PM

      Hi Joel,
      If you follow my instructions, you don’t need to buy the special mix. You can find chocolate a la taza online at amazon, though. (I linked to one option.)

      Reply

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Hello, I’m Tracy!

I love making my own natural products like soaps and lotions and my own pantry items like yogurt and salad dressings.
Why do I do it? Sometimes to save money, sometimes because it's healthier, but I always love having control of the ingredients!​
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