This easy hot chocolate recipe is made with just three simple ingredients. It’s quick and delicious, perfect for those times when you need some hot chocolate NOW.
Have a craving for hot chocolate but don’t have any hot cocoa mix in your cupboard? No worries, I’ve got you covered.
If you have milk in your fridge and cocoa powder and sugar in your baking cupboard, you can make and be sipping a creamy, fabulous cup of hot cocoa in about 5 minutes.
Ingredient Notes
- Milk: Any milk can be used here (plant-based works just fine). The higher fat the milk, the richer your hot chocolate will be. For an extra rich and creamy drink, try substituting half and half or heavy cream for some of the milk.
- Cocoa powder: Both natural and Dutch-process cocoa powder will work for this recipe, but Dutch-process cocoa powder is considered the gold standard for hot chocolate.
How to Make Hot Chocolate
To make hot chocolate on the stovetop, whisk together cocoa powder, sugar, and a bit of water over medium heat to make a chocolate syrup and then whisk in milk and a pinch of salt and heat until steaming.
To make hot chocolate in the microwave, combine cocoa powder, sugar, and water in a mug. Stir until well-mixed and microwave for 15 seconds. Stir until smooth and then add milk. Microwave 1 to 1 ½ minutes, until steaming. Stir once more, and enjoy!
Then curl up under a fluffy blanket with a cookie or two (I recommend shortbread or gingerbread ), and enjoy a cozy evening in.
Variations
Want a little hot chocolate upgrade? Try…
- Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate : Stir a spoonful of peanut butter into your hot chocolate and top with peanut butter sauce .
- Richer/Creamier Hot Chocolate: Use whole milk or replace ¼ cup of the milk with heavy cream.
- Baileys Hot Chocolate : Replace ¼ cup of the milk with Baileys Irish liqueur.
- Extra Chocolaty Hot Chocolate: Toss in a small handful of chocolate chips or chopped chocolate to melt just before adding the milk.
- Peppermint Hot Chocolate: Crush a candy cane and add it to your hot chocolate when you add the milk.
Can I make a big batch of this?
Yes! As written, this is a hot chocolate recipe for one, but you can scale up the recipe with no preparation changes needed. To change the yield, in the recipe card below, hover over the serving size or click if you’re on mobile, and slide the slider.
What are the best hot chocolate toppings?
Whipped cream and marshmallows are obviously the classic hot chocolate toppings, but you can also add:
- Crushed candy cane
- Chocolate shavings
- Sprinkles!!
- A scoop of vanilla ice cream (seriously, so good)
- Fudge sauce or Nutella sauce
- Chopped up candy (like M&Ms and peanut butter cups)
How can I make spiked hot chocolate?
Spiked hot chocolate is really easy to make. Just make your cup of hot chocolate and then add the alcohol of your choice to taste (usually 1 to 2 ounces/2 tablespoons to ¼ cup).
Baileys and other Irish cream liqueurs are my favorite, but other good spiking options are:
- Kahlua and other coffee liqueurs
- Flavored vodkas like marshmallow or whipped cream
- Peppermint schnapps
More Hot Chocolate Recipes to Try
- Rich and Thick Hot Chocolate
- The BEST Crockpot Hot Chocolate
- Pink Hot Chocolate
- White Hot Chocolate
- Chai White Hot Chocolate
- Frozen Hot Chocolate
Recipe Notes
This recipe makes 1 cup of hot chocolate, enough to fill an 8-ounce mug. To fill an oversized mug, 1 ½ or double the recipe.
Ingredients
- ▢ 2 tablespoons ( 25g ) granulated sugar
- ▢ 1 tablespoon ( 7g ) cocoa powder
- ▢ 1 tablespoon water
- ▢ 1 cup milk any percentage
- ▢ Pinch of salt
- ▢ Whipped cream optional for topping
- ▢ Mini marshmallows optional for topping
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, over medium heat, combine sugar, cocoa powder, and water. Stir until sugar and cocoa powder dissolve.
- Add milk and salt and stir. Heat until the mixture reaches your desired temperature, stirring occasionally.
- Pour into an 8-ounce mug and top with optional whipped cream or marshmallows if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutritional Information (non-fat milk) Nutritional Information (2% milk) Nutritional Information (whole milk)
Hungarian goulash is the ultimate stick-to-your-bones comfort food. Beef chuck simmered with onions and tomatoes until tender and mixed with sour cream for an ultra-creamy and rich stew you can serve over noodles, potatoes, or spaetzle.
If your standard comfort food rotation is starting to feel a little stale, please, please, please try making Hungarian goulash this weekend. The flavors in this stew feel interesting and fresh, but utterly satisfying and warming.
It makes excellent leftovers and freezes exceptionally well, so even if you’re cooking for one or two, just make a full batch and freeze the extras for later. You’ll be so glad you did.
What is Hungarian goulash?
Hungarian goulash is a simple beef stew spiced with paprika and made by simmering together beef, onions, and sometimes tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers.
Its roots can be traced back to 9th century Hungarian herdsmen , but the stew as we know it today was developed in the late 18th century when people began adding dried and crushed red peppers (paprika).
It was brought to the US in the mid 1800’s by Hungarian immigrants and became so popular that in 1969, it was polled as one of the 5 most popular meat dishes in the United States.
Ingredients
- Chuck roast: Chuck is the perfect cut of beef for stews like this because the low and slow cooking time makes it incredibly tender. If you don’t want to trim a roast yourself, you can use 1 ½ to 2 pounds of boneless beef short ribs, which are the same cut of meat but have already been trimmed (do not use bone-in short ribs).
- Flour: From what I understand, flour is not a traditional ingredient in Hungarian goulash, but it helps thicken the stew, so I recommend using it.
- Butter and onions: The onions are cooked in butter and then simmered along with the beef. By the time the dish is done, they all but melt into the stew.
- Sweet Hungarian paprika: You’ll get the best classic goulash flavor using sweet Hungarian paprika . Regular paprika has a much less robust flavor but can be used in a pinch.
- Caraway seeds: Caraway seeds have a pungent, almost citrusy flavor. They are a classic goulash ingredient but you can omit them if you’re not a fan of their flavor in savory dishes.
- Beef broth: Using beef broth instead of water as our cooking liquid adds a ton of beefy flavor to the dish.
- Crushed or diced tomatoes: A can of tomatoes adds just the right amount of acidity to the stew without making it taste strongly of tomatoes.
- Lemon juice: A little lemon juice stirred in at the end brightens up the stew. Bottled lemon juice works just fine here.
- Sour cream: Full-fat sour cream makes this dish incredibly rich and creamy. That being said, if you prefer your goulash without it, you can omit the sour cream.
A Note on Caraway Seeds: Caraway seeds are quite large, and some people find their texture in foods unpleasant. You can use them whole, but I recommend crushing them with a mortar and pestle or using a sharp knife to roughly chop them. The knife method is a little messy but works just fine with a little patience.
How to Make Hungarian Goulash
Trim your chuck roast of fat and silver skin (the thin, silvery membrane that sticks tightly to the meat) and cut it into small chunks. This will probably take longer than you expect, so give yourself plenty of prep time. Toss the beef with flour and set aside.
In a large Dutch oven or pot melt the butter and add onions. Let them cook for 10 minutes, until wilted, before adding the spices. Toasting the spices before adding in the rest of the ingredients will help bring out as much of their flavor as possible.
Add the beef to the pan and toss to coat, before adding the broth and tomatoes. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to dislodge any cooked on bits so they don’t burn during the long simmer ahead.
Cook the goulash until the meat is tender, about 2 to 2 ½ hours before stirring in the lemon juice.
Temper the sour cream before adding it into the goulash by stirring small ladlefuls of the hot cooking liquid into the cream one at a time until the cream is warm to the touch.
Stir the warm sour cream into the stew and add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve over noodles, potatoes, or spaetzle, and enjoy!
A Note on Tempering Sour Cream: Tempering the sour cream raises its temperature so that you’re not adding cold cream to a simmering liquid. Using cold sour cream can cause it to break when in hits the sauce and look lumpy. The tempering step is optional, but creates a more aesthetically pleasing stew.
What is the difference between American and Hungarian goulash?
American goulash has evolved to be somewhat distinct from the original Hungarian version. Where Hungarian goulash uses chunks of beef and is flavored primarily with paprika, American goulash typically uses ground beef and adds Italian spices, more tomatoes, and other flavorings like soy sauce. American goulash also almost always uses macaroni and is often sprinkled with cheese.
Can you freeze goulash?
Yes! Goulash freezes extremely well (do not freeze pasta or potatoes with the goulash). Freeze all together or in individual portions in freezer bags and defrost in the refrigerator.
You can reheat defrosted goulash very gently over medium heat on the stove or in the microwave.
How to store goulash?
Store goulash in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. If storing with pasta, make sure to mix in the pasta well before storing so it doesn’t dry out.
What to serve with Hungarian beef goulash?
Serve the goulash over egg noodles, potatoes (boiled, mashed, or baked all work), or spaetzle.
Since this dish is so rich, serve it alongside simple veggie sides like roasted broccoli or asparagus .
More Comfort Food Favorites
- Ham and Potato Soup
- Stroganoff
- Beef Short Ribs
- Buttered Noodles for One
- Simple Beef Stew
- Easy Carnitas
Equipment
- Large pot or Dutch oven with a lid
Ingredients
Goulash
- ▢ 2 to 3 pound beef chuck roast trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch chunks*
- ▢ ¼ cup ( 30g ) all-purpose flour
- ▢ 1 tablespoon ( 14g ) butter salted or unsalted is fine
- ▢ 2 large yellow or white onions halved and thinly sliced
- ▢ 1 teaspoon salt divided, plus more to taste
- ▢ 2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
- ▢ ½ teaspoon caraway seeds crushed or chopped, optional*
- ▢ 1 cup beef broth
- ▢ 1 14.5-ounce can crushed or diced tomatoes
- ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh or bottled is fine
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ▢ 1 cup ( 240g ) sour cream
Serve Over
- ▢ Egg noodles, potatoes (boiled, mashed, or baked all work), or spaetzle
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss beef with flour until well-coated. Set aside.
- Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add butter. Once butter is melted, add onions and ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. If the onions begin to brown, turn the heat down.
- Add paprika and caraway seeds and cook for 1 minute more.
- Add beef to the pot and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
- Slowly pour in the broth, scraping the bottom of the pot with your spoon as you go to dislodge any cooked-on bits.
- Add tomatoes and remaining ¾ teaspoon of salt and bring to a low simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting the temperature as needed, for 2 to 2½ hours, until meat is tender.
Temper Sour Cream
- Measure sour cream out into a medium bowl. Ladle about ¼ cup of cooking liquid into the sour cream and whisk until well-combined. Repeat this process until sour cream is very warm to the touch.
- Pour sour cream mixture into the pot and stir to combine. Add lemon juice, pepper, and more salt to taste.
- Serve over egg noodles, potatoes, or spaetzle, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Recipe Adapted From: The New York Times Magazine
Roasted sweet potatoes are an easy and crowd-pleasing side dish that can be prepped in just minutes.
These roasted sweet potato cubes are one of my absolute favorite fall side dishes. They’re super simple to throw together and roast up beautifully with creamy insides and sweet and salty flavor that goes so well with almost any main dish.
Ingredient Notes
- Sweet potatoes: Sweet potatoes come in a variety of colors, and you can roast any of them, but I recommend going with the red/orange-skinned, orange-flesh varieties for their flavor and creamy texture. Lighter color, white-flesh varieties are also quite good if you prefer a firmer sweet potato. I don’t love purple sweet potatoes for roasting.
- Olive oil: Olive oil not only keeps the potatoes from sticking to the tray as they bake but adds flavor as well. Don’t skimp on it!
- Salt and pepper: Sweet potatoes are delicious when roasted with just salt and pepper, but you can use your favorite seasoning salt or blend if you prefer. Or experiment with flavors like chili powder, cumin, or paprika.
Yams vs Sweet Potatoes
And a quick note on yams vs sweet potatoes so you don’t get confused at the grocery store. For years in the US, we’ve been calling the “soft” variety of sweet potatoes yams as a way to differentiate them from “firm” sweet potatoes, which cook up firmer and waxier than the soft varieties. If you’re buying it in a large US supermarket, it’s probably a sweet potato, no matter what the label says. True yams are actually an entirely different type of tuber.
- True Yams: Native to Africa and Asia. They have a distinctive bark-like skin and are starchy and not very sweet. Not usually very common in US chain grocery stores.
- Sweet Potatoes: Smoother skin with tapered ends. Sweeter than true yams and come in a variety of colors from white to red to purple.
Long story short, when you go shopping for sweet potatoes, don’t worry if the thing you’re buying is labeled “yam.” As long as it looks like a sweet potato, that’s almost certainly what it is.
How to Cut Sweet Potatoes for Roasting
If you’ve never cut a sweet potato before, you might be a little surprised at how dense and difficult to cut through they can be compared to a regular potato. Using the proper cutting method will make your job a lot easier (and safer).
If your potatoes have very long skinny ends, with a sharp knife, cut them off before starting. Then cut a ½-inch piece off of one side of the sweet potato. Set the piece aside and turn the potato onto the cut side so you have a flat, stable surface for the potato to rest on and then cut it into ½-inch slices.
One at a time, cut each of the slices into ½-inch cubes, and you’re all set.
This also works for cutting them into fries or large chunks. Just adjust your cuts as necessary.
How to Roast Sweet Potatoes
- Once you’ve cut your sweet potatoes into evenly sized chunks, transfer them to a large baking sheet and add oil. Toss them really well with the oil and then spread them out in a single layer over the baking sheet.
- Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and bake, shaking the pan every 10 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
How long does it take to roast sweet potatoes?
Depending on the size of your sweet potato chunks, roasting sweet potatoes at 425°F should take between 20 and 30 minutes.
What’s a good dipping sauce for sweet potatoes?
If you want to dip your potatoes in something I recommend making a quick batch of garlic aioli or Greek yogurt aioli . The tangy aioli is so good paired with sweet potatoes and takes only minutes to make.
What to Serve With Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Serve the sweet potatoes as a side dish along with meaty mains like:
- Tri-tip
- Marinated Steak
- Roasted Chicken
Or use them instead of meat in tacos, burritos, and salads. One of my absolute favorite ways to serve roasted sweet potatoes is topped with my easy chili recipe and a little sour cream and shredded cheese.
You Might Also Enjoy
- Roasted Red Potatoes
- Smashed Potatoes
- Mashed Potatoes for Two
- Baked Parmesan Zucchini
- Microwave Sweet Potato
Ingredients
- ▢ 2 pounds sweet potatoes peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
- ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ▢ Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F.
- Place sweet potato cubes on a large rimmed baking sheet and drizzle them with olive oil.
- Mix the cubes until well-coated and spread them out in a single layer on the baking sheet.
- Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, shaking the tray every 10 minutes, until sweet potatoes reach your desired level of doneness.
- Add more salt and pepper to taste, serve and enjoy!
This easy hot chocolate recipe is made with just three simple ingredients. It’s quick and delicious, perfect for those times when you need some hot chocolate NOW.
Have a craving for hot chocolate but don’t have any hot cocoa mix in your cupboard? No worries, I’ve got you covered.
If you have milk in your fridge and cocoa powder and sugar in your baking cupboard, you can make and be sipping a creamy, fabulous cup of hot cocoa in about 5 minutes.
Ingredient Notes
- Milk: Any milk can be used here (plant-based works just fine). The higher fat the milk, the richer your hot chocolate will be. For an extra rich and creamy drink, try substituting half and half or heavy cream for some of the milk.
- Cocoa powder: Both natural and Dutch-process cocoa powder will work for this recipe, but Dutch-process cocoa powder is considered the gold standard for hot chocolate.
How to Make Hot Chocolate
To make hot chocolate on the stovetop, whisk together cocoa powder, sugar, and a bit of water over medium heat to make a chocolate syrup and then whisk in milk and a pinch of salt and heat until steaming.
To make hot chocolate in the microwave, combine cocoa powder, sugar, and water in a mug. Stir until well-mixed and microwave for 15 seconds. Stir until smooth and then add milk. Microwave 1 to 1 ½ minutes, until steaming. Stir once more, and enjoy!
Then curl up under a fluffy blanket with a cookie or two (I recommend shortbread or gingerbread ), and enjoy a cozy evening in.
Variations
Want a little hot chocolate upgrade? Try…
- Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate : Stir a spoonful of peanut butter into your hot chocolate and top with peanut butter sauce .
- Richer/Creamier Hot Chocolate: Use whole milk or replace ¼ cup of the milk with heavy cream.
- Baileys Hot Chocolate : Replace ¼ cup of the milk with Baileys Irish liqueur.
- Extra Chocolaty Hot Chocolate: Toss in a small handful of chocolate chips or chopped chocolate to melt just before adding the milk.
- Peppermint Hot Chocolate: Crush a candy cane and add it to your hot chocolate when you add the milk.
Can I make a big batch of this?
Yes! As written, this is a hot chocolate recipe for one, but you can scale up the recipe with no preparation changes needed. To change the yield, in the recipe card below, hover over the serving size or click if you’re on mobile, and slide the slider.
What are the best hot chocolate toppings?
Whipped cream and marshmallows are obviously the classic hot chocolate toppings, but you can also add:
- Crushed candy cane
- Chocolate shavings
- Sprinkles!!
- A scoop of vanilla ice cream (seriously, so good)
- Fudge sauce or Nutella sauce
- Chopped up candy (like M&Ms and peanut butter cups)
How can I make spiked hot chocolate?
Spiked hot chocolate is really easy to make. Just make your cup of hot chocolate and then add the alcohol of your choice to taste (usually 1 to 2 ounces/2 tablespoons to ¼ cup).
Baileys and other Irish cream liqueurs are my favorite, but other good spiking options are:
- Kahlua and other coffee liqueurs
- Flavored vodkas like marshmallow or whipped cream
- Peppermint schnapps
More Hot Chocolate Recipes to Try
- Rich and Thick Hot Chocolate
- The BEST Crockpot Hot Chocolate
- Pink Hot Chocolate
- White Hot Chocolate
- Chai White Hot Chocolate
- Frozen Hot Chocolate
Recipe Notes
This recipe makes 1 cup of hot chocolate, enough to fill an 8-ounce mug. To fill an oversized mug, 1 ½ or double the recipe.
Ingredients
- ▢ 2 tablespoons ( 25g ) granulated sugar
- ▢ 1 tablespoon ( 7g ) cocoa powder
- ▢ 1 tablespoon water
- ▢ 1 cup milk any percentage
- ▢ Pinch of salt
- ▢ Whipped cream optional for topping
- ▢ Mini marshmallows optional for topping
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, over medium heat, combine sugar, cocoa powder, and water. Stir until sugar and cocoa powder dissolve.
- Add milk and salt and stir. Heat until the mixture reaches your desired temperature, stirring occasionally.
- Pour into an 8-ounce mug and top with optional whipped cream or marshmallows if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutritional Information (non-fat milk) Nutritional Information (2% milk) Nutritional Information (whole milk)
Easy Hot Chocolate for One
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ( 25g ) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ( 7g ) cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 cup milk any percentage
- Pinch of salt
- Whipped cream optional for topping
- Mini marshmallows optional for topping
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, over medium heat, combine sugar, cocoa powder, and water. Stir until sugar and cocoa powder dissolve.
- Add milk and salt and stir. Heat until the mixture reaches your desired temperature, stirring occasionally.
- Pour into an 8-ounce mug and top with optional whipped cream or marshmallows if desired. Enjoy!
