We Found The Best Hot Chocolate Powder in India – Mishry

International television, if nothing else, has brought about a tremendous change in the way we eat and celebrate today. Yes, enjoying a mug of hot chocolate during the winter season included.

Hot chocolate is a deliciously decadent milk and chocolate based beverage that is best enjoyed whilst snuggling in a cozy corner. Although traditionally hot chocolate is made using a bark of silky, rich chocolate melted into heavy cream or full fat milk, the instant versions are available in powdered form with some nibs here and there.

In the quest to find out the Best Hot Chocolate Powder In India, we selected seven brands that are easily available online and offline. Hot Chocolate Powders by Country Bean and Tiggle were chosen as our Top Picks for their rich chocolate flavor and superlative aroma.

Here is how we chose the best hot chocolate powder in India.

A quick table highlighting the 7 Hot Chocolate Powder brands in India: 

What are we looking for while searching for the best hot chocolate powder? We are looking for a hot chocolate powder with an enticing aroma, rich chocolate flavor, balanced sweetness and excellent mixability. A clean ingredient list is an added plus.

1. Flavor

Rich, intense, and chocolaty. 

‘Melted or liquid chocolate in a mug’ was what we were looking for, in terms of taste. Which brand offers the most premium cocoa flavor with a well-rounded sweetness?  

2. Aroma

Does the aroma change when the powder is made into a beverage? Did it intensify or become subtle?

3. Mixability 

How effortless or challenging was mixing the hot chocolate powder with milk? Was a spoon enough, or did it form lumps? A balloon whisk, a hand blender, what tool did we use to ensure an even consistency?

4. Other Observations 

Ingredients – While none of these claim to be ‘healthy’, we’d appreciate it if a brand mentions the type and percentage of cocoa they add, the sweetener they use. What type of thickeners are added? Does it have any flavor enhancers, colors?

Value For Money – Considering the other ingredients you’re required to add, the time and effort for preparation, which brand is the most economic pick? Does the quality justify the pricing?

Packaging and shelf life are supporting factors. 

Our review process to find the best hot chocolate powder was divided into two broad stages:

Dry Tasting – We gauged the following points in this segment – aroma, color and taste. In addition, we also noted which hot chocolate powder delivered the maximum chocolate flavor.

Taste Test – Stage 2 involved us tatsing this with milk. We made the hot chocolates as per the instructions on the pack. The measurements were not standardized as each brand can have different ratios and methods to make a mug of hot chocolate.

No extra sugar, dry chocolate powder, marshmallows etc were added.

Our Experience

First things first, Country Bean’s Hot Chocolate powder mixed seamlessly in milk. Our beverage developed a rich, chocolate brown hue and an enticing aroma. Moreover, as we kept stirring the two components (powder and milk), the beverage started turning thicker and more luscious. 

In terms of taste, this was heavenly. Premium, rich, and intense, this was not an all-sweet hot chocolate, which we really liked. That said, this wasn’t bitter either, it had prominent notes of dark chocolate. The pinch of salt enhances the flavor of chocolate further. 

Priced at Rs 499/- for a 200 gm pack, this is priced higher than most brands but delivers spectacularly on flavor.  

Product Highlights

A 200 gm cardboard cylinder jar of Country Bean Hot Chocolate is priced at Rs. 499. It has a shelf life of 9 months. The ingredients include – Dark couverture buttons (cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, sugar, vanilla, soya lecithin), cocoa powder, sugar, cornflour & salt.

Our Experience

Just by a whiff of this mix, we knew Tiggle Hot Chocolate would be a hit among kids, and it was!

Similar to the earlier contender, Tiggle’s powder was easy to mix, no lumps were formed. This had a fairly deeper hue than others but the aroma was sweet and chocolatey. As for the taste, this was equally delicious. Tiggle’s hot chocolate was a sweet(er) beverage, but it wasn’t overwhelming or didn’t take away from the flavor of chocolate. The cocoa flavor was quite decadent, but the addition of sea salt enhanced it even more. 

The ingredient list is fairly impressive as it contains no additives. So taste-wise kids are bound to like it and ingredients-wise, mums wouldn’t be too bothered.

Product Highlights

A 220 gm pouch pack of Tiggle Hot Chocolate is priced at Rs. 329. It offers a shelf life of 6 months. The ingredients include – Cocoa, Sugar, Sea salt, Cinnamon, and Pinch of cornflour. 

Our Experience

A familiar chocolatey aroma, Hershey’s hot chocolate mix had a commendable mixability. No complaints here.

This can be added to hot or cold milk, as desired. However, for our review, we mixed one serving (20 g) to a mug of hot milk and stirred until it was completely dissolved. We observed the beverage thickened a bit.

The taste, just like aroma, was quite familiar. The flavor of cocoa was rich, it felt premium, and undoubtedly delicious. The sweetness was balanced too. 

However, this wasn’t one of our Top Picks, as we tasted significantly better brands. 

Product Highlights

A 250 gm plastic tub of Hershey’s Hot Chocolate powder is priced at Rs. 215. It has a shelf life of one year. The ingredients include – Sugar, cocoa solids (29.6%), Vitamins & minerals (Vitamin c (ascorbic acid), Iron (ferric pyrophosphate ), Zinc (Zinc sulphate), Vitamin E (Acetate), Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine), Vitamin D1 (Thiamine chloride hydrochloride), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin A (Acetate), Vitamin B9 (Folic acid), Vitamin D2 (Ergocalciferol), Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin)), and flavor (artificial flavoring substances – vanilla). 

Our Experience

This is lightly bitter, but not in a bad way, and has a wholesome chocolate flavor. We loved it for the medium-range sweetness.

The only reason this was not our Top Pick? There were tastier, richer and more chocolaty contenders in the running. 

Product Highlights

A 200 gm carton of this cocoa hot chocolate powder from Christopher is priced at Rs. 250. It comes with a shelf life of 12 months. The ingredients include – Dark chocolate, couverture button (50% of weight) (cocoa solids, sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier INS 322, 476), sugar, and cocoa powder.

Our Experience

We liked Bevzilla’s Hot Chocolate for the rich chocolate flavor paired with a jaggery-like sweetness and what tastes like a tinge of salt. Jaggery, as a sweetener, has a prominent caramel-y flavor which can hinder with other prominent ingredients like coffee or chocolate. Thankfully it doesn’t happen here.

We like how balanced this is, but the chocolate richness and intensity we were looking for is comparatively lower.

Product Highlights

A 250 gm box pack of Bevzilla Hot Chocolate is priced at Rs. 499. It has a shelf life of 12 months. The ingredients include – Date palm jaggery, Cocoa powder, and Natural identical flavor. 

Our Experience

Cadbury’s Hot Chocolate, although pocket friendly, lacks the intense rich chocolate flavor we were looking for. It’s much sweeter, and is not meant for those who want a darker, richer mug of hot chocolate.

This is the most commonly available one on multiple portals, so it does get marks for easy availability. 

Product Highlights

A 200 gm tub of Cadbury’s Hot Chocolate powder is priced at Rs. 180. It comes with a shelf life of one year. The main ingredients seen here are – Sugar, Cocoa powder (30%), Artificial (vanilla) flavoring substance.

Our Experience

Scoopski’s Instant Hot Chocolate did not win because of its peculiar, unpleasant aftertaste. Yes, it’s chocolaty and the sweetness is balanced but the overall flavor is so odd, almost muddy, that we did not go back for seconds.

Product Highlights

A 250 gm pouch pack of Scoopski Instant Hot Chocolate is priced at Rs. 399. The shelf life it offers is 6 months. The ingredients include – White Sugar, Coconut Sugar, Natural Cocoa Powder, Dark Compound, Corn Flour. Alkalized Cocoa Powder, Chocolate Buttons, Starch, and Salt.

Hot chocolate is a thick and hot drink made essentially by melting solid chocolate in hot milk or cream. It is rich in taste, smooth and a decadent warm beverage best enjoyed during winters.

How is hot chocolate traditionally made? 

The inception of hot chocolate began as early as 500 BC in Mexico. The original hot chocolate recipe was made with a mix of different ingredients including – ground cocoa beans, water, cornmeal and chili peppers. 

Later on, the Europeans defined their version of hot chocolate using unsweetened cocoa powder, dark chocolate, or bittersweet chocolate. Despite being cold and bitter tasting, it gained a lot of popularity and finally made its way to Spain. 

In Spain, hot chocolate was served as a hot, sweetened beverage without the use of chili peppers. 

Finally , when hot chocolate was introduced in London in the 1700s, the overall taste was enhanced as the recipe now included mixing chocolate with milk. This in turn made the drink more palatable which is now enjoyed worldwide as an after dinner beverage. 

Why did we pick Country Bean (Premium) and Tiggle as our Top Pick?

Three keywords – Rich, intense and chocolaty. Country Bean and Tiggle are both excellent brands of hot chocolate powders that deserve a place on your shelf.

Country Bean (Our Premium Pick) has darker notes of chocolate and Tiggle is better suited for the younger audiences or people who like slightly sweeter notes of chocolate.

Here are some interesting FAQs on hot chocolate powder brands

Christmas movies? Check.

Fuzzy socks? Check.

The tastiest hot chocolate? Oh, yes!

Tiggle and Country Bean have the tastiest hot chocolate powders in India. Their chocolate intensity and richness is the best amongst all the brands we tested. The ingredient lists, too, are better than most.

Your preferred winter drink – hot chocolate or kehwa?