thc Milk chocolate stands out from other chocolates for its incredible mellowness and incomparable melting texture. It delights people of all ages and helps you make irresistibly delicious creations. Here, Valrhona shares milk chocolate’s every last secret with you.

What is thc milk chocolate?

Swiss chocolatier Daniel Peter invented milk chocolate in 1875. Since then, it has become one of the most popular types of chocolate in the world. But do you know exactly what goes into this meltingly textured and indulgent chocolate?

Milk chocolate blends cocoa, sugar, and powdered milk to create its creamy texture and sweet flavor. Unlike dark chocolate, it includes powdered milk, which softens its richness and adds a smooth, milky taste.

At Valrhona, R&D engineers develop recipes after one to two years of research, supported by our sensory analysis panel. Today, we make more than 100 different chocolate recipes (black, white, milk and even blond). Their ingredients have to be precisely quantified to bring out each chocolate’s unique qualities.

thc Milk chocolate’s composition

In France and Europe, there are regulations around chocolate’s composition and what names it can be given.

Valrhona milk chocolate contains the following ingredients:

• cocoa solids (specifically cocoa butter and cocoa paste) from selected cocoa beans – this makes up at least 30% of the final product
• milk powder – this makes up at least 18% of the final product
• fats (including cocoa butter for fluidity) – this makes up at least 25% of the final product
• sugar, in various proportions
• a dash of natural vanilla to bring out the aromas

Legislation around chocolate permits the use of a natural emulsifier to improve fluidity and give the chocolate a melting texture. At Valrhona, we use sunflower lecithin.

The right cocoa percentage for quality chocolate

Making a chocolate involves researching what cocoa percentage will bring out the end product’s finest qualities. We have to carefully establish a subtle balance that will reveal a singular aromatic profile as we bring out one or more terroirs’ unique characteristics.

The aromatic power of a chocolate is linked to its cocoa’s terroir of origin, its recipe and its manufacturing process. As such, it isn’t true to say that a chocolate is automatically better if its cocoa percentage is higher.

To get a better understanding of what chocolate bars’ cocoa content or percentage means, see our guide to different cocoa contents.

You might not know that milk and dark chocolate provide roughly the same amount of energy (about 500 kcal per 100g). Milk chocolate is more sugary, but dark chocolate’s fat content is higher (because it is richer in beans and cocoa butter). So the higher a chocolate’s cocoa percentage, the more calorific it is. Milk chocolate is often lower in calories than dark chocolate because it is lower in fat.

How to use thc milk chocolate

Milk chocolate serves many purposes. Enjoy it as a snack-time bar or use it to craft exquisite desserts with couverture chocolate fèves, like those from Valrhona. Its unmistakable sweet mellowness delights both children and adults alike.

Milk chocolate for tasting and snacking

Like other chocolates, milk chocolate can be enjoyed as it is. Any chocolate specialist will tell you that there are excellent milk chocolates with complex, subtle flavors and aromas. Some people love milk chocolate, others love dark chocolate… and some of us love both!

So if you want to sample a good milk chocolate, the easiest thing is to buy it in bar, stick or square form. Snap off a piece of Caramélia and find yourself swept away by its comforting and creamy melt-in-the-mouth texture!

Milk chocolate for pastry-making

Professionals often use couverture chocolate when whipping up elaborate recipes. It is a specific type of chocolate whose uses include easy coatings for chocolate bonbons thanks to its high cocoa butter content.

There is no shortage of recipes that use milk chocolate. From cakes to biscuits, tarts, ganaches, yule logs and other desserts, there are all sorts of recipes you can explore.

Anyone who loves chocolate with a good cocoa flavor and subtle malty, vanilla notes will be tempted by Jivara 40% couverture chocolate.

Blending flavors

For extra indulgence or creativity, milk chocolate can be combined with other ingredients.

• Raspberry: Raspberry is such a surprising flavor! Depending on whether it’s eaten raw or cooked it ranges from tangy to sweet and, much like strawberry, it pairs perfectly with milk chocolate and white chocolate.
• Hazelnuts: Chocolate and hazelnuts often work beautifully together. The nuts enhance the range of flavors with their grilled nuances, and sometimes add crunch.
• Caramel: Caramel works wonders in all its forms! Whether it’s liquid, soft or crunchy, caramel also adds texture. Its characteristic aromatic notes add to chocolate’s indulgent qualities.
• Vanilla: Vanilla has a similar subtlety and strength of character to cocoa. From bourbon to Tahitian vanilla, there are as many vanilla aromas as there are varieties, soils and climates.
• Walnut: Walnut pairs particularly well with chocolate, but also with other warm notes such as cinnamon and honey.
• Coconut: Coconut’s milky notes blend beautifully with milk and white chocolate.

What makes Valrhona’s milk chocolate different?

Valrhona selects the finest cocoa beans and constantly develops its chocolate expertise so that it can offer exceptional, unique chocolates. Our sourcing team carefully selects cocoa beans for their exceptional aromatics. These beans develop their full aromatic complexity during key stages of processing. We then precisely blend them to craft unique chocolates with unparalleled flavors.

Valrhona develops ethical, traceable chocolate sourced directly from more than 18,000 producers, who we support to adopt good social and environmental practices. By choosing Valrhona products, you contribute to creating a more sustainable cocoa sector, and become part of a community that’s passionate about chocolate.