Lombardia

Gusta White Hot Chocolate

4.540 reviews

White chocolate cioccolata calda (Italian hot chocolate) from Lombardia. No cocoa solids, made with cream and coconut.

$23.97

Purchase type
  • White chocolate cioccolata calda, Milanese tradition
  • Ships from our New York warehouse in 1-2 days
  • Free shipping over $75
A wood-paneled Italian cafe with a brass urn, marble bistro table, and a cup of thick hot chocolate beside biscotti.
Place
Lombardia is Italy's largest dairy-producing region, with cream and milk coming from the Alpine foothills north of Milan. The white chocolate version of cioccolata calda draws on that dairy tradition: refined coconut fat, cream powder, milk. It is the richest of the five.
Hot chocolate streaming from a stone mill into a glazed earthenware bowl in a sunlit workshop.
Process
Refined coconut fat and cream powder form the base; corn starch sets the thickness when heated and milk proteins give the drink its body. There are no cocoa solids: what you see is the color of cream, shifted slightly by annatto and curcumin, both listed on the label. Ten ingredients.
A man scooping cocoa powder from a linen sack into a tin canister on a marble counter.
People
We work with the family in Lombardia who makes the full hot chocolate line. The white version is the sweetest and richest of the five: more cream, more fat, a different register from the cocoa-based drinks. It pairs well with the almond biscotti.

What's inside

Ingredients
Sugar, corn starch, refined coconut fat, cream powder, glucose, milk powder, natural flavour, thickener: guar gum, milk proteins, salt, stabilizer: sodium phosphate, natural colourings: annatto-curcumin. No cocoa solids. No artificial flavors. No artificial colors.
Certifications
  • Made in Italy
  • Gluten-Free
Contains
Milk (milk powder, cream powder, milk proteins). Gluten-free.

How to use it

Empty 1 sachet into 1/2 cup (120ml) of whole milk. Heat over medium, whisking, until smooth and thick, about 2 minutes. Pour into a teacup. Sweeter and richer than the cocoa-based versions.

Pairs with

Questions

  • Does it contain caffeine?
    No. White chocolate contains no cocoa solids and therefore no caffeine. It is the version to make in the evening or for children.
  • Why is there a yellow tint to the drink?
    That color comes from the cream, coconut fat, and a small amount of annatto and curcumin, both listed on the label. It is what cream looks like. It is not a defect.
  • How is this different from regular hot chocolate?
    White chocolate has no cocoa solids. The flavor and richness come from cream powder, coconut fat, and milk. It is sweeter and richer than the cocoa-based versions, with no bitterness.
  • Does it contain dairy?
    Yes. The white contains milk powder, cream powder, and milk proteins. Not suitable for those with a milk allergy.
  • Is the mix complete?
    Yes. Add half a cup of milk per sachet, heat, and stir. Everything else is in the sachet.
  • Can I adjust the thickness?
    Yes. More heat equals thicker. It is richer than the cocoa versions, so a little goes a long way.
  • How long does it keep?
    Sealed sachets: cool, dry place, 12 or more months. Prepared: refrigerate and drink within 2-3 days.
  • How is this shipped?
    From our New York warehouse via Amazon fulfillment. In-stock orders ship in 1-2 business days. Free shipping over $75.
  • What if it arrives damaged or I don't love it?
    Write to us. We refund within 60 days, no questions.

Reviews

  • 5 stars: 27 (68%)
  • 4 stars: 8 (20%)
  • 3 stars: 4 (10%)
  • 2 stars: 1 (3%)
  • 1 star: 0 (0%)
S
SHARON B.
Much too sweet

I couldnt finish a small cup. Even with extra milk the sweetness took over. not for me

S
Sarah Miles
Sweet and thick

Like melted white chocolate in a cup. very rich, so make a small serving. Perfect rainy night drink

M
Monica
Sweet cozy cup

Very sweet, very cozy. I added a pinch of salt and it was perfect for my daughter after skating.

D
DONNA R.
Arrived fine, tasted fine, nothing more

Not bad but not memorable. The white chocolate flavor is present but subtle. For what I paid I expected it to be more distinctly good. Fine product. Probably wont reorder.

n
nm_reads
Simple joy

simple joy in a tin. been ordering every season for two years.

g
grayson_t
Creamy and smooth and good

Creamy and smooth and genuinely good. No complaints.

E
Erica
Meh

Meh. Sweet. Drinkable. Not exciting. My kid liked it. I did not.

S
STEVEN L.
Reorder #3

Reorder number three. Still great. Still my daughter's first ask on cold mornings.

M
Michael Torres
Warmer than expected

I expected it to taste thin and sweet. It's warm and rich and the sweetness is there without overpowering. Good calibration.

M
Maria L.
My go-to holiday gift

I've given this to four different people this year. All four messaged me after. One said 'where has this been all my life.' Thats how you know.

m
mlewis7
Decent

decent. kids liked it. thats probably the right audience.

r
rbmcallister
Office hit

Brought a tin to work and made it for a few colleagues. Three people asked for the link within the same day.

C
CAROL A.
Works with every kind of milk

Tested this with whole milk, oat milk, and coconut milk. Whole milk is obviously richest. Oat milk was surprisingly good. Coconut milk turned it almost tropical which was interesting. Good starting point no matter what you use.

F
Francesca N.
Great dessert alternative

stopped eating sweets at night but still wanted something comforting. this is exactly that. warm, sweet, not too much. drinking a cup now.

j
jsmith92
Really good white hot chocolate

really good. thats the review. the sweetness is right and it doesnt taste fake.

B
Ben
My partner only drinks this now

I bought this for myself. My partner tried it once and now we need two tins a month because she went through mine in a week.

P
Paul D.
Gift idea that always lands

Brought two tins to a holiday dinner as a hostess gift. Both were opened immediately. Everyone at the table wanted to try some. Very strong gift.

k
kdc_2017
Fine hot chocolate

Good. Not wow. Sweet, creamy, does what it says. Just wasnt the standout experience some reviews describe.

J
JAMES W.
Winter ritual with the kids

Saturday mornings from November through March: this on the stove, kids at the table, nobody on their phone for a few minutes. That's what this tin represents in my house.

s
sunrise88
Expected more depth

I expected something richer. This is sweet but thin. I would have liked more actual white chocolate intensity. Fine as a treat but wont reorder.

D
David K.
Converted me from dark to white

I am a dark chocolate person. I bought this by accident. I am now a white hot chocolate person, at least in winter. The creaminess of it is something else.

s
sunrise88
Perfect

Perfect.

k
kdc_2017
My daughter's favorite thing we've ordered

My daughter (8) discovered this. It is now her official request for every cold weekend morning. We have ordered four tins since October.

S
Susan M.
Good for gifting

Nice gift. Recipient was pleased. Tin arrived in good shape. Flavor I assume was good given the positive feedback.

m
mlewis7
Sweet but not candy-sweet

Sweet but not candy-sweet. The difference matters. This is white chocolate flavor without the artificial edge. Good on its own, better if you top it with a bit of foam.

T
Tom
Genuinely impressive

White hot chocolate gets dismissed as not serious. This is serious. The flavor is rounded and real, not artificially sweet. Made it with oat milk and it was excellent.

D
David K.
Pretty good

pretty good. my partner likes it more than i do. she rates it five. im rating it four. we compromised on four.

S
Susan M.
Kids prefer it to hot cocoa mix

My kids tried this and now they wont touch the packet hot cocoa mix anymore. I say this as both a compliment to Gusta and a mild inconvenience to my grocery budget.

P
Patricia
Crowd favorite at book club

Brought this to book club thinking it would be a nice thing to have. It was the most talked-about thing all night. Had nothing to do with the book.

j
jsmith92
Just ok

just ok. too sweet for me even with less milk. not bad. just not for me.

L
LINDA P.
OBSESSED

OBSESSED. my daughter asked me to stop making it every night so there would be some left for her. we compromised.

T
Tom
Nice but expected more thickness

Good flavor, real white chocolate, no complaints there. Just hoped it would be thicker. Made it with whole milk and it was still a bit thin. Might try adding less milk next time.

J
Jennifer Rodriguez
Better than any white mocha I've paid for

I order white mochas at coffee shops constantly. This is better. Made it at home with steamed milk, very little effort, tastes like something I'd pay eight dollars for at a cafe.

G
Giulia F.
Reminds me of a cafe in Milan

Had something similar years ago at a small place in Milano. This brought that back. Creamy, slightly sweet, more complex than you'd expect from the description.

Six Italian regions. Nothing reformulated. Imported direct.