To serve several cups without sweetening each one separately, choose a chocolate drink powder that’s ready to measure out. If tastes differ, unsweetened cocoa lets you adjust the cocoa and sugar in each cup, but takes a little more preparation. Compare sugars per 100 g, the recommended serving and the ingredients of the product you choose. If you’re buying milk in advance, UHT milk can be stored outside the fridge before opening, but must be refrigerated afterwards.
You want to have enough powder and milk without having to prepare each cup from scratch when it’s time to serve. UHT milk can be stored at room temperature while its packaging is intact. Once opened, it needs to be refrigerated, as Les Produits Laitiers points out.
You’d rather compare the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g and the serving size than rely solely on a claim on the front of the pack. A ‘less sugar’ powder is not the same as unsweetened cocoa.
You want to adjust the cocoa, sugar and milk separately for each cup. Unsweetened 100% cocoa, such as the one featured by Auchan, gives you that option, but you’ll need to make up the drink rather than use a recipe that’s already sweetened.
First, decide between a recipe that’s already sweetened and cocoa you can mix to taste. Then check how much you’ll need for the number of cups you’re planning to serve. UHT milk is a separate purchase from the powder: it can only be stored outside the fridge before opening.
Choose this if: you want to measure out a ready-sweetened recipe for several cups.
Bear in mind: the sugar content and ingredients are set by the recipe you choose.
Choose this if: you want a ready-to-measure mix while comparing its sugar content with other powders.
Bear in mind: ‘less sugar’ doesn’t mean ‘sugar-free’; the figure depends on the product.
Choose this if: everyone would like to adjust the cocoa and sugar in their own cup.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to prepare the drink and measure out the ingredients separately.
| Criteria | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Serving and milk | Compare the weight of the powder with the serving size per cup. If you want to store milk outside the fridge before opening, choose UHT milk and follow the pack instructions once opened. | When I have several friends coming over, I want to have enough milk and serve the cups without interrupting the preparation. Around 40% of consumers would prioritise this need to serve and plan ahead. |
| Sugar in each serving | Compare the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g across powders, then check the serving size per cup and any ingredients added to the drink. | If I want to control the sugar in each cup, a ‘less sugar’ claim isn’t enough to help me decide. This would be the main criterion for around 30% of consumers. |
| Taste and ingredients | Read the ingredients, the stated cocoa content and the allergen information for the specific product. | When everyone around the table has different tastes, I want to tailor each cup without overlooking ingredients that some guests need to avoid. Around 30% of consumers would prioritise taste or suitability. |
Poulain lists 52 g of sugars per 100 g for Grand Arôme Moins de Sucres. The claim indicates a difference, not an absence of sugar.
Compare the ‘of which sugars’ figure on the same per-100-g basis, then check how much powder is recommended per cup.
According to the French Ministry of the Economy, displaying Nutri-Score is optional. Whether or not it appears on the pack, it doesn’t replace checking the nutritional information and ingredients.
Check sugars per 100 g, the ingredients and the allergens for the product you choose. Use Nutri-Score as an additional guide when it’s displayed.
Banania lists wheat and barley in its Original powder. The product information for Auchan’s 100% cocoa, meanwhile, warns that it may contain traces of several allergens. Switching recipes doesn’t mean you can skip checking the label.
Ask guests with dietary requirements what they need to avoid, and check the ingredients and any ‘may contain’ information on the pack you’re serving.
Storing milk at room temperature applies to UHT milk before opening. Les Produits Laitiers recommends refrigerating it once opened and using it promptly.
Allow for the amount of milk you’ll need for the cups you’re serving, open cartons as you go and follow the instructions on the packaging.
An extra opened carton could go to waste if it isn’t used in time.
Grand Arôme is available as a classic recipe and as a Grand Arôme Moins de Sucres variant.
Banania Original chocolate drink powder combines cocoa and cereal ingredients.
Carrefour France stocks classic Nesquik powders as well as ‘Moins de Sucres’ varieties.
The range featured by Carrefour France includes various chocolate drink powders and cocoa powder.
Auchan offers 100% pure, unsweetened cocoa powder, which you can use with milk to make a hot drink.
These products are worth considering if you’re making several hot chocolates. Their names and pack sizes offer a starting point for narrowing down your options. Check the nutritional information and ingredients of the variant you choose before serving.
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A size to consider if you’re planning to serve several cups.
400 g pouch. To compare this variant with a less sweet powder, check the sugars per 100 g on the packaging.
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A powder to consider if you want to compare the sugar content of ready-to-measure recipes.
400 g pack. The Less Sugar claim doesn’t mean the powder is sugar-free: check the nutritional values and serving size on the packaging.
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Another pack size to consider, depending on how many cups you’re planning to serve.
450 g pack, different from the 400 g product. Check the serving size and ingredients for this specific pack.
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If you’re making several drinks, compare the 1 kg pack with smaller options.
VH2 and ‘34%’ identify this variant. Check the ingredients list to find out exactly what the percentage refers to.
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A large pack to consider if you’re preparing several cups.
1 kg pack. Check the ingredients and allergens for Bananina Original on its packaging; don’t assume they’re the same as those of another brand.
No. According to the French Ministry of the Economy, displaying Nutri-Score is optional in France. To compare pre-packed foods, check their nutrition declaration, particularly the ‘of which sugars’ figure per 100 g, as well as the ingredients list.
No. Article 1613 ter of the French General Tax Code, in the version in force on 1 September 2026 and published by Légifrance, applies to drinks and liquid preparations for drinks, subject to its conditions. Dry powder and a ready-to-drink beverage should therefore not be treated as the same thing. Whether a liquid product falls within the rules depends on how it is presented and the conditions set out in the legislation.
Yes. UHT milk can be stored at room temperature before opening, as long as its packaging remains intact. Once opened, put it in the fridge and follow the storage time stated on the carton. Les Produits Laitiers points out that it should then be used promptly.
Unsweetened 100% cocoa lets you measure out the cocoa and sugar separately for each cup. Make sure you also have enough milk for the recipe, and check the allergen information for the product you choose before serving guests who need to avoid certain ingredients.