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Whip up this homemade hot chocolate recipe to have on hand all season long – it’s quick, easy, delicious, and perfectly giftable!
Homemade Hot Chocolate
The Merkleys love hot chocolate! It’s our favorite drink in the winter, but we love it so much, we’ve been known to enjoy this hot chocolate recipe year-round.
We know it may be easier to grab the packet and hot water, but we guarantee if you try this recipe, you’ll realize why we love it so much. It’s so rich and creamy, and is especially perfect when we cozy up to watch a Christmas Hallmark movie or for driving around to check out Christmas lights.
If you love all classic Christmas Drink Recipes, be sure to check our other favs like: Mint Hot Chocolate, Mexican Hot Chocolate, White Chocolate Peppermint Hot Cocoa, and even Frozen Hot Chocolate.
WHY WE LOVE IT:
- Easy to make. You need just a few ingredients and a few minutes!
- Giftable. Check out our Hot Chocolate Gift Idea. For extra fun, add candy canes, cinnamon sticks, or marshmallows!
- Just the way you like it. Adjust the ingredients or add extra flavors and spices to get the taste you love.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOK TIME: 3 minutes
- 2½ cups powdered sugar – (aka confectioners sugar), sift to eliminate clumps
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder – natural baking cocoa, cacao powder, or Dutch-processed cocoa powder NOT chocolate milk mix or hot chocolate powder
- 2 cups powdered milk – Use whole milk powder or non-fat dry milk powder (found in the baking aisle). Some powdered milk has a strange aftertaste – Morning Moo, Judee’s, Bob’s Red Mill, or Carnation are my favorites.
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- mini marshmallows
Add Extra Flavor
- Mix in a few white chocolate chips
- Stir in mint, peppermint, almond, or vanilla extract
- Add spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin spice, or cayenne pepper
- Use flavored coffee creamer
- Stir the hot chocolate with cinnamon sticks or candy canes
- Top with mini marshmallows or Homemade Whipped Cream
How to Make Homemade Hot Chocolate
- COMBINE. In a large bowl, whisk 2½ cups powdered sugar, 1 cup cocoa powder, 2 cups powdered milk (or instant nonfat dry milk), and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Mix to combine well.
- STORE. Pour into storage containers and add mini marshmallows, if desired. Keep in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 6 months.
- MAKE COCOA. To make cocoa, mix ¼ cup hot cocoa mix with ¾ cup warm milk (the higher the fat content the creamier it will be), hot water, or non-dairy milk.
Hot Chocolate Temperature
The ideal temperature for hot drinks is between 160-185°F. Using the microwave is easiest for small amounts. Use a saucepan on the stovetop, a crock pot, or a hot cocoa maker for larger amounts.
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Hot Chocolate Recipe
Ingredients
- 2½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups powdered milk
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- mini marshmallows
Instructions
- In a large bowl, sift powdered sugar, cocoa powder, powdered milk (or instant nonfat dry milk), and salt. Mix to combine.
- Pour into storage containers and add mini marshmallows, if desired. Keep in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 6 months.
To make a cup of cocoa
- Mix ¼ cup hot cocoa mix with ¾ cup warm milk (the higher the fat content the creamier the cocoa), water, or non-dairy milk.
- The ideal temperature for hot drinks is between 160-185°F
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Store this homemade hot cocoa recipe in one large airtight container. It can be kept in the pantry or cupboard for at least 6 months.
Freeze for a year or more.
We drink hot chocolate year round and this one is delicious!
I love giving this hot chocolate mix to my neighbors for the holidays because they can save it for later if they become overloaded with too many sweets from the other neighbors. 🙂 The kids love the addition of the mini-marshmallows too!
The temps are finally going down a little & I’m already ready for hot chocolate. We made this recipe so much last fall & winter. It’s so rich & chocolatey, it’s my favorite!