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This homemade Hot Chocolate Mix is made with cocoa powder and real chocolate! It’s easy to make, super creamy when mixed with milk or water, and makes 20 servings.
You can also gift this hot chocolate mix in cellophane baggies tied with ribbon and nestled into thrifted Christmas mugs for a sustainable homemade present.
If you love hot chocolate, try my Hot Cocoa Cheesecake. It’s rich, creamy, and baked (which is the best kind of cheesecake, in my opinion).
Not to scare you, but have you looked at the ingredients in store-bought cocoa? I was shocked by the additives and artificial ingredients, so I decided to make my own. After weeks of experimenting I’ve perfected homemade Hot Chocolate Mix, and it tastes infinitely better than anything on store shelves.
My secret? It uses not just unsweetened cocoa powder but also a finely chopped chocolate bar for rich, complex flavor and luxurious texture. My recipe also contains milk powder that’s made with real whole milk. The result is a simple cup of cocoa that tastes like it came from a fancy café, not a packet!
For more chocolatey things you can gift this holiday season, try my Hot Fudge Sauce, Peanut Clusters, Christmas Crack Cookies, or this Nutella Puppy Chow.
Video Tutorial:
Hot Chocolate Mix Ingredients
Here’s everything you will need to make your own hot cocoa mix at home. There are a few important notes, so keep reading.
- Powdered Milk: Not all powdered milks are made the same, so you’ll want to look for a brand that is only made with milk. I use and recommend Anthony’s.
- Granulated Sugar: This is what makes the hot chocolate sweet. Raw cane sugar works great, and so does this Vanilla Bean Sugar.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Adds chocolatey flavor without the sugar. Don’t mistakenly buy Dutch-processed cocoa, it’s not chemically the same
- Chocolate Bar: This is the magic ingredient. It not only makes the hot cocoa more chocolatey, but it also helps make it more creamy. I use a 70% cocoa chocolate bar from Aldi because you get the chocolate flavor without it being overly sweet from the sugar level.
- Salt: This boosts all those chocolate flavors, so don’t leave it out!
Choosing the Right Chocolate
This ingredient is how you get to customize your Hot Chocolate Mix! It makes all the difference in how it will taste too, so I recommend choosing your favorite chocolate. To help you choose here’s a sweetness scale of chocolate.
- Milk Chocolate: Contains the most amount of sugar and the lowest amounts of cocoa.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate: Sweet but with a little more cocoa, 35% to 65% depending on the brand.
- Dark Chocolate: Ranges typically from 60% to 80%. For something with balance you’ll want to choose a 60% or 65% bar. For a stronger cocoa flavor with a little less sweetness, go for the 70% bar like I did.
- Bitter Chocolate: contains the least amount of sugar and the highest amounts of cocoa being 80% or more.
How to Make Hot Chocolate Mix
1. Combine Ingredients. To a food processor, add the powdered milk, granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, finely chopped chocolate bar, and salt. Blend until you don’t hear bits of chocolate clanking around. Store in an airtight canister for up to 6 months.
2. Mix and Serve. Stir together 3 to 4 tablespoons with 8 ounces of warm milk or water. I personally use 4 ounces of milk and 4 ounces of water for the perfect cup of cocoa.
Find the complete recipe instructions with measurements below.
Helpful Recipe Tips
Use high-quality ingredients. Because this recipe is only 5 ingredients, you want them to be good! Make sure you’re choosing chocolate that suits your taste preferences and a milk powder that contains only milk. Those two things are the most important.
Mix up your hot chocolate with a handheld milk frother. This inexpensive and handy little tool not only makes more smooth hot chocolate, but it also reduces the amount of sediment in the bottom of your cup. That’s a win win.
Gift this Hot Chocolate Mix during the holiday season. In my picture below you will see how I package it up. Basically I put some in cellophane baggies, tie it off with ribbon and a gift tag, then set it down into thrifted Christmas mugs. It makes gifting this sustainable and homemade which everyone loves.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
More Christmas Recipes You Might Enjoy
Hot Chocolate Mix
EQUIPMENT
- blender or food processor - I use this one
- glass canister - with airtight lid
- milk frother - handheld, the BEST way to mix up hot chocolate
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups whole milk powder - Anthony's
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup chocolate bar - finely chopped *read notes*
- ½ teaspoon salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- To a blender or food processor, add the whole milk powder, granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, finely chopped chocolate bar, and salt. Blend together until smooth and you don't hear the bits of chocolate clanking around.
- Store in an airtight jar or canister, in a cool and dry place for up to 6 months.
- To a heat-safe mug add 3 to 4 tablespoons of hot chocolate mix to 8 ounces of warm milk or water. Stir with a spoon or handheld milk frother until combined.
VIDEO
RECIPE NOTES
- To get 1 cup of chopped chocolate, I used a 4.4 ounce bar.
- Choosing Your Chocolate Bar: I used a 70% dark chocolate bar from Aldi that was the perfect balance of sweet and bitter. For a sweeter chocolate opt for milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate chocolate that is 60% cocoa and lower. For a more complex dark chocolate flavor opt for 80% or more.
Metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.
I made SEVERAL batches of this today as Christmas gifts for my Co-Workers. Had to try it first to be sure. It is DELISH!!! Filled each jar 3/4 full. Topped with Marshmallows. Put Christmas fabric between the lids and jars. Came out SO Cute and I know they’ll LOVE IT! 💕
Thank you so much for the hot chocolate recipe. Looking forward to make & enjoy it!