The Best Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix
The perfect blend of chocolatey flavor with one little secret ingredient makes this the Best Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix Recipe around. Rich, chocolatey flavor that’s perfectly creamy….great for cold winter nights and fantastic as a homemade gift.
Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix
Who loves Hot Cocoa? I used to be addicted to the packets of instant hot cocoa that our office used to buy in bulk. It wasn’t until I made my own Homemade Hot Cocoa recipe that I realized my addiction just got an upgrade.
Commercial Hot Cocoa mix, like Swiss miss, is loaded with stabilizers and other mystery ingredients but my homemade hot cocoa is made with simple ingredients so you can whip up batch after batch all season long.
I had some stellar hot chocolate in my lifetime and once you have something so amazing it makes your toes curl you can’t go back to the packet. You’ll crave this when you want a rich, creamy mug of hot cocoa.
It All Starts with the Best Ingredients
- Sugar – Confectioners’ Sugar is a powdered sugar that blends well when stirred into hot liquids like milk, cream or water. It’s also known as icing sugar.
- Cocoa Powder – I use a combination of dark cocoa powder and unsweetened cocoa powder for the richest flavor. You can use all dark cocoa powder or natural cocoa powder. You can substitute with Dutch -Process cocoa powder.
- Milk – Powdered milk, also known as milk powder, adds creaminess while keeping the cocoa mix shelf stable.
- Vanilla – I use powdered vanilla to add a hint of vanilla notes to the cocoa mix. If you can’t find powdered vanilla, you can substitute with powdered vanilla coffee creamer or just add a splash of vanilla extract to your hot chocolate when you make a cup of it.
- Salt – To balance the sweetness, I add a bit of kosher salt.
- Cornstarch – Adding cornstarch to cocoa mix prevents caking and helps thicken the milk.
- Chocolate – Dark Chocolate Chunks are added for garnish, they’re optional and can be skipped or substituted with milk chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate.
- Marshmallows – The marshmallows are also added for packing and garnish. You can skip them if making this hot chocolate mix for your pantry.
For the full ingredient list, measurements and instructions, see the recipe card below.
How To Make Hot Cocoa Mix
I have no idea what they put in the Hershey’s hot cocoa but I had to make something better than the store bought packets of powdery mix with pantry staples and so, I spent a few days pondering on exactly how to make the Best Hot Cocoa Mix recipe ever.
I started by trying out some recipes I found on the internet and I tested so many recipes until I found one I could start with.
This one from Alton Brown was my favorite so I adapted it a bit to make it even better, I added something super special to the mix that was a bit of genius, if I do say so myself. I whisked in a bit of Vanilla Powder, which is just powdered vanilla you can buy online (affiliate), to the mix taking something already pretty amazing and making it completely bonkers, insanely delicious.
- Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.
- Whisk together to combine.
- Transfer to an airtight container.
- Store for up to 6 months.
That’s it, it’s so easy!
To make hot chocolate using hot cocoa mix, heat whole milk, coconut milk, almond milk or heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until steaming or in a mug in the microwave then stir the mix. You can also use hot water to make hot chocolate. Serve with marshmallows or whipped cream to enjoy during the cold months ahead.
What is Hot Cocoa?
Hot Cocoa or Hot Chocolate, Drinking Chocolate or Chocolate Tea is a beverage consisting of melted chocolate or cocoa powder mixed with heated milk or water and sugar. It can be topped with just about anything you like, we love a dollop of whipped cream.
The best hot cocoa (or should I call it hot chocolate…it can get confusing) I ever had was in the chocolate capital of the world, Hershey Park. Yeah, they sell the good stuff there. It’s like melty, liquid, chocolate crack.
And they only have it there in the winter because who wants to be sipping that stuff when it’s 90 degrees in the shade during the summertime. But in the winter, when you just spun around on a ferris wheel in 32 degrees and your face feels like it’s going to crack in half if you try to smile, that’s when you need a big cup full of this molten heaven that is the most perfect homemade hot chocolate.
Hot Chocolate vs. Hot Cocoa….are they the same thing?
The short answer, yes and no. Technically, Hot Chocolate is made by melting chocolate shavings in hot milk and Hot Cocoa is made with cocoa powder. But you can make hot chocolate with cocoa powder and chocolate shavings so, in essence, they are the same.
Hot Chocolate has a thicker, richer consistency where Hot Cocoa is a bit thinner and the added sugar makes it quite a bit sweeter. You can make your hot cocoa richer by stirring it into a mug of steaming half and half.
Hot Cocoa is so easy to make you’ll want to make a big batch to last all winter but I urge you to double or TRIPLE the batch and give it to your friends.
Or give it to people you want to be friends with. OR mail it to your favorite celeb crush and THEY will want to be friends with you. Bonus points if you send along some of these homemade Gingerbread Cookies with Royal Icing made from scratch.
How to Make a Hot Chocolate Bar
If you decide to keep all your Hot Cocoa Mix to yourself, you can use it to create an epic holiday Hot Chocolate Bar. To set up your Hot Cocoa Bar, simply make the entire recipe for Hot Cocoa in a slow cooker or crock pot for guests to serve themselves.
- Homemade Marshmallows (They’re so easy, it’s scary!)
- These super fun Snowman Toppers are so cute.
- Mix in a bit of Bailey’s, Frangelico, Chocolate Liquor or a drizzle of chocolate syrup.
- Serve with cinnamon sticks, candy cane, or Biscotti
We also use this Hot Cocoa Mix to fill out festive Hot Cocoa Bombs! They’re super fun to make and even more fun to melt.
Either way….make a gigantic batch of the Best Hot Cocoa Mix and ruin your kids forever because they’ll never let you buy it at the store again. It’s simple and spectacular.
More Easy Hot Chocolate Recipes
- Mexican Hot Chocolate
- Polar Express Hot Chocolate
- Crockpot Hot Chocolate
- Funfetti Birthday Cake White Hot Chocolate
- Hot Chocolate Charcuterie Board
Want more fun food inspiration? Follow us on Instagram!
Get the Recipe: Hot Cocoa Mix Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 1/2 cups powdered milk
- 1 tablespoon Powdered Vanilla
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 cup dark chocolate chunks
- 1 cup mini Marshmallows
Equipment
- 1 whisk
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, both cocoa powders, powdered milk, vanilla, salt and cornstarch until combined.
- Transfer the mixture to an airtight container. Layer with chocolate chunks and marshmallows.
- Store at room temperature indefinitely.
- To make the cocoa:
- Whisk 2 1/2 heaping tablespoons cocoa mix with 1 cup hot water or steamed milk until dissolved.
- Serve immediately.
Video
57 Comments on “The Best Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix”
How many jars do you get from 1 batch and what size? I would love to give as gifts and will need more than 1 batch of jars, so this info would be helpful when ordering the jars. I can’t wait to try this, it looks so yummy!
It makes about 6 cups (including the chocolate chips and marshmallows called for in the recipe card) so I use 8 or 16 ounce jars (depending on my mood) and then just load them up with extra chocolate chunks and marshmallows to top them off.
Hello! Are you using Dutch processed cocoa?
I use a mix of unsweetened cocoa powder (not dutch) and Special Dark which is a blend.
Do you have a powered milk brand that you recommend?
I usually use Cardinal but I’m not married to it. 🙂
Have you thought of swapping out the corn starch for Instant Clear Gel? Might need some adjustment in the recipe amounts but you wouldn’t have to worry about getting the starch to a specific temperature to get it to activate? I L-O-V-E your combination of cocoa powders; Special Dark is a secret I always keep in my baking pantry. It makes my chocolate bakes super-rich. Thanks for this recipe, it’s amazing!
Forgot your rating…Can I give it ten stars! Keep up the great work
You sure can! 🙂 Thank you so much!
You’re welcome! Thanks for the tip but Instant Clear Gel is hard to find for some readers so I wanted to use something that’s easily accessible.
Umm….. cocoa powder is cocoa powder. There is no “dark” or regular. There is regular cocoa powder and then dutched and then black/ extra dutched powders but that’s it.
You can only delineate between actual chocolate that is not in powdered form by using dark or milk as it is in reference to the milk added to make the couverture. Then there are % of dark cacao depending on the % of cacao verse coco butter in it.
Anyway, while companies may use ridiculous marketing, please use your soapbox to write actual ingredients that exist since the recipe as written makes no sense.
I really hope you actually keep this comment and don’t moderate it away so folks can actually learn something.
That’s actually incorrect. Hershey’s sells a cocoa powder and a Special Dark Cocoa Powder….whether marketing or not, those are the products you find on the shelves and what consumers/readers will find in the stores. I try to keep things simple as most individuals are not as informed in the processing of cocoa powder. It’s a recipe for Hot Cocoa…..plain and simple.
Kellie,
Love this recipe! And in your ingredients, you are right for using the term dark when referring to the Special Dark. It’s a cocoa that falls outside the three main categories of cocoa, being natural, dutched, and black. Special Dark is a combination of natural and dutched, so its not quite as dark as a black cocoa, but its easier to sub out for either natural or dutched because of the way its a blend of the two without having to worry about adjusting your levening agents in baked goods. I have a recipe handed down from my Gran that I put my own spin on, she used natural, I use Special Dark. Its amazing and it works so well in your hot chocolate recipe. Keep up the great work, Kellie. You’re a rockstar!
Thank you so much!
Just wanted to chime in here. I might be misunderstanding, but I looked this up myself, a whiel back; it seems that Hershey’s Special Dark WAS a blend of natural and dutched cocoa, but now it’s purely dutched:
https://www.hersheyland.com/products/hersheys-cocoa-special-dark-100-cacao-cocoa-8-oz-can.html
A lot of people are unhappy about this, but they recently reformulated it, as you can see by the comments on their official product page. :\
I just wanted to let you know since you said you were using it for baking–I think WILL be different for leavening now!
I hope you have a nice holiday, Deb (and everyone else reading this!) 🙂
Thank you so much for the information…..the more you know! 🙂
Thank you Kellie! I appreciate this cocoa recipe and your use of common consumer language. It makes cooking and gifting approachable. I did actually have a dark colored and a light colored cocoa in the pantry. They were from different companies and probably different processes- who knows. They both went in the mix and it’s delicious. Now this fam is on the third batch at least!
Thank you so much! That makes me happy your family loves it as much as we do!
Hi
I’m a little confused about the cocoa powder. You have two listed in the recipe. I have the dark chocolate cocoa what would the other cocoa powder be? And aren’t they both unsweetened? Thank you so much.
Stephanie
They are both unsweetened! Thank you!
Hi Kelly, is powdered sugar the same as icing sugar. Love your recipes
It is! Thank you so much!
Hi Kelly, I love your recipes. In regards to the Hot Cocoa Mix, is powdered sugar, what we refer to as icing sugar?
Yes, it is.
I made this today and it is delicious!!! The best hot chocolate I have ever had.
Where did you get the jars? I would love to give as gifts for Christmas.
They’re Weck Canning Jars, you can get them online or at Crate and Barrel.
Can’t WAIT to try this!!! I can’t stand the packets anymore either. 🙂 Question….do we stir/mix in the chocolate chips and marshmallows too for each serving, or are they just to make the gift jars look pretty? Thanks!
You can stir the chocolate chips and marshmallows in, too! Plus, they’re pretty. 🙂
Just had my first cup a minute ago…..and it is AMAZING. Thank you!!!!! 🙂 I didn’t even add the chips and marshmallows, since I don’t have them yet, but oh wow. It’s a winner!!! Will be perfect for my half-coffee-half-cocoa drink too. 🙂
This hot cocoa mix turned out so well! It is so creamy and delish! I am absolutely adding jars of this to my Christmas baskets!
I’m so glad you loved it!
Do you use non-fat dry milk or whole powdered milk?
I use whole powdered milk but non-fat dry milk will work, too!
This is so comforting! I need to try this ASAP!
Yes! You really do!
Homemade holiday gifts are the best!
This looks good. I’m wondering about the cornstarch though? What would happen if I left that out?
It would not get as thick and creamy.
I’m not sure if it is just me or if I’m doing something wrong. This didn’t turn out very sweet or creamy, kind of watery with a slight cocoa taste. The only difference I can think of is I used non-fat dry milk instead of whole, but you said it would work. I also didn’t add chocolate or marshmallows, although I sprinkled in some dehydrated mini marshmallows.
Non fat milk is definitely going to change the consistency as will the omission of chocolate and real marshmallows.