Need an easy recipe that yields great hot cocoa just like the store-bought mixes? Then this is for you!
For regular homemade hot chocolate—not from a mix and with less sugar—check out this recipe.
Here at MOMables, we are huge proponents of not buying what you can make yourself. One popular household staple is hot cocoa mix. Great for a hot treat on a cold day. Or even a warm one!
Most store-bought mixes are full of fillers and junk like artificial flavors—yuck! So not only can your mix be made on a cost-conscious budget, but it can also cater to individual tastes and food intolerances along with being much healthier!
DIY Hot Cocoa Mix
- Yield: 11 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup cocoa powder (Dutch-process preferred)
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 1/2 cups powdered milk (or non-dairy milk)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch (optional*)
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl or food processor, and mix well.
- Put 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the mix into a mug, and fill to 1 cup with hot water. Mix well.
Notes
Options to add to mix:
1 cup chocolate or white chocolate chips (whole or chopped via food processor)
Options to add to cup of prepared cocoa:
Marshmallows
Whipped cream
Pinch of cinnamon and/or cayenne pepper
Sprinkle of shaved chocolate
Sprinkle of crushed peppermint candy or candy cane
A shot of espresso, added before the hot water
If you prefer using fresh milk, leave the powdered milk out of the mix. Add 3 tablespoons of the powdered mixture to the mug, and fill to 1 cup with hot milk.
*The cornstarch is added to help prevent caking, so can be omitted if desired.
Recipe slightly adapted from Alton Brown.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
This makes a great gift too – just pack some in a jar or air-tight container and top with some homemade marshmallows, chocolate chips, or crushed peppermint candy. What a nice treat to say “Thanks!” or even “Just because.”
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This was a really good recipe great for a stay at home dad
★★★★★
Awesome! Glad you liked it!
I was looking for a recipe just like this. Wanted simple cocoa mix and then just add hot water. Thanks!!!
★★★★★
Hope you enjoy it, June!
Funny (or not)…I was just searching hot cocoa mix recipes and it turns out this is exactly the same as Alton Brown’s recipe from food network. C’mon girl, at least use a disclaimer.
He was given credit in the recipe (last sentence)in the notes section.
I don’t understand the people that complain on these recipes, heaven help us if two recipes for the same drink are similar. Oh my goodness, it’s plagiarism. Come on people. You have way too much time on your hands. If you don’t like the recipe then go to another website. Just leave other people alone. This is seriously ridiculous.
Thanks McKenzie. But it was sourced, in the recipe as needed and not plagiarized.
Yum! I’ve been looking for AGES for a homemade cocoa mix that we liked and that called for hot water rather than hot milk to use it. This is perfect. 1/3 c. in a mug plus 8 oz. of hot water (using my Keurig!) works perfectly. Stir and done. Cheaper than the hot cocoa k-cups, and no artificial sweetener like they contain. Thank you so much!
★★★★★
Delicious and very chocolatey! I used the Dutch process cocoa as recommended, and I used whole milk powder (as opposed to nonfat) which made it so creamy. It is easy to add a little extra sugar or cocoa powder to customize it to your tastes – I had a leftover bit of dark baking chocolate, so I grated it with a Microplane and added it to make the cocoa extra dark. :)
★★★★★
Yum. Delicious. Thanks for the great recipe :)
★★★★★
Blecch. I much prefer the Safeway brand. There isn’t much taste to this. Glad I made only half a batch to start.
★
what kind of chocolate did you use? did you modify the recipe correctly since you made half of it? because it’s very chocolatey and sweet.
Where do I get powdered sugar?
It is available at grocery stores near the granulated sugar.
Powdered milk is usually near baking supplies too, often with the condensed and evaporated milk. Non-dairy can be found at specialty groceries and online.
Tina, do you live in Canada? Powdered sugar is called icing sugar here… does that help?