This Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix is rich and so chocolatey! It’s made with two types of chocolate and is perfect for gifting around the holidays. Stop drinking the store-bought pouches of powder and make this easy homemade mix with real chocolate!
“Made this recipe a few weeks ago. Amazing! My teenage sons have deemed it more dessert than drink. It is our new go to hot chocolate recipe.” – Mel b, So Much Food reader
Table of contents
The Best Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix
Hot chocolate and the holidays are basically synonymous! There’s something so special about enjoying holiday mornings with a steaming cup of rich hot chocolate. It’s also the perfect treat for a cold night, paired with snuggles on the couch and a good movie. I feel cozy inside just writing that.
Unfortunately, most store-bought hot chocolate mixes have hydrogenated oils, preservatives, and other undesirable things in them. The good news is that when you make it at home, none of that gets included, and the results are still delicious!
This homemade hot chocolate mix is made with real, recognizable ingredients and you get to control the quality. It takes 5 minutes to throw everything in the food processor and then you’ve got a delicious mix that you can store for the season!
Jenny’s Tip: Try mixing a couple of spoonfuls of this hot chocolate mix into your morning coffee for a special treat.
Jenny’s Tips for Making Your Own Hot Chocolate Mix
Use quality ingredients. When you’re making something that has so few ingredients, they should always be the best. Use high-quality chocolate and cocoa powder for best results.
Don’t use chocolate chips. Chocolate chips contain stabilizers which keep them from melting well. Buy bars of chocolate and chop them up. I always buy the Pound Plus bittersweet bars from Trader Joe’s.
Make your hot chocolate with milk. Can you mix this into water? Yes, but milk yields the best and creamiest hot chocolate. I also always add a bit of vanilla to the milk and it is SO good.
Tools You’ll Need
The Key Ingredients
Jenny’s Tip: Hot chocolate vs hot cocoa. Surprise! They’re actually two different drinks! Hot cocoa is made with cocoa powder for a lighter flavor and thinner texture, while hot chocolate is made with real chocolate for a super rich drink.
- Chocolate. This is not the recipe for using chocolate chips. Opt for a large bar of chocolate and chop it up. I always buy the giant bars of chocolate from Trader Joe’s for all my baking needs. Go for a semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate.
- Cocoa powder. Opt for dark dutch process cocoa powder. It’s richest and has the best flavor. I used the Rodelle brand.
- Sugar. Granulated sugar is the play here, it tastes better than powdered sugar IMO.
- Powdered milk. If you can find powdered whole milk, that makes the creamiest mix. Nonfat powdered milk works fine too, so does goat milk powder.
- Salt. A pinch of salt helps balance out the sweet.
- Spices. You can add a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg for a spiced hot chocolate mix.
How to Make Hot Chocolate Mix Yourself
Jenny’s Tip: You definitely need a food processor for this recipe to break up the chocolate into a fine powder!
- Roughly chop the chocolate. Doing this makes it easier for your food processor to grind the chocolate to a fine powder.
- Process. Add the chocolate, cocoa powder, and powdered milk to the food processor and process until smooth. Add the sugar and salt last and process for just 20 seconds.
- Prepare. Combine warm milk, a splash of vanilla, and your desired amount of DIY hot chocolate mix in a saucepan and then serve.
My Favorite Toppings for Hot Chocolate
Whipped cream. Obviously a must! Homemade whipped cream makes hot chocolate that much better. Whisk cold cream, a bit of powdered sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form.
Chocolate shavings. Always a beautiful way to jazz up a cup of hot chocolate.
Marshmallows. I’m a sucker for mini marshmallows! I also just discovered chocolate-covered peppermint marshmallows from Trader Joe’s and I’m obsessed!
Cookie straws. You can find these delightful chocolate filled cookie straws everywhere! Pepperidge farm makes them and Trader Joe’s have a great version too.
Storage Instructions
Once you’ve made your hot chocolate mix, store it in an airtight container or jar. The recipe makes about 4 cups of mix, so I used a large glass mason jar. Store in a cool, dry area for up to 2 months.
If you do give this recipe a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!
More Cozy Holiday Drinks to Make
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Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 oz bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate (NOT chocolate chips)
- 1/2 cup dutch process cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 cup whole milk powder
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Chop the chocolate. Using a sharp knife, chop your chocolate into small pieces. This makes the work a bit easier on your food processor.
- Process. Add the chopped chocolate, cocoa powder, and powdered milk to the food processor and process until smooth and no chunks of chocolate remain. Add the sugar and salt and process for 20 seconds.
- Store. Store the homemade hot chocolate mix in an airtight jar or container for up to 2 months.
- Prepare. Warm milk in a saucepan with a bit of vanilla and whisk in hot chocolate mix to your desired taste. (I suggest starting with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the mix per 1 cup of milk. You can adjust the ratio to your liking from there!)
Notes
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Rate & Review This Recipe
I have printedout many recipes like this. No one ever tells us how much of the mix to use per cup. That makes planning how much to make impossible. For an 8 ounce cup how much mix do you recommend? Thank you so much.
The truth is, Sue, that’s really up to the reader! How I make my hot chocolate might not be the way you enjoy it, so I typically let the reader determine amounts. I would start with 2-3 tablespoons for 8 oz of warm milk and see how you like it. You can always add, but you can’t take away. Hope you love the recipe!
Made this recipe a few weeks ago. Amazing! My teenage sons have deemed it more dessert than drink. If is our new go to hot chocolate recipe.
I’m just wondering if you add this to milk or water when you’re making a mug? The recipe has powdered milk in it, but the directions say to whisk this into milk with vanilla. It sounds delicious, and I guess I could try it both ways to figure it out. But I’m looking for a recipe that I can add to water.
Ha, nevermind my previous comment, I just read your post more closely and see your suggestion for milk or water. Thank you!
No problem! You can definitely do it with either, milk is just richer which I prefer.
Just made the hot cocoa recipe, it was easy with food processor. I warmed my milk added some mix and it is delicious.