Easy homemade hot cocoa mix made with a few simple ingredients like powdered sugar, powdered milk, and cocoa powder that's perfect to mix with hot water or milk for homemade hot chocolate.
Did you know that making your own hot cocoa mix is super easy and it only has 5 simple ingredients in it?! I love making homemade hot cocoa mix because it is so simple and budget-friendly. I also love that the ingredient list is short and familiar. Plus making hot cocoa mix like this and storing it in a reusable container really cuts down on waste that individual packets of hot cocoa mix can make. So no matter how you cut it, making DIY hot cocoa mix at home is a great option.
When you live in Utah (where we get a fair amount of cold and snow) and you have five kids who love to play outside in the cold and snow, you go through a lot of hot cocoa in the winter. It's a perfect treat after sledding and I normally make a big batch of popcorn to go with it. We love that salty, crunchy popcorn snack with our smooth and sweet hot cocoa.
Tips and Tricks for Making Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix:
- Use a dutch-processed cocoa here to help make sure the cocoa isn't bitter. The container will normally indicate if it's dutch-processed, so just be on the lookout for it.
- This recipe makes a great gift when given in a pretty container or with a set of mugs.
- The salt balances the sweet and the cornstarch makes the texture smoother - don't skip them.
- I'm obsessed with these Crow Canyon Home enamel mugs. I think you need some.
Flavor variations and serving ideas for your hot cocoa mix:
- Stir in a few chocolate chips (or a Hershey's Kiss) into your cocoa while it's hot to make it extra chocolatey.
- Use a candy cane to stir your hot chocolate for peppermint hot chocolate.
- Add a few marshmallows, a dollop of whipped cream, or even a sprinkle of cinnamon to the top of your prepared hot cocoa to change things up.
- Use hot whole milk instead of water to make your hot cocoa extra creamy.
How do you make hot cocoa mix in a jar?
Simple! All you do is add the ingredients to a large bowl, stir, and then use a funnel or a small scoop to transfer the cocoa mix to a jar. You can use a mason jar with a screw-on lid or use a cute jar with a clamp down lid. Use whatever you have around the house!
Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 cups of cocoa mix 1x
Description
Easy homemade hot cocoa mix made with a few simple ingredients like powdered sugar, powdered milk, and cocoa powder that's perfect to mix with hot water or milk for homemade hot chocolate.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 ½ cups powdered milk
- 1 cup cocoa
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and stir with a wire whisk to combine.
- Store in a large air-tight container in the pantry - it will keep for a long time.
- When ready to use, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of hot cocoa mix to 8 ounce of hot water or milk. Add more mix to taste. Stir well to combine.
Notes
- Use a dutch-processed cocoa here to help make sure the cocoa isn't bitter.
- This recipe makes a great gift when given in a pretty container or with a set of mugs.
- The salt balances the sweet and the cornstarch makes the texture smoother - don't skip them.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Category: drink
- Method: no bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: hot cocoa, hot chocolate, drink, quick and easy, chocolate
Love chocolate? Here are a few other chocolate recipes that you might like:
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread
- Easy Chocolate Shortbread Cookies Recipe
- Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes
- Small Batch Double Chocolate Brownies
I hope you enjoy this mix to keep you warm and cozy this winter! Enjoy this recipe from my kitchen to yours!
L
I love this recipe; it's so simple and delicious! My husband stays in hot chocolate mode from November through March, so it's nice to have a huge batch of this always ready.
★★★★★
Kris R
I was looking for a way to get away from the high fructose corn syrup and sucralose they are adding to my favorite brands. My kids love this! I am making a double batch next time.
★★★★★
Melissa
So glad you liked it! I just made a batch this week too!
M
Just made this to try and it comes out kind of chunky when made, then I processed the whole mix to make a powder and it still comes out with bits of stuff. Could that be the dried milk doing that?
My family won't drink it, so if you have a suggestion to fix it, that would be awesome or it's a lot of ingredients down the drain 🤔. Thanks
Melissa
Hey, sorry for the slow reply, I've been out of town and blog comments don't have an out of office auto-responder like email does. What was chunky when you but it all together? My only guess would be the milk and it should still mix in when you add the hot water or milk and stir, does it stay chunky when you add the liquid? That's very odd.
Hansen Jill
Just made this w/ a couple changes due to ‘supply’ issues. Made my gran. sugar powdered in my super blender, added a heaping Tbsp. buttermilk powder & put all in my blender to make a powdery mix. To cool it off, added a bit of heavy cream to hot cocoa & a little peppermint flavored vodka . . . it’s cocktail hour here😉
★★★★★
Lisa
I made this hot cocoa mix for a gift and it turned out great! Dutch-processed cocoa is the way to go! I will be making more of this!
★★★★★
Chris
Amazing mix! Best cocoa I ha e ever had, and my kids agree. 😁
★★★★★
Bev
Hello! Dumb question. If I triple the recipe then I just evenly divide between three Mason jars, correct?
Melissa
Yes ma'am, just mix up as big of a batch that you like and store it how you like, if you have a big Tupperware that would work, multiple jars, one big jar, whatever you have. As long as it was all mixed and measured together it'll be fine to store it however works best for you!
Elisha @UseHealthTips
really like it, drink this every night, but yes I personally don't like to drink too much cornstarch, so I make without the one, still so yummy, thanks for sharing this, always wanted to try it but after seeing your blog,, really got confident 🙂
megan
you could try arrow root starch it a healthier alternative to corn starch
Melissa
Yes, I think it would work great!
deb c }i{
My mom made hot choco mix...the recipe came from a tupperware party. I hated it because it always tasted like tupperware! Bleck! I've made one similar to yours...its so yummy....you are totally right about the dutch process chocolate and cornstarch...it just makes the flavor and texture perfect! I'm gonna have to make a batch of yours now. Gotta be ready for any snowstorms heading our way! Oh...it must be time to dehydrate some marshmallows too!
★★★★★
Alicia
Sounds delicious! Thanks for posting this.
Melissa
It's a thickener that makes the cocoa just a little bit smoother than it would be otherwise - it takes out some the the wateriness and adds that velvety chocolaty texture.
Alicia
What a cool recipe! May I ask what the cornstarch does?