I don’t drink coffee, so I’ve become quite the avid hot chocolate drinker. When everyone else is getting coffee and you’re at a coffee shop, it’s just not fun to drink water so I always order a hot chocolate. I’ve had some really good hot chocolates before and some really not great, watered down, ones. I’ll be honest, I regularly grab the hot chocolate mix packets and just make myself a mug at home but there’s just nothing like homemade hot chocolate – not even the packets. So I typically leave the packets to use for things like these hot chocolate Christmas muddy buddies and this hot chocolate dip. The packets of flavor are perfect for both of those! Whipping up a batch of homemade hot chocolate is way easier that you’d probably think. Plus, it’s an easy and delicious way to get your hot chocolate fix! This recipe takes just about five minutes to make and you can top it with whatever you want – whipped cream, marshmallows, or any of the toppings I had on my hot chocolate bar, for a special treat!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Good for a crowd – need hot chocolate to warm up your entire family after a day of sledding or doing one of these Christmas activities? This recipe is perfect for making a big batch of hot chocolate!Balanced chocolate flavor – since I know not everyone loves super rich hot chocolate and I know people don’t love watered down hot chocolate, this recipe has a nice balanced chocolate flavor that’s universally liked! 5-minute recipe – like I mentioned before, you can make a batch of this in five minutes or less depending on how quickly your stove will boil the ingredients! Who doesn’t love 5-minute recipes?!
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Whole milk – it’s important to use whole milk in this recipe because you need the full fat content to give this homemade hot chocolate its richness. Mini marshmallows – I’ve included mini marshmallows in my ingredients list only because I personally don’t think hot chocolate is hot chocolate without marshmallows. You can leave them out or top it with anything else you’d like instead!
How to make homemade hot chocolate
Alright are you ready to see how easy is to make homemade hot chocolate? Start by combining the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a large pan. Mix it together with a wooden spoon just to distribute these dry ingredients around in the pan. Add water to the mixture, turn on the pan to medium-high, and heat to boiling. Once the mixture boils, boil it for another two minutes, stirring constantly so the chocolate mixture doesn’t melt. I’ve done that and it does not taste good. After you’ve boiled for two minutes, add the milk to the pot and heat the pot back up so the entire mixture is warm but do NOT boil. You don’t want boiled milk in this, trust me. If your stove heats quickly or heats hot, I recommend adding the milk and turning the heat to medium-low and letting it gradually warm up. Remove from the heat and serve as soon as your homemade hot chocolate reaches the temperature you want. You can make it super hot (but again, don’t boil) or just warm it enough for it to be considered hot chocolate without scorching your tongue (also not fun). Once it’s ready, carefully pour into individual glasses, mugs, or even thermoses. Let people top their homemade hot chocolate with whatever toppings they’d like. I prefer marshmallows or whipped cream (fresh whipped cream is best). You could also serve with hot chocolate spoons, candy canes for stirring, or really anything else to make the experience of drinking hot chocolate a more enjoyable one.
Expert Tips
Hot chocolate should be enjoyed immediately. While technically you could refrigerate the leftovers and warm up later, it just doesn’t taste the same. And this recipe is so simple, it’s easier to just make a fresh new batch! Transfer to a warm slow cooker or crock pot if you’d like to keep this warm throughout a party. Just keep the slow cooker on low heat throughout the party so you don’t scorch the drink.
More Easy Drink Recipes
If you like hot chocolate, you’ll love these other drinks!
Thanksgiving punch – this delicious fall punch combines cranberry and orange along with some other flavors for a delicious holiday drink!Spiced apple cider – if you like apple cider, you have to try this spiced version that’s warmed up in both flavor and temperature!Caramel apple drink – this fancy caramel apple mocktail combines sparkling cider and caramel in a delicious and fun drink!Christmas punch – one of my favorite punches ever, this one combines Sprite, apple cider, and some secret ingredients in a flavor combination that’s just delicious! Holiday punch – if you like sherbet punch, this is the punch for you!
