Cozy up with the best homemade Hot Cocoa recipe! It's rich, creamy, and made from scratch, with real ingredients. It tastes so much better than a store-bought mix.
5-minute Hot Cocoa that's Better than a Packet
Honestly, it doesn't take me much longer to make this hot cocoa drink from scratch that it does to boil water and stir in a packet. Plus, I always have the ingredients. It's ready in just 10 minutes using one pot, and the flavor is so rich and satisfying.
Be sure to use a high quality unsweetened cocoa powder–it will make all the difference! My favorite it Ghirardelli or Guittard brand unsweetened cocoa powder. And you can use a low-fat milk (or any dairy-free milk), but whole fat milk will make it more creamy.
Try more homemade drinks, like Frozen Hot Chocolate, Pumpkin Spice Eggnog, or Classic Homemade Eggnog, or a Boba Smoothie.
How to make Hot Cocoa:
Make the Cocoa Base: In a saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk together the cocoa powder and sugar. Add a dash of salt and the boiling water (I add boiling water because it will help the cocoa powder immediately bloom” and give a richer flavor). Bring the mixture to a gentle boil while stirring constantly, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 2 minutes.
Add the Milk and continue stirring until the cocoa is steaming hot, but not boiling. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in vanilla.
Serve: Divide hot cocoa among four insulated mugs, then top each with a splash of half and half. Let this homemade hot cocoa recipe cool slightly before serving, and don’t forget a dollop of whipped cream on top, if you’d like!
Follow me for more great recipes
Hot Cocoa
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup boiling water
- dash of salt
- 4 cups whole milk , divided
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
-
Combine the cocoa and sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add a dash of salt and the boiling water.⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, dash of salt, ⅓ cup boiling water
-
Bring to a slow boil, stirring continuously. Once boiling, turn down to a simmer and stir continually for 2 minutes.
-
Stir in 3 ½ cups milk and heat until very hot, but not boiling. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Divide between 4 mugs.4 cups whole milk, ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
-
Serve: Add another splash of milk to the mugs of cocoa to cool it to drinking temperature, if desired. Top with whipped cream.
-
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Rewarm on the stove over low heat, stirring frequently.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Follow Me
I originally shared this recipe November 2013. Updated November 2019, February 2024 and November 2025.
from Tastes Better From Scratch https://ift.tt/jBdQun2 subscriber.email_address }}
0 Comments