How to Make the Best Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix
The Best Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix Recipe
Picture this: it’s cold outside and you’re sitting by the fire in your cozy pajamas enjoying a cup of delicious hot chocolate.
Ahhh, just the thought of it makes me want to schedule a staycation right now 🙂
No joke…if you say “chocolate” around me, I start to drool. It’s slightly embarrassing.
To say that I love chocolate is an understatement. The more chocolate, the better, in my book 🙂
In the winter, there is nothing better than a mug of piping hot (or at least lukewarm) hot chocolate.
It creates the feeling of instant coziness and makes even the coldest, dreariest days a little nicer.
Trust me, I have tried so many versions of hot chocolate that it might make your head spin. A few were amazing; I didn’t like some of them.
And the majority were bleh.
Buy it vs. Make it
So I did what I usually do and decided that it was time to create my own hot chocolate mix. How hard could it be, right?
I mean, I created my own taco seasoning mix, which is amazing.
But I found myself doubting whether I could pull it off with hot chocolate mix…remember how I said most mixes were bleh and I was looking for incredible?
A few years ago, I started making my own hot cocoa mix because
- It tastes amazing
- I believe that anything made at home is healthier than a comparable store-bought, mass-produced version
- It’s cheaper!
That little nagging thought told me that I needed to make my mix double chocolate at the very least.
And I wanted it to have a slight vanilla undertone in it.
So I set to work. First, I had to figure out how to tackle the vanilla undertone issue. I couldn’t put liquid vanilla extract into a powder base.
Amazon became my research spot to see if there was such a thing as Vanilla Bean Powder…there is!
I ordered some. Then I had to figure out how I was going to tackle the double chocolate goal.
I decided that my two types of chocolate would be unsweetened cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate chips.
The chocolate chips were basically turned into powder by putting them into the food processor.
I began playing around with ratios to get the chocolate to sugar to vanilla ratio just right.
Thankfully, my 3 kids and a couple of family friends were more than willing to be my taste-testers!
What I love about this hot cocoa mix
I love that it’s definitely chocolatey. It’s rich and smooth-tasting with just the right amount of vanilla undertones.
This gourmet hot chocolate mix is plenty sweet without being over the top.
And I love that it’s in bulk, so I can make it once and keep it on hand for a quick hot chocolate fix anytime.
Another benefit to this mix?
It’s a perfect DIY gift idea! Simply find a cute jar that you love, add a bit of colorful or festive fabric over the lid and tie it on with either a rubber band or some twine.
Easy peasy homemade gift!
Grab our recipe below and try making your own gourmet hot chocolate mix!
I’ve tried several versions of this hot cocoa mix, and my family loves this version! It gives a great chocolate flavor without being too sweet.
If you happen to like your hot cocoa a little sweeter, simply add more sugar to the recipe or put a few marshmallows into your cup while it’s still hot. Yum!
How to Make a Cup of Hot Cocoa From This Mix
Once you have the mix, how do you get a cup of hot chocolate? It’s simple 🙂
Mix 2-3 Tbsp (depending on how rich you want it to taste) into a cup of about 8 oz of hot water or milk.
The beautiful thing is that this recipe is a guide – adjust it how you like it.
If you want more than 8oz of liquid, use 10-12oz and adjust your hot cocoa mix amount to taste.
The hot cocoa labels (if you want to make this as a gift) give those basic instructions on them!
Creating the Best Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix in Bulk
This hot chocolate is rich, creamy, and delicious. It has a rich chocolatey flavor. Make some today and enjoy it all winter long!
Tell us in the comments: Who is the biggest hot chocolate drinker in your home?
When is your favorite time to drink hot chocolate (or give it to your kids)?
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| Prep Time |
| 5-10 minutes |
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I make this mix in bulk so that all I have to do when the kids want hot chocolate is spoon some into their cups! The rich, chocolatey flavor of this gourmet hot chocolate mix is sure to please the kid in all of us!
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- 3 cups cocoa powder dutch processed has more flavor
- 3 cups sugar
- 2 tsp ground vanilla bean powder optional
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Put sugar (and vanilla bean powder, if using) into a food processor and turn on the food processor to make the sugar more fine and powder-like.
- Let the food processor run for about 2-3 minutes. Remove and put in a large bowl.
- Put the chocolate chips into your food processor and turn it on. Continue blending until the chips become finely chopped pieces of chocolate (about 1-2 minutes), almost powder-like. Warning! This will be loud!
- Working in batches, combine all the ingredients into the food processor and turn on to blend together, about 2 minutes.
- As you finish each batch, dump your mix into a single bowl. Once all batches are completed, stir the powder mix in your bowl, and it's done!
- Put your hot cocoa powder into small jars to give away and add our free printable label for that final colorful touch, or store in an air-tight container.
Making Hot Chocolate:
Heat up a mug (about 8-10 oz) of milk (water can be used but won't taste as "creamy") until it's hot.
Stir in 1-2 Tbsp of hot chocolate mix into your mug. (adjust to taste)
Drink up! Enjoy!
Topping options: whipped cream, ground cinnamon, chocolate flakes, cocoa powder, cinnamon stick, or mini marshmallows!!
* Put your hot cocoa powder into small jars to give away and add our free printable label for that final colorful touch, or store in an air-tight container.